It is a tough feat to be considered the “greatest” by any means in hip hop today. It is a term that gets applied to just about anyone and any song, really without any merit or valued source to this claim. However, Royce Da 5’9, based on his skill alone, has been able to develop a stable movement of opinions and statements asserting him as the best emcee of the last two years. Considering he hasn’t even dropped an album, the fact that this notion does indeed make perfect sense is somewhat scary (Check our Top 10 Emcees of 2008 list). So, when Street Hop was announced, hip hop minds everywhere were intrigued with the potential this album already held. Evidently only getting better, Royce took a step in defining his career as a complete emcee, since making a solid and cohesive LP had yet to be in his repertoire. Could Street Hop, which consisted of production from DJ Premier, Streetrunner, Emile, and Nottz (amongst others), be that next step to “completion” in Royce’s impressive career? Could it live up to the hype of the last 2 years of his undoubted reign on the mic?
The immediate answer is yes, if judging by the first half of the album. The starter, “Gun Harmonizing,” is lyrical manslaughter at its finest courtesy of Royce and group-mate, Crooked I. Setting a tone this violently and viciously should be a staple in hip hop albums these days, but to make it sound so good so effortlessly is something to be admired and attributed to raw talent. The same could be said for the Slaughterhouse collective effort on “The Warriors.” The four emcees naturally weave in and out throughout the five minute Streetrunner gem, all dropping their fair share of quotables and shining when given the opportunity. Another valued feature is Busta Rhymes, who is no stranger to stealing a song when given a minute. But on “Dinner Time,” where the emcees speak quite vividly (and poetically) about figuratively eating emcees alive, the remarkable flow, cadence, confidence, and smoothness of Royce is what steals the show. Still, it would be nice to see Busta spit like this on a full album basis. Phonte Coleman’s chorus contribution is great on “Something 2 Ride 2,” even though the song’s concept and Premier beat seems made as much for Tay as it does for Royce. Royce certainly does the track justice though, including like likes “reigning king of boom bap/ bomb strapped to my chest asking where you goons at/I’m old school like a Star Tech / on a voyage like Star Trek / me unemployed is far fetched” and “street hop is a culture/ I rock with the vultures that make bread with the opposite toaster.” Of course, there’s the Gza-esque quick jab “if I’m the hyphen then you da underscore.”
The three DJ Premier tracks are undoubtedly the highlights of the album. Not only are they amongst the most cohesive and most “street hop” dedicated ideas on the project, they are flat out the best sounding 3 tracks on the overly long 19 track project. Premier gets it. He gets this vision of street stories heard musically and displays this comprehension through his sampling, percussion, skips, horns, etc. He creates a vivid picture musically and has challenged Royce to paint a better picture. This is seen ever-so clearly on “Shake This,” which displays Royce at his most vulnerable and most emotional state. The song evokes a flurry of feelings, that both Royce and the listener are sure the have in common in more ways than one. It’s a beautiful portrait.
Royce waxes his storytelling skills throughout Street Hop too. “Part of Me” is an interesting twisted club-story, but it more so speaks of masculinity, albeit, in a unique way. The song leaves a lasting impression via its climax, especially when taken in with Rik Cordero’s vivid visual interpretation of the song [view here]. Still, while it’s a great song on its own, telling a disturbing and revealing story, “Part of Me” doesn’t feel comfortable or at home in the context of Street Hop and most of the songs on this project also could suit this description.
Taking in Street Hop as a whole, it’s hard to see the need for tracks like “Thing For Your Girlfriend,” “Far Away” “Bad Boy,” and “Part of Me.” These songs are unnecessary fat to Street Hop’s steak, while a song like “Mine is Thiz” is the sizzle wihout the steak. It bangs hard (especially in the whip), but it also fails to address untouched or essential content that many would love to hear Royce speak on, even if.
Aside from the album’s overall length and filler, the chorus selections are something to ponder about. They are highly questionable and cringe worthy; ranging from the annoying “Soldier” to the lazy “New Money” to the not so funny “Far Away.” Lucily, all of these joints display Royce on a superior lyrical level, forcing many to question the final song compilation, as opposed to Royce’s unheralded crafty penmanship.
Anxiously anticipated albums that take forever to drop only develop more problems as they go along (with few exceptions, see Cuban Linx 2). Street Hop suffers from this delayed drop because the longer Hop took to drop the better Royce got, the crazier and more eventful his career became (Shady signing rumours, Slaughterhouse, etc.). It also didn’t help that rumours swirled around regarding full album production treatment courtesy of DJ Premier. Instead DJ Premier contributed 3 tracks, while being in charge if executive production duties. It also would’ve been nice to see some Black Milk production and an Elzhi feature, considering the success these 3 have had in the last 2 years.
Many were expecting Street Hop to be a piece of perfection, but it is far from that. It’s composed of a handful of great songs, on a song by song basis, but crumbles like a once perfectly put together hamburger after one bite. Still, there’s a smorgasbord of material worthy of replay value; enjoy it at your own accord.
77/100
Gun Harmonizing (feat Crooked I)
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Dinner Time (feat Busta Rhymes)
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Shake This
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
i like the album everything i was expecting i would have gave it 89/100 would have loved to see some more premo production on it but overall shit banging, i havent taking it out my cd player yet
70/100
my rating.
this is a piece of shit.
what a lame album.
This is like the best review ever! couldn’t have chosen better words!
I think Royce is just one of those rappers that will always be considered a top 5 lyricist, which I think is justified given his amazing and steady improving lyrical ability! However, I also believe that he will never be able to drop “THE” album that would finally give him the credit of being one of the best in an overall perspective (i.e. not only in terms of verbal ability). There are a few other rappers with similar mc skills and yet have the same problem. eg.Styles P, Papoose and yes…even Jadakiss. All of them are definitely among the best mc’s but just can’t make a classic album…of course, i love a gangster and a gentleman, as well as kiss da game goodbye…however, given the potential of these rappers (royce included) as well as the access to some of the best beats, feature guests etc. one has to argue that a real classic (e.g. moment of truth, cuban linx etc.) is still missing.
The question is, can or will it ever be delivered? I personally think that there are 2 kinds of rappers. The first kind is the one who can more or less independently determine his success and the second, the one that needs one (mastermind) producer to guide and help design the album with the matching beats, advices etc.
I think that the rappers that i mentioned earlier are rather in the second category. Fruthermore, i think that the majority of the “crazy und undeniably amazing spitters” are in that category. Some of them maybe because they are too focused on being the best writers and rappers (which is a good thing actually) that they forget the music aspect of it all. Others maybe because they collapse under the huge task of creating an album that is structured and makes sense throughout.
I believe Royce for instance will need a Premo to produce his whole album for him to finally drop a classic. Jadakiss may need someone to assist him with his choice of beats…
maybe it should also remain the way it is because hip hop needs those street poets and spitters that no one would dare to battle…and maybe the reason for them being so gutter, real and hungry is the fact that they still haven’t accomplished what a Jay-Z has with more than 1 album (even if you leave those out that are not considered aboslute classics)…
in the end, there is a slot for everyone who is a real artist. for some the slots are bigger because they have more abilities eg. musicality or a healthy environment of musicians, producers etc. For others it will be smaller. However, a Royce, Styles and Jadakiss will still go down in history as some of the best to ever do it, despite the fact they might never drop a classic…
History has shown that it can be cruel if you lack the talent to pick the right beats and select the right cast for your album. It has also shown, that having one producer throughout is the best way to create a successful album (especially for a talented mc, who might need someone to tell him to focus when he gets lost in his lyrical strive for perfection or someone to channel all his lyrical potential in a way that it makes sense).
Group Home, Jeru, Guru, Afu-Ra are perfect examples of artists whose careers took severe stabs after quitting to work with Premo. Of course, Premo is a genius and of the best, if not THE best and not everyone can have his album produced by him. However other examples show that it works if the people behind the project are reduced to a minimum. The most successful rap groups or artists (especially in terms of longevity) are those that are able to produce themselves. EPMD, Mobb Deep, Kanye, Pete Rock, Alchemist, Dilated Peoples, Eminem etc.
A recent example is Fashawn’s album. I was praying that this gifted kid would deliver an album where the beat choice would not distract the listener from his skills. Having Exile produce the whole album definitely prevented that and made it a great album. Not saying it wouldn’t have been without him. But especially for a debut album the risk is always high. When you are done listening to the album you definitely have the feeling you just heard an harmonious piece of art. Let’s see how he develops from here.
peace,
ps: love this site! keep up the good work! thx
^ Awesome post.
I wouldn’t argue that Royce is a top 5 lyricist or whatever, but he still needs an album to fully flesh out his career for him to be remembered like a Nas or Big.
I just look at some of the wasted potential on this album, it’s a little frustrating
@stallion..you can also add RAS KASS & CHINO XL to that list..dope post also
great review..on point..the chorus selection is one the same reasons “the seventh seal” will be a disappointing album to me..we need a ROYCE & PREMO album..PROPS on the great review SEAN DEEZ..PEACE
The album was all over the place. Good review. This is like a playlist in someone’s itunes instead of an album.
this review is spot on. i love royce as an mc, but there is no way i can cosign the classic status this record seems to be getting in some circles.
I heard an advanced version of this album and it was laden with R&B hooks and more autotune. This was a major improvement. Its funny though, for all the advance snippets everyone was showing it love and now there seems to be a big movement to give this album a thumbs down. I thought the shit was dope and >>> the Slaughterhouse album. You’re right about the Preemo joints being the best. If Preem was the executive producer, he should’ve hooked a brother up, imo. Why is it Preemo will hook up Blaq poet with a whole album of production but he won’t do the same for Royce or Nas?
I agree with the lp assessment. I argue tho.. his definitive lp is Death is Certain so far IMO. I can still listen to that Lp start to finish…
I figured someone would bring up Death is Certain regarding that comment.
I don’t feel like it was a cohesive effort. In fact, its similar to this in many aspects
Good review. I’m thinking that Preem would be lacing Royce with at least 5-8 tracks, but only three….def not thinking that would happen.
Some of the songs just didn’t seem to fit. Its not a ish album by any means, but not great as its hyped to be. I would disagree with the Preem tracks being the best b/c “Street Hop,” “Gun Harmonizing,” “Dinner Time,” and “Warriors” are dope lyrically and production wise.
@Stallion good post.
Its a skill to be able to craft an album some have it and some don’t.
Still worth a buy tho.
yeah, i liked the album but was expecting more. anyone else think the three story tracks were out of place? they’re good songs but don’t really seem to fit into the concept of the album….they just pop up without any rhyme or reason. Also, i didn’t like how he used songs from the ep…what was the point of buying that again?
this is fisayo representing from Nigeria,great post deez.this is a great site,keep up the gud work.my fav track be dinner time,sick
I usually don’t comment but after seeing all the negative posts I had too.
Don’t get me wrong this is not a perfect album ( i.e.—soldier, gangsta, mine in thiz, bad boy) but IMO this is a strong contender for album of the year, along with Slaughterhouse.
Go back and listen to Gun Hamonizing 2nd verse.. flawless!
Royce has been killing everything he’s been on for over a year straight. I also was surprised to see no Black Milk tracks or Elzhi features since everything they have touched together in the past is straight butter!
fuck you i put in work on this album. this is that street shit. you dumb ass internet gangsters never clapped a gun before
am i the only one that thinks Slaughterhouse was a bad album?
I think if he would have made this a 12 track album, there could be an arguement for it being a classic. Like many reviews I’ve read, the album falls off after track 10, excluding “Street Hop 2010″ in my opinion. I thought “Far Away” was a good addition to the album tho, but many disagree with that. But hey, it was 19 tracks and not 12, but overall I think it was pretty good. As poor as some of the filler is, Royce’s skill is undeniable.
“fuck you i put in work on this album. this is that street shit. you dumb ass internet gangsters never clapped a gun before”
I’m gonna assume that was a fake post. Because if it was real, that would be the indicator of why this album let you down right there. Being a gangster and shooting guns has nothing to do with creating a classic album. I know people who hold down 90,000 a year jobs as pharma techs who shoot guns every weekend. That doesn’t mean shit.
What happened on this album to me is what happens when you hear any SINGLE Royce track.
His songs have one, maybe two hot lines. And then everything else is filler. And bad filler at that. Like the Dinner Time song. Nowhere close to original. Cassidy had an almost identical song on one of his albums where you have a war beat and instead of a chorus you have an interlude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hor4dLRwUZk
What makes Dinner Time dope is THE BEAT, Royce’s flow and the one hot line about the hand on big ben getting numbers around the clock. Now you would think that is enough to make it classic but… the whole first 4 bars were horrible which holds the song back from being EPIC. Any emcee in today’s day and age who says “They are changing the game” I almost immediately stop listening to. When you have emcees like Electronica running around spitting right now, those kinda lines almost bury a track to me. But I think Royce’s whole career is like that in my opinion. All of his songs are one or two “hot lines” followed by a bunch of garbage filler. That is the problem with Royce. His whole demeanor is “I AM ROYCE THE 5 9 AND I Am EPIC”. But then you hear his work and it fails short of epic because there is a lot of garbage floating around it.
You know what it’s like? It’s like buying Jordans and then painting them/ Why would you do that? It doesn’t work. Or putting some flashing lights on it. It takes away from what makes a great shoe. Or buying a dope as car like a lambo and then putting some 15 inch rims on it. Even though YOU KNOW that car is dope, it’s got something dumb on it. Royce’s work is like that to me. He has a few hot lines but then he says something lame and dumb. Or he matches up on a dumb beat. And he is not alone in that regard. A lot of great emcees do that. I think Cannibus is the king of doing that.
I think that is what you are trying to say when you say certain songs seem out of place and this feels like a bunch of junk just smashed together. I think that’s because his whole angle as an artist is just that, a bunch of stuff just smashed together.
And the only reason I am saying anything is because it is frustrating to see someone as talented as Royce not be able to really come through the way you want because we need this kind of hip hop to keep the craft developing and improving to fight against all this wack ass Stanky Leg shit.
Like yall said, he should have had an album completely produced by Primo
Great review! However, is that not David Axelrod’s “Holy Thursday” on “Shake This”?
Props for another Axelrod wonder.
jj
@Ominous Red: good post!…a little bit “harder” than my statements (“garbage fillers”) but pretty much saying the same thing!…especially liked the aspect you mentioned regarding his demeanor of being Royce aka automatically EPIC! I think that is a big problem too!
@Esejota: nope, you are not the only one who thinks the Slaughterhouse album was bad. I am NOT one of those people but a few friends and colleagues said that the album wasn’t for them either…despite the fact that the rappers are partly amazing.
@”Royce da 5-9″:….nah, i ain’t even taking time to comment on that…just a hint, try Rapgodfathers next time, your comments fit in there much better than they do here!
@Jeff: i see your point, but seriously…Street hop is nowhere near a contenders list for best rap album 2009! You bascially said it yourself: “go back to the 2nd verse of gun harmonizing…”…if the album were that good one shouldn’t have to go back to the 2nd verse of a song to be able to hear flawless skills. You should be able to listen to the whole thing without having to go back and forth in order to hear stuff that pleases you…that’s the point of making an album!!…of course, tastes vary…and some beats and rhymes that appeal to some listeners, may not be considerd as postive by others…however, i think if a song is good then it’s good, regardless whether it touches me personally….and i would admit that!…and i believe you guys would too!…what i am trying to say is that, when it comes to “declaring” an album as a classic or epic piece of art, there is usually not much room for discussion and a rather high concurrence among the “critics and or fans”!
Again…i am not hating on Royce!! it’s rather the opposite but like some of y’all already said, it’s a pitty that such a good lyricist (who has several fellow rappers with the same problem) has not (yet) been able to make a classic album!
peace…
@ Stallion & Ominous Red; There’s this concept in martial arts & project management: “Iron sharpens Iron” and you brothers epitomize why I love this site. Creative dialogue that stimulates the mind…
@ Jigsaw: Don’t you wish everyone understood this idea? Iron sharpens iron. Hip Hop would be a much better place. Hell, the world would be a much better place. LOL.