When Eastern Philosophy dropped, heads began to turn in the direction of Apathy. For Ap, this must’ve been bittersweet considering that EP was seven years into his career and really his first official release. Moreover, Apathy was once a major label artist, inking with Atlantic, but then moving to the indie hip hop label, Babygrande. Starving for three years, Ap fans get what they’ve been waiting for in Wanna Snuggle? Producing all but 4 tracks on the long 21 track LP and bringing his lyrical A-game for most of the project, Apathy has certainly given listeners an album worth wrapping their eardrums around.
We may question the title all we want, but I have to admit, it ingrains meaning in itself throughout an entire listen. What could it refer to? Could it refer to Apathy’s lyrics on “Hell’s Angel,” where he goes “This is for my mother and my father, my aunts and my uncles/ who taught me to be humble and that life’s always a struggle/Raps? I know a couple/ I catch you in the jungle and I’m a boa constrictor motherf*cker/ Wanna Snuggle?” Of course, it could be as simple as that, and Ap evidently gives the listeners no foreplay to intake. Listen to the remarkably timed production of “Money Orientated,” borrowing the popular AZ verse from “Life’s A Bitch,” alongside the hard hitting rhymes of Emilio Lopez. Move on to quick, witty, and Tarentino-esque “Gov’t Cheese” to experience another swift lyrical uppercut. Or visit the slamming Teddy Roxpin production on “I’m a Demigod,” a beat which allows for Apathy to flow effortlessly from bar-to-bar.
Guest appearances are not uncommon on this project, as Ap welcomes his Demigod family on board for a few tracks. But, it’s the unpredictable collaborations that make for some of the album’s best work. Undoubtedly, “True Love” featuring Phonte, is a contender for track of the year. The song speaks of the common topic most hip hop lovers face: dating a girl who doesn’t understand hip hop. Ap waxes philosophically: “I wanna find a perfect mate who know about The Purple Tape / A lot of bitches perpetrate, impe-pe-pe-pe-personating”… “I want a ‘Gangsta Bitch’ like Apache says / Who raps like Lauryn Hill did on ‘Nappy Heads.’” Still, Phonte steals the show with great storytelling and his Marvin Gaye and Fedro Starr references towards the end of his verse. Another show stealer is also one of the most underrated emcees in the genre, J Live, who bodies his part on “This is the Formula.” The Mike Shinoda production on “Shoot First” compliments the welcomed B-Real and Celph Titled guest spots, while Holly Brook sings a spine-chilling chorus on the album’s closer, “Victim.”
Wanna Snuggle? is track after track of gothic romanticism in a most unique sense. Tracks like “Back in LA” and “Rhode Island” sadly take away from this verbal-literary experience. Similar to how one would “snuggle” up with a book and want to experience consistent flow and fluidity of the text, these tracks, even though displaying solid production, don’t belong here conceptually. Regardless, there is a lot of great stuff in this piece of work, most notably, the chemistry between Apathy and newcomer producer, Teddy Roxpin. Teddy, who produced three tracks on the album brings a powerful soul element to the table, interpolates an equally powerful Jazz tone with and early 90’s boom bap style. It’s beautiful, especially on “Hard Times on Planet Earth.”
The track listing may run long, but really, the last tracks certainly define how much better this album could’ve been if executed a little more cohesively. “Slave” and “Victim” delve into a dark place in Ap’s mind and with it, show the development of a wonderful pen game that this emcee obviously has. Not only are these tracks so specific, detailed, and vivid, they are well crafted and marvelously crafted. It is with this same frame that could’ve made Wanna Snuggle? that much better.
81/100
“Victim”
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“True Love”
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“I’m A Demigod”
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“Shoot First”
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Jon FTW!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Great review and a great album. One of my favorite albums this year.
Good review Deez, agree pretty much with what you said.
good review..”true love” is fire..now if we can get a CELPH TITLED album, that would be dope
being all grown, you’ll all know what my favorite line of Apathy’s verse on ‘True Love’ is……
lol, good review mon ami.
This is Ap’s Best embodiment of Sounds & Words to Date. Im Proud to own this Release and Stand behind it 200%
WordBoog!!!
Http://THEHOBBYSHOPHERO.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/DUTCHMASSIVE
new songs from ARMY OF THE PHAROAHS “godzilla” & “contra mantra” are dope..
I must be missing something…cause I don’t think the album is that great. The Phonte, J-Live, and Blue Raspberry joints were tough but….. The production was cool, but nothing out of this world. Plus, what’s up with all of the features. We rag on “mainstream” artist for loading up their album with guest, but “underground” artist get a pass?
Anyhoo….I guess I”m missing the boat.
no doubt thomas, it seems to be a trend more recently to load an album up with features.. its kinda wack.
but here, I don’t think the features damage the tracks as much as they do on other albums.
Tbf we didnt complain with Rae’s cast of guests on cuban linx 2. For me, its more about choices in guests and whether they work well with the artist.
the apathy verse on “demigodz – well well well” is one of the illest of all time.
victim is a dope track, only the drums are whack. rest of the tracks I agree with thomas that the production isn’t very special.
@Victor
No we didn’t complain with Rae and all of his guest because if you look at the Wu’s discography (9 core members: group/solo albums) they have always had guest features whether it was clan members, wu-affliates or more recently with liked minded artist (D-Block, Busta Rhymes, Sigel, etc). To me this is the exception to that rule.
I think sometimes we don’t hold the same standards to “underground” artist that we do for “mainstream” artist. We champion an “underground” artist for “collaborating” with our favorite underground artist, but dog someone like fabolous for every guest on just about every song. Just my opinion.
Also, I don’t like the album. I previewed the album (listened to it 4 times and deleted because I’m not going to buy it)…didn’t like it. Didn’t like the rapping and wasn’t blown away by the production (not saying its wack…but).
Just my thoughts on that.
man this is as good as it gets for hip hop. i mean if you like beats and rhymes Apathy delivers every time. Not that i want to get into any kind of race thing but as far as white emcee Ap crushes eminem yet because em is a POP artists everyone considers him one of the greatest of all times. I’ve been listening to Apathy for a long time now and he and the Demi Godz are beasts on the mic with wordplay, metaphors. It’s hard for me to believe that if someone likes hip hop yet doesn’t find the rhymes dope. quotable after quotable on this joint. go back and listen to the double cd he had out “It’s the bootleg Muthaf****s” for 45 songs of straight banging beats and wordplay. man this is why they say hip hop is dead because real hip hop isn’t appreciated and lazy ass Raekwon with the coke coke coke lame ass same ol is considered greatest of the year. get outta here… respectfully! lol
Seriously the Wu has been wack since like 1998. People need to stop drawing wu-tang symbols on their binders. And when people compliment your wu tang shirt, tell them to eff off, because your only repping the golden age of wu.