An Atmospheric Journey, Pt. 5 - Seven's Travels

Despite a lengthy gap between the first and second proper studio albums in the Atmosphere catalogue (filled, mind you, with a few EPs and a large cassette mixtape), the gap between God Loves Ugly and it's follow up Seven's Travels was rather short, at around one year. And it's easy to see why. The success of the God Loves Ugly album was unlike anything the duo could have expected - this project was incredibly well received by the entire hip-hop scene, and sold in numbers they wouldn't have dreamed of years before - this thing even entered the Billboard 200 for God's sake. It even had certain major labels asking to sign the duo, including names such as Interscope and Warner Bros that certainly aren't to be sniffed at. And while Atmos decided to stay independent and build their budding Rhymesayers label, it was still imperative to capitalise of off their newfound hype. Enter Seven's Travels. 

This next album is even longer than God Loves Ugly, spanning 19 tracks, plus a hidden joint as well. This thing seems pretty goddamn ambitious then, especially with it once again having just the one guest appearance, this time in their label's newest star Brother Ali. Atmosphere were clearly very confident in their abilities - the question is, was this confidence justified? Well, a lot of Atmosphere fans tend to argue that this project is one of the weaker ones released during the group's prime, but then again it does contain arguably their most beloved song ever, "Trying To Find a Balance", a song I'm incredibly excited to check out. 

So, will this be a worthy follow up to the brilliant God Loves Ugly, or a bloated mess that doesn't warrant the name Atmosphere on its cover? Let's find out. 

Again, all songs are of course produced by Ant. 

1. History 

A quick little introduction where Slug sings about making history over some pleasant piano and drums, perfectly setting a nice tone for the album. This isn't as impactful as "Onemosphere", but I don't think it was really trying to be - it's merely here to establish a mood, and it does it excellently. 

2. Trying To Find a Balance 

Starting things off with a bang, "Trying To Find a Balance" is one of the best fucking Atmosphere songs I've heard yet. I mean where to begin? The instrumental on this is fucking fantastic, with the female vocal samples permeating between Slug's vocals on the chorus in a way that almost reminds me of Aesop Rock's "None Shall Pass", only darker this time, and more anthemic. Every other aspect of this beat is incredible as well, mind - the string sounds that play on their own at the start before the drum beat bursts in with aggression, and the drum beat itself, which is one of Ant's best. This whole concoction is mesmerising, and Slug's vocals compliment it perfectly - I don't think I've yet heard this man sound quite so aggressive as he spits his revolution bars about the whackness of the rap game and the dilapidated state of his country. Even the chorus is sensational, especially during the repeats of the title. This might just be the best song in their discography yet. Jesus!

3. Bird Sings Why the Caged I Know 

On this slightly strange one-verse wonder, Slug spends a worrying amount of time fantasising about taking down, torturing and murdering some poor bird that he's seen flying around above him. Huh. Now of course Slug isn't actually some crazed killer of avian life - instead, he hates the bird because it can fly, free of all the troubles that lie in front of Sean down on the ground. Nonetheless, this one is pretty wild, and not for the parties - but that said, it is interesting, and Ant's instrumental helps the medicine go down smoothly. But let's hope Slug can find a slightly lighter place for his words to come from on the next few tracks....

4. Reflections 

On this joint, things are indeed in a more lighthearted place, as "Reflections" is a song about meeting a girl on tour who kind of reminds Slug of himself - almost like Eminem's "Remind Me" from Revival, only not horrible in every conceivable way. This track feels like it should have been one of the singles - the hook is catchy, the guitar laced instrumental is pretty funky, and Slug's bars are far more palatable to a wide audience than the song about murdering a bird merely for existing. "Reflections" is a legitimately fun and catchy track, and while that isn't necessarily what one comes to Atmosphere for, it is nice to have in small doses on an album like this. This is a good track. 

5. Gotta Lotta Walls 

And... we're straight into the deep end again, this time with a song all about Slug's deteriorating mental state. In the chorus here, he refers to himself as a house with lots of walls, AKA someone who it's very difficult to get through to - and most people don't care about most of his issues anyway, only wanting a couple of things out of him. It's a pretty dark concept, and during the verses Slug's lyrics become more and more depressing, as he discusses self harm and isolation - he also shouts out Murs at the start of this one, which is dope. Ant's work behind the boards here is similarly dark, the perfect backdrop to Sluggo's problems - my favourite moment being when the drums switch into something a little faster paced towards the end. This dark shit is somewhat difficult to listen to, but it is intriguing, and feels like a moment where we're starting to really delve into Slug's mind on the record. It's a very powerful moment. 

6. The Keys to Life vs. 15 Minutes Of Fame 

Wow. This one was unlike anything I've heard from the duo yet! The high energy and jumpiness here completely contrasts the previous track, with this sounding more like something to open a concert with than play whilst alone in your bedroom weeping. This shit was hype! And even then, lyrically it's still very strong, as Slug strings multiple metaphors about his not-quite-yet fame and his negative experiences trying to find success in the rap game. "The line between MC and comedian gets a little thinner, now it's nothing but roughage for lunch and punchlines for dinner". This whole song was 2 and a half minutes of pure energy, and I loved it. One of the best tracks yet. 

7. Apple

More of an interlude than anything, Slug takes 2 minutes to sing/rap in a rather gimmicky manner about rival MCs who he believes to be terrible at their art form - the title being in reference to how he'll place an apple on their heads to try to shoot off. It's a pretty funny song overall, but not really an emotional high or anything, so let's quickly move on to the next one - this one is just pure shit talk. 

8. Suicidegirls 

It's kind of unfortunate that over half of this track is taken up by some angry voicemails from some of Slug's previous lovers, as I would have loved to hear more of Sean over this experimental beat - like with quite a few tracks here this feels like nothing I've heard before from Atmosphere, and it's really awesome. When he does come in it sounds great, despite the mix on his voice being very quiet - "I used to pretend that I gave a fuck / now I do give a fuck, a little too much" is one of my favourite lines. Like the previous song this feels more like an interlude, but I'd put it far ahead of that one. This beat is nice!

9. Jason 

Just a skit, although I will say that drum beat in the background was nice. Otherwise, it's merely a prelude for...

10. Cats Van Bags (feat. Brother Ali)

I'm actually already familiar with this absolute fucking banger, and I almost wish I wasn't, as it would be absolute bliss to hear this for the first time again in the midst of this album. It just sounds completely unlike everything else, and in a great way. The incredibly rough synths teamed with some of the hardest drums Ant has ever cooked up make for one of the sickest beats I've ever heard, especially at the start when it drops in out of the weird scraping sound effects that begin the track. And although the hook is a little polarising (I still find it catchy, mind), Brother Ali and Slug absolutely do this fantastic instrumental justice with some of the best performances I've yet heard from them, as they go back and forth about the titular subject (touring, basically). The flow switch ups here make for some incredibly interesting verses, and I love the song's layout. "Flesh" was good, but as collaborations on Atmosphere albums go, this one pretty much wipes the floor with everything else. It's fucking insane, and might well be the best track here - maybe their best song yet. 

11. Los Angeles 

Kind of a random ode to the city of Los Angeles thrown in amongst these much more personal/artist specific tracks, but I still liked this, mostly because of how weird the beat is - it's made up of vocals where someone is doing their best impression of a drowning yet surprisingly melodic animal, simply placed over drums for one of the more standout backdrops of the evening. Lyrically it's a bit off, but overall this was a fun interlude. 

12. Lifter Puller 

Hey, I recognise that sample! Fans of modern mainstream hip-hop might join me in immediately noting that the sample here was later used (slightly more effectively, please don't shoot me Atmosphere fans) on Tyler, the Creator's song "Sir. Baudelaire", an instrumental actually taken from an earlier Westside Gunn track of which the name escapes me right now. And yes, the beat here isn't quite as strong as that one, but this song is still pretty impactful, if perhaps a little too long for its own good - at 6 minutes, "Lifter Puller" is a bit of a behemoth. Even so, Slug's lyrics about a failing relationship do tend to stick more often than not, and the vocal sample is very haunting and atmospheric (no pun). The storytelling lyrics here are exactly what I wanted to see from this act, and the story in question is told in a very engaging way. This is a good one. 

13. Shoes 

One interesting thing about this album is how it keeps going back and forth between impactful, full song length cuts, and shorter interlude-type tracks with much less serious subject matter. I can't really think of another album that does it this frequently, but I know I've got one somewhere. Anyway, "Shoes" is the latter, a song where Slug attempts to convince a girl he met to have sex with him whilst he's incredibly drunk - he fails, so props to him for admitting that in a world of incredibly insecure rappers who wouldn't dream of admitting such a thing. Still, this is probably the worst song yet - the instrumental is way too skeletal, the fake drunk voice way too annoying, and the chorus is simply unenjoyable. There are some fun moments on this one, but you wouldn't catch me bumping it. The metaphor here, allegedly about Slug slowly losing his mind whilst drunk, is also not that clever. Sorry.

14. National Disgrace

Slug's ode to those who became famous and made a hash of it, much like he perhaps intended to at the time, given the unstable personality he exhibits across some of these early records. This track, while not my favourite on the record by any means, is certainly an improvement over the previous cut - Slug's lyrics are much more focused, and Ant's instrumental manages to have a bit of a country twang to it and still not suck. In fact, the only part of this one I wasn't the biggest fan of was Slug's goofy singing towards the end, but of course it was perhaps the point to make himself look a bit of a "jerk-off" there. This is a pretty funny song, and it's good to see that Slug matured with age and didn't end up becoming the subject of this song, even if I do enjoy these more volatile early recordings a lot of the time. 

15. Denvemolorado 

Another shorter cut, this one almost entirely sung, which isn't great, although I did really enjoy the beat here. In fact, Slug's singing towards the very end of the song was actually pretty good - it's just a shame he had to initially overdo it in the verse. I certainly wouldn't skip this, but I'd be shocked if anyone named it a standout. 

16. Liquor Lyles Cool July 

Even if the instrumental here from Ant indicates this track as another more lighthearted moment in the tracklist, the one verse wonder from Slug is actually quite moving. Sluggo tells a detailed experience of sitting at a bar drinking, observing the place, and noticing a woman who he finds particularly attractive waiting there. He wonders in his head what she would think of him, what a relationship would be like - but never goes over, and they both leave having never interacted. The skit at the end places an interesting touch onto the story as well. I feel like this is one shorter song where it could have benefited from some elongation, but as it stands this shit was really well written. It's another highlight for me!

17. Good Times (Sick Pimpin')

One of the more relaxing moments on the record is this late game cut that appears to be one of the more popular on this record, and it makes sense, as this makes for very listenable music, even if it isn't really on the level of "Cats Van Bags" or "Trying To Find a Balance". Man this album has had some high points. The instrumental here is very much based on some airy guitar loops teamed with typical Ant drums, and it's pretty damned pleasant, and Slug's vocals here are strong as well for the most part, even in the more mellow chorus of the track. I won't lie and say this is a standout, but it's a solid effort nonetheless. 

18. In My Continental 

This track, as you might expect from the title, maintains a similar vibe to the last track - this one is all about Slug's thoughts and hopes that are going through his mind as he drives around in his car "splintered off the mental", which probably shouldn't be condoned. I really liked this one overall - the Slick Rick "Teacher, Teacher" interpolation paves way well for Slug's long and thought provoking verses, which are simultaneously meaningful and catchy, whilst Ant's groovy instrumental keeps your head nodding all the way through. I'd argue that this one might be an even better joint to relax to than the previous song. Awesome stuff. 

19. Always Coming Back Home To You

Like with the previous two songs, this closing track also has a relaxing feel, but unlike them, this guitar laced instrumental has something of a creepy vibe to it as well, and it's certainly a beat that stands out within the Atmosphere catalogue. The track consists of one long verse followed by a sung hook to finish, as Slug talks about various different people and scenarios he comes across whilst out on a walk that happen to remind him of his growing up - culminating in him revealing that this song might actually be an analogy for dying... maybe. If so, then his final line of "to find that she wasn't here, I was still all alone" is pretty powerful - this man isn't ready to die yet! This is a very powerful storytelling cut, and it's no wonder that it's one of Atmosphere's bigger tracks - I couldn't think of a better note to end things on.

But wait - after some silence, Atmos have one more song left in store for us. A hidden track, titled...

20. Say Shh

Slug's dedication to Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city that of course Atmosphere comes from - they were probably the first major hip-hop act coming out of there in fact. This track is a little more than a basic "I love my city" song, though - it's got a more significant meaning of taking what you're given and building something out of it. While Slug recognises that this city isn't the best in the world, it has a lot of positives that he sees that clearly outweigh the negatives for him - sure, the city doesn't have great night life and there aren't too many people to connect with, but that means there's places to park, and he can maintain a healthy lifestyle without wanting to go out all the time. The lyrics on this track are some of the most memorable on the whole record, and Ant kills the instrumental. This was a great way to close things out. 

In conclusion, I'm incredibly happy with Seven's Travels - in fact, it might be my favourite Atmosphere record yet, which I am aware is kind of a hot take amongst the Atmos community, especially given that Slug himself stated that he found this to be his worst work. For me, I don't really understand why - sure, some of the sequencing here was a little odd, especially when you had three interlude type tracks in a row from songs 7-9, and sure, "Shoes" is a bit of a whack moment that should have been left off. But man, this album is not only incredibly entertaining from front to back, but it also contains quite a few of the best songs the group have ever made. "Trying To Find a Balance" is the perfect opener, as Slug's passionate aggression mixed with Ant's dramatic and absolutely banging instrumental make for a brilliantly intriguing and catchy start to the record - whilst "Cats Van Bags" is a slapper with a sound that I really hope the group attempt more often in the future, as it's absolutely mesmerising. And there's plenty of other great moments here too - Slug's storytelling across the record is highly engaging, with most of the themes across the album still feeling pretty relevant today, meanwhile Ant brings the heat with a very varied but almost perfect across the board set of beats that will have you solemn one second and jumping right out of your seat the next. I really don't understand why so many people consider this one of the worst Atmosphere records! For me, this couldn't have been any better, and it makes me incredibly excited to see what they have in store next with the strangely titled You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having - if there's been one thing wrong with the last two projects it was them both being a little daunting in length; but a 13 track project, released right in their prime? This is gonna be good. And for now, Seven's Travels stands as quite possibly my favourite Atmosphere record - don't let some of the bad press put you off, because this is a masterpiece of storytelling and production. Nice!

Best Track: "Cats Van Bags"

Worst Track: "Shoes"

Read up on my previous Atmosphere reaction/reviews over here! 

An Atmospheric Journey, Pt. 4 - God Loves Ugly

By the year 2002, Sean "Slug" Daley and Anthony "Ant" Davis, the masterminds behind Atmosphere, had become some of the most prominent and anticipated names in the entire underground hip-hop scene. Their blend of powerful and often unexplored concepts in the lyrics spit with emotion unrivalled by the best actors, over smooth, melodic, often sample-rich beats was such a unique one that it seemed they had created an entire new subgenre all by themselves. While the first two projects I listened to gravitated occasionally towards more typical unpolished 4-track shit with basic instrumentals and bars that were perhaps a little too long for the beat, it was the third one that really grabbed my attention as something unlike anything else I'd heard in the genre. Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP's was definitely their most polished project so far, as the concepts and passion put into discussing them were simply unparalleled in a genre that, as much as I love it, does often find it difficult to stay on topic. This project has really got me excited for what's to come - the group have clearly found their sound, and now it's time to see if they can perfect it.

God Loves Ugly is the second official studio album by the duo, although it's the first where they are actually a duo at all, as Overcast! was of course back when Spawn was still readily available for a quick verse or three. On this effort, however, Sean and Ant seem much less willing to let collaborators into their universe, with I Self Devine being the only guest appearance on the entire 18 track project - this is gonna be a long one. Out of all their works thus far, this one clearly seems to be the most ambitious, and furthermore, many fans consider it the best, with Atmos classics such as "Fuck You Lucy", "Modern Man's Hustle", and of course the title track being some of the duo's most revered work. 

So I'm feeling pretty excited! Everything I've heard so far from these guys has been dope as shit, and I'm sure this one will be too. Even the title is innovative - anyone else hear about last year's JID album? It's high time I get into this - it's been like 8 months since I added to this series. Jeez.

All songs are produced by Ant. 

1. Onemosphere

Not exactly what I expected would open this disc up, but nonetheless this track was pretty awesome. Unlike "Between The Lines", which of course opened up the last full length, this track has a very angry feel, with hard drums and almost tuneless piano keys which sit in the instrumental to punctuate a word of every aggressive bar that Slug spits. And while the opening lines here feel a little too positive and PG for what this album is presenting itself as, most of the shit spit here is dope as fuck. "And the moral of the story comes equipped with a sting / once again I'm picked for the wrong fucking team" he says before the hard ass drums quiten down for a moment of relaxation in-between the two intense verses. This song seems to basically present this duo as underdogs in the game who have come to prove their worth now with international distribution, and so far it seems to be going well. This is a very strong opener. And I love that title!

2. The Bass and The Movement 

This song also has a pretty fucking awesome title, and it's similar musically too, if a little more skeletal instrumentally. Not that that's a bad thing at all, as this beat is in fact dope as all fuck. The disjointed drums teamed with the samples of what sound almost like people screaming is all at once familiar and unlike anything I've heard before. I mean sure it could have perhaps used a little shaking up during the chorus that seems to aim to be chanted at concerts, but I'm really not here to be nit-picky. And as for Slug, his lyrics here are even better than they were on the previous song, with the line "You can catch a face full of phallus" standing out in particular to me for how hilarious it is. But really, this whole song just seems to exemplify the man's personality on the mic, with many moments feeling almost relatable, whether that happens to be worrying or not. This shit was fucking brilliant.

3. Give Me 

Unfortunately it seems we've ran out of all time song titles, as this one opts for something incredibly generic. What a shame. Thankfully, the quality of the music hasn't deteriorated with it, because this instrumental from Ant is goddamned hypnotic, more jazzy than the previous two cuts, reminding me of some of the better moments on Overcast!, which by the way I still think is a very solid album. On this track, Slug goes into detail about some of his goals for his rap career, and also starts to make it more clear what he means by "Ugly" - in Slug's mind it means to be an outcast, an underdog, someone who has been brushed away and left to collect dust by society, and that's who this music is meant for. I think. That's what I'm getting anyway. But regardless, the song itself is very good - Sean seems to be going more in-depth than on the previous tracks, and the instrumental is really really nice. This is definitely a keeper. 

4. Fuck You Lucy 

A stark departure from the previous three tracks, "Fuck You Lucy" is the first emotional high on the record, and my God is it good. Backed by Ant's intense piano and chopped vocal samples, Slug goes on a rant against "Lucy", a character who could be interpreted as a metaphor for quite a few different things, although most tend to agree that it's either hip-hop or alcohol that Slug is ranting about here (and also referenced in the title of the previous project we discussed). The lyrics are a mix of sometimes poetic, like on the chorus, or simple and biting, such as the repeated shouts of the title within the verses. It's a very emotional song, certainly one of the most aggressive I've heard from this duo yet, but it's certainly one that's worth returning to, whether that's for the passion in the verses or the incredible instrumental. These guys really fit like a glove don't they. This might be the best song yet. 

5. Hair 

A far more lighthearted affair than the previous track, "Hair" is more of an interlude than anything else, as the instrumental here is quite simplistic compared with most of the other Ant beats I'm familiar with, and Slug's story about meeting an attractive girl after a concert is told with a delivery that feels kind of tongue in cheek, as if he's utterly gleeful that he has the opportunity to let his fans know about this encounter. Of course, fans of the duo will know that things don't end quite so well for Slug at the end of this song, as an unexpected twist occurs that shatters the pleasant mood of the track pulling us straight back in to the dark and depraved mind of Slug.... 

6. GodLovesUgly

I've actually already heard this one many times before, and you don't voluntarily listen to a song "many" times if it's whack. "GodLovesUgly" is one of my favourite hip-hop songs of all time. The piano loop on this track is fucking iconic, and as for Slug's rhymes, they're just something else. So many of these lines stand out. "I wear my scars like the rings on a pimp / I live life like the captain of a sinking ship" is the perfect opening to the track, and the interpolation of "Once Upon a Time in the Projects" feels like it couldn't possibly have fit in anywhere else. The way it takes a while before any rhymes come in feels so great as well, because it just builds the tension more and more as the piano continues to permeate your ears. This song is so fucking beautiful, I almost don't care that it kind of peters out at the end - how could I possibly critique this in any way? This one will be very difficult to beat. 

7. A Song About a Friend 

Another song about meeting a girl, although not only is it framed more seriously than "Hair", the track has an almost creepy vibe to it, not least because of Ant's jingling piano keys that almost remind me of some kind of horror film at times. But even Slug's lyrics are odd, especially during the chorus where he admits to looking up this girl's skirt on a staircase, possibly without her knowledge. I mean, dude, what the hell are you doing? I love the beat here though, and as the song progresses to Slug seeming to start falling for this girl, only for the relationship to sadly crumble to the point of no contact, the lyrics start to become much more profound and moving - as I've said before, Slug was never one to hide his emotions, and here's where that skill comes in handy, as the song does get to you in the end. This is a pretty strong effort overall. 

8. Flesh (feat. I Self Devine)

Over a percussion heavy Ant instrumental with a bassline that's sure to have you moving, Slug teams up with I Self Devine to rap about violence and rapping prowess in a shit talking cut that still does engage in amounts of lyrical prowess and vocabulary dense spitting, that is exactly what you'd expect from the hungry underground rappers of this scene. While Slug and I Self kill the verses, I'm not as keen on the gimmicky hook, which is pretty miserable to listen to in all honesty. Still, this one is a goddamn banger, with a very unique instrumental for the 'Sphere. Things so far are going very smoothly.

9. Saves the Day 

Kind of a sentimental sounding track, although Slug is still spelling out his ambitions for the future on here, and how he wishes to "save the day", whatever the hell that means. The song lyrics here seem kind of disjointed, even if the last couple bars were pretty powerful, but my favourite moment of the track comes at the end anyway, when the music kind of breaks down and the echo of the word "music" fades in and out - it's a nice switch up in the production that I wasn't really expecting to hear on a record like this. The song as a whole is okay though - it just feels a little repetitive for my liking. 

10. Lovelife 

This smooth cut refers to a literal interpretation of the common phrase it uses as it's title - Slug encourages the listeners to love life and work their hardest at it, despite what things God (who is addressed in the very moving chorus of the song) may throw their way. This is lyrically definitely one of the most intriguing songs of the whole record - sure, it's brilliant when Slug is battle rapping and insulting opponents with hilarious insults on a track like "The Bass and The Movement", but if it weren't for the more powerful and passionate moments like these then the duo probably wouldn't be quite as legendary as they are today. This is certainly one of the best songs yet, and Ant's haunting violins compliment the subject matter perfectly. Great stuff. 

11. Breathing 

After that more emotional moment, we're back to another somewhat fun cut, with a bouncy beat utilising somewhat dated synths that are still pretty good mind you, and a catchy hook that seems tailor-made for concerts - Kanye West would later use something similar on his song "Breathe In Breathe Out". I think, based on the final couplet of both verses here, that the concept of this song is Slug airing out his frustrations and thoughts about the world to a somewhat uninterested bartender, and I for one think that's a pretty unique idea, and one that works pretty damned well too - it's certainly one of the funnier moments of this record when he states "so just pour me another and ignore me my brother" after a legitimately powerful verse. This is a dope joint. 

12. Vampires 

The vampires in question being... well, pretty much every sentient being on Earth as well as the Earth itself according to Slug, who clearly fell out of bed the morning of creating this track (and perhaps others on the album as well). "Vampires" is one of the darker tracks on this record, dealing with thoughts about the inherent evils of the world, be that corrupt policemen or corrupt governments who leech off of the general public for their own sick needs. It's all punctuated by Ant's instrumental, full of guitar licks and hard drums, which feels pretty typical of the producer, but deeply suited to the themes of societal disarray nonetheless. It makes you realise by the end of this track that Slug's metaphor is actually quite apt, which is really quite a depressing thought when you look at it. I think I need a lie down. 

13. A Girl Named Hope 

I was kind of skeptical coming into this much shorter track at first, thanks to the terribly corny title that sounds like a children's story book written in the modern day more than a song from some of hip-hop's finest artists - but thankfully, this song was actually pretty good, if Slug's understated delivery was a little jarring in comparison with some of these other tracks. This one more seems to be a metaphor about Slug being ground down until he's lost all hope for the world, and it's quite sad really, especially with those repeated female vocal samples in the background punctuating the relentless stress life pushes at us from all angles. For a glorified interlude, this was awesome - shit, it could hold its own against most of the full length cuts here as well. 

14. GodLovesUgly Reprise 

Meanwhile this one is just weird. Slug gives up on rapping here for a sung approach, something I understand he ventures more into on an abundance of tracks later on in his career, for better or worse. Thankfully, he utilises many backup singers here to help him, and the results are pretty interesting - think of this as the hip-hop underground's weird answer to that "Iron's Theme" from Supreme Clientele, only it's not as catchy and sounds like something a creepy circus clown would recite to you in its torture dungeon. 

15. Modern Man's Hustle 

This was one of the album's most popular singles, and it's easy to see why - the melodic and relaxing instrumental, the legitimately catchy hook, and the (mostly) clean lyrical content makes it easy to see why the majors were sniffing all around the Rhymesayers head office after the release of this album in search for someone who might let them sign this duo. "Modern Man's Hustle" has legitimate radio appeal, even if it certainly isn't Atmosphere's signature song or even close, and even if Slug actually disses radio friendly rappers within this very track. The lyrics here, mind, are just as well written as they have been on most of the other songs here, with Slug's lyrics detailing the balance of his relationship with a girl he truly loves with trying to create a successful rap career. Sure, it's been discussed before, but here they've really created an anthem for that particular problem, and for that I have to applaud them. This track is really nice. 

16. One Of a Kind 

Finally, Slug delivers another creative "suck my dick" type of bar, this time in the form of "open invitation to catch today's ejaculation all across the front of your pretty little apron". That kind of sets the tone really, as this song is pretty damned aggressive - Slug calls out all the whack copycat rappers, none of whom have a lick of uniqueness about them, unlike he who is, as he so humbly claims, "one of a kind". The album has been due a joint dissing the sucker MCs for a while now (it is an early 2000s underground record after all), and with this track it finally has one - although I will say that this track doesn't quite deserve to be one of the most beloved songs on the entire record. It's good, sure, but better than "LoveLife" and "The Bass and The Movement"? I'm not so sure. Still, I liked it, so that's all that matters really.

17. Blamegame 

For the third time, Slug mashes together words that should be separate for a song title on this album. Why? Who cares. This track is... interesting. I'm not sure who's idea it was for a reggae style track to be introduced to this project, but it seems he was quite an aggressive and potentially dangerous chap, as otherwise the artists would probably have laughed it off - this simply isn't the right fit for the record. I mean, the track as a whole is fine, but I don't think this album at all benefits from its inclusion. It's a small blemish on a record that, for its length, has been otherwise incredibly consistent. Oh well. 

18. Shrapnel 

Anyone else feel like this instrumental really reminded them of Ghostface's Ironman album? The resemblance is almost uncanny - in particular the bassline here feels particularly similar to that on "After the Smoke Is Clear". Man, now I want to go back and listen to that for the millionth time. But that's okay, because we've now reached the last track on the album - and what a last track. After the weirdness of "Blame Game", "Shrapnel" pulls us back into an underground feel, with a dark and bleak instrumental punctuating Slug's vocals perfectly, whether that be during the two long verses or the very esoteric chorus here. But perhaps the best parts of this one are when the beat is left to ride out by itself - an under-appreciated art in the genre, when the producer gets his moment, and you are given time to really take in what the MC has just said. I really appreciate that. As closers go, this is one of the best in the Atmosphere discography yet. Wow.

In conclusion, God Loves Ugly might also just be Atmosphere's best work yet full stop. While it is a little too long, and contains the odd moment that hints at being a teensy bit of album filler (looking at you, "BlameGame"), for the most part this album is everything I hoped it would be. Slug's lyrics are even more interesting, his delivery more passionate, his hooks catchier - and Ant's production has improved tenfold too, especially with beats such as those on "GodLovesUgly" and "Lovelife", some of his most haunting and memorable work yet. God Loves Ugly also feels more of a curated experience than other Atmosphere projects. The way that this album constantly weaves from (somewhat) lighthearted moments such as "Hair" and "Flesh", straight back into tracks like "Fuck You Lucy" and "Vampires" that are passionate, dark and oftentimes quite haunting, is unlike anything I've seen outside of maybe some of Tech N9ne's early work. But the vibe of this album is completely different. It's like Ironman mixed with Anghellic mixed with 3:16: The 9th Edition, and with a little something else thrown in there as well, that unique Atmosphere magic. It's fucking incredible. And yes, I didn't think this was a perfect album. There were some songs that were placed where they perhaps shouldn't have been, some songs that followed a structure a little too formulaic, even moments that ever so slightly bored me. But I guess the whole message of this album is to accept those who are different, those who are perhaps... imperfect. And while it is that, this album is damned excellent nonetheless, and certainly a highly influential classic of the hip-hop underground. And the pair certainly capitalised on their success quickly, releasing another immensely ambitious independent release just one year later, intriguingly titled Seven's Travels... . I'll see you for that one folks. Thanks for reading!

Best Track: "God Loves Ugly"

Worst Track: "BlameGame"

Other Atmosphere write-ups are available! 

Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead

In 2006, Nas was coming off one of his least commercially successful records yet, the double album Street's Disciple, a project that I was sadly somewhat in the minority for really liking - most considered it packed with filler and inconsistent in themes, and admittedly it was home to some of the most ill-conceived Nas songs of all time, especially the deeply perverted "The Makings Of a Perfect Bitch". Street's Disciple also had nothing in the way of a big hit, for the first time in Nas' career being void of either a Nas classic or a charting single (because even Nastradamus had "You Owe Me"). The album was good, but not interesting enough to warrant much attention from anyone who wasn't directly following the Nasir career (which everyone probably should've been after his incredible releases prior to the double LP).

In order to drum up more attention in his now well over a decade long career as a recording artist, Nasir set about brainstorming a publicity stunt that might get him back some of the attention he would need if he wanted to keep up with his ever present rival Jay-Z, with whom he had admittedly ended the feud in the previous year. Therefore, he came up with the brilliantly corny album title Hip Hop Is Dead, and decided to annoy the listening public as much as possible by using the same exact sample in the album's lead single (also the title track) as he had in the previous album's lead single "Thief's Theme", only this time with some added Will.I.Am to really rile the hip-hop heads up. Why would you make a song about hip-hop being dead, and use a production and hook by one of the people most responsible?? (Although in my eyes hip-hop never really died, and even had a great resurgence around 2010). 

Nevertheless, it worked, as this project along with the next couple all hit no.1 on the charts and meant Nas could go on to release some of the best albums by a '90s rapper in the 2010s and 2020s decade, as his continued relevance kept the eyes of rap fans worldwide on his every move. But for now, we're focusing purely on Hip Hop Is Dead, and asking the question - was it merely the title that bought this album the success it got, or was the music something to do with it as well? Let's find out. 

1. Money Over Bullshit (prod. L.E.S. & Wyldfyer)

There'll be no mucking about with spoken word intros this time it seems - Nas gets straight to it here with an absolute banger of a track, where his aggression and hunger trumps any performances we saw on his previous album. I mean, seriously, has Nas been at the Red Bull on this one? Because his energy here is incredible, and makes for a very entertaining four minutes of music where the bars never seem to stop, even though there is a bullshit hook thrown in there to chant along to at concerts. Here Nas discusses not only the main theme that the album title indicates towards, but also other concerns with social welfare that he tends to get into on every album, and the overall message that life is indeed a bitch. "Dreams of falling in the elevator, passing floors / suddenly stop, the doors open up to a brick wall". The relentlessness of life at the bottom of the social ladder. This song is incredibly written and even more well performed, and my god does that beat set the macabre tone of the album perfectly. What a way to begin. QB Bitch!!

2. You Can't Kill Me (prod. L.E.S. & Alvin West)

And then we're immediately underwhelmed with the song's follow up. Okay, in the song's defence, Nas does fucking murder this once again - he doesn't sound quite as engaged as on "Money Over Bullshit" sure, but the storytelling on this one is concise and well written, and the flows are out of this world, even if I'd rather not hear about Nasir's girl "spreading that asshole like a wide-mouth bass" ever again. Unfortunately, the instrumental on here is bland as a peanut butter sandwich, and the hook is even worse. Nas has never been a good chorus writer even on his best records (think "My Country"), but we're really scraping the bottom of the barrel of creativity with this one. It's almost as if it's only there to push the runtime up to that of a normal song - why else would he feel the need to interrupt the narrative with some wilfully terrible singing?

3. Carry On Tradition (prod. Scott Storch)

At this point in the album Nas appears to do the unthinkable and actually stick to the album's concept for a few full tracks, so enjoy it while it lasts. "Carry On Tradition" does suffer from similar issues to the previous track however - the instrumental is pretty uninteresting, probably the least menacing in Storch's entire catalogue, meanwhile the chorus is pretty uninspired too. Thankfully, both are listenable, and being the greatest rapper of all time and everything Nasir manages to push this song to a certain quality with verses detailing his varying quibbles with the rap game, my favourite lyric being "I had off time, I was bored with this / I could have made my double LP just by sampling different parts of "Nautilus"" - if Nas lacks one quality on the mic it's the ability to make me laugh, but I'll readily admit I chuckle every time I hear that one. "Carry On Tradition" is musically alright, but it's the engaging and focused lyrics that make this one worth listening to for the Nas enjoyers out there. He is truly awesome. 

4. Where Are They Now (prod. Nas & Salaam Remi)

While I can't imagine anyone deliberately playing "Where Are They Now" while working out or taking a walk to the local pub, it is cool how Nas was able to show off his knowledge of old school hip-hop on a track like this, even if he possibly could have done a little more than simply name a load of random artist names that just happens to rhyme sometimes. Also, the hook sounds really nice, even if the high pitched guitars that play during the verses give me somewhat of a headache. Yeah, this one's interesting. 

5. Hip Hop Is Dead (feat. will.i.am) (prod. will.i.am)

The lead single and most popular track from the album is this will.i.am joint that infamously samples the same riff as Nas' single from just two years prior "Thief's Theme", only inevitably it makes it sound a hell of a lot less gritty and a hell of a lot more bouncy this time around. Still, I kind of like this track, even though I very much understand some of the negative reception it received initially and even to this day. Nas' rhymes don't really relate to the rapidly deteriorating (in his mind, that is) state of hip-hop as much as they should on such a track, with him instead discussing the ever important topic of "grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind", which is apparently such a brilliant line that it had to be echoed twice more to really pump the message into the listener's brain. Other than that odd choice, you're getting solid rhymes from Nasir, who has dumbed down some of the passionate anger here in order to appeal more to his mainstream audience, and a bouncy beat that interestingly switches up to something more old school for a live feel at the end, which was a nice touch. This song is... odd, but I do like it. Just not as much as "Thief's Theme". 

6. Who Killed It? (prod. Salaam Remi & will.i.am)

I.... what?? 

7. Black Republican (feat. Jay-Z) (prod. L.E.S. & Wyldfyer)

After uniting on stage in 2005, officially squashing the tension that had seemed to have gone on forever in the hip-hop world, Nas and Jay-Z joined each other in the studio to record this banger, where the pair bond on their similarities - they are both black men who have become incredibly successful and rich, yet occasionally feel amounts of guilt, feeling like "black republicans", even though they don't want to turn their back on their hoods. This collaboration stands as easily the strongest since the opening track, whether it's down to the elongated introduction over that triumphant instrumental, the memorable hook, or the verses from Jay-Z and Nas which are both some of their best from the year 2006. Everything about this is triumphant and energising, and makes me feel on top of the world. Beautiful song. 

8. Not Going Back (feat. Kelis) (prod. Stargate)

God the acting on the skit that introduces this track is bad. Thankfully, the rest of this song is pretty awesome, strong enough that I actually used to have it as my favourite song on the album, although now I prefer listening to the two songs either side, and also the opener. I wonder if it's that horrible skit that plays a part in that, or the goofy gimmick on the bridge towards the end. Because otherwise it's all good - for being the first instrumental here produced entirely by someone I've never heard of (although apparently they produced tons of hit singles in the 2010s??), this beat is actually really strong, and furthermore Nas' performance here is pretty entertaining. And as for Kelis, she sings just about well enough here to make us forget the memories of the terrible hook on "American Way" from the last album. This is pretty strong stuff. 

9. Still Dreaming (feat. Kanye West & Chrisette Michele) (prod. Kanye West)

I always forget how quickly this album suddenly picks up in quality. "Still Dreaming" is the album's clear standout, even with the incredible "Money Over Bullshit" kicking things into gear earlier on. Even with Late Registration, Be, Finding Forever and Graduation all being released around this project, this instrumental still stands as one of Ye's best and most hypnotic from the era, with the brilliant Chrisette Michele sample worked beautifully into the deep bass, classic Kanye drums and glittery sound effects that permeate the track. When Kanye is on the beat, best believe I'm automatically paying more attention. And with that in mind, Nasir still manages to keep me engaged with the writing, with some brilliant verses about people surrounding him who expected something from him just because he got famous, and also a rich coke addict who got arrested for organising a hit on someone for stealing her car - yeah that verse was kind of random. But still, Nas is as brilliant as ever, and Kanye's opening verse and hook are dope as you'd imagine too. This song is fucking phenomenal, easily the best on this album. It's a shame this brilliant track run couldn't last longer. 

10. Hold Down the Block (prod. Mark Batson)

I'm actually kind of surprised that I enjoyed this track that much on this listen. I always used to write it off as one of the more forgettable cuts along with "You Can't Kill Me", but actually it's got a really nice chill sound to it and some legitimately great lyrics detailing Nas' status as the man who his old friends in the hood go to when they find themselves in deep shit. I'm not the greatest fan of the sung hook from one Mark Mayfield, but everything else about this track is smooth and very pleasant to listen to. Good track.

11. Blunt Ashes (prod. Chris Webber)

A lot of people are somewhat indifferent towards this track, not so much due to the production by Chris Webber the NBA player, which is actually pretty fucking nice, but instead because of our host's somewhat disengaged performance on the track - yes he's storytelling, but his flow sounds tired, and the "I'm stoned" gimmick runs thin quickly. If it weren't for the legitimately interesting and oddly dramatic production work on the track, this would probably land as one of the weakest cuts here. 

12. Let There Be Light (feat. Tre Williams) (prod. Kanye West, co-prod. Devo Springsteen & Paul Cho)

One of the worst Kanye beats I've ever heard accompanies a corny sung hook and some below average rapping. I'm sure those who hoped for a "Still Dreaming" quality track here headed for the nearest bridge with a large boulder immediately. 

13. Play On Playa (feat. Snoop Dogg) (prod. Scott Storch)

What's up with the sequencing on this album? We've had four dark and socially conscious tracks in a row, followed by this fuck 'em and chuck 'em anthem of a Snoop Dogg collaboration that sounds exactly like something that would show up on one of his albums, and nothing like your usual Nas song. This is actually better than the last track simply because it doesn't make me cringe every time, but still, any song with the line "finest females I spit game on, I sprayed her" repeated throughout isn't going to be making my Best Of Nas playlist. I could take it or leave it. 

14. Can't Forget About You (feat. Chrisette Michele) (prod. will.i.am)

This christmassy track was the second and final single for the album, and like the first it was produced by a certain will.i.am whilst being about reminiscing on the genre he was a large reason for the deterioration and gentrification of. Huh. But this track is actually a lot better than "Hip Hop Is Dead", and for a few reasons. Firstly, the instrumental doesn't bring up memories of another, better Nas song. Secondly, the Chrisette Michele vocals here are almost as beautiful as those on "Still Dreaming". And finally, Nas actually stays on fucking topic, rapping about hip-hop's past while this time admitting that he might be sounding like a bit of a boomer, when he says "and I don't want to keep bringing up the greater times" - self awareness is the first step to making sure your music doesn't become a shell of what it used to be. And with this, Nas proves he's still capable of making good singles, even if it's not really "Made You Look", or close to that song. 

15. Hustlers (feat. The Game & Marsha Ambrosius) (prod. Dr. Dre)

This notorious collaboration sees Nas teaming up with the hottest West Coast MC of the times, The Game, and rapping over an instrumental made by a guy he also had teamed up with from the West in the past, Dr. Dre. I find it quite intriguing how Dre is collaborating with The Game here though - I thought Dre was still firmly standing by 50 at this time, and wasn't he in the midst of beef with not only Jayceon but Nasir too? Whatever, at least we got the track, which is good even if Marsha's chorus is pretty weak. I always found The Game's verse on this one to be one of the most memorable moments on the entire LP thanks to his recounting of a visit to the store when he couldn't choose between The Chronic and Illmatic so he just stole both - meanwhile Nas does a good job and Dre's beat is decent, if weaker than his work on Jay-Z's Kingdom Come the previous month. This is certainly interesting, if not the best possible outcome for a star studded collaboration such as this. 

16. Hope (prod. Nas & L.E.S., co-prod. Alexander "Spanador" Mosely)

I wonder why a song with absolutely no instrumental at all required three different producers. That just doesn't make sense. On this track, the finale of this concept album, Nas spits an acapella verse with the help of some Chrisette Michele background vocals, detailing his final thoughts on the state of hip-hop, coming to the final conclusion that in fact the genre will probably never die, therefore rendering this entire album somewhat pointless. Huh. Still, at least we could end with some pleasant singing - it's much preferable to a bullshit outro, so that's something. 

My CD of this album comes with a bonus track for the UK (there are two other bonus tracks on different pressings, but I haven't heard those yet - maybe I'll cover them some other time).

17. The N... (prod. Salaam Remi)

Also known as "Don't Hate Me Now" in some corners of the internet, this theme song for Nas' new alias "N" is built around a marching band drum pattern that makes it seem somewhat gimmicky, especially with that ridiculous hook. This one really isn't worth tracking down unless you're a Nas completist like me - it's clear why it wasn't included as part of the main album. 

So, is hip-hop really dead? Well, of course not, but as we established earlier I think even Nas knew this as much as anyone else - it's pretty clear this title was mostly for attention, even if quite a few tracks here do go into the concept. But more importantly, is the album any good? Well.... sure. Hip Hop Is Dead is definitely not my favourite Nas album though, and in fact it's one of my least favourites. I've seen many people on the web saying that Nas is a great rapper who has a terrible ear for beats, something he even addressed on his 2018 track "Simple Things", but that's something that I disagree with for the most part. Sure, he often is more engaging than the music behind him, but that's because he's the greatest rapper of all time. Of course he's going to outshine most beats that aren't all time classics. And honestly, on Nastradamus I thought the beats were the only thing worth listening to it for, as Nas appeared to be off more than half a xan on that one. However, the beats on Hip Hop Is Dead, teamed with the bullshit hooks, are where Nas is finally let down. Some of these beats are great, specifically those from tracks 7-11, where the album as a whole is at it's strongest too (I mean, is it possible to not love "Still Dreaming"?) - but for the most part, the beats on here are pretty uninteresting, whether it's due to lack of any interesting instrumentation ("Carry On Tradition") or simple passiveness ("You Can't Kill Me", "Play On Playa"). Nas manages to distract us from this most of the time with his controversial messaging, and I will say that the rapping here is extraordinary most of the time, with Nas displaying hunger and passion that honestly wasn't visible on much of the more calm and collected Street's Disciple. But now it's my turn for a controversial take - Street's Disciple is better than this. I think the production on that album is better, and the hooks are stronger too. Hip Hop Is Dead has some legitimately brilliant moments - "Black Republican" and "Still Dreaming" are all time great collaborations, and "Money Over Bullshit" is one of Nas' strongest album openers ever. But overall I think this could have been much better, despite the fact that Nas does manage to stay on topic on much of the record. This album is one that will forever be known for it's title - because when it comes to the music beyond, Nas has far more interesting work to discover. Like his next album for example....

Best Tracks: Money Over Bullshit, Black Republican, Not Going Back, Still Dreaming, Hold Down the Block, Can't Forget About You

Worst Track: Let There Be Light 

In case you're still in the office with nothing much else to do, here's some more Nas reviews to check out!

Jay-Z - Kingdom Come

If I were to pick the least potent period of Shawn Carter's incredible and storied career, the era in which he excelled the least, it would probably be his faux "retirement", which took place between 2004 and 2006. Sure, Hova did find time to become president of Def Jam, one of hip-hop's most infamous and prosperous labels, at this time, which was quite the achievement and one of the first incredible business moves of the man's career - but at the same time, Jay effectively proved right all those saying the retirement was a stunt to promote his 8th record, The Black Album, by not only releasing a whole new album in 2004 (the widely despised second collaborative tape with R. Kelly, Unfinished Business, which I do not own and therefore didn't review, sorry) and a mashup collaboration with Linkin Park (plus an actual live performance together), but also delivering a slew of guest verses within the less than three year period in which he was "finished with music". Not only that, but he also burned a few bridges between the likes of DMX and Cam'Ron, the former of which being an especially questionable fallout, given X's opinion that Jay kicked him off the label because he was afraid of the competition. True or not, this wasn't really a good look for Jigga at all. 

But perhaps the area Jay-Z failed in the most was how he came out of the retirement. In late 2006 he announced his return to the surprise of approximately no-one, via the lead single to his up-and-coming 9th studio album, Kingdom Come, a record that was rolled out with much hype, but almost immediately dismissed as the worst album in the Jay-Z catalogue thus far. Considering how incredible and well put together The Black Album was, fans were disappointed to learn that Jay-Z recorded much of this album whilst on tour - i.e. it was rushed - meaning he sounds tired and elderly on the mic rather than sharp and comfortable like he used to; meanwhile the production seemed to lack any bounce at all, with the dreary backdrops being oddly appropriate in conjunction with this newer, more senile version of Jay, who despite being in his 30s seemed to have been aged deeply by the stress of running a massive label. 

But while maybe it's just the all red casing for the CD (which is awesome by the way) that makes me see this album in a completely different light to most - honestly, this doesn't feel like any other Hov album out there, and in some cases that's for the best. Let's get to it. 

1. The Prelude (prod. B-Money)

The opening track is a great example of this new Hov - "The Prelude" stands as one of the most chilled out and brilliant cuts of Jay's post-retirement career, where he laments on disdains for where the rap world was headed, and gives some reason as to why he might have felt the need to lift himself out of his backyard hammock so soon and enter the game once again - speaking of The Game, Hov also fires back at Jayceon's disses from "It's Okay (One Blood)" at the end of this one verse wonder. "I used to think rapping at 38 was ill / but last year alone I grossed 38 mil / I know I ain't quite 38 but still / the flow so special, got a 38 feel / the real is back". These lyrics are brilliant on their own, but the way Jay-Z delivers them with a calm and collected drawl, before ending the track altogether... it's just magical. If these lyrics aren't good enough for hip-hop fans, then maybe everyone should hang it up. And it's not just the lyrics on this track (the first few lines are fantastic too): B-Money's instrumental is simply beautiful, mostly soothing but somewhat ominous, practically forcing the listener to be interested in what's to come. "The Prelude" honestly gives a lot of The Black Album a run for its money - and it might just be the best track on this entire record. 

2. Oh My God (prod. Just Blaze) 

Inevitably, things weren't going to remain as sonically sombre as "The Prelude" throughout this whole LP - I mean, becoming the head of the biggest hip-hop label in the world isn't something you just brush off, even if you are as famous as Jay-Z. "Oh My God" is a predictable Just Blaze concoction, but make no mistake a good one, full of triumphant horns and a passionate vocal sample that bring back memories of that classic "U Don't Know" sound. Of course, "Oh My God", goofy title and all, doesn't stand up to the quality of some of the classics on The Blueprint, but it does try, and while Jay's flow isn't as electric as it used to be, he still delivers some memorable bars over what is a truly brilliant beat. Also, isn't it "strong as I am" during the chorus? "Strong as iron" (which is what Genius says it is), while technically it makes sense, doesn't really have much relation to the Hov catalogue. Whatever.

3. Kingdom Come (prod. Just Blaze)

It's songs like this that make me question why there's any negative press around this album whatsoever. Just Blaze's beat on this title track is even better than his efforts on "Oh My God", with a pulsating instrument punctuated by these echoey vocal samples every other bar that make for an incredibly unique soundscape within the Hov catalogue, as well as a highly underrated beat drop when it first comes in towards the start of the track. This isn't even good in a guilty pleasure sort of way, like much of Method Man's Tical 0: The Prequel - this is just legitimately incredible hip-hop music. Even Jay sounds extra excited on here, spitting with a smoothness I long for throughout the bloated The Blueprint 2. I had a great fucking smile on my face throughout this entire track, even during the slightly unnecessary hook. This song is as awesome as I remember and then some. 

4. Show Me What You Got (prod. Just Blaze)

The lead single, although apparently not the track that most people remember from this album these days, which is odd as this is definitely a standout for me. Sure, it's not the best song on the album, but it's certainly the catchiest, what with Just Blaze's horn fuelled sample and Hov's repetitive hook that is an immense ear worm. This is one of the few songs on the album (from my recollection) that only has two verses rather than three, but Jay manages to make them worth it, as they're full of memorable lines. From the opener of "give the drummer some / shit I already gave the summer some, it's the winter's turn" to that classic Hov swagger when he merely states "y'all got less than 2 months to get your thing together, good luck" (in reference to the single dropping just under 2 months before the album), which just exudes confidence that Hov had frankly earned by this point. Everything about this is classic - the horns, the rapping, the Public Enemy sample. So far this CD has not missed. 

5. Lost One (feat. Chrisette Michele) (prod. Dr. Dre & Mark Batson)

No, this is the most popular song from the album these days, and it's no wonder why, as it is very pleasant on the ear. Also, these are probably the best verses across the whole album. Over this fantastic Dre beat full of some of the best pianos he ever worked with, Jay-Z reminisces on times he lost friends, family and even former mentors, dedicating entire verses to individuals who played an important part in his growth. The most heart-wrenching moment of the track comes during the third verse, as Hov pays tribute to his late friend Colleek D. Luckie, who had prior passed in a car accident, inside a car Jay-Z himself bought. It's pretty tragic, and makes the song one of the darker ones that Jay had made up to this point. Chrisette Michele's hook is also predictably beautiful, probably better than her efforts on Nas' single at the same time, "Can't Forget About You" (hint to what my next post might be), so that's something that I might get lynched for saying. This is yet another awesome song. 

6. Do U Wanna Ride (feat. John Legend) (prod. Kanye West)

A dedication to Jay's close friend Emory Jones, who at the time was serving his 6th of an eventual 10 years in prison on drug charges. The track is helped along by John Legend, who by this point had become a name all of his own outside of Kanye's shadow - although you wouldn't know this by looking at who produced this track, as the KanMan is behind the boards here for an instrumental that feels like a more dreary and depressing version of his own "Last Call". That's dreary and depressing in a good way, however, as this instrumental is really powerful, one of the richest and most dramatic on the entire LP for sure. I'll be honest, this is probably the weakest track yet, as something about it just feels lacking in that high energy we heard on some of the earlier songs, but nonetheless John's beautiful singing voice and Jay's heartfelt dedications, plus the rich beat, make this one another hit. It's definitely worth hearing. 

7. 30 Something (prod. Dr. Dre)

Most people seem to see this as one of the prime examples of why this album is bad, but I actually quite like it. I know it seems a bit "okay boomer", but frankly some of Jay's lines on here are pretty clever, especially during the final verse where he talks about snitching being "the shit" these days, and of course "y'all respect the one who got shot, I respect the shooter" being a classic line. And on top of that, Dre's production on here is even more chill than it was on "Lost One". Is it too late to ask him to just release the masters for Detox? Because that album could have been fantastic. 

8. I Made It (prod. DJ Khalil)

Ugh. Those who went into this album pleasantly surprised at how consistently nice it's been up to this point would be sorely disappointed by this flaccid piece of trash. I hated this shit when I first heard it, and now it sounds even worse. One of the clearest examples of album filler I've ever heard. Not a single piece of interesting wisdom, nor a single memorable line, is spit here. Sorry. 

9. Anything (feat. Usher & Pharrell) (prod. The Neptunes)

Jay apparently has so many songs in his catalogue at this point that there's not another combination of words under the sun that he could possibly use without repeating himself, hence naming this song after his 1999 single of the same name. Or perhaps he forgot that song existed completely thanks to its being a blatant rehash of "Hard Knock Life" (even if it still sounded pretty good). Not that this star studded collaboration does the title any favours, as it's about as enjoyable as being slowly torn apart by enraged apes. Jay's allowed to have fun once in a while, sure, but when the results are as horrible as this it makes me wonder whether even he wanted to include this song, or if it's simply here because of the obligatory Neptunes credit. If anyone can stand that "I'ma tell you" sample for more than 10 seconds, then I must offer my condolences for your being deaf.

10. Hollywood (feat. Beyonce) (prod. Syience) 

Really? More double time flows? Surely we learned that Shawn had long lost his ability to do those on the last track. Of course, this track about the pitfalls of extreme fame does sound a lot better than "Anything", but that's only because "Anything" was so fucking bad. "Hollywood" meanwhile is merely very bleh, being home to one of the least passionate Beyonce performances I've heard, and an instrumental that sounds incredibly dated. It's amazing how quickly this album loses it's momentum - we've gone from brilliant hip-hop bangers with clever rhymes and classic Hov flows, to weak ass attempts at mainstream radio with some of the weakest flows Jay has ever dropped, all in the space of three tracks. Fuck. 

11. Trouble (prod. Dr. Dre & Mark Batson)

Thankfully, the solo joint "Trouble" is a step in the right direction - and not only that, it's one of the best tracks on the entire album. Dre and Mark Batson cook up a heater for this one, an instrumental that sounds far more menacing than the good doctor's previous two credits here, with some intense electronic synths pulsating throughout the track to give it a futuristic edge that the previous track also attempted, but failed at miserably. Meanwhile, Jay has finally managed to find his footing with the flow on here, sounding as comfortable as ever through his three long verses, which are full of quotables and legitimately solid rhymes - although the repetition during the third verse does get a little tiresome. Still, the haunting sound of this track makes it one of the nicest across the entire LP. Dope shit. 

12. Dig a Hole (feat. Sterling Simms) (prod. Swizz Beatz)

You know things have gotten bad when the Swizz Beatz instrumental is the best part of a song. While there have been some more sonically disturbing tracks on Kingdom Come thus far, I feel like "Dig a Hole" is the worst, as it falls so flat as a disstrack I'm almost embarrassed for Hov. Or I would be if he wasn't already incredibly successful. If anyone should be embarrassed it's me I guess... . Hmm. Oh wait - it's actually Sterling Simms. Sterling Simms should be seriously embarrassed. 

13. Minority Report (feat. Ne-Yo) (prod. Dr. Dre)

After spending 5 minutes making a fool of himself on the last track, Hov decides that now is the time to get serious, and drop a long diatribe about the victims of Hurricane Katrina over more Dr. Dre production, in what is without doubt one of the better track to appear in the latter half of this album. Jay-Z's heartfelt lyrics on here feel genuine, and Ne-Yo's singing teamed with the news report excerpts towards the end of the track make for some goosebump-inducing stuff. This isn't something you might want to pop on in a casual setting, but when it plays through as part of the album it's sure to hit you in the feels. Nice work. 

14. Beach Chair (feat. Chris Martin) (prod. Chris Martin & Rick Simpson)

A rather unusual Coldplay crossover that does indeed have a very similar vibe to some of their music, which makes this song oddly nostalgic to me as my parents used to play Coldplay all the time when I was much younger. This does certainly make "Beach Chair" stand out in the Hov catalogue, and he himself has named it one of his hidden gems - and while I don't think this is one of the best songs on the album, thanks to the slightly melodramatic nature of the track, I do think there's a lot of truly excellent writing about Hov's different thoughts and fears throughout these three verses, and the chorus is undeniably catchy. Jay-Z's music has never been defined by one sound, and if nothing else I think it's the willingness to branch out on tracks like these that make Kingdom Come so underrated to me. This is yet another great song on the album, and a powerful way to cap things off. 

My CD of this album features one rather intriguing bonus track:

15. 44 Fours (Live From Radio City Music Hall) 

A live version of the Hov classic "22 Two's", where Jay replaces the second verse with a brand new verse, spit over the original "Can I Kick It?" instrumental. See if you can guess what the gimmick is this time. This verse is highly impressive, and I honestly think it's awesome that he included it on the CD. Almost as awesome as the red CD case!

Many Jigga fans like to dismiss Kingdom Come to the bottom of their Jay-Z tierlists, citing things like Hov sounding sleepy, the list of guest singers taking up studio time, or even the mere existence of the song "Anything", as reasons to hate this LP as if it were responsible for multiple atrocities. But as you can tell from the review, I was always a fan. I mean, it's not like Jay-Z has the most consistent catalogue anyway - I always found albums like Vol. 2 and The Blueprint 2 to be a little overstuffed and inconsistently produced despite Jay's desperate attempts to keep them afloat with mostly brilliant rapping - and amongst it, Kingdom Come feels like a somewhat different approach, with a far more sombre overall sound than the majority of his other, more celebratory and/or aggressive records (the horn-filled single "Show Me What You Got" notwithstanding). Kingdom Come showcases a new side to Jay-Z with the production style and the rapping, and I think his noticeably less charismatic delivery honestly helps the album to bring across the mood also established by the stern look and dark tint that the album cover brings to the table. There are definitely a few missteps on this record that keep it from getting anywhere near Jay's top 5, though - think not only the aforementioned "Anything" with that horrible repeated vocal sample, but also the dismal "diss" track that is "Dig a Hole", the failed crossover "Hollywood", and the almost entirely forgettable "I Made It", as clear examples of how Hov's three year break from music had led him to make some errors when in production of this one. Then again, nothing here is as terrible as "Things That U Do", so that's something. And look at all the goodness that is to be found here - the first seven tracks are very consistent with some brilliantly written verses and truly incredible production to be found, and even during the admittedly very sloppy second half there are some bangers, especially the Dre helmed tracks in that portion. Overall, I like this album, and I don't give a damn if I have to keep a finger firmly planted over the skip button to make sure I don't accidentally hear a single second of "Anything" - I still listen to it regularly. I just really enjoy the vibe. Also, it has a red CD case, and who doesn't like that?

Best Tracks: "The Prelude", "Kingdom Come", "Show Me What You Got", "Lost One", "Trouble", "Minority Report"

Worst Tracks: "I Made It", "Anything", "Dig a Hole"

Read some more of my pieces on Jay-Z/Jigga Man/Jay-Hova here!

Xzibit - Weapons Of Mass Destruction

In case you missed my last post covering the work of mr. Joiner, here's a quick recap. After finally pushing his way into hip-hop's inner ring via sheer brute force, joining the ranks of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem for the Up In Smoke Tour, as well as various collaborations across the biggest hip-hop releases of 1999 and 2000, Xzibit decided to barricade his way right back out of the limelight by releasing a simply terrible album entitled Man Vs. Machine, which not only contained a sample of Toto's "Africa", but also featured some frankly insulting verses from mr. X-to-tha-Z, who performed like someone who has suffered amounts of literal brain damage throughout much of this LP. The label he was on at the time, Loud Records, were so embarrassed by this disaster of an album that they decided to pack up shop immediately, leaving Alvin without a label home for the first time since his career ballooned in '95. Well, that's not the real reason the label dissolved, but you have to admit that Man Vs. Machine standing as the last project released on it is somewhat suspicious. 

Thankfully, or perhaps not thankfully depending on how much faith you still had in him as an artist, Xzibit was still a big enough name in the industry that it wasn't difficult to find a new outfit to release at least one more project on, before his go at being a "rapper" officially ran out. It was Columbia who picked up the newly appointed Pimp My Ride host, and much to the man's pleasure, evident when he decided to record his most angry and hateful release yet to kick off his stint there. 

Weapons Of Mass Destruction is a strange album in the Xzibit catalogue. It was well after his relationship with Tha Alkaholiks and King T had soured, but now also at a time where Dre, Snoop and Em had all had a collective finger slip and deleted Alvin's number from their contacts (literally in the latter's case, as X recounts on his more recent song "1983"), meaning for the first time we're seeing Xzibit without any mentors or superiors in the vicinity, allowing him to finally reign free and do whatever the fuck he wanted, within reason of course - in fact, he is the lone executive producer on here for the first time in his storied career. Guest are sparse - outside of the celebrity cameos inevitable on such a major label release (Keri Hilson, Busta Rhymes), Xzibit sees fit to include multiple appearances from his new proteges Strong Arm Steady, who would actually make waves around 2010, when they released the Madlib produced In Search Of Stoney Jackson to mild success. Back in '04 they were unknown though, and Xzibit here attempted to give them a leg up, one that failed miserably (I'm guessing Xzibit's older weed carrier Montage One got tired of blunt rolling around the release of Restless, as what the fuck happened to him?)

My memories of this effort are hazy outside of some of the bigger singles, but at least X's last release was so terrible that this one just has to be an improvement. Nowhere to go but up. Let's get to it!

P.S. Apparently that Xzibit logo on the front cover was designed by someone by the name of "Mister Cartoon". Hopefully that won't be a sign of how much effort was put into the actual album.

1. State Of the Union (prod. Thayod Ausar)

Lets everyone know that X isn't playing around anymore - this album is about to delve into some serious shit. While the project inevitably strays from the concept more often than not, I do think this intro is legitimately creepy, and one you probably won't want to skip. Also, Thayod Ausar is back!

2. LAX (prod. Sir Jinx & Mystro)

Xzibit starts proceedings with this anthem for "the war", rapping alongside a pulsating rock inspired beat and a catchy sung hook that make this one of the man's most streamed songs to this day. Lyrically Xzibit doesn't seem to have returned to his older, better style yet, instead ramping the homophobia up a notch within the first four bars, but still you have to admit that this one is entertaining. The production bangs, and will catch you by surprise when you go into the album, and you'll probably find yourself singing along to the hook too by the time the track is drawing to a close. I'd like to put my optimistic goggles on right about now, but unfortunately I'm reminded that the first song on Man Vs Machine was also very good, possibly better than this one. There's a long way to go yet. 

3. Cold World (prod. Jelly Roll)

C'mon Xzibit - as a hip-hop veteran yourself you should know that this song title is off limits after GZA used it in '95 for his absolute classic album. You wouldn't want someone to name their song "Paparazzi" would you? Wait, hold on a minute. Anyway, the song itself is actually pretty damn good, even if Jelly Roll tries his hardest to fuck everything up with an inane hook. Xzibit spits three verses here, all describing different difficult situations that people in the world might find themselves in, spreading awareness like people with a voice should when the time is right. What's most surprising is that Xzibit takes things away from the hood in the final verse, and actually links back to the harrowing intro skit, describing a family who are unable to escape the American troops in war-ridden Iraq - and I really commend him for that. And all this over an instrumental that, despite being made by Jelly Roll, is actually quite pleasant. This was a really nice surprise. 

4. Saturday Night Live (feat. Jelly Roll) (prod. Jelly Roll)

And after all that heartfelt stuff, Xzibit decides to hit us with this, an attempt at a club banger that's about as jarring as everyone cancelling Saturday Night plans last minute. Well at least the way it's sequenced is. The song itself is surprisingly fun, a lot better than some of the similar attempts at this sound that appeared back on Man Vs. Machine. I'm still not sold on Jelly Roll's singing voice, which makes the first minute or so of the song quite difficult to sit through, and Truth Hurts' uncredited performance is also rather clunky. But Xzibit sounds better on this instrumental than on anything else since Restless, and when he starts coming with all the random accents at the end you can't help but crack a smile. This song is a little disjointed, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't points where I was loving it. This album is actually going quite well. 

5. Muthafucka (prod. Rick Rock)

And we're back to the stupid gimmicks. I'm not really sure why Xzibit thought that this could pass as a real song, but the facts are that it derails instantly when that ridiculous fucking hook comes on. Still, at least during the verses Xzibit seems to know what he's doing once again, which makes this a lot better than most of what was on Man Vs. Machine, even if Rick Rock's production is predictably annoying. Hopefully this album won't stoop so low again, although from what I recall there's at least one song later that'll make this one look like a goddamn symphony. 

6. Beware Of Us (feat. Strong Arm Steady) (prod. Khalil)

Kind of okay, although at this point you're left wishing we could get an instrumental that doesn't sound so dated. Goofy synths notwithstanding, the rapping on here makes everything go by smoothly, as X invites Strong Arm Steady to the booth for their first official appearance on the album (although Krondon did appear earlier on "Saturday Night Live" for a forgettable hook). Krondon actually sounds pretty good here, as does X, and while Phil Da Agony is merely passable, it's not like he's Jelly Roll levels of weak as a vocalist. Also, the hook is weirdly catchy, even though at this point Xzibit has done far too much singing for someone who's trying to portray themselves as a hardcore rapper whom you should take seriously on the microphone, despite his day job as an animated host for a ridiculous MTV car-pimping programme. Anyway, this song is alright. 

7. Judgement Day (prod. Khalil)

Over a rather terrible faux-motivational beat, Xzibit rhymes about how he "move mountains with verse", all the while proving the opposite, as this song falls flat as a pancake. It's not that I don't appreciate Xzibit making something like this, but his gruff voice and general way of rapping things means everything just feels very engineered here, rather than coming together naturally like a good song should. The most memorable moment of this song is when Xzibit comes in with that "yes!" during the opening chorus, as though he couldn't stand to leave vocal duties to someone else for one singular fucking second. Sorry, this one is not good. Still, it's much better than "Heart Of Man", so there's that. 

8. Criminal Set (prod. Battlecat)

Xzibit finally decides to stop taking things so seriously, resulting in the first all around good song on here since "Cold World", and one that might take the cake as the best yet full stop. Battlecat's instrumental is pure '90s nostalgia, with the banging drums and persistent Ice Cube vocal samples that sound dope as fuck whenever they come in. Xzibit's rhymes are mostly shit talking on here, although it does stand out when he says "lately I've been feeling like Will Smith / why bother with rap, when I can get 20 mill on a flick?" - perhaps that explains the shoddy pen game we've witnessed from X ever since the trainwreck known as Man Vs. Machine. "Criminal Set" is certainly a banger - although when inevitably compared with X's earlier work it really doesn't stand out much. 

9. Hey Now (Mean Muggin) (feat. Keri Hilson) (prod. Timbaland)

The big single for Weapons Of Mass Destruction, and while I feel somewhat guilty about this whenever I think about what Xzibit was doing musically pre-2000 - I actually really like it. I mean, what's not to enjoy about this? You have an absolute slapper of a Timbo beat (plus some of those robotic adlibs he often likes to throw in), a very catchy hook from Keri Hilson, and Xzibit just having some fun. I mean sure, it's no "X", but it is an interesting track, and probably the last time X ever had a stab at chart success on one of his singles. Fuck it, I like this one. 

10. Ride Or Die (prod. Mr. Porter, add-prod. J.R.)

Hmm. The song just played. It sounded fine. But I have absolutely no desire to go back to it. It's possibly the most by-the-numbers song Xzibit has ever made. Even the title is generic. Gah! What happened to the guy who made "Paparazzi", who was so unique and incredible? This song is just so bland!

11. Crazy Ho (feat. Strong Arm Steady) (prod. Khalil)

Apparently even Xzibit was so embarrassed by everything about this song that he decided to not appear on it at all, in some sort of protest. And that's good, because it means I can quickly move on from this trite and never think about it again. I'd happily listen to "Hit & Run (Part II)" a hundred times over if it meant I never had to hear this. Happily. 

12. Big Barking 

Goofy skit that sets up the concept for the next song. 

13. Tough Guy (feat. Busta Rhymes) (prod. Hi-Tek)

Kind of funny, and does make a lot of sense as a collaboration, since Busta Rhymes and Xzibit not only had similar styles at this point in time, but were also both coming off of easily their worst works yet when the song was released (Busta probably still haunted by the memory of the now 2 year old It Ain't Safe No More...). Perhaps my being a big Busta Rhymes fan gives me some amount of bias here, but I do like this one quite a bit, even if threatening to kill me for an entire track would have perhaps been slightly scarier if it weren't the host of Pimp My Ride and the self proclaimed "Dungeon Dragon" who were spewing the aforementioned threats. Hi-Tek's beat is certainly clunky as well, far less smooth than what he normally cooks up, which means that this song is unlikely to make your chill hip-hop playlist. Still, Busta and X sound good on the beat, and the track is much livelier than the dreariness exhibited (get it?) on the last two songs. This one gets the pass. 

14. Scent Of a Woman (prod. Hi-Tek)

Disturbing song title notwithstanding, this track is actually pretty interesting, if a little overlong - I think two verses could have gotten the message across just fine. The track details X going from being annoyed at his girlfriend at the beginning of the song, to at the end realising that she's actually a great person for him and he should appreciate what she does for him. It does seem a little insincere when only two songs ago we were discussing a so-called "Crazy Ho", but then again Xzibit didn't even appear on there, so how about that. Dion's hook that alters throughout the song is nice, and the instrumental from Hi-Tek is also dope, being kind of intense and depressing for such a subject matter, but oh well. This is pretty alright. 

15. Klack (prod. Khalil)

Really? "Klack"? Who's idea was that? Still, this song does have kind of an interesting sound - the melody is unlike anything else I've heard on an Xzibit album. If only it was attached to better instrumentation and a more engaging drum loop. And a better song. 

16. Back 2 the Way It Was (prod. Thayod Ausar)

After kicking things off with a phone call from Ras Kass straight from jail (explaining his absence on this project - not that anyone was desperate for another "Harder"), we get another rock-tinged instrumental, this one produced by the same man who cooked up "Paparazzi", and some other great moments on X's debut album. His work here is pretty good too - I've never been the biggest fan of mixing electric guitars and hip-hop, but the weird synthy sounds and the drums in this beat certainly help it move along a lot better than the beat on the previous track. Meanwhile, X gets personal here, rapping and singing (again!) about all the shit he's been through, his beefs, his family, his affinity for ploughman's lunches. The track is a typical rap album ending, with the poignancy and what have you - but it does feel emotional, and stands as one of the better tracks here. Good stuff. 

Deluxe versions of this album came with a bonus track called "What U Can't C", but unfortunately I don't currently own that particular pressing. Perhaps someday I'll bless myself with it. 

Unfortunately, upon relisten Weapons Of Mass Destruction is kind of a mess. Not serious enough to warrant the overly dramatic title and creepy intro skit, but not humorous enough to make that waste of a good title seem irrelevant. According to the liner notes Sir Jinx sequenced this project, and he certainly didn't do a very good job - I mean, "Saturday Night Live" right after "Cold World"? "Klack" towards the very end of the album? "Crazy Ho" appearing on here at all? It's just a complete mess, and on top of that almost every beat here has aged like an opened pot of double cream. The synths and the drums just sound so shitty a lot of the time, and on some tracks it's certainly enough to take you out of the experience, no matter what the quality of the rapping is. Still, this is an undoubted improvement over Man Vs Machine. I mean, for starters the only truly terrible song here is one that Xzibit doesn't even appear on, with everything else having at least something redeemable to hold it up, even if there is some pretty bland bullshit to wade through every now and then. That's an improvement. Also, there's quite a few songs on here that I would say I like, such as "LAX", "Cold World" and even the radio friendly "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)". Unfortunately, none of these songs are quite good enough to warrant my returning to them at any point - they're all just merely pretty decent. Weapons Of Mass Destruction saw Xzibit at a time of his life where he had alienated almost everyone, been dropped from the label that had been his home all his career, and had started to host a programme successful enough that rapping was no longer his main source of income. So it makes sense that this album is kind of lacklustre. But it's not an excuse. This project is still pretty mediocre, merely seeming to be pretty good because of how much better it is than its predecessor. Let's hope that Xzibit can make something actually worth returning to with the next project, because Weapons Of Mass Destruction sounds like something made merely to remind people of Xzibit's existence, not to introduce any new musical ideas to the table, like it would seem to on the surface. In short: ehhh...

Best Tracks: "LAX", "Cold World", "Criminal Set, "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)", "Back 2 the Way It Was"

Worst Track: "Crazy Ho"

Check out more Xzibit reviews over here!