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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The supergroup to end all supergroups?, August 11, 2009
This review is from: Slaughterhouse (Audio CD)
Early in 2009, hip hop fans were treated with the concept of a supergroup consisting of four lyrical visionaries assembled together that had folks salivating before they even made any music. Slaughterhouse was to consist of four rappers from across the map that not only had phenomenal talent in common, but were also each the product of label trouble and each had somewhat of a cult following. Jersey City's Joe Budden, finally free of the Def Jam purgatory that resulted in one hit and years of stalemate, has emerged as an underground favorite with his emotional mixtape series "Mood Muzik" and the following releases, as well as a source of drama for anyone who follows his online media. Long Beach's Crooked I, a West Coast heavyweight from the days of Death Row, has garnered huge acclaim even without an album to his credit. Brooklynite Joell Ortiz is still labeled an up-and-comer after a deal fell through with Dr. Dre and is often likened to a modern Big Pun. Perhaps the most accomplished music-wise, Detroit's Royce da 5'9" hit the scene a decade ago with Eminem and DJ Premier's backing, but has remained an independent artist for each of his albums. It's an understatement to say these guys have a chip on their shoulder, but Slaughterhouse is a rap fan's dream, uniting three super-lyrical hardcore street rhymers. Solo releases from each of the four are enough to warrant huge anticipation, so a group project was obviously the story of 2009.
Slaughterhouse set to release their self-titled LP independently, using the internet for the bulk of their promotion by leaking tracks and stirring controversy such as through Budden's video blogs. On a personal note, I attended their first headlining show which was absolutely phenomenal. Needless to say the album had stratospheric expectations, and amazingly it doesn't disappoint in the least.
What's most impressive is how all four MCs are on exactly the same page and developed such cohesion so quickly. Here you have four huge artistic characters working with, or depending on your perspective, against, each other, and it would be quite reasonable for some discontinuity to result. But Slaughterhouse operates as a unit, each vicious verse adding more consistency, and they even manage to develop a unique style as a group separate from each individual. The first half of the album consists of ruthless street tracks, with hard, gritty production and and incredible battle rhymes from the team. Punchlines is the name of the game, and I could spend days sitting and typing highlights from each verse, because they're really that good. They never lose the listener's attention for a second, and you'll be hard pressed to not be hanging on each line to see what comes next. They are often hilarious with great references without sacrificing their violent stance, and they boast great hooks as well. The second half of the album shows another side, offering somber and introspective songs that sacrifice none of the lyricism of the first half. These songs are not only awesome music but show the versatility of Slaughterhouse, with the accounts of four men who have been through so much. The album is a joy to listen to and it really sounds like they enjoyed making it. Production is very strong and is provided by the ever-valuable Streetrunner, TheRealFocus, Alchemist, DJ Khalil, Emile, RealSon, Mr. Porter, and Filthy Rockwell, who offer tracks that really fit the rap.
The opener "Sound Off" is a monster, anchored by a Streetrunner military horn fanfare and gladiator-style introductions. Each rapper absolutely kills their triple-time verse, impressing not only with the lyrics but also with flow. The hook is vicious and it's a perfect first track, a really rich offering that's just straightforward, hardcore hip hop brilliance (Joell: "Gotta remain focused, that's what I tell myself now and then / Don't wanna go back to that block like where Varejao defends"; Crooked: "F your Hollywood limousine and rented bling / I give you three red dots and call it a triple beam"; Joey: "Tell them little dudes I ain't mad at y'all, college kids like Asher Roth / Y'all just tryin' to put food on the table while I'ma just come and try to snatch it off"). "Lyrical Murderers" has a sinister beat by TheRealFocus and ruthless verses from the whole group.
Surprisingly, the weakest beat on the album comes from the biggest name: Alchemist's minimalist production on "Microphone" isn't bad but actually pales in comparison to the others on the tracklist. Still, Slaughterhouse makes up with great energy and focused lyrical bullets (Crooked: "I got a barrel that'll spot wussies / If you are what you eat, how come I'm not p...y?"). My favorite song, though, is the rallying "Not Tonight," an upbeat, energetic anthem produced by Streetrunner with a hook inspired by Beanie Sigel (Crooked: "I do it late night, call me Conan O'Brian, and the barrel on my gun look like Pinocchio lyin', ""If your flow's Aquafina, I'm Katrina"). Single "The One" is a strong club track with ironic lyrics, and Crooked just kills the swirling "Cuckoo" ("I'm killin' every feature like a drunk plastic surgeon / Cross me, this is how your life story will begin / Once upon a time...THE END").
Fatman Scoop acts as hypeman on the sequel to their leaked track "Onslaught" (Crooked: "With Nickel, we go'n go and make more cheese / Heavy hitter, call me Joell David Ortiz"; Joell: "When I spit this mean, me and the government intervene / A couple of presidents literally live in my jeans"), and Streetrunner delivers another phenomenal beat on "Salute," a cry for respect featuring Pharaohe Monch on the hook. The most inspired song follows, the deeply emotional "Pray (It's a Shame)" that sounds like it came from "Mood Muzik" despite the fact that Joey only contributes the hook. Joell's verse here might be the greatest on the album, a stunningly personal account of problems growing up, and Crooked and Royce ("Daddy was gangsta, Mommy was passive / Boxing gloves for Christmas, I needed glasses") back him up with desperate, spiritual stories. "Cut You Loose" is an exhilarating breath of fresh air produced by Mr. Porter and highlighted by Budden's performance.
The opus is the affecting, soulful "Rain Drops," where the whole crew brings passionate, disturbing tales. This song is really amazing, with tales of childhood abandonment, personal loss, and sadness experienced early in life. The poignant production gradually builds into the closer, the angry "Killaz."
"Slaughterhouse" is the rap album of 2009 with energetic hardcore street rap, inspired personal music, and the heavy, awesome lyricism of four of hip hop's greatest MCs today. This is an album that had massive hype and doesn't disappoint in the least. Rare is it that masterful artists can collaborate on a project without sacrificing creativity or quality, but that is far from an issue here. Slaughterhouse lives up to the supergroup tag and impresses endlessly. This album is great fun and must be heard.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"...I'M RIDING WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE FRONT AND MY A.K IN THE BABY SEAT", August 25, 2009
This review is from: Slaughterhouse (Audio CD)
Supergroups are not common in hip hop. They are rumored all the time (Kanye, Pharrell and Common-Jay Z, Biggie & NaS-Lil'Wayne, T-Pain & Drake) but none have formed. Now there's "Slaughterhouse", a group of 4 lyrical heavyweights with mediocre success trying to reach higher ground. If your reading this review, you probably already know the members of the "Slaughterhouse" crew. But for those that don't let me give a little background:
Royce Da 5'9, from Detroit, was a promising lyricist on Eminem's crew back in '99. He spent a few years beefing with D 12, he had a few okay mixtapes and independent albums but no major label releases since 2002. He has also ghostwritten for Diddy and Dr. Dre. Crooked I was supposed to be the future of Death Row Records after Dre, Snoop and the Dogg Pound left. But he stayed on the sinking boat too long and got caught up. He had 2 unreleased albums and now owns his own label Dynasty Entertainment. Joell Ortiz was one of the rappers who was supposed to put New York back on the map. He had several mixtapes that led to a rumored signing with Aftermath Records. And the most successful out the crew is New Jersey's Joe Budden who had a Top 10 single in 2003 and a contract with Def Jam. He had a well publicized feud with label mate Jay-Z which led to him being let go. With little success since, he has been doing mixtapes and calling out big time rappers like 50 Cent and NaS just to stay relevant in the hip hop world.
Sometimes when you get lyricist together on one album the production dosen't keep up. But here the beats are solid. "Cukoo" is a perfect example of the perfect beat that sets up great lyrics."Sound Off" is a good lead off where Royce breaks down everybody's role. "Salute" brings back one of the greatest underground lyricist Pharoahe Monch. And I like the retrospective "Rain Drops" where each MC tells a part of their life story. I was never a fan of Fat Man Scoop so "Onslaught 2" annoys me. "Not Tonight" is weak. None of them seem to be inspired by the below average beat from Streetrunner. I am most impressed with how these 4 MC's can rhyme together without stepping on each others toes. They seem to compliment each other in some way. Its a battle without attacking each other.(And that's hard with Joe Budden in your lineup, he attacks everyone) They are in competition with each other trying to get that extra exposure. Like Kobe vs Lebron vs D Wade. It's a friendly competition for that title.
Awhile ago I wrote "Hip hop aint dead, its just harder to find". Well "Slaughterhouse" proves me right. The streets were quiet on this one but the Internet hype was very strong. I guess that's the way of the technology age. Internet buzz carries more weight than word on the street. That could be one of the reasons why hip hop record sales are down due to not everybody in the streets having computers. And the ones who have computers, are too busy You Tubing 'Stanky Leg, Ricky Bobby and The Jerk'. Hip hop needs to get back to street cred. Without it you just have a bunch of wanna-be rappers trying to make money with no love for the game.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
4.5 Stars! Lived Up To The Hype!!!!, September 16, 2009
This review is from: Slaughterhouse (Audio CD)
MAN!!!!!
So I almost did not buy this CD the first week, but temptation got the best of and I copped and was VERY surprised.
I just didn't know hwo these four emcees were going to mesh together or make dope songs. I thought we might have a little Canibus syndrome going on where these dudes could drop incredible verses, but not make good songs. I WAS WRONG.
This is a dope CD and one of the best this year.
Production is banging from start to finish and these emcees rip the mic to shreds. They sound like they were born to spit on the same tracks and come up with some dope concepts and hooks. And these are not just battle rhymes they are dropping, but dope deep songs.
Definitely one of the MUST BUY CDs this year.
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is Slaughterhouse's only studio release. Browse Slaughterhouse's Discography 
