Artist: Wild ChildTitle: Secondary ProtocolRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: N. Context
Straight from the Lootpack, Wildchild is here to hit the “raw heads, mainstream heads, underground heads, and worldwide heads” with his debut solo LP, Secondary Protocol. First introduced to the Hip Hop world on Tha Alkaholiks ‘Turn The Party Out’ in 93, this west coast emcee has been blazing the “underground” circuit with his Lootpack accomplices ever since. Now he steps out to give you that raw, vintage, Hip Hop music.
“Code Red”, produced by Oh No (Madlib’s brother), sets the B-Boy mood for the rest of the album with its subtle scratches (all by DJ Romes), drum line, gritty alto keys and hand clap accompaniment. Wildchild jumps on the track as if entering a freestyle cipher; “when I walk in the streets/cats hit me up, ‘when can I cop the LP?’/jack I know you comin with it/I know you’re crew rockin the beats…” He dives into the beat, sometimes using an on-beat/offbeat cadence, showing his lyrical stamina. “The Come Off” keeps your head nodding to the bongos and continuous snap sample. The Liks and Phil Da Agony assist in abusing this beat and it comes off sounding like an actual freestyle session. While Oh No produces six tracks, the rest of the album is held down by Lootpack cohort and beatsmith, Malib.
The title track is a definite stand out with Madlib lacing the emcee with, an up tempo, heavy, boom bap baseline along with piano samples and funky strings. The ringing panning from left, right, center and sharp scratches amplify the sample chorus/admonishing, “it’s secondary, protocol. I came to enforce the rules on fools.” Wildchild is coming with that true school Hip Hop movement. “Knickknack 2002” is a dope rendition of EPMD’s “Knick Knack Patty Wack” minus the original piano sample. Featuring the legendary Percee P and label mate Medaphoar, they pass the mic back and forth exhibiting their tongue twisting verbal acrobatic skill.
With plenty more cuts like “Party Up” featuring Vinia Mojica and “Bounce” featuring Aceyalone, Planet Asia and Spontaneous, Secondary Protocolt is tight all the way through. It brings that well rounded hip-hop sound reminiscent of when your beats, rhymes and DJ all had to be razor sharp: when rappers strove to be emcees and not just record label employees.