The general of the Boot Camp Clik, Buckshot, teams up with former Little Brother producer 9th Wonder for a second go around following their less than stellar debut as a duo: Chemistry. Perhaps it was the lackluster and brutally boring production by 9th Wonder or maybe it was the seemingly uninterested raps of Buckshot, but whatever it was, it was a type of chemistry that made a mediocre album. The Formula provides a much better listening experience with better production from 9th Wonder and on point rhymes by the aforementioned Buckshot. Although he does not retain his Black Moon form (just like many MC’s who find it near impossible to retain their 92-94 roots), Buckshot is back in a lyrical trance and delivers some gem verses and dynamic displays of storytelling and structure that is near perfect.
The “Intro” sounds like something you could hear Buck rap on “Total Eclipse” which is by no means a bad thing. The 9th production is fine, but nothing to write home about. “Brand New Day” allows Buck to give his outlook on the things to come including the recent success of Duck Down and revival of himself as an MC and a person. The horns by 9th are beautiful but once again, something seems lacking. The first single “Go All Out” features the voice of Carlitta Durand (who probably should be an honorary member of the Justus League), the guest appearance by Charlie Murphy in the very funny video, blaring horns by 9th, and a nostalgic tale of perspective and ambition. Certainly, not the strongest song and can get heavily annoying, redundant, and bland.
As a sucker for voice samples, “No Future” might be my favorite beat on the album. It also displays 9th’s trademark drums in their finest unorthodox patterns. Buck is tremendous on this track and he plays the role of a teacher telling his students the rights and wrongs of life. This joint leads fittingly into the strongest track on the album: “Hold It Down.” Talib Kweli is featured on the track and delivers a typical great Kweli Verse: “Why you have to pass a-/way so young while his craft is being mastered/ I don’t want to ask her/ a question with no answer but I still fight for the chance to write the cure for cancer/ wipe poverty off the map with a verse and a 9th Wonder track.” Tyler Woods gives a hook that aches to be repeated out loud and Buckshot could come harder, but seems to play it safe stays conservative..
“Man Listen” is the other really strong track on the album because of Buckshot’s superb ability to make this rap shit seem so simple. I picture myself sitting on the stoup with Buck and his crew and just listening to him say this entire joint to everyone. It’s about as real as it can get. 9th provides an uplifting beat full of voice samples and strings to fulfill your ears with pleasure to end the album off. It’s also the most positive and joyous tracks on the album and serves as the perfect end to a “Brand New Day.”
The album is not without faults, in fact, it has plenty. “Whassup With U” made me cringe and hit the skip button immediately even with the Curtis Mayfield sample. “Be Cool” exemplifies my biggest issue with 9th and Buckshot collabing; Buckshot seems much more sentimental and slowed down. 9th is certainly not Da Beatminerz, that I understand, but these beats certainly limit Buckshot in his delivery, flow, and ferocity. “Here We Go” and “Throwing Shade” furthermore prove the point that the chemistry is lacking and the formula still needs plenty of work. With that said, this is still a very good album with plenty of potential and the bright spots alone make it that much better than “Chemistry.” Just keep in mind you aren’t getting Black Moon Buckshot and Little Brother 9th Wonder, you are getting scientists who are certainly trying to perfect their craft.
Standout Tracks:
No Future
Hold It Down
Man Listen
Overall Rating: 69/100
Related posts:
- The In Crowd: Album Review
- The Breax: Album Review
- Album Review: The Trickle Down
- TIME:LINE: Album Review
- When theBREAX Sold Out: Album Review
Follow: Sean Deez on Twitter
