Rhymefest/ Blue Collar

I probably should have reviewed this album right after Common's to exhibit how Mr. Lynn has influenced the state of conscious hip-hop... but better late than never. So, who is Rhymefest? Other than Kanye West's admitted ghostwriter, Che Smith (long live Guevara) is an MC's MC. Like many other Chicago MC's (Consequence to be specific) he rhymes about topics that everyday people can relate to... working blue-collar or family problems. And as much as I hate how sentimental that above statement sounded, I still mean it... and respect Rhymefest for actually creating a true-to-life positive message among hip-hop fairy tales. If you liked this album, Che is coming out with a new one sometime soon, supposedly fall 2008, but these rappers can never stick to a deadline...

The Good:

2. Dynomite (Going Postal)- The Just Blaze instrumental is definitely over-the-top. And Fest sounds real gimmicky on the hook and even with his lyrics... not a bad effort just makes you kind of cringe at times.

3. Brand New- "The motherfucker you love to hate but can't because you love what I make" Kanye uttered this quotable... and that's exactly how I feel about Kanye these days. Sounds like "Breathe In Breathe Out" part two. Again, it's not bad, just not all that good.

4. Fever- The first song that I loved off this album, the metaphors on this song are crazy:"You seem weak homey like yo' heart pump green tea/ I stack greenbacks then lean back, scorchin hot/My torch'll leave yo' ass charcoal black/" Who fucking with that!?

5. All I Do- The instrumental is kind of boring and it doesn't really bring any sort of attention to what Rhymefest is saying... which may be good because he jumps topics every line.

6. Get Down- A cover of the Nas' song by the same name... I'm kidding. A No I.D. job equipped with some more crazy lines.

7. More- After hearing this album quite a few times, I can confidently say that this is by far my favorite song. But today was the first time I looked and realized that Cool & Dre produced this amazing instrumental... damn. This is the way the whole album should have gone, chill instrumentals, Kanye on the hook not on the beat, and Rhymefest kicking some deep shit.

8. Chicagorillas- Sort of a posse cut even though Fest doesn't really affiliate with either of these dudes. The beat is sick, but the tiger purring doesn't really fit in with the "Chicago Gorilla's" theme. Still a tight track.

10. All Girls Cheat- This is weird. My second favorite track off the whole album and guess who produced? Cool & Dre... I'll ponder that situation later, but for now what excites me about this track is it's potential. This is a great track that will appeal to the mainstream even though anyone can appreciate it, and remember I usually stay away from the tracks for the ladies.

11. Devil's Pie- If you ever decide to check out Rhymefest's mixtape(s?) you will hear more instrumentals like this one... Fest is signed to Mark Ronson's label and Ronson is a producer who likes to incorporate elements of rock into his beats. And it seems to be working, he does produce both Rhymefest and Wale.. two up and coming artists with crazy potential. Oh, the song, it's pretty good.

12. Sister- Surprisingly Cool & Dre didn't produce this track, yet it's amazing. The soulful sound that Common and Kanye became famous for... yet Fest and No I.D. recreate their vibe perfectly. The instrumental is beautifully done... and the lyrics are on point, but the hook is terrible.

14. Bullet- Good song, good storytelling, good chorus, good hook... combined equals an pretty good song, that isn't very memorable.

And we're done. This album is well-produced with a few misses here and there, but overall it is definitely a great listen. The first thing you have to check out are the Cool & Dre produced tracks because they are amazing!

0-20: Terrible listening experience
21-40: Maybe one good song
41-60: A few good songs
61-80: Half are good songs, half are weak
81-100: Great listening experience, almost all are great songs

I give this album a 88. A great listen, that needs a few improvements to reach it's full potential.


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