Wow! Get ready hip-hop heads to eat this excellent release up. We got Madlib all over the production (with some scratches from J. Rocc), Guilty Simpson throwing down gutter rhymes and punchlines, and this is mixed together with samples, random audio sounds, and much more. Basically if you know Madlib then you know the deal and won’t be disappointed.
Without gushing too much, it would prove more helpful to describe the tracks individually but I will say that Guilty is on tracks 3,5,6,8,10,12,13,15,17,19-21 and Madlib is of course on all of them but can especially/solely be herd on the rest. Important: most songs aren’t longer than 3:00 min. (longest is 3:31) so it’s mostly rapid fire verses/lyrics as oppose to verse-chorus-verse. To wrap it up this CD is hard-hitting where it counts on the lyrical side while offering innovative production simultaneously. With punchlines for days and beats for weeks this Producer + MC combo prove to be a lethal combination that terrorize(s) commercial rap(pers) and is a match made in heaven for true fans of hip-hop. Find yourself “guilty” of listening to this album again and again. FCC clean
RIYL: J Dilla/Jay Dee, Frank-N-Dank, Detroit Hip-Hop
Favs!! [a tough choice] Guilty Simpson: 5,*6,8,*10,*15,17, 21
Madlib: 1,7,*9, 11,*14, *16 released May 18th, 2010
Track by Track
1. Prelude (2:58) - Head nodding beats with what seems like a stand up comedy routine. Good intro that sets the mood to an awesome album. (Note: last 1:07 min. of the song is a creepy/nightmarish radio monologue. It’s funny and a little scary all at the same time.)
2. Introduction (1:11) - Exactly what the song says, this one gets you ready like the calm before the storm. Simple beat with monologues galore.
3. OJ Simpson (3:31) - Hard hitting title track doesn’t disappoint with great flow. Mainly braggadocios. (Note: last 1:10 min. is a stand up comics routine w/o music in the background.)
4. Pimp Rap Interlude (2:06) - Interesting spoken word over a tense/impending beat. Audio clips sound like Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, and others. (Note: last 0:25 sec. is that creepy/nightmarish radio monologue.)
5. New Heights (2:47) - Great head nodding track where Guilty raps about being ready to take the rap world by storm and references famous athletes. Nice flow as well.
6. Karma of a Kingpin (1:49) - A stand out track because it shows Guilty’s excellent story telling abilities. He tells of how kids see drug dealers with money in the hood and want to imitate that lifestyle, but in the end it catches up to you.
7. Think Twice Interlude (1:04) - Madlib samples some funky stuff to dance to with a monologue of course over the beat.
8. Coroner’s Music (2:30) - Crazy flow with gutter rhymes over dark beats make this one a heavy hitter. No chorus just amazingly sinister verses.
9. A Friend’s Help Interlude (2:38) - Short dialogue that leads into a tribal/jungle beat from hell. Madlib sounds mysterious, enticing, and just plain good all at the same time.
10. Back on the Road Again (1:56) - Awesome track that I wish was longer. Thumping beats makes this one a highlight. Lyrics about being on the road and pressures that are there but may not always be seen.
11. Gone Crazy Interlude (1:44) - Very eerie beat with bumping drums and weird dialogue that’s filled with dark/black humor. Definitely a different track.
12. Hood Sentence (3:13) - Laid back battle raps with the production sounding a little jazzy and dreamy. Good chorus and rhymes along with the time length makes this one sound a little more accessible to the average listener.
13. Cali Hills (3:05) - A tribute to Dilla (R.I.P) that starts off a few years back telling a story of where Guilty was at and how he came up in the rap game and meet Dilla. The story concludes with Dilla’s death and its all over a guitar loop and banging beats. Respect.
14. Something Good (Intermission two) (3:05) - Funky break beats lighten the mood of the album that are perfect for dancing, grooving, or just nodding your head. (Note: last 0:42 sec. = noise collage.)
15. Scratch Warning Feat. Frank Nitt (3:29) - This is anthem music that is sure to get your hands in the air. Frank Nitt works well with Guilty and it seems like a natural fit. Mainly braggadocios.
16. Hold Your Applause Interlude (1:41) - More funky/fun Madlib beats. This one stands out compared to the other interludes and showcases good turntablism and mixing.
17. Outside Feat. Strong Arm Steady (3:10) - This is hardcore “don’t F**K with me” music with loads of memorable lyrics. Good stuff that should be listened to on a music player with repeat.
18. Bow Wow Interlude (1:41) - Sounds like a funny mixing experiment. Maye listen to once or twice but not likely to attack more attention than that.
19. Mic Check 313 (2:40) - Battle rhymes with good beats. Song changes half way through and gets even crazy and better. Madlib comes hard on the production.
20. Trendsetters (1:55) - A little intro then songs kicks in after 20 sec. Just one awesome verse with thumping bass and electronic glitches.
21. 100 Styles (2:51) - Good bass with hard hitting rhymes. This one has a chorus along with Guilty’s signature gutter flow. A great closer to a fantastic release. (Note: last 0:20 sec. appear to be a recorded phone scam of sorts.)
22. Outro (1:31) - Trumpets and smooth jazzy sounds let the listener slowly fade and drift out of the album, only to wake up out of some sort of dream wondering was it all real? You guessed it, it’s the real deal.