Fear Itself

Casual, Casual | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 1, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jive
• ASIN: B00000050H
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,634 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars '94 'Til Infinity?, February 5, 2008

By 

ctrx ('bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks...) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fear Itself (Audio CD)

Oakland rapper Casual released his solo debut "Fear Itself" in early 1994 following noteworthy appearances and production on Hieroglyphics projects. "Fear Itself" displays the pure appeal of Hieroglyphics. Although Casual isn't the endearing character that Del tha Funkee Homosapien is, and the album lacks the timelessness of Souls of Mischief's 93 'Til Infinity and the musical beauty of Extra Prolific's Like It Should Be, it is an enjoyable album on multiple levels that captures Hiero's genius. Casual is a pure battle rapper, and one could imagine him in the Souls of Mischief lineup. He has a soulful, rich voice (imagine a very deep Cee-Lo Goodie) and an excited delivery, and he is full of clever punchlines. He's a skilled freestyler, and most of the album consists of battle raps. Production is consistently great. Domino, the man behind the Hiero sound, produces 7 tracks, Casual does six, and Del and Jay-Biz each do one. With these duties kept inside the family, the vibe is fluid and coherent, usually upbeat and always using classic soul and jazz samples for a deep and rich sound. It's not too far from the music on 93 'Til Infinity, but with Casual manning the microphone, the effect is unsimilar. Guests are also kept within the camp, and on collabos Cas shines. Without a classic single and a few less-memorable tracks that run together, "Fear Itself" isn't quite of the same quality as its more revered early Hiero brethren, but for the fans of the artistic Hiero sound, I highly recommend it.

Following a dope intro, the album opens with "You Flunked," asserting his superiority ("You're weaker than seven days / You should find a way to bring a weaker thought like crime pays") on the mic over a rich, spinning track. Further insight is provided on his self-described autobiography "Me-O-Mi-O," which has a great drum pattern. "Get Off It" is clever and polished, and "That's How It Is" provides some honest criticism of concurrent MCs ("Enough with the wackness, enough is my check / Enough with these garbage rappers bitin' Das EFX"). Newcomer Saafir kicks a nice freestyle on the brief "That Bulls...," followed by the solid "Follow the Funk." The best song is "Who's It On," a catchy collaboration with Pep Love and Del tha Funkee Homosapien and an excellent sax sample. "I Didn't Mean To" is a highlight both lyrically and musically, telling the story of a noteworthy female encounter over a soaring trumpet line. Another of my favorites is "We Got It Like That," a fast, funky production boasting wonderful sax instrumentation. Del gets a brief spotlight on "A Little Something," and the decent "This Is How We Rip S..." precedes the fun "Lose in the End." "Thoughts of the Thoughtful" is a nice song, and the LP closes strongly with "Chained Minds" and the storyteller "Be Thousand."

"Fear Itself" is an awesome LP of battle raps, Hiero antics, and excellent production. Bottom line, pick up 93 'Til Infinity first, and if you enjoy that album, add "Fear Itself" to the collection. It's one of the albums that helped to build the Hieroglyphics legend and possesses all the qualities of their best albums. Hiero's product was one of the best to be found in the 90s, and it's easy to see why on albums like these. Cas has released numerous solo LPs, rapped on Hiero group albums, and is still doing his thing today, but most fans will admit that he has yet to top his debut effort. Hip hop heads are sure to enjoy "Fear Itself."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Debut, July 23, 2001

By 

david summers (Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fear Itself (Audio CD)

Casual's raw energy over mostly domino-produced beats is an excellent combination. Casual's mic presence is unmatched, he rips it on each track. Guest appearances by Del and Pep Love on "Who's It On" bring and amazingly dope cut. Peep this album.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars simply epic, July 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fear Itself (Audio CD)

one of the best rap albums - scratch that, one of the best albums ever