Karma can be a motherfucker. Just when you think you at the end of your rope, exhausted every possible lane of your life or career and all hope is lost, something happens that puts you right back on top. Just ask the members of Slaughterhouse, hip-hop's most troubled and possibly most talented supergroup going. Between the four of them, there is more squandered major label deals, troubled pasts and rap beefs than 100 50 Cent's. However, there is also enough punchlines, metaphors and sick flows to shut down any rapper worth their salt on the microphone, and today I'll take the time to examine and rate each member invidually and let you know why they are worth checking out.
JOE BUDDEN
HOMETOWN: Jersey City, New Jersey
BEST KNOWN FOR: 2003's mega hit "Pump it Up", appearances in the "Def Jam Vendetta" video games, dating/fucking/whatever Gloria Velez and Tahiry, nominated for a Grammy for "Pump it Up"
I was first introduced to Joe Budden when he was killin' shit on DJ Clue mixtapes alongside Fabolous and Paul Cain. He was always sick with the punchlines and had an interesting vocal tone that made him stand out, complete with quirky vocal inflections. Honestly, I never expected him to blow up, I figured he would just remain an underground hero, but I was wrong. 2003 was the summer of Budden, for the most part, as "Pump it Up" was everywhere: radio, MTV, and the shitty movie 2 Fast 2 Furious. His self-titled Def Jam debut was a modest success, and featured depth he previously showed on mixtape cuts like "Dear Angela". Budden did not shy from his drug addled past, and his self-proclaimed status as a "regular Joe" was a welcome change. Well, he was supposed to follow up with a second Def Jam album but that never happened, due to a supposed falling out with then label president Jay-Z. Budden vanished and was written off....till he got the best of The Game in their battle and released the "Mood Muzik" mixtape series. He was most recently embroiled in a feud with Raekwon and various members of the Wu over comments about a Vibe Magazine article listing the greatest MC's. Honestly, Budden has released his best shit since parting ways with Def Jam; my two favorite albums he's dropped are "Padded Room" and "The Escape Route" and he's got another one dropping in early 2010 called "The Great Escape". When you want raw emotion and introspection paired up with tight punchlines, Joe Budden is the man to see.
JOELL ORTIZ
BEST KNOWN FOR: Joell Ortiz Covers the Classics mixtape, previously signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath
Ortiz is a rapper's rapper; nothing flashy, nothing fancy, just straight up hip-hop. Punchlines? Check. A wide arsenal of flows? Check. He can spit fast like Twista, do the multi-syllables just as good as Eminem (or perhaps Big Pun would be a better comparison), and no matter what, brings the wordplay to the table. The dude has concepts for days, as evidenced on his Covers the Classics mixtape. He straight kills it over 30+ classic instrumentals of hip-hop's past. Take his freestyle over Biggie and Method Man's "The Whut" called "Animal Shit" where every line has an animal reference or metaphor. He can tell story raps, battle, he's the type of dude standing on the corner with a plastic cup of Bacardi, a Dutch and a notebook full of rhymes. As far as Latino rappers go, I would say he's the current standard bearer, he truly reminds me of Big Pun and I expect big things from him once the Slaughterhouse movement fully catches it. Since Slaughterhouse are rumored to be signing to Shady Records, it might be an interesting turn of events seeing as Ortiz was once signed and then let go by Dre. The future looks really bright for Joell, I got my eye on him.
CROOKED I
BEST KNOWN FOR: Long considered the West Coast's lyrical savior, was signed to Death Row Records from 1999-2003; his online Hip-Hop Weekly series; dozens of mixtapes; CEO Dynasty Entertainment
Mixing classic west coast gangsta swagger with east coast lyricism, Crooked is a welcome addition to the Slaughterhouse fold. This guy has had more stops and starts in his career than most, and has yet to reach an official solo album despite consistently having a record deal of some kind since 1995. He signed with the controversial Death Row Records in 1999 but we all know how that turned out; various drama and Suge Knight's legal troubles kept his album indefinitely shelved and he split in 2003. He was been doing his own thing ever since, including forming his own label, Dynasty Entertainment. He built up a buzz for an album in 2005 that never ended up dropping that featured production by Scott Storch (back when that meant something). He received critical accalim for his Block Obama mixtape series last year and plans to release an EP called Mr. Pig Face Weapon Waist in November. I'm going back and catching up with his Hip-Hop Weekly series, where he released a track a week for one year starting in April '07. I respect when rappers go that extra mile for their fans, connecting with them, hittin' em off with free tracks to build anticipation. He got lyrics for days, and hopefully he gets the shine he has worked so hard for.
ROYCE DA 5'9"
BEST KNOWN FOR: His friendship with Eminem and D12 and subsequent beef; ghostwriter for many; dozens of mixtapes
Most rappers would have jumped at the chances to just ride Eminem's coat tails straight to the top but not Royce. Sure, he popped up on Em's major debut album and his name was buzzing considerably due to being Em's homeboy. But unlike D12 or Obie Trice, Royce decided to forge it alone, and for better or worse, he ended up with mixed results.
You could describe Royce as similar to Eminem, in he has a knack for wicked wordplay and punchlines and can veer off into crazy territory if need be. He has long been regarded as one of hip-hop's unsung lyrical heroes. IMO, his crowning work was his second official album, Death is Certain. If you haven't heard it, I'd definitely suggest checking it out. It's full of raw anger and agression, and above all else, quality hip-hop. Feuds with D12 and interest from people like Diddy and Nas that never materialized would've derailed a lesser MC, but Royce persevered. He released an awesome series of mixtapes called The Bar Exam in 2007, and by the time he linked up with the rest of Slaughterhouse, he was at the top of his game. Most people haven't received half the opportunities or scenarios Royce has encountered, and many figured he'd be by the wayside by now. Finally finding his groove with Slaughterhouse, I think his best work is still in front of him.
Individually, they are four of the elite MC's going right now. Together, they are Slaughterhouse. Their debut single "The One" actually received some love from MTV and Eminem is rumored to be interested in signing them to Shady Records. It goes to show that there is still a viable market out there for classic, real hip-hop, not the ringtone rap dominating the airwaves. All Slaughterhouse needs is the right ear to listen and push them to the forefront.
'hip hop prayed to god, and gave pun right back' - Joell Ortiz
ReplyDeleteThese boys is the deal. Good look on the post. I never seen or heard of a group that carries the amount of underratedness (if thats a word) as slaughterhouse does. ortiz is pun reincarnated, i have been convinced that royce can hang wit em, buddens is the most disturbed rapper to put it on wax i've heard in a long time, and crooked might be the most underrated out of all of them. the best thing about this group is that they have all tasted 'the dream' only to have it stripped away from them too soon. they all realize that the game is fucked, and they refuse to play it anymore. they are cuttin albums for one sole purpose, that to make real hip hop. n fuck ya'll who aint wit it cause you prolly listen to too much radio anyways. if you sleepin on slaughterhouse, i suggest some redbull, cause you missin out. one
Yeah I really relate to Budden, the name of my blog was inspired by one of his lyrics. But yeah, basically everything you said haha.
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