Two new "RapReviews" - MF Doom and Mystikal
Steve 'Flash' Juon
review after listening to it because hearing it completely changed my
opinion of an album I once would have thought unthinkable to buy. Blame
rec.music.hip-hop and Bobbito the Barber for turning me around and
opening me up to the dopeness.
* Mystikal wants to rumble; "Let's Get Ready"
http://www.RapReviews.com/feature.html
* Metal Face Doom brings the pain on "Operation Doomsday"
http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2000_10_doomsday.html
MF Doom :: Operation Doomsday :: Fondle 'Em
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon
If you're a fan of what is collectively (and sometimes derisively) called
"backpacker rap," you're probably familiar with Metal Face Doom a/k/a Zev
Love X; his alias as the former frontman of troubled rap group K.M.D.
After their sophomore album Black Bastards was unceremoniously pulled
from stores and group member Subroc was killed in a head-on car
collision, Zev disappeared from the spotlight only to return as MF Doom -
an underground rapper whose lyrical rap identity was hidden behind a
metal mask. Without this lead paragraph you might have a hard time even
linking the two together. Zev was more up-tempo and politically oriented
while MF Doom is a much more ominous sounding and slower flowing rap
artist. For all practical purposes they ARE two different people. The
weight of the world has changed him into a different man.
The new persona allows him to explore radical new fronts untapped by more
contemporary artists in the genre; as a supervillain bent on world
destruction - or maybe it's actually world reconstruction? You'll have to
decide for yourself, but unlike most albums you won't be bored by the
interlude/skits throughout - they continue the comic book story started
on "The Time We Faced DOOM" all the way through to the track "Hero vs.
Villain" where a spoken word monologue by E. Mason makes you consider the
story's implications.
Between the interludes is an album chock full of slamming cuts produced
by Doom himself. It's hard to pin down where Metal Face is coming from
lyrically on the album - which is precisely what keeps it interesting.
Sometimes Doom just seems to be flowing whatever went together in an
almost reckless disregard for the beat, other times you get the feeling
he's dropping serious science. Throughout the music takes chances
underneath the flow - such as the almost elevator muzakesque "Rhymes Like
Dimes" or the hilariously bugged samples of Scooby Doo on "HEY!" The
weirdest track of all may be "Tick, Tick..." featuring his partner MF
Grimm. At first the track seems to speed up and slow down at random ALONG
with the rap flow - but as you sink deeper into the groove the timing of
the changes becomes apparent and the result is an experimental dopeness
not seen since Lateef and Lyrics Born dropped "Latyrx." Grimm (who is
unfortunately locked down on a bid right now) spills jewels all over the
cut.
"This happens, to any MC that wants to rumble
Dynasty's destroyed like Carrington's and Colby's
Noise, reduced, MF thinks in Dolby
Chop that ass in half like Obi Wan Kenobi
Greatest of all time, God straight up told me
Greatest of all time, the Devil even told me"
Looks like LL Cool J is gonna have to give up the title. It's hard to
find any tracks on this album that a fan of musically creative and
lyrically unpredictable hip-hop would not like. "With no hands, I chopped
these drums off 'Truly Yours', G. Rap" confesses Doom on "Go With the
Flow" and sure enough, you can hear G. Rap on the intro and throughout.
Besides honesty props on the sample use, the track itself is just ill.
"Red and Gold" with Ghidra is even more bugged out - musically it's
straight from the AM softer side but lyrically it's a beatdown in the
"don't fuck with my crew" category. "Operation Greenbacks" with Megalon
is a well-known theme in hip-hop (getting that money) but count on MF
Doom to completely move past it and flip up his narrative:
"Looked into my baby face, my boo was like, 'Well
I know your types of clientele, thoughts need'
As I held her firmly yet gentle as a soft seed
She said, 'The one with the horse weave, the pretty one
or crazy-hot to touch the tattoo, through the short sleeve,
which one you want?' I'm like if there was comp
fuck around a nigga like me, probably run up in all three"
You never know what to expect from MF Doom, other than a full-length
album of head-nodding and unique hip-hop. You won't even be mad that he
brought in Pebbles for some additional sung vocals on "Doomsday" and "The
Mic," it adds the right amount of flavor to the mix. Doom is "Dead Bent"
to the point of sounding high or drunk when he raps, but somehow every
way it's wrong makes it right; more so than even Ol' Dirty Bastard is
capable of. To sleep on this album would be a mistake, because MF Doom
has come back from tragedy with a triumphantly dope LP.
Music Vibes: 10 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 9 of 10
Originally posted: October 25, 2000
source: www.RapReviews.com
--
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"MP3s are a crime? So's paying $18.99" -> ME
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BSE
You dealt with the realism.
You didnt know? Know you know. :)
Heheheh
:)
BSE
--
"Coz you cant keep still, so dance till you drop,
or the hip hop stop, but it never will" - Masta Ace
http://www.ukhh.com
You didn't know?
whateverman69
Music. I can remember not 2 years ago the discussion of how shit that
place was and now you can find MF Doom there. Is there a large scale
plan to destroy underground credibility? You tell me.
In article <MPG.146034b61...@news.netins.net>,
dj.flas...@pobox.com wrote:
> Even though the MF Doom joint is mad old by now, I had to archive a
> review after listening to it because hearing it completely changed my
> opinion of an album I once would have thought unthinkable to buy.
>
--
That scarf shit around everybody's head is for faggots - Kool Keith
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
mochaspresso
gets mentioned here in places like HMV, Tower Records and Coconuts. I
even bought J5's Quality Control from the Wal-Mart in Uniondale. It was on
sale for $11.99. That's why I don't fully understand the whole
underground vs. mainstream/commercial thing that goes on in here.
Steve 'Flash' Juon
> I think I've said this before, but I can find most of the underground stuff
> gets mentioned here in places like HMV, Tower Records and Coconuts. I
> even bought J5's Quality Control from the Wal-Mart in Uniondale. It was on
> sale for $11.99. That's why I don't fully understand the whole
> underground vs. mainstream/commercial thing that goes on in here.
I'm not trying to be clever or nasty (so don't take this as a diss cause
I think you're cool) but I'm guessing you didn't get why Jurassic 5
called their album "Quality Control."
The whole underground/commercial thing isn't about the availability of
records - that playing field as you indicated is now basically level. If
I can find Sole or Zion I at any of five different indie +AND+ major
online distributors, it's no surprise you can buy MF Doom at Tower.
The reason it's an issue/conflict is because there's a belief that
records which are "indie" or "underground" are better +quality+ hip-hop
music than what's in the mainstream. This argument has some merit, but
always to varying degrees. Any year that OutKast releases a new album,
mainstream music isn't that wack. Any time that Silkk the Shocker
releases a new album, I'd go looking for some shit by Anticon.
Peace, Flash