Who isn’t labeling Elzhi the “Next Best Thing” in hip hop? The Detroit native and Slum Village member even has your favourite rapper, Phonte, sweating every time he drops a verse. ‘Te has even said that every time he hears an Elzhi verse, he goes back to the lab to revamp. It wasn’t until I first heard “Hiding Places” off of “The Minstrel Show” that I really started taking Elzhi seriously, and boy, can this dude spit. The long anticipated album, The Preface, is the debut solo album from Elzhi produced mostly by fellow Detroit-er, Black Milk. Hearing more from Black Milk is another gift we are given because it seems that he truly is one of the more reliable producers making beats these days. This album works a lot like a Redman/Sermon collaboration in the sense that is it an hour of raw, rugged, clever, soulful, and stylistic hip hop, but also works like a Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth album in terms of chemistry. Regardless, it provides a much needed throwback to a mid 90′s style of hip hop that exemplifies what Elzhi is capable of.
“Motown 25″ is a Detroit dream trio consisting of Elzhi, Royce Da 5’9, and Black Milk. The beat is unreal, Elzhi is fierce, but even fiercer (and VERY good as of late) is Royce. The track is complete and even though it was on the earlier released Europass EP, it still remains the strongest track on the album. The track is sure to leave damaged necks everywhere hang with satisfied ears. Elzhi switches to a braggadocio style with “Brag Swag” and because of his clever wordplay and quick delivery; the track is not annoying or repetitive. “Colours” is another banger from Black Milk that has Elzhi breaking down colour schemes. It is a very playful and fun song, but he still manages to tell a dope story in the lesson.
“Talking In My Sleep” is another track from the aforementioned Europass, but still qualifies to be one of the dopest on the album. Elzhi doesn’t sleepwalk on the track; however, he gets in a tremendous zone that might’ve made him lose consciousness. “The Leak” has some slamming drums and has Elzhi speaking about the anticipation the hip hop world has when he grabs the microphone.
The album is littered with great tracks, but it is also littered with tracks that we heard before on “Europass”. I’m usually not one to be frustrated with that type of stuff, but this time around I was bothered due to the fact that these tracks were probably the best on the album. The length hurts the album too. By the time the last 4-5 songs roll around, Elzhi has done all that he could do in terms of content. I’m sure he has plenty of creative juices left though. Save it for another album.
Sue me for thinking that Elzhi has some work to do. I do think he’s a very good emcee, but I do think he is a tad over-rated by all of the Elzhi followers. I think his versatility can be used more wisely, but it is hard to outdo his flow and passion on a track. He comes hard all the time, even if the content runs dry. Black Milk continues to develop his production and seems to be a reincarnation of J Dilla. His sample usage, his drums, and his placements are near perfect on every track. This duo is made to work on another album together, and I do sincerely hope that we get a full album, as opposed to two EP’s mixed together.
Overall Score: 80/100
Standout Tracks:
“Motown 25″
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“Save Ya”
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“Talking in My Sleep”
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