Labels: 86’d
Review by: Gareth L
I really need to stop comparing every instrumental hip-hop album to J Dilla’s ‘Donuts’. The feel and cohesiveness of that album is superior to pretty much anything else. Having said that, I was mega excited when I heard opening track (if one excuses the skit) ‘Shots Fired’, which has at its centre a gorgeous, slightly hazy Dilla-esque soul sampling beat that is the perfect way to start this CD. As with most albums like this, featuring a selection of beats (36 tracks here) there is going to be a cross-section on the ol’ enjoyment scale, but this thing certainly is more ‘yep’ than ‘skip’. You owe it to yourself to hear ‘Bobby Found Booze & We Got Real Sad’ which wins the my favourite track and the my favourite track name awards. Congratulations, #19!
But, but…I don’t quite appreciate/enjoy the overriding concept of this album, which is at times genuinely quite disturbing, appearing to explore a dystopic vision of rounding up attention-seeking celebrities into an, um, ‘internment camp’ due to a war on American soil – this is prevalent in the artwork and samples and although midly amusing (‘most found consolation in Scientology…’) wears a little thin and seems somewhat incongruous with the (mostly) buttery, head-nodding beats held within, often feeling quite jarring and at odds with the music. If you can make it over that hurdle or are less sensitive than me, you have a very worthwhile 50-odd minutes of Y2K-era turntablism here. I believe instrumental hip-hop is perfect music to listen to when doing the dishes and ‘Celebrity Internment Camp’ will help you get through the whole family’s Sunday dinner pots and quite possibly the roasting pan too.
Interestingly, Mario Lopez is one of the few celebrities named in this record. Yeah, I get that, I always preferred Zack too.