Slaughterhouse and Swizz Beatz execute a good old fashion kidnapping in their latest video off the new album Welcome To: Our House. Said album has been getting mixed reviews from both fans and critics over cries that they’ve “sold out” se their sound. Regarding that accusation on this particular track, it’s hard for me to hate on any song that includes a prominent sample of ESG’s “UFO.”
Slaughterhouse dropped one of the better mixtapes of 2012 over the weekend with On the House, the latest in DJ Drama’s long-running Gangsta Grillz series. Lyrically, you know the high level you’re going to get with this crew. Production-wise, there’s a good balance between original and lifted beats from the likes of name producers like the Alchemist and the Justice League. You’ll be well satisfied.
“Truth or Truth” is a 15-minute (!) lyrical cathartic release. That’s the best way to describe what is almost certain to be one of the highlights off their upcoming Gangsta Grillz project with DJ Drama. Over a soul refrain with screeching blues guitar licks, each man strips away their rap personas and detail what issues are weighing heavily on their souls. Nearly all touch on baby mothers and the stress of the music business. The foursome effortlessly moves between conversational and their traditional aggressive bars. As Budden has the most experience with these long-form introspective tracks, his verse stands out the most on first listen as he chronicles his never-ending female issues, substance abuse and a significant moment in his son’s consciousness. But with that said, there’s no falloff at any point. “Truth or Truth” is well worth the time.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE – “TRUTH OR TRUTH”
You’d think more emcees would’ve hopped on Nas’ “Nasty” beat. but as Jon Conner and now Slaughterhouse has shown, it’s a bare-bones beat that you aren’t allowed to come weak on. Slaughterhouse does it justice with a succession of rapid-fire deliveries held together by flows on a casual listen and clever but not overbearing punchlines for hardcore listeners who like to dissect every lyrical allusion. And coming as a surprise to no one, Joe Budden is the first rapper to debut a Colorado/Batman punchline.
This track will be a part of Slaughterhouse’s upcoming Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE “WEIGHT SCALE”
Slaughterhouse’s visuals for “Hammer Dance” comes straight from last month’s SXSW festival. There’s a bunch of cameos from the likes of ASAP Rocky, 50 Cent, Eminem and Kanye West. Hearing this joint always make me want to throw on the Korn joint that inspired the beat.
“This is ain’t even a group/ Just one real nigga multiplied”
A Biggie vocal sample is always a win. Slaughterhouse is wisely continuing the wave from that Shady Cypher at the BET Hip-Hop Awards by debuting a new track earlier tonight on Funkmaster Flex’s radio show. Budden’s verse will probably catch your ear on the first few listens.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE “THE ILLEST”
“I just want mad money, man. Is that wrong?”
Slaughterhouse’s Joell Ortiz is in London this week for a few touring dates. He took time to sit down with the The Hip-Hop Chronicle to discuss the new deal with Eminem, and the release of last week’s song “2.0 Boys.” As you can read from the above quote, Ortiz is far past the stage of “rhyming for rhyming’s sake.” The Brooklyn emcee is focused on making sure he’s business side is taken care of. Is there a solo deal coming?
Producer Bangladesh and Slaughterhouse engaged in an online war of words yesterday over an alleged beat snub.
Bangladesh, who’s produced hit songs for Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane, was in negotiations to work on songs with Eminem. Allegedly, a source of contention with the proposed arrangement was Bangladesh being asked to first work with newly signed Shady group Slaughterhouse, composed of Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Royce da 5’9 and Crooked I. According to Royce, Bangladesh scoffed at the idea, causing Royce and his fellow group members, who all have close to ten years experience in the industry, to take offense.
“Who this Bangladesh nigga think he is?” Royce stated on Twitter. “I never looked down on people. I just think that’s a lack of class. These ‘industry’ niggas better leave Detroit off their itinerary.”
Royce lists a direct quote attributed to Bangladesh as “I’m trying to do beats for Jay-Z (Eminem), y’all niggas want me to play beats for Memphis Bleek (Slaughterhouse)?” In addition, Royce claims the producer wanted to bring camera crews to the Eminem meeting for further publicity.
When Joe Budden questioned him on the truthfulness of Royce’s allegations, Bangladesh lashed out at both emcees.
“You’re soft, holla at me,” he tweeted Royce before turning to Budden. “This can’t be the same drunkin’ slump nigga with one hit, your name should [sic] be ONE hitter quitter. Get my dick out your mouth.”
The group, specifically Joell Ortiz, advised fans there would be no further back and forth. He vowed the matter would eventually be settled with a physical confrontation.
“No behind the scenes phone calls with managers, homie. Tell them to stop,” Ortiz stated. “Knuckles or nothing. You film everything, right? Film this. #fairone.”
Slaughterhouse released an EP earlier this month, and are currently working on their Shady Records debut.
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Everybody involved is well over 30 and should know better. I’ve been snubbed before in my dealings in the Hip-Hop industry. Sometimes by artists, other times by people I’ve worked with. And guess what? You’ve never heard a word about it. Those issues were handled in private as they should have been. The last thing that crossed my mind was to hop on Twitter or my site to put my someone else’s, and my business, on blast.
With that said, Bangladesh made a severe miscalculation if Royce’s words are true. Why refuse to work with Slaughterhouse? That’s your gateway not only to Eminem, but everyone in the Shady/Aftermath camp. Defies common sense if true.
“Slaughterhouse been about bread since Freddie Blassie…”
Hip-Hop’s premier lyrical foursome, Slaughterhouse, are now less than a month out from the February 8 release date of their self-titled EP. For this latest joint, the group recruits Dres of Black Sheep, and Australia’s Aria Award-winning producer M-Phazes, for “Back On the Scene.”
When the initial chords came on, I half-expected this to be the same sample as Black Moon’s classic “Who Got Da Props.” But chaos quickly abounds as Dres goes into a screaming, shortened chorus based on a line from Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours” (“Back on the scene/ Crispy and clean!”). Things settle down for the bars, and the beat’s horns will remind you heavily of No I.D.’s work on Jay-Z’s “Death of Autotune.” A nice effort that grows on you as the track progresses.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE X DRES “BACK ON THE SCENE”
FOKIS & OLU DARA
Fokis’ new collaboration with Nas’s father, Olu Dara, put him in exclusive company. Dara, a jazz cornetist, guitarist, and singer since the 60s, has only worked with three Hip-Hop artists in his career: his son Nas, Afrika Bambaataa, and now Fokis. Dara mans the cornet, blowing notes in the vein of his closing musings on his son’s timeless “Life’s a Bitch.” Producer Dahoud Darien keeps the tempo upbeat with a marching, synth-derived rhythm you hear favored by many southern producers. It’s an inspirational song, so Fokis keeps his bars centered on overcoming problems. He wisely refrains from preaching, and switches between narrative and instructional verses. The only truly weak point is the chorus, which combined with the beat, comes off slightly cheesy.
This is the unmastered version.
is doing [and] I’m thinking I have a lot of good years left. But I’m definitely at the top of my game right now; I can compete with the best of them.Royce: It was my first time hearing him rhyme in a long time. I thought the shit was good. I think he set the bar so high with things before, I don’t think there’s anything he can say anymore that can make me go crazy. He set the bar where no one else can go and I feel the same way about Jay-Z. I’ll get the Blueprint 3 but I don’t see myself flipping my wig over anything on it. I expect a great album but not for it to make me feel the way the original Blueprint or the Marshall Mathers LP made me feel. What Em is doing is still better than what everyone else has, but because the game is so f**ked up now it makes it hard for me to listen with my biased ears and call anything classic.
