El-P - Fantastic Damage

Thanks to the Murs-athon (which I will update in due time, don't you worry), I've been digging deeper and deeper into the underground hip-hop scene recently, most specifically artists from the Definitive Jux roster that was so prominent in the early 2000s, before it dismantled around 2009 along with the musicality of all hip-hop legends (with the exception of Nas - Untitled was a pretty great record if you ask me). Unlike our genre, however, Def Jux failed to regain its footing in the 2010s, which was a shame, as it was a damn good label - it was once home to Aesop Rock, Cannibal Ox, Murs, RJD2, Cage (okay, maybe we can forget that one), and many other artists whom had a lot of influence over the nerdy underground hip-hop sound, and were just very good MCs (or producers) in general. And yet, despite some of these big names on the label, to me it's very clear who the most forward thinking and talented member was - head of the label himself, El-P. 

After the break up of his group Company Flow (who's fantastic debut I've already covered on this site), the subsequent formation of his new label, and the release of the highly praised Cannibal Ox album The Cold Vein, El decided it was finally time to take his next step as a musician, and record a solo album. He commissioned quite a lot of featuring MCs, just for a lot of them to do very little on the tracks, Dan Ezra Lang for the brilliant album art, and a bloke named DJ Abilities to do all the turntables to give the album even more of an underground feel than it already would have had. This left the majority of the rapping and producing up to El-Producto himself, but this was no problem - he already did that with Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus, which was brilliant, and as he states so boldly on this album, he can "produce and rap too". 

The album, entitled Fantastic Damage, was released in May 2002, and for some reason a lot of people assumed it was all about 9/11, even though I'm almost certain it's a known fact that he recorded almost the entire thing before 9/11 actually happened. Still, I definitely didn't hear it back on its release date - I wasn't even born back then. I only listened to it for the first time around August, and subsequently never really stopped listening to it, for reasons that'll become very clear soon. Still, I don't really like giving away the endings of these reviews in the first couple paragraphs, so before I go ahead and spill my thoughts surrounding the album again, let's jump into the track by track. God, I am excited to do this. 

Every song is produced by El-P.

1. Fantastic Damage

After an incredibly intense and stellar build up that would get any sane listener ecstatic about getting into the album, El's ridiculous beat drops into a very glitchy and abrasive verse that has El apparently recording every line seperately, and then layering them all slightly on top of each other - I mean, god forbid you try to rap this verse at home. Despite the very odd and disorientating layering on here, there are some really dope lines - "you need to haul that mega dumb style to the antique roadshow, bitch" and "please try to compartmentalise my dick, with a little bit of that bitch hubris" standing out the most. Also, El's delivery feels even firmer on this song than it did on Funcrusher Plus, and I think I already mentioned the beat being absolutely banging. The album definitely does get better from here, but this is still a damn good opener. If only the verse could have been recorded as one...

2. Squeegee Man Shooting

A more conventional hip-hop banger shows the listener that not everything will be as overtly "experimental" as the first song - this track could have showed up on a lot of hip-hop albums of the time if the beat was a bit more simplistic. I'm glad it isn't, though - this beat goes crazy, with heavy and airy electronic drums and bass supporting the schizophrenic synths frequently layered on top, which just sound fantastic. El's flow here is far less manic than it was on the opening track too, as he spends the majority of this cut talking about his past, and how he eventually grew up to be the man he was. Most rappers would save a more sentimental beat for a track like this, but not El apparently. The title is also pretty interesting, in that it doesn't seem to relate to the subject matter of the song despite El bringing it up for a short time in the first verse. Still, I don't think anyone will be focusing on the title when the music is this good. This is a fantastic banger, and the chants of the album title at the start and end make for some of the catchiest refrains on the entire record. 

3. Deep Space 9mm

By far the most notorious cut on this entire album, and for good reason too - this song is bloody mental. After a drawn out echo ended the previous song, this one drops right in, with a sound that can only be described as "dusty" - the drums at the beginning sound like they were pulled straight out of a dark sewer in a New York alley, especially the ferocious snare pattern that just keeps popping up. There are also some loud and dramatic synths in this beat, but they only come in before and after the lengthy verse that makes up the majority of the song - otherwise the only glimpse past the drums and deep bass that we get is the occasional dark yet glittery sound effect, which I must say sounds nice as hell. The verse on here is more abstract than those on the previous two songs, but it's pretty easy to work out El's general message, which is that the country America is pretty fucked up. That does seem to be a prominent theme in underground hip-hop, doesn't it? I was going to bring up some great quotes from this song, but I don't think that's possible - every single line is just phenomenal. I guess that last line sums the theme up best. "For the love of god run". Damn. This song is an easy 10/10 for me, and the perfect tune to listen to whilst walking in a dark, cold, crowded area. Seriously, try it.

4. Tuned Mass Damper

Another pretty confusing song, perhaps more so even than the previous one... but all that does is keep this album getting more and more interesting. The subject matter on this one isn't exactly clear - the first verse appears reasonably directionless, as it laments on El's drug use, disses his contemporaries, and drops the infamous "I dedicate this to Matt Doo / my name is El-P, I produce and I rap too". I guess it could be talking about all of the fucked up shit that happened to him making him want to do drugs (with a few diversions in there), but I'm not entirely sure. The second verse is more directly aggressive, rapping about how El has reached the end of his tether with the corrupt government or something like that. The beat helps keep things in check though, since it's fucking incredible - it keeps a moody yet intense atmosphere, and I love the way it gradually builds up throughout the song - the Kool G Rap sample break in the middle sounds great too. This is yet another brilliant song - this album is seriously bloody good, as you can tell. 

5. Dead Disnee

I believe El stated somewhere that this song was about how the corrupt government is similar to Disney World, which killed some people and threw them off of the grounds so they couldn't catch the blame for it. The aggression of this track would certainly act as testament to that theory, as El's anger shines throughout this track, over a dark yet very fast-paced instrumental that is musical heaven to an experimental hip-hop fan like me. This beat is utter perfection, as are the verses, where El-P not only kills a bunch of Disney characters, but also airs out other demons, like the forced change of his label's name from "Def Jux" to "Definitive Jux" - the fact that Def Jam heard about El at all would surely be more likely to make El happy that he got the recognition, but I guess our minds must work differently. The best lyric here has to be that "hand me the contract and back away slowly" - that just sounds fuckin' badass. This is yet another absolutely incredible song. Jeez.

6. Delorean (feat. Aesop Rock & Ill Bill)

The first collaborator on this album comes in the form of another absolute legend who's music I've recently started exploring, Aesop Rock. Nowadays these two aren't speaking for unknown reasons, but back in the day they made for quite the pair, with their incredibly unorthodox flows and often abstract lyrics. Their collaborations are always great, and this is no exception, as El-P and Aes ride this incredible instrumental with precision and impossible-to-interpret lyrics inter spliced with incredibly memorable quotables, which is often the norm for them both. Such quotables include "freeze dried poltergeist: just add water" and "these faggots hit like teddy bears thrown against wooden walls by a misunderstood teenage girl in a moment of self-importance". And my god is that instrumental incredible - it somehow sounds simultaneously bleak and rich, and has some of the dopest and weirdest sound effects we've heard on this album so far. El also throws us for a curve in the middle of this song with a weird scratchy break down featuring Ill Bill doing some not so ill freestyling, but you won't care about this unusual diversion in the greater scheme of this track - the overall package is truly excellent. "Doc! We need to go back in time to when motherfuckers could rock!"

7. Truancy

Another cut which attempts to delve into El-P's past, and another brilliant song as well. What a surprise, eh? This song builds up slowly throughout, as El talks about his childhood, and also some of the more recent happenings in his life, such as the whole debacle with Rawkus Records (there was also a pretty tame and inconsequential line about that on "Deep Space 9mm" that I'm sure no-one remembers). The instrumental on here does feel a bit softer than everything that has come so far, and with that in mind I'd say this is the weakest song yet, but it's still bloody good. El's storytelling is nice, and when all the guitars come in at the end it's enough to make any man tear up, especially me on my first couple of listens of the album. If the production was a little more varied throughout I might have enjoyed this one even more. The instrumental break on the end with the scratches is nice as hell too. Dope stuff. 

8. The Nang, The Front, The Bush and The Shit

El-P's commentary on war, and his dislike for the propaganda used to recruit soldiers into the army. This is also possibly the best track on the entire goddamn album, or it would be if it weren't for the fact that almost all of these songs are fucking top tier. I mean, Jesus this one is good. It starts with some sinister and airy sound effects with El rapping, before the drums drop in and we get one of our more chilled beats, albeit one with a "calm before the storm" feel - you just know when listening to this part that some shit is about to go down. In this verse, El tells the story of how a man was convinced to join the army through false reasoning, before jumping into a fun chorus and reverting to some of the lines from the beginning of the verse. When El says the word "chopper", however, the beat suddenly drops out, and a darker, scarier one starts, before building up into a stupendously aggressive instrumental that El rips the shit out of, describing all of "the shit" he sees whilst at war. It's pretty impressive, and is helped by the excellent beat in the background. The song is intense, and the calm instrumental at the end was a much needed relief moment, but El really did capture the anger he felt against war and the army perfectly on this track. It's easily one of the strongest songs on this album.  

9. Accidents Don't Happen (feat. Cage & Camu Tao)

Okay, so apparently this was the only song on the album written after 9/11. That's pretty damn interesting if you ask me. Anyway, this track is one of the more intensely paranoid cuts on the record, with an electronic beat, and lyrics about the artist's visions of a dystopian future broken up by snippets from the film 1984. Out of the three artists, I think Camu Tao actually had the best verse. Sure, El's was long, but it definitely isn't one of his best on this album, and Cage is pretty good, but Camu's slightly insane delivery teamed with his directly dark lyrics are just perfect over this terrifying instrumental. And my god is this beat good - it's one of the darkest on the whole album, and all of the rappers fit perfectly over it. The lyrics are also really great. This isn't one of my personal favourites on the album, but I'd be lying if I said I could find notable flaws in it. This is another fantastic song. Damn, the title of this album is apt. 

10. Stepfather Factory

When I first heard this song, I was simply stunned. And listening even today, I still am. This has to be one of the most engaging and harrowing songs in the history of recorded music. On the track, El plays a salesman who is doing some sort of commercial (or perhaps talking to an individual family), attempting to sell a robotic stepfather, who is later revealed to have all of the traits El would associate with one - it is a violent alcoholic, just like El's real stepfather. The instrumental on here is dark and haunting, and El's nonchalant delivery of his lines just makes this song that much darker, as it shows just how desensitised to these sorts of incidents El has become. Some of these lines are incredibly clever too. "Under warranty for at least ninety days so have fun" - at first, a stepfather seems like a nice guy, but once he gets settled in and has the mother in his power, he shows his nasty side. "The cheapest way to keep his battery running is with booze". And, of course, the final couple of lines. Perhaps the most horrifying moment of this song is the robotic voice on the outro asking "why are you making me hurt you? I love you". That shit is just fucked up. This song is fucked up. But it's also utterly masterful, and one of the best songs of all time, no doubt. This is incredible. 

11. T.O.J.

A love song, El-P? Whatever next. This song is about a relationship El had obviously been in where it eventually broke down, and it really hurt him, but he learned to push through the break up. The first part of the song is melancholy and sad, as El is clearly in a dark place following this break up, and it has obviously hurt him a significant amount. He talks about time being out of joint, and also about how he had never really been able to love before this one woman, and he doesn't know if he'll be able to again. However, the instrumental soon switches up, and while it's even darker at first, it soon builds up into something dramatic, and El comes to the realisation that the break up was good for both him and the unnamed woman, and he can take good things away from it. The track perfectly exemplifies the emotions felt when going through a break up, and is also helped by its incredible musicality and poetic lyrics, some of the strongest on the record so far. This is another easy standout. 

12. Dr. Hellno and the Praying Mantus (feat. Vast Aire)

After the wildly emotional ride of the previous four or five tracks, this song serves as a fun break from the intensity of the album - over a largely percussion based beat that sounds like a Funcrusher Plus throwaway without the menace, Vast hypes himself up, whilst El describes a dirty and disgusting sexual experience in great detail for his verse. On paper, you'd think that this would be a terrible mood killer for the album, but it's anything but - this song is fuckin' hilarious, featuring one of El's most laugh-out-loud verses, and intentionally so - the final shout of "why don't you write a review of my ass" suggests that this is intended to throw the critics for a loop. This isn't the first time El denounces music critics on this album either - fuck me, I guess. I mean, joke's on you El, because I actually love your music. Including this song - sure, it's kind of silly and nowhere near as experimental as the rest of this album, but it's still a welcome tune, and puts a smile on your face amongst all of the harrowing diatribes heard throughout this project. I love this one.

13. Lazerfaces' Warning

This is the first song on the album that I originally wasn't really a great fan of. I'm honestly unsure of why now, as I can safely say that this is another incredible cut. I think it was mainly the beat in the first half I had issue with, which admittedly does have a weird airy vibe that feels a bit too clunky to fit on this album, and feels more dramatic than some of the denser beats that have plagued this album so far. The rapping over this beat is dope as hell though, as El displays excellent lyrical skill, lamenting on a bunch of things he thought about whilst tripping out in the back of a car on shroomz. The little switch up in the middle with the female vocals sounds excellent, and the second verse on here, while short, is a really interesting commentary on the Woodstock disaster, as well as the general disarray of modern media and youth culture. This track isn't my favourite on the album, but it's still really enjoyable, and El's rapping remains top notch. 

14. Innocent Leader

This instrumental interlude is another come down moment on the album, and while I like it, I think it could have been shortened and put on the end of "Lazerfaces' Warning" like the other instrumental moments. Still, at least it sounds good. That's the main thing. 

15. Constellation Funk (feat. Nasa of The Presence)

This song is an interesting moment on the album. The lyrics feel like El is finally coming to terms with all the fucked up shit that inspired the creation of this album, and is ready to move on, and there are definitely some great lyrics throughout this song that exemplify this idea. "My family grew without manhood in its structure / and we were stronger for that fact I do believe so / we held our own against some fucking evil people" is arguably the best moment lyrically, but there are loads of quotables throughout this, arguably more than on the previous actual song. Still, I would probably have this as my least favourite song here. I mean, it's close, but I just think this beat doesn't quite match with the lyrics, and should have been less dragging and sluggish. That weird, warped synth doesn't help either. NASA shows up just for the hook, and does a good job, but even then I'm really not one to give a fuck about star signs, so that whole aspect of the track throws me off. So yes, El's verses are enough to save this one by being incredible, but it still does have glaring issues compared to these other songs. It's good though.

16. Blood (feat. Mr. Lif & C Rayz Walz)

I distinctly remember this being my least favourite song on the album on my first few listens, but what I didn't foresee was how much this one would warm up to me - now I love it as much as the rest of the album. I think the reason I didn't initially like this one was because it was too hopeful sounding to end this album, and I was looking for something dark and disturbing to finish the record off. This being chosen as the final song was annoying to me, but after I accepted that El had indeed to chosen to sequence it there, I started to see the song for what it was - a really great positive track that's inspirational and also really well executed. I mean, the production on here is utterly incredible, with echoey drums and pounding synths that put it up with some of the best beats of this record. Meanwhile, El-P and Mr. Lif drop sentimental verses with incredible flows, and the brilliant line "I saw the dream float slow through the soluble haemoglobin", one of the most powerful moments on the record. Sure, the singing from C-Rayz isn't perfect, but I don't even mind his part. And the outro to this song might be the best moment, as the echo on the drums gets more pronounced and the synths switch up a bit to conclude the record. It's enough to give anyone goosebumps. This is a wonderful way to end what has been one of the greatest album experiences of all time. 

Well damn! Despite the quality lapsing ever so slightly during the last four songs or so, I can say with confidence that Fantastic Damage is one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and just one of the greatest things anyone has ever made full stop. I mean, after Funcrusher Plus you wouldn't think El could top it, but you'd be very wrong - Fantastic Damage adds more experimentation, more quotables, more thematic variation and more El-P rapping to make for an even better experience - arguably a perfect one. From the album cover, to the production, to the rapping, to the goddamn mixing, everything about this album screams dystopian themed quality, and the album has just enough emotional climaxes to go alongside the bangers and the more chill tracks. I mean, "Last Good Sleep" is more brutal and haunting than anything on Fantastic Damage, but on the other hand "Stepfather Factory" and "T.O.J." express more emotion and creativity, and "The Nang, The Front, The Bush and The Shit" is arguably even angrier. I mean, "Last Good Sleep" is as good as anything on here, but the fact that it's not necessarily better is testament to just how powerful this thing is. Of course, extreme sadness and anger isn't always going to make for the best music, but El makes sure that there are some fun bangers on here too, like "Delorean" and "Dr. Hellno and the Praying Mantus". There are some aggressive, gritty slappers on here too, with "Dead Disnee" and "Deep Space 9mm" standing out in that department. Oh, you want something a bit calmer? Try "Tuned Mass Damper" on for size. That's the thing with this album - despite El's productos all having a lot of basic elements in common, like abrasive drums and constant weird electronic sound effects, they all manage to differentiate quite clearly from each other. And they also make for perfect backdrops for his rapping, which is just as unique, weird and dark as the music behind it. And listen to "T.O.J.", and tell me this man is not a poet. I mean, that song is the fuckin' shit. Fantastic Damage is one of the most emotional, most disturbing, most banging albums I have ever heard, and thanks to having all of these qualities in their most potent form, I can safely say that this album is an easy classic, and one of the greatest of the 2000s. El would have a hard time matching this one, but rest assured he would try - in 2007 he released I'll Sleep When You're Dead, an even more ambitious follow up to Fantastic Damage. And I'll look forward to reviewing that in future! Peace. 

Best Tracks: all of them. Just all of them.

Worst Tracks: I guess "Constellation Funk", but it's still great

Check out other things I've written about El-P over here!