Artist: Da BeatminerzTitle: Fully Loaded w/ StatikRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Orisanmi Burton
In recent years the sonic landscape of hip hop has
lost some of its edge. The integration of the music and style into the
feeding frenzy that is popular culture has had many consequences, one
of which has been its glamorous makeover. The keyboard sound
popularized into ubiquity by producers like The Neptunes and Dr. Dre
has virtually taken over the airwaves. Unlike other musical genres,
the Hip-hop aesthetic shifts constantly and drastically with the
ever-changing tastes of its young audience. Whereas the production of
early Hip-hop beats consisted of grimy kicks and snares conspicuously
lifted from the likes of Clyde Stubblefield and haphazardly looped,
the priorities of current Hip-hop producers have shifted toward
elements like melody, harmony, and meticulous synchronization. In
short, today’s sound is sparse, clear and highly contagious – but
soft!
Now imagine Mr. Walt and Evil Dee collectively known as Da Beatminerz,
trudging deep beneath Hip-hop’s bedrock with drum machines, samplers
and headlamps. Here they excavate long forgotten loops, worn and
battered with the side effects of age and neglect to be reworked into
boom bap alchemy. Their curriculum vita reads like a true school who’s
who dating back to over a decade past. For the hip hop cognoscenti,
they stand alongside the likes of DJ Premier and Pete Rock on the high
council of legendary crate diggers with an ear for woofer shattering
creations. Working with acts like Boot Camp Click, M.O.P., Black Star
and Eminem to name a few, the duo has made a formidable contribution
to the culture, producing a stockpile of classic material. The sounds
that emerge from the Minerz are neither clean and crisp nor are they
pretty and pleasant. Their organic bass, horn and vocal samples are
riddled with snaps, pops and distortion. The result is Fully Loaded w/
Statik (Copter) a hefty offering that reminds us of a time when Hip-hop was supposed to sound raw.
The thirteen track compilation features subterranean luminaries like
Wordsworth, The Last Emperor, J. Live, KRS One, Dilated Peoples,
Krumbsnatcha and Sha Lumie spewing curbside verses over top notch
production. However, Jean Grae and Mystic, the two females guests on
Fully Loaded create standout songs. On “U.. Me.. All Ov Us!” Jean
Grae employs her conversational flow to outline a blueprint for
self-improvement. Aided by a cleaver vocal sample, the chorus starts
“You, gotta get your damn hands up / Me, must keep on giving my all
until / All of us, got it locked for real and stay strong till the
truth’s revealed”. Grae rocks over the choppy track like a seasoned
vet and provides some of the most inspired lyrics on the album. Bay
area based MC/Songstress Mystic shines on “Pull Your Card” as she
unceremoniously calls out faux thugs, white boy wannabes and beef
inciting drunkards (“I might be a n####/ but I’m not your n####/ keep
calling me one and you can meet mine/ you a white boy in a f#ckin drop
top/ bumpin 2Pac/ actin like you hard/ stop”).
As a complete project Fully Loaded w/ Statik flows together in a way
that eludes most compilations. The base-heavy production is varied yet
cohesive and the guest artists do a good job of bringing the beats to
life with sharp lines and memorable hooks. However, this isn’t an
album for the uninitiated. Discriminating Hip-hop fans eager to hear
something different will appreciate its unconventionality, while those
partial to a more mainstream sound may be put off by it. All things
considered, Fully Loaded is a solid contribution which further cements
Da Beatminerz’ standing as one of Hip-hop’s most important producers.