Review Summary: He's so hardcore, he had to return from the grave to get a record deal.
When I first started out on this site, I was only reviewing obscure alternative hip hop albums by
Basehead. No one read what I wrote. Then I found out what I was doing wrong. The readers who check out reviews only read reviews of hardcore hip hop, if any hip hop. Hardcore hip hop and thrash/death metal. That's all you people like. Anything else, and no one gives a *** about. If you write about anything other than hardcore hip hop, thrash, and death metal, no one will read your reviews. Fine, have it your way. Let's talk about one of the hardest hardcore rappers ever. A rapper so hardcore he had to return from the grave to get a record deal. Blaze Ya Dead Homie.
According to the press release for his first album, Blaze is the zombie of a gangsta rapper who was killed by a rival gang in the 1980s. Which explains the ultra-retro sound of that record. Only thing was, it kind of distracted from the gangsta rap concept when the beats shifted to rock-oriented sounds, considering that rap-rock didn't pop up until the early 1990s. Thus,
Colton Grundy is a better album. The beats are considerably closer to the concept, so it plays better.
Notably banging is "Bump This Shhh", Blaze's critique of the mainstream: "Open up your closed mind and you might see - that you care about the music if it sets your soul free". Your opinion matters to you. If you like a certain type of music, play that, not what the major labels are telling you to buy. Oh, and bump my ***, too.
Esham turns up on "Shotgun", assisting Blaze and frequent collaborator
Anybody Killa, and returns for "Climbing". "Stick Ya Hands Up" and "Further From Truth" have a nice, smooth sound, with "Further" told from the point of view of the recently deceased. There's the typical gangsta sex rap in "Hey You", and, unsurprisingly, for a rapper whose name is
Blaze, there's a track about blazing up: "Roll it Up". "2 Many Bitches" has a nice G-funk-type sound, and Detroit legend
MC Breed performs on the hook.
Producers R.O.C. (of House of Krazees), Lavel (of Krazy Klan) and Fritz the Cat are significantly more schooled in old school hip hop, and more suited to produce this kind of album than
Zug Izland guitarist Mike P., who handled production duties on Blaze's debut LP. The production is assisted by electronic drums, and synthesizers and computerized piano loops are all over the place. For a style parody, it sounds good. There are occasional funk and soul elements, but the album is mostly based in old school-type hip hop. If you like this style of hip hop, you'll enjoy this album. Most of the album has this kind of sound. There are enough banging tracks on this album to appeal to hardcore rap fans.
Wait, I just forgot that no one reads reviews of Detroit rappers, either, unless said rapper happens to be named Marshall Mathers. Uh, I think Eminem likes a couple of tracks off this CD. Interested? No? ***, I tried.
Highlights:
"Bump This Shhh"
"Shotgun"
"Stick Ya Hands Up"
"Timeline"
"Climbing"
