Review Summary: Yet another teaser for Street Hop - only this time not as cute.
The Slaughterhouse crew has been unremitting in their release schedule this year: from Budden's dabbling as a youtube "artist" and three-pronged release onslaught of mediocrity, to Royce's promising
The Revival EP teaser, they attempt full circle cohesion with August's self-titled crew joint. Yet between four rappers that mesh well lyrically, it comes as a complete disappointment that this outfit fails nearly without omission at choosing complementary beats. Outside of "Sound Off", an opening fuse set off by an expected (but still incredible in its simple, yet rapid-fire consonant rhymes) Royce da 5'9" verse, nothing here lives up to the promises of revolutionary hardcore hip-hop as billed - save for some acceptable numbers with D12 stalwart, Mr. Porter. One can't help but think an EP consisting of these three tracks in lieu of the mixtape prelude would have accomplished a similar goal; without reasonable consistency on the production side, Budden and Ortiz are exposed for the mediocre wordsmiths they truly are.
Slaughterhouse hearkens back to the early days of the New York hardcore underground, and it's a travesty that it does nothing more. With commonplace soul-influenced boom bap at the fore, compositions this anachronistic just don't cut it in 2009. While the previous paints an overtly negative picture, Royce and Crooked I spit some hot materials here to brighten things up. In the context that the Slaughterhouse brand is being whored around incessantly this year, it's especially surprising that Crooked I has yet to drop a solo joint. He absolutely should.
Beat-making incest is a regular occurrence in post-Dilla Detroit, and this is one record that would have benefited heavily from a large dose. Check out "Sound Off", "Salute", and "Cut You Loose" - avoid the rest and cop Royce's
Street Hop when it drops in September.
