My Bass Rocks

As many of you know, last Tuesday (9/30) was a good day in music.  Not only did we get the debut release from Term, but we also saw releases from such hip-hop veterans as Madlib, Murs, and Large Professor.  It’s no secret that I’m extra-hyped for Politics As Usual, seeing as he’s a true MC that reminds me of the golden-era.  He’s got that ferocious New York sound made famous in the early 90′s, but adds a little modern twist to it.

That being said, I had high expectations for his debut LP, and was able to grab a copy this past weekend.  Here are my thoughts…

Now I’ve been hearing a lot about this kid from Massachusetts for a little while.  Mainly, through word-of-mouth that he could spit with the best of them, and has respect from veterans in the game.  After going through label drama for a some time, he eventually ended up on Nature Sounds (good call), to release his highly anticipated Politics As Usual.

Let’s get into it…

The record starts out with a beat from Easy Mo Bee, that could have easily been from the Ready To Die session.  I was expecting Term to go off at any point, but instead all he does over this gem is whisper “It’s time…It’s time.”  This goes on for like a minute until the record kicks off.

And good lord, does it kick off…The second track (and first real song) “Watch How It Goes Down,” is classic DJ Premier and Termanology really shines here.

I’m not going to lie either…I was freaking out a little bit when I first heard this verse:

I see myself as the holy resurrection of Pun/
If I ain’t that then you name one/
Rapper that’s lyrical/ slash Latin political passed rappin/
With visuals past Malcolm/ and fittin to go past platinum/
It’s hard but I speak the truth inspired to teach the youth
The fire that heat the booth the high hat the beat the loop
The system it traps us in/ they tacklin rappers in
These shackles that pack us in/ the back of the clack is in/
I’m packin the Mac again/ like Capital Punishment/
Huggin the gun and then runnin and duckin from the government
They dyin to cuff me up lock me down touch me up
Cock the pound bust me up/ stop my sound hush me up/

Bananas.  In my opinion, Premier should have done this entire album.  The reason being, Politics begins to seriously lag following this joint…That is, until Premier takes charge again.  Specifically, on the first single featuring the legendary Bun B “This is How We Rock:”

Pretty self-explanatory if you ask me.  Gutter Preemo beats with talented MC’s, who seem to kick it up a notch for this special occasion.  Definitely a highlight of the album…

The next notable track is a Dr. Dre sounding banger from Hi-Tek (probably old Detox material) entitled “In the Street.”  Lil’ Fame of the infamous M.O.P. gang makes a notable guest appearance on this as well..

Directly following “In the Street,” Premier kills it yet again with “So Amazing.”  Termanology has some fun with this one too…Going through all the major labels one-by-one, describing why they should sign him.  It’s pretty hilarious at times, and he manages to avoid name-dropping just for the sake of doing it (*cough*Game*cough*):

While the remainder of Politics contains many notable producers, DJ Premier is really the only one holding his weight throughout.  Pete Rock’s one contribution “We Killin’ Ourselves” is particularly bland (for what he’s capable of doing).

“Sorry I Lied To You,” as produced by Large Professor, is a pretty strong track, but feels like it’s a little lacking nonetheless.  I can’t really put my finger on it, but it might be that the beat just sounds too looped for the most part.

While Nottz isn’t as top-notch as the aforementioned beatsmiths, he really doesn’t make much of an impact, especially for how many songs he’s appeared on.

Truth be told, the three Premier joints (and the Hi-Tek) are the only really memorable songs throughout this debut.  Now there aren’t any horrible tracks on this album, but the forgettable ones definitely outweigh the standouts on Politics.  Honestly, I’m a little disappointed…Not at the lyrics from Termanology himself, but from the beat selection.  Hopefully, this can be a lesson for the young MC, and he doesn’t just accept the leftovers from producers with name recognition.  You’d think Pete Rock, Havoc, and Large Professor would have brought their best, but maybe the hunger isn’t where it once was.

Regardless, this is a solid effort from the Puerto Rican lyricist, and I’m looking forward to following his career from here on out.  Maybe Q-Tip and Madlib for the next one?

Overall: 6 out of 10