Element + Abstrakt Soundz: A Long Story Short

After an underwhelming performance with his release Great Expectations [review], Element has tightened up his game a bit and linked with [really dope] producer Abstrakt Soundz to release A Long Story Short [free download]. While the album is listed as a “mixtape,” it certainly works like an album, which is ironic considering that this project is a build up to Element’s [more] “major release,” Battle Cry. The California emcee has plenty of evident skill, and Abstrakt Soundz is more-or-less on the brink of working with some of the dopest emcees we all know, but something lacks in A Long Story Short that prevents it from reaching that next level of great. Instead, it teeters on the tightrope in between a good album to being a great project.

There’s only so much fault that can be put on the artists here, since this is a “warm up” album of sorts for the next big release from Custom Made, but with no remorse, of course, I shall be approaching this as an artist’s LP. With that said, there’s lots of good floating around here. I’ll start with the undeniably great production from a star in rising, Abstrakt Soundz. Attention: rappers… holler at this dude for beats! For those who’ve read me over the last few years, you know how tough of a critic I am, so this is obviously a bold statement. Dude is a flurry of great. “Black History Month” screams pain, agony, defeat, right before it triumphs with success on the chorus. That’s saying a lot. “Self Explanatory” has a masterfully addictive piano loop allowing for any listener to get lost in the beautiful struggling melody of the keys. “My Dawgz” is the token posse cut, and Abs delivers a tasty steak for the dawgz to feast on. It’s perfectly seasoned. Frankly, the whole album is loaded with soulful, neck snapping beats.

But…

I can’t help but feel that these beats could’ve gone to better use. The aforementioned “Black History Month” would’ve been right at home on 50 Cent’s latest project. “The Shining” has Torae’s name written all over it. “Mic 2 Tha Thrizzoat” is a clever beat interpolation of “Izzo,” and frankly, why wouldn’t Jigga want to rap over this beat? This sounds like I’m taking a lot of credit away from Element, but that’s not my intention. While I do think Element is a very good rapper, I simply just think that Abstrakt Soundz is over powering with his production. We’ve seen this earlier on this year with Double Barrel [review], but we’ve also seen the perfect blending of both with Exile and Fashawn on Boy Meets World [review]. Thus, it’s possible to have great both.

Element definitely can stand on his own on Long Story Short, though. “The Truth,” “Radio,” and even the aforementioned “Black History Month” are all examples of how good he can be, even when against the “elements” of Abs’ production. The latter, especially, is undoubtedly the best track on the album as it tells a vividly [realistic] depicted history, as the title states. In fact, let’s use this song as the measuring stick for Element. This is the passion I believe he is capable of. This is the lyrical story-telling ability he is capable of. This is the type of emotion he is capable of grabbing from each listener. What’s most frustrating about Element is that he obviously shows flashes of brilliance, like on the album’s closer (and title cut), but never sets his feet flat or gets in one of those Nasir Jones or Andre 3000 zones.

I will say this, I’ve reviewed plenty of artists of the years, and I’m more than optimistic that Element will be an elite emcee in his own right. He’s hungry and passionate (when he wants to be). He really has to find his niche and carve his name in it. Once doing that, especially with a producer like Abstrakt Soundz at his front door; he’s undoubtedly on his way to greater hip hop success. For the most part, he’s lacking that engagement with his audience, he’s lacking a light heartedness, and he’s lacking an ability to keep up with great production. Part of being a great emcee is having the ability to “crash” with the beat at hand in a way that it’s poetic in that David Cronenberg type of way. He’ll get it though. He’s very good. And A Long Story Short is a very good piece of work.

78/100

Self Explanatory

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Black History Month

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Got It Made

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