I got the news this evening that one of my musical heroes has passed away at the age of 59. I wish peace to his family and friends. As my tribute, I am posting up the first beat I ever made, which samples Teddy’s classic, “Close The Door.” While this beat is no technical masterpiece, it was the first step on the road to where I am today and where I continue to go musically. Over the last 8 years, I have gone back to Teddy P. many times, and drawn much inspiration from his work. I only hope that my own music keeps his spirit alive, and is a fitting tribute to the man who first inspired me to chop up a sample. Safe journey, Teddy.
Chop Steak – No Babies
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Teddy Pendergrass – Close The Door
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As promised, some bonus material! I selected one track from each of my top 20 and made a youtube playlist. I’m aware T.I. is missing. Thank his label for making every single one of his videos either silent or not embeddable. I suppose 2003 was a different era of internet distro. In any case, enjoy…
While this album’s weight was increased by its release within days of its creator’s death, this instrumental collage would be a classic regardless of the circumstances. One of the greats of all time, Dilla used chopped up samples and dusty drums to make beats that were sometimes delicate and beautiful and at others pounding, cold and mechanical. Almost four years after his death, they continue to define the sound of Detroit’s underground scene. This album, jumping from one brief moment of bliss to the next, was an appropriate final statement for such a unique talent.
9. The Game – The Documentary
(Aftermath, 2005)
The Game’s debut album revealed some of the qualities that would make him both a standout and one of the biggest oddballs in hip hop this decade. On one hand, he is a gifted lyricist who stands up well to the large bill of marquee name rappers and producers on the album. On the other, he name drops and fawns over so many other rappers that he is at times corny and strange. Still, this album, made before his falling out with 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, was a superior effort.
8. T.I. – Trap Muzik
(Atlantic, 2003)
Proclaiming himself the king of the south, T.I. showed immense potential on his second album. Hardcore but polished enough for crossover success, T.I. took the usual set of dope boy/rapper cliches and managed to turn out an original and engaging set of songs. Paired with beats from David Banner, Jazze Pha, Kanye West and others, perhaps the best production he ever received on a whole album, this record set a standard T.I. has yet to improve on.
7. 50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
(Interscope, 2003)
50 cent is certainly a hip hop cartoon character, and his major label debut was painted like an expertly done comic book. With bold colors, dramatic flash and meticulously crafted perfection, 50 steamrolled through a very paint-by-numbers hardcore rap album. It is amazing how well he and his production team planned and executed every single detail though. With the Swiss watch precision that made 2001 such a success, Dr. Dre helmed an album that was as brilliant as it was ridiculous.
6. Outkast – Stankonia
(La Face, 2000)
The follow-up to the masterpiece, Aquemini, this album did not disappoint. With a playful, experimental spirit, this disc was, in retrospect, an interesting bridge between the former and 2003’s landmark Speakerboxx/The Love Below. Big Boi and Dre took on such subjects as illegitimate pregnancy, American excess, suicide and drug use in a variety of ways that made this record constantly fresh and engaging. Despite weighty subject matter on much of the album, they kept the overall tone light enough to be listenable, helped by inventive rhyming, diverse experimental production, and possibly the most clever set of skits on a rap album ever. BREAK!
5. Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
(Jive, 2006)
The long-delayed sophomore album from brother duo, Clipse, was nothing if not proof that there is room for originality in even the most well-trodden hip-hop subjects. This cold, neurotic album was cocaine-obsessed, but even their boasting and talk of material wealth were tempered constantly by a sense of impending doom. A stripped down and spaced out set of menacing tracks from The Neptunes was one of the most cohesive and impactful of the decade. With equal parts of contrition, ambition, unapologetic malice (no pun intended) and paranoia, these skilled rappers made a complex and brilliant record.
4. Jay-Z – The Blueprint
(Roc-A-Fella, 2001)
If we had any doubts as to who was running this rap ish in 2001, the second track of this album cleared them up quickly. Hov manhandled the microphone and did not let go the entire record. Production led by Timbaland, Just Blaze and Kanye West (in the start of what would become his meteoric rise in hip-hop) offset the classic verses to make an album that showed Jay on top of all he surveyed. Tracks like “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “H.O.V.A. (Izzo),” and “Heart Of The City” make this an enduring classic of early 2000’s rap.
In what would turn out to be the last classic Wu-Tang album, Ghostface proved once again that he could possibly be the most engaging storyteller in hip hop even if listeners didn’t know what the hell he was talking about half the time. With the clan’s best ear for beats, Starks selected some gems from a group of RZA disciples and others. A solid string of all-in-the-family guest appearances and intricate, if confusing, rhymes from Starks showed, one last time, what the Wu-Tang was capable of at their best.
2. Outkast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
(La Face, 2003)
While the scope of this album goes a bit beyond “hip-hop,” I remember what section of the record store this was in when I bought it. Experimental albums are often positioned as ahead-of-their-time only to turn out to still suck years later, but this album truly did get better with age. The split album concept confused fans when it came out, and even in 2009, many still haven’t fully processed what it meant creatively to the duo on this album or since. Both albums were experimental in their own way, Big Boi with a unique synthesized funk that stayed firmly rooted in rap and 3000 assuming the persona of a more playful Prince. Each showcased their talents brilliantly and together they helped pave the way for acceptance of experimentation in rap, R&B and funk in the latter part of the decade.
The Album of the Decade:
Kanye West – College Dropout
(Roc-A-Fella, 2004)
In a hip hop era that defined by the exaggerated gangster of 50 Cent and the mindless pop-rap of acts like Nelly, Kanye flew in the face of everything rap audiences seemed to want with this album. He was a throwback to the soul-sampling 90’s in a synthesized 2000’s, rapping as a sort of misfit, endearing in that role even while he was telling you how much cooler than you he was. In making this album,Kanye cleared a lane for himself and blazed a trail that would leave an indelible stamp on hip-hop in years to come. Comfortable trading lines with Jay-Z, Mos Def,Twista and Saul Williams on the same record, West helped bridge what was a widening gap between “commercial” and “underground” rap at the time. With his signature sped-up samples and clad in his iconic sweaters and button-downs, West accomplished what few did this decade: He single-handedly changed hip-hop.
Normally this time of year, I post a top 10 list of the year. This being the end of the decade, however, I thought it was a good chance to take a look back at the last ten years in rap and some of my favorites. This is part one of a two-part review. Look for the finale in the next day or two. And now, without further ado, my choices for the top 20 of the 2000’s:
20. Devin The Dude – Just Tryin’ Ta Live
(Virgin, 2002)
Houston emcee Devin the dude has been one of the great storytellers in hip hop since his late 1990’s debut. He hit his peak in this 2002 release, blending his tongue-in-cheek tales of sexual misadventures and the woes of the common man with a suite of production truly worthy of them. Syrupy smooth and lowdown, the beats glide under Devin’s easy singsong drawl. Tracks like “Fa Sho” and “Doobie Ashtray” cement this album as a true Texas classic.
19. Young Jeezy – The Recession
(Def Jam, 2008)
The Snowman’s third album found him trading in a little of the hustle and stunt mantras that filled his Thug Movitation albums for a slightly more sober look at the economic recession. Jeezy delivers insights in character, little nuggets of truth filtered through his simplistic flow and hollered over banging production. The result is an album which plays like a report from the ground level, without of the pretentiousness that accompanies other artists’ looks at the economy. If not a masterful work of art, this album is definitely a cultural document of its time.
After a strange trip through Master P’s No Limit family, Snoop’s Paid Da Cost To Be Tha Boss showed that Snoop was still a credible force in post-2000 hip hop. It took a blockbuster single to shove him all the way back into the spotlight though, and that came in the form of the Neptunes-laced “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Around that single, however, was a great album that dabbled in various styles from hardcore to dance-rap and pulled them all off well. With this release, Snoop proved that his Cali drawl was still as relevant as ever in rap.
17. Sean Price – Monkey Barz
(Duck Down, 2005)
One of the more random releases of the new millennium, this album single-handedly spawned a Boot Camp Clik revival in the last half of the decade. Left for dead by hip hop somewhere in the 1990’s, Price, also known as Ruck from Heltah Skeltah, came back re-branded as a hardcore rap Rodney Dangerfield. Proclaiming himself “the brokest rapper you know,” Price put out a set of truly hilarious, but still menacing tracks filled with ridiculous one-liners. With gritty soul production coming partially from the Justus League’s Khrysis and 9th Wonder, this offbeat album was a great surprise.
16. Jaylib – Champion Sound
(Stones Throw, 2003)
A collaboration of two mad geniuses of underground hip hop, Champion Sound is off-kilter perfection. Producer-emcees Jay Dee (aka J Dilla) and Madlib exchanged beats and rhymes back and forth across the country to cobble together this smoked out symphony. The low-fi beats jump illogically from one sample to the next and the rhymes are sometimes elementary and sometimes almost senseless. Inexplicably though, it all fits perfectly together, and this has proved to be an album with serious staying power over the years.
15. Kanye West – Late Registration
(Roc-A-fella, 2005)
Kanye West’s second album updated the formula that made his debut, College Dropout, so successful and proved that his star would last for years to come. With a little extra polish from rock producer John Brione, Late Registration was still a soulful affair, but one that moved away from West’s signature chipmunk sound and was more dense and layered. West maintained his “Benz and backpack” persona and brought in several very effective guest spots to pick up any slack his comical bragging left. Not a game changer like College Dropout, this was still one of the best crafted records of the decade.
14. Ludacris – Word Of Mouf
(Def Jam, 2001)
Imperfect when taken as a total album, this is still one of the best collections of rap singles of this decade. Atlanta rapper Ludacris had a major commercial breakthrough with this record, led by radio and video titans like “Area Codes,” “Move Bitch” and “Rollout (My Business).” Production by Timbaland, Organized Noize and others paired well with Luda’s edgy flow and one-liners. Some of the album cuts lacked the punch of the singles, but this was a landmark album for a talented artist.
13. Deltron 3030 – S/T
(75 Ark, 2000)
This collaboration between Dan The Automator and Heiroglyphics’ Del Tha Funkee Homosapien is a futuristic sci-fi concept album that is every bit as dorky as it sounds. Del drops acrobatic rhymes that fuse SAT vocabulary and Star Trek buzzwords. Dan’s rich, sprawling, cinematic beats are some of the greatest of this era of hip hop. This is admittedly not an album with mass appeal, but it does not try to be. It is, however, hugely rewarding for those who can push their coolness aside for a moment.
12. Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter II
(Cash Money, 2005)
This album marks the apex of Weezy’s development of an artist, his matured rhyme style fit into the most balanced set of songs he has yet put together. Coming on the heels of the Mannie Fresh split from Cash Money, he proved that he can make quality music with other producers. Singles like “Fireman” and “Hustler Music” as well as excellent album cuts such as “Receipt” and “Mo Fire” make this a very good album. In the years since this release, Wayne has shown a lot of potential and at times brilliance, but he has yet to match this record in consistency.
11. Jay-Z – The Black Album
(Roc-A-Fella, 2004)
This album was a retrospective of a career that turned out not to be over, but it was still powerful. Hov’s rhymes mixed with beats by Kanye West, The Neptunes, Rick Rubin and others made several classic tracks. The theme of looking back on possibly the most successful career in rap history pulled the album into a cohesive whole. Independent of any bait and switch, this album is one of the best of the decade.
So ends the first half of my picks. Give me some feedback via the comments and check back soon for the finale.
You knew I was coming back with some heat to keep your chestnuts roasting. Like I do every year, here’s my mixtape of 2009’s best hip hop and R&B. Listen to it streaming below, and download the full quality version. Then tweet it, link it, blog about it, burn it, and pass it on to your friends. Thanks very much to everyone who has made 2009 a great year in spite of all the hardships. Let’s keep the party going in 2010. Have a fun, safe holiday season everybody, and holla at me when you can.
Chop Steak Presents: The Christmas Mixtape 2009
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Alchemist – That’ll Work f. Three 6 Mafia & Juvenile
Ghostface Killah – Guesthouse f. Fabolous
UGK – Harry A**hole f. Lil’ Boosie & Webbie
Kanye West – Maybach Music 2 Verse
Da C.O.D. – Loftin’ N Austin (Chop Steak Remix)
Jay-Z – D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune)
Clipse – Kinda Like A Big Deal f. Kanye West & Bun B
Phranchyze – Customized Kicks
Interlude: Implant
Mos Def – History f. Talib Kweli
Raekwon – New Wu f. Ghostface Killah & Method Man
Camp Lo – 2 Dope Boyz
Cam’ron – Silky (No Homo)
Big Tone – Chocolate f. L’Renee
Interlude: Lane Bryant
Twista – Wetter f. Erika Shevon (Chop Steak Remix)
Mayer Hawthorne – Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix)
Alchtro
Tracks in green feature original Chop Steak production.
Thanks to all my interlude voice talent: DJ C-Rich, Jeanelle, M.O.S. of Crew54 and Stephanie, and an ongoing thank you to the incomparable miss Tasha Johnson.
Unlike Chuck D, rapper Savant happily proclaims that he rhymes for the sake of riddlin’ on the first track of his debut EP. The first half of the album definitely bears this out, filled mostly with witty punchlines and verbal flash. As the album goes on, however, he approaches some more diverse themes that serve to balance the album a bit. Together, they make it clear that this talented emcee’s debut was worth whatever delays it endured.
Coming from Tucson, AZ by way of Chicago, Savant raps with a generally complex flow that favors dense bars, but stays in the pocket of the beat nicely. While it is not instantly recognizable, his voice is strong and clear, and he uses it well. Topically, the first four tracks of the EP stick more or less to rappin’ about rappin’. He is skilled at this style, and displays enough verbal gymnastics to back up his boasts, but as the album goes on, it all starts to run together for the listener. Thankfully, he changes course with the fifth track, the breezy summertime jam, Bottom to the Top, and does not look back for the rest of the EP. These last four tracks are each on a specific topic, and while they lose a little of the speed and flash of the first tracks, they are all well-written and engaging. On Really Don’t Think, an examination of the ways in which male-female relations break down:
…And I’m tryin’ to understand just what the fuck happened
Why standards for marriage are panned and crash landed
And how the hell Hollywood soured what was established
As the most beautiful thing that mankind had ever been granted
Second to life itself
But understand that no one’s built to spend life by themselves
Stuck in a private hell because you strive for wealth
And put yourself above all else and love is dispelled
Behind the boards are different producers for each track. Starting with an RJD2-dominated track, the rest of the album uses some obscure names, but all are good, and the whole is cohesive. The overall aesthetic is based in soul samples, and has a throwback feel to it. My favorite beat is Montana Macks’ You Know, a lilting, chopped up guitar and string track that has a very cool sound but weaves tension in and out to keep it interesting. Another stand out on the lighter end of the spectrum is Illest You’ve Never Heard, featuring wah pedal guitars and smooth vocals weaving over a sparse backdrop of rimshots and hi hats. Perfect Profession hits a little harder, with soulful horns and crunchier percussion. Beats are a major strong point on this album.
Overall, this project is not perfect, even within its short EP form. Still, all the parts are there, they just need some minor tweaks to realize their potential as a whole. Savant is clearly talented and versatile, and he has an ear for beats. For a first effort, this is a good one, and Savant is someone to keep an ear out for.
Track Listing:
The Lyricist Threemix f. SimONE
Illest You’ve Never Heard (Could We Go)
Concrete Techniques f. Three60
You Know f. Rich Jones & Kasparov
Bottom to the Top
Till Death Do Us Part
Marry a Memory
Perfect Profession/Concrete Techniques Remix
You Know f. Rich Jones & Kasparov
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Twista – Wetter f. Erika Shevon (Chop Steak BTGTBW Remix)
It is a hot, dry summer in TX, so I put together this remix of Twista’s “Wetter.” Enjoy, and give me some feedback via comments or email, please!
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LA Times confirms it. I can’t say anything other than that I am shocked and saddened by this news in a way I have a hard time putting into words. Peace to him, his family, and all his fans.
Where heading to NXNE this weekend, so back once again from a few technical difficulties we present you with this wonderful blog. I’m going to keep it short and sweet this week, so check it out.
Dubb Sicks rocked the Music Vault in Harker Heights with Stephanie Salvo and proceeded to tell all female mc’s to bring their pussies on if they wanted to challenge.
We met Kosha Dillz back at SXSW, and he hit us up to let us know he recently won a battle at Hot 97’s Summer Jam and a record contract with Duck Down, MASSIVE.
Man just check it out, we’ll be rocking Club Harlem in Toronto on Friday the 19th, make sure you check it out. Holla at ya boys, I gotta run, forgive me if I missed something, peace. Oh yeah there is some confusion about fried chicken and Canada in the beginning….but you ain’t hear that from me.
The 54 Reality show is a production of Killeen rap duo, Crew54. They are the sole controllers of its content. Their original post can be found on their blog, “The 54 Reality Show.”
Yeah, I made up a word, but I feel it was appropriate for whats going down. I wanted to take the time to let ya’ll know that the long list of folks who hold us down has gotten longer, as the 54 Reality Show can now be seen on the homieChopsteaks blog.
The 54 Reality show is a production of Killeen rap duo, Crew54. They are the sole controllers of its content. Their original post can be found on their blog, “The 54 Reality Show.”
say what?