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Reviews
It’s usually a disaster waiting to happen when we see these hybrid projects of rock mixed with hip-hop artists. Ever since “Rock This Way”, artists have been wanting to cross these two worlds together, and at times it works but more often than not it’s like
Eddie Murphy collaborating with
Rick James: Two people great at their fields, but when together, shit sucks.
Luckily for the
Blakroc project, you have not only talented hip-hoppers like
Mos Def (who can pretty much cater to any style of music anyways) but you also have the members of
The Black Keys at the helm, who have Hip Hop sensibilities (especially since
Danger Mouse produced their last album,
Attack and Release.)
Even though much time has passed since the split of revered trio Little Brother, one of Hip Hop’s most cherished groups, deep rooted amongst many fans has been an impatient craving for something new from either 9th Wonder, Rapper Big Pooh or the artist in question today; Phonte. Whilst Wonder has given us his Wonder Years and the Foreign Exchange (Phonte’s most recent project) provided some warm, glorious memories of his musical past, the urge for something closer to home was desired by many. So for the Greensboro, North Carolina born lyricist “home” is where he returned; back to the circle of dope beats and dope rhymes for his first solo album. Having spent numerous years sharing the plaudits with his two brothers in rhyme, how would one of Hip Hop’s most revered poets handle an entire project in which it would only be him and his thoughts occupying the recording booth?
Is 2011 the year when the MCs are once again let off the leash? With Talib Kweli already dropping impressive material, Lupe Fiasco readying his project as well as the UK’s very own Hip Hop squadron dominating, has the ‘change’ which many purists finally arrived? To add further fuel to this suggestion, one of Hip Hop’s secret weapons is ready to unleash W.A.R.
Pharoahe Monch for well over a decade, has schooled, shocked and mesmerised lyrically studious fans who fall deaf on the more simple rhyming schemes. Whilst mainstream fame came from the club-shutting “Simon Says,” his legacy still remains as a beast with the bars and flow. Four years on from his last release, what place does Monch have within the ranks of ‘real’ Hip Hop?