Dear Money Making Jam Boys
DOWNLOAD: 10.DEEP Presents THE PRESTIGE: Jam Boy Magic (Mixed by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban)
So, I haven't written an album review letter this year. The reason why is simple: EVERYTHING SUCKS right now. So much of hip-hop has been watered down into this chasm, this abyss of similarity and imitation. I would blame it on the blogging industry, but they've introduced so many good MCs that you've got to respect game. There is a drawback, though. That drawback is that there is a blueprint now. There is a signed, sealed, certified and hermetically-sealed process and 'way' of giving your music exposure that anyone can follow, given they have an inkling of talent and a grasp of the internet. Rather than an organic rise to the top, all you need is one hit again, rather than a solid body of work to catapult you to stardom.
That said, there is hope. Some rappers are breaking that mold. Whether it's Kanye completely flooding the market, CuDi falling back altogether, J. Cole being as selective as Harvard with his releases or Drake and Wayne doing incessant features, certain rappers can circumvent this huge backlog of heads trying to get into the same club. Even with them, there's an avenue that has yet to be explored in this blog era. And that, is the posse. The posse cut is damn near a lost art in hip-hop. Though I talked about their resurgence with YM, GOOD Music and Roc Nation, those are nowhere near as organic as you.
Black Thought, STS, PORN, Dice Raw and Truck North, aka the Money Making Jam Boys, (abbreviated MMJB from henceforth) you guys have singlehandedly restored my faith in the idea of the posse. The idea that there is strength in numbers holds true in street fights, capture the flag games and hip-hop. In hip-hop, though, you're only as strong as your strongest link. If one of the MCs in the group can captivate the listener, then the rest of the MCs are that much more bearable (think the Wayne or Drake verse on any Young Money record). That said, Black Thought you took the cake here. On the track 'Tear it Up', your flow was incredible. You've got to be one of the best at fitting multiple syllables in a verse, if not one of them. As the de facto 'leader' of MMJB, you did damage on the mic without being too 'in your face'. So many times, the 'best' person in a group takes up so much shine that the other group members just shrink. That wasn't the case here, though you're clearly the captain of this team.
You other four guys... What to do with you? Dice Raw, STS, Truck North and PORN I've heard of all of you at one point or another, all with Roots-affiliated projects. Because of that and Black Thought's prominence, it's difficult to single you each out. As 'protege's' of The Roots, you guys are at their artistic tree trunks. As much as this is a MMJB mixtape, Black Thought is the featured artist here. I had trouble differentiating between the four of you (see 2nd-to-last paragraph), but together you all were audio dope. I loved how you guys kept attacking lyrically. Unlike a lot of groups, there were no let-ups on this mixtape. The tracks 'Friday Night Street Fever' and 'Coming Out Hard' were probably the strongest track on the mixtape, because there was pure piffery on either side of Black Thought's verses (think the 1997 Chicago Bulls with Pip on one side and Rodman on the other). That's what the posse cut is all about: a gang of rappers all trying to outdo each other out of respect for one another. Everyone comes correct. Everyone brings their heat. There aren't throwaway verses or 'skippers' (tracks that automatically get nexted), which makes the listener want to keep listening.
Production-wise, this is about as good as a mixtape can get. In addition to the trademark acoustics that accompany any Roots-affiliated production, this mixtape was mixed by Mick Boogie and Terry Urban. That means a lot of DJ-quality rewinds, quick dialogues before abrupt introductions, and flawless sound. You guys all sounded in syncopation with the beats, not too loud or soft. Hell, it sounds like you guys were all in the same studio at the same time doing these records. In short, this mixtape sounds carefully and tastefully delivered, not e-mailed and tweeted.
The one thing I would fix about this mixtape is how many verses there were. I say that not because I'm suddenly against having to rewind my tracks (I actually take pleasure in that). It's because to the untrained or un-whetted (made that word up) ear, the only MC that most would recognize is Black Thought. You guys are all good enough rappers where you should have a track to shine. Rather than include EVERYONE on EVERY track, or 4 MCs with short verses, it would've been smart to have 5 or 6 songs that only featured two of you. It not only would've given you guys a better chance to showcase yourselves individually, but would make the listening experience a lot easier. The best songs on the mixtape were the ones with less, rather than more MCs (see 'Philadelphia Zoo'). I suppose there is no 'I' in team, but when the listener has to keep rewinding to figure out who's spitting, there's a problem.
In closing, MMJB, this was a masterful effort in the mixtape department. Rather than butcher the idea of the posse cut by getting a bunch of cats who've never worked together, you guys kept it all in the family, and it's obvious while listening. You all work well together, rap like you have some brain cells and just engage in tomfoolery on the mic. There's not much more that a rap fan can ask for... Seriously. In fact, I think I'm just going to end this letter here and go listen again. MMJB, I truly and honestly hope that this isn't the last offering you guy put up as a group, though I know individually you'll continue to thrive. Keep making money and 'Jam Boy Magic' and I guarantee I'll keep listening.