Fat Ray and Black Milk "The Set Up"
Like a wiley relief pitcher, Fat Ray and Black Milk make it a 1,2,3 inning on The Set Up, a lean 11 tracks of Detroit flavored Hip Hop. The LP show and proves on an aesthetic made famous by J Dilla, and extends the torch once carried by the likes of Jay Dee, and Slum Village and now being handled by Fat Ray, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson and co...Just as the best pitchers stick to their arsenal, Black Milk and Fat Ray successfully do their thing, however, a couple pitches outside the strike zone now and then would add variety and diversity to the record.
The Set Up maintains a minimalist philosophy where less is more, and more is definitely enough. The album's first joint, "Flawless" makes good use of a slapping beats, guitar grooves and pianos that match perfectly with Ray and Milk's lyrics. The tone and vibe reached on "Flawless" represents the best of the LP, something that is matched again on standouts such as "Bad Man" featuring Guilty Simpson and Scorpion, "Not U", and "When It Goes Down."
Darker joints like "Lookout" featuring Name Tag, which utilizes a Middle Eastern flute sample, "Get Down" and "Take Control" featuring AB add some variety to the album, but they too closely resemble each other, which turns the album almost into an "either-or" listening adventure. The tracks also house gritty rhymes rooted in the daily grind.
It is on "Take Control" that Fat Ray raps, "Might as well face the facts we spit the crack, even Jay-Z had to Fade To Black...Milk that is, till we filthy rich, better make room like 50's crib."
The Set Up is an almost filler-free album that is ready built for car rides and smoke sessions. Unlike the title of the first track, the full LP is not without it's drawbacks. Fat Ray and Black Milk carefully toe the line between musically and lyrically cohesive vs. being repetitive. It seems like Black Milk and Fat Ray have found their zone, where they have comfortably Set Up shop. It's a good zone to be in, but I believe that the listener as well as the artist could have benefited from more risks on this project. There's no doubt that Dilla heads will eat this up, but the album is perhaps too deeply rooted in that sound, making it easy for fans and critics to overlook Fat Ray and Black Milk's uniqueness.
These are definitely two artists with bright futures ahead of them, and hopefully this is The Setup of more to come.
Hits:
"When It Goes Down"
"Ugly"
"Get Focus"
"Flawless"
"Not U"
Misses:
"Lookout"
"Get Down"
Del The Funky Homosapien: Eleventh Hour
Artist: Del The Funky Homosapien
Album: The Eleventh Hour
Label: Def Jux
Since 2000's Both Sides of the Brain, Del The Funky Homosapien has been keeping busy and seen more than his share of problems (check out the 11th Hour DVD). Using music as a release, Del stayed religiously on the mic. He morphed into Deltron 3030 with Dan The Automator, and then morphed again when he joined The Gorillaz in the early years of the new millennium. Yesterday, March 11th, Del came back as himself with his first true solo album in 8 years, the appropriately title The Eleventh Hour.
With everything going on in Del's life, and his move to Def Jux, I kind of expected a somewhat dark and futuristic album. However, The Eleventh Hour is a funky LP, filled primarily with braggadocio lyrics that cater to an old school vibe but keep it current. Such a vibe is firmly established with tracks such as "Raw Sewage" and "Footwork" which sound like they could easily land on an album by Del's cousin, Ice Cube, as well as "Bubble Pop" which samples Bob James' "Take Me To Mardi Gras"
Del is Del all day on this LP. There are no big surprises, and no pulled punches. Del's fans should eat this up, as he gives all of himself over 14 tracks. He also proves that he has not lost a step, and the way that his production continues to improve is giving Del a fresh set of legs. Overall, The Eleventh Hour dropped just in time. So if you're having trouble deciding between copping the new Snoop or Fat Joe, switch it up a bit and grab the new Del not a perfect album, but you won't be disappointed.
Hits:
"Slam Dunk"
"Str8 Up & Down"
"I Got You"
"Situations"
Misses:
"Bubble Pop"
"Back In The Chamber"
"I'll Tell You"
- By Alexander Fruchter