In 1997, Ryan "Royce da 5'9"" Montgomery knows Marshall "Eminem" Mathers through DeShaun "Proof" Holton. From the collaboration between the two Detroit artists, the singles "Nuttin' to Do" and "Scary Movies" are produced, which make up the charts, and a collaborative track is inserted in the major debut of Eminem in 1999, with the name "Bad Meets Evil". Royce is expected to sign with Dr. Dre's Aftermath and continue the collaboration with his friend, however, the two take different paths following the differences between Royce and D12, a group affiliated with Slim Shady.
Thirteen years later, after the peace, their first collaborative work comes out, an EP titled "Hell: the Sequel". Ten years ago, it'd have been a classic record, very easily, they were both at their best in their careers. Not today. They don't have the alchemy and effortless rapping of better days. It doesn't really matter, because the two Detroit guys have fun for forty minutes, trading hardcore verses with flawless delivery, awesome flows, and excellent style. Royce aka Bad performs better than Eminem aka Evil, demonstrating the commitment put into this effort. Among the flaws of the project, several elements stand out loudly. The lyrics are all casual battle raps and the lyricism is sidelined a bit in favor of fun. Hooks are poor, when they are not there you wonder why they are not there and when they are present you would prefer that they are not: Bruno Mars is a fish out of water in this project, he has absolutely nothing to do with it and his contribution clashes with the remaining 37 minutes.
Finally, the production. Not as bad as the detractors say, Mr. Porter does a coherent job. Besides him, eh, let's see, let me drop a few names otherwise this paragraph might seem too smooth, then: behind the keyboards are also Eminem, Paul Rosenberg, Bangladesh, DJ Khalil, Battle Roy, Sid Roams, Supa Dups, Havoc, JG, Magnedo7, The Smeezingtons, branNu and 56. I was dealing with rhythms. It's all very simple, this happens: there's a drum, cheap and minimal, that does things. End. It's all here. Do you see how simple it was? It's functional to the lyrics of the two rappers, the beats are all the same. The samples are... ehm... I don't think there are. Let me check: there's an excerpt from a stand-up comedy, one from a comedy movie, and James Brown, in one of the bonus tracks.
Released by Shady and Interscope, distributed by Universal, the album has an overwhelming commercial result: it's Eminem's 10th consecutive number one in the Billboard 200, Royce's first, it ranks on four continents, gets certifications on three continents, and is one of the best-selling rap albums for two years. The EP, nine tracks that stretch to eleven with the deluxe edition, is a party, impossible not to appreciate if you're a fan of Royce and / or Em. I don't venture to say it's a must-have, but it's certainly a must-listen. I'd rather have it than not have it on the shelf, honestly. Don't give credit to the detractors, it has now become a trend to shoot on Mathers for no reason, as Eminem himself once said in a famous hit, "haters gonna hate". What? Taylor? It was Taylor. Yeah. I want to credit Jay Electronica for those words, you know, "Style Wars", 2007. Check it.
Highlights: "Welcome 2 Hell", "Fast Lane", "The Reunion", "Loud Noises".
Rating: 7/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment