Tag: DJ Premier

audio review : Which Way Iz West ( album ) … MC Eiht

audio review : Which Way Iz West ( album ) ... MC Eiht

I thought DJ Premier was supposed to provide the beats for this album, which has apparently been in the works for years, but most of the production is handled by Brenk Sinatra. He’s a fitting alternative with a similar style, though neither can match the dramatic hood scores DJ Slip and others orchestrated in the 1990s.

The closest here might be the one song that features Boom Bam and Tha Chill from CMW; Last Ones Left; a smokey riders anthem. The album should start with a solo MC Eiht song, not an Outlawz feature, but that’s its biggest flaw. The beats bang and the vocals are what you’ve been getting from MC Eiht since 89.

my rating : 3 of 5

2017

audio review : PRhyme ( album ) … PRhyme

audio review : PRhyme ( album ) ... PRhyme

The music is provided by DJ Premier. That’s a beat check. Royce Da 5-9 also gets a verse check for his raps, though it must be said that his overdramatic vocal inflections and juvenile bravado do have the tendency to irritate. He was better when he used to just rap; his prime actually ended several years ago, shortly after his 1999 Bad Meets Evil debut; but, however diminished, his skills are decidedly better than average.

The one big flaw here, aside from the “PRhyme” concept itself, is the hooks. That’s a song-dooming weakness for most MCs and Royce; this is and should be marketed as a solo album; is no exception. Even Premier’s scratch samples come across as a stale, sometimes corny, novelty. This is vintage hip-hop for whatever that’s worth, Premier virtually guarantees it, but that’s never enough when it comes to making good songs.

my rating : 3 of 5

2014