If you have the time and the money, I'd recommend any hip-hop fan go out and cop this album. Honestly, I slept on the last quarter of 2009 for musical releases. The last album I really listened though was Jay-Z's Blueprint 3... Yeah, it's been awhile. Cormega's Born and Raised album was something I have been waiting for since the beginning of 2009, however after many setbacks (as usual with Mega, unfortunately) I pretty much forgot about the album. I became a fan since the Jacka began messing with this cat back in 2001. I began to listen to everything he had and learned about his affiliation with Nas and the whole Queensbridge and supergroups he could have been associated with today. Whether it was a good thing or bad thing that his earlier plans to group up with Nas, Jay-Z or any of those mainstream rappers didn't work out, he has been very consistent. His style and expertise of rapping is that storytelling style - he can put you right in the gutter alongside him. I have only felt that in some Bay Area underground and old school East coast rappers, and more recently Southern rappers (usually, obviously inspired by underground Bay Area rappers).
As a fan of his music, I am glad he stuck to his original style and has maintained that consistency. It's quite possible that he has maintained (in more ways than one) his spirit by Not blowing up like a Jay-Z or Nas; this might have allowed him to keep things real Vs. conforming to the norm and staling out. True Meaning, Legal Hustle vol.1, The Realness and The Testament all were great albums, classics in my opinion. Honestly, though I was eager to hear this album, I had my doubts. Why? Basically because no one is ever that consistent these days. I was happily proved wrong.
This cat is thorough. His lyrics are grimey, true to life feeling and he just plain and simple sounds like a real dude. His music isn't for the clubs or to dance to. Rather he produces hustla anthems, street music: 'Love Your Family' "...how i teach her to stay strong amidst the wilderness/ if i instill her the will to live, she'll get through it/ she my first seed, my genesis, my last bit of innocence/ my understanding wisdom bring when knowledge is given/ i hope to surround her with prominent figures so she could grow to be a positive woman and never doubt that I love her...". Aside from being a rapper that raps about the tribulations of the streets, his lyricism or rhyme skill is on point. He's a smart cat that does kick knowledge, even though it may not get as deep as lyrics from say, Nas, he still emphasizes the deepness to his raps.
Production is another things to note... well, it IS the album beside Cormega's lyricism. Being released in 2009, the production on this album is something the kids may not appreciate off top or at all. Underground and old school producers were summoned for Mega's Born and Raised. DJ Premier, Large Professor, Fizzy Womack, Easy Moe Bee, etc., - right... this isn't Swizz Beats, DJ Khaled, Timbaland, or the like, it's hella New York and hella hip-hop. 'Journey' (produced by Large Professor) sounds like something 9th Wonder produced. It's thick, it's sampled but it feels 'old school': "...Truth be told i'd move weight before starvin/life has highs and lows like a song from Marvin/police take lives and go free of all charges/....justice fucks us and conceives martyrs.../". It's something refreshing in today's market of unoriginal sampled beats and strange sounding (also auto-tuned?) acoustic instrumentals. These are beats and tracks you have to grow into. This could make it or brake it for younger gen heads, whether they appreciate the speak-skills or not, not only are Mega's lyrics a story, meaning there's a beginning and an end, most of the track instrumentals have a beginning and an end, not just some endless loop(s). Basically, this album is intelligent gutta/hustla music. It's full of emotion and truth, and depending if you can understand or feel the stories, inspiration. It's new, yet it has a nostalgic tone to it. I don't rate albums or anything with stars or a grade, it's simply worth buying, or listening to it however you may obtain your music.~
No comments:
Post a Comment