:::::ALBUM REVIEW:::::
Sacramento Emcee Random Abiladeze
SKILL BEFORE SWAGGER
Sacramento Emcee Random Abiladeze
SKILL BEFORE SWAGGER
I met Random Abiladeze years ago, when I was still deep into the poetry scene. He was a poet/emcee ripping it in Sacramento with his Wu-Tang-esque rap crew Neighborhood Watch. I have always felt that Random Abiladeze was a solid lyricist in both mediums he traffics, so I was excited when I had the opportunity to review his current project SKILL BEFORE SWAGGER.
I'll just be frank. Skill Before Swagger could very well be a classic album... in 1993. The album takes many shots at where hip-hop has gone, citing the genre's proclivity to uplift an emcee's bravado rather than his actual ability to navigate
language in a way that is conducive to witty, clever, thoughtful songwriting. Where this project falters, however, is in its unwillingness and/or inability to either realize and adapt to hip-hop's evolution both musically and lyrically OR offer something new and fresh. There are a couple of bright spots, so let's get into it, track for track.
The album starts off with what Abiladeze calls a "Skilltro." He starts off with a quote from Will Smith where he cites the difference between talent and skill. "...talent you have naturally, skill is only developed through hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft..." When Random begins flowing over one of the sampled beats that will be heard throughout the album, you immediately know that he is both a talented AND skilled rapper. You then hear who we will later learn is an alter ego "Mayne E. Savage" who he uses to illustrate what he says are "swagger drunk rappers." Don't get me wrong. I agree with his sentiment. It is his methodology of portraying his vision that loses my interest.
On the next track "Inspector Mad Spit," which samples the Inspector Gadget theme in a fashion which can only be described as amateur, Random Abiladeze continues his assault on hip-hop's present state. I continued to await a track I could enjoy. Next came the song "Got My Own Style," which I immediately disagreed with in its sentiment. In my opinion, Abiladeze has the amalgamated style of most 90's so-called "conscious" rappers. The production on the album continued to suffer from lack of development as well.
It was the next track, "Ways 2 Flow," that would finally pique my interest. Although the production is still behind the times, it at least was musically pleasing to the ear. This is also the track where the hook game was most on point saying, "I got so many ways to flow/You know/Any way you wanna get it I could spit it let me know/Comin out of Califo/Representing the rose/Connected to my people/With so many ways to flow..." After this track, I began to feel that maybe all of my hopes for the emcee weren't dashed.
UNTIL. The next track where we are introduced to "Macho Mayne" feat. Mayne E. Savage. Here is a song entirely dedicated to ripping the current style of rap through illustration of what Random Abiladeze finds distasteful. Ironically, though the actual words are ridiculous along with the voice, the CADENCE of the rapping is more accessible to listeners than Abiladeze own style.
The album continues with its sampled beats, and when we get to "Forgotten Memories," I start to slightly smile again. Not only is the sample decent, Random Abiladeze comes off as more vulnerable than preachy, a vibe that I've been waiting for at this point for the seven preceding tracks. I think this is my favorite track on the album, as here, he slows down the flow... tells us a story... lets us in to see more than disdain. If the album was going to be as nostalgia-based as it was stylistically, I wish he had followed this song as the blueprint for the entire project. "I lost another woman 'cause my mood is too distant/couldn't stay I love you when I wanted to, but listen/It's the vibrations we shared when face to face..." are words that we could all relate to, and not feel abused by.
"I Had A Dream" was a fantastic idea, that just came off cheesy. I liked the sample, but felt that the drums should have been more hard hitting and have more bounce. Here, Random Abiladeze speaks about the fact that real life can seem like a dream with all of the ridiculous things happening not just in hip-hop, but in world affairs, the U.S., the community, our own lives. The sentiment was felt, but the execution just wasn't there.
The album ends with "The Matrix," more preachy commentary on humanity's faults. This album, for me, suffered from three main things: below average production, redundant content, and seemingly a closed-mindedness to the evolution of a genre that the artist is attempting to navigate. I will be the first to say that hip-hop has its faults, but I don't believe that it's about continuing to complain and stay stuck in the so-called "Golden Era" of hip-hop. It's about forward movement, and innovative ways to speak on multiple facets of life accompanied by production that is now and next. "This project took a beating," is I'm sure, what you may be thinking. What I will say is this, Random Abiladeze is an above average rapper, stuck in a period of rap that is over and will never return. Only by acclimating himself to the changes that hip-hop is and will inevitably continue to experience, do I feel he can reach the full potential of what he has to offer. Check out SKILL BEFORE SWAGGER at www.randomabiladeze.bandcamp.com
I'll just be frank. Skill Before Swagger could very well be a classic album... in 1993. The album takes many shots at where hip-hop has gone, citing the genre's proclivity to uplift an emcee's bravado rather than his actual ability to navigate
language in a way that is conducive to witty, clever, thoughtful songwriting. Where this project falters, however, is in its unwillingness and/or inability to either realize and adapt to hip-hop's evolution both musically and lyrically OR offer something new and fresh. There are a couple of bright spots, so let's get into it, track for track.The album starts off with what Abiladeze calls a "Skilltro." He starts off with a quote from Will Smith where he cites the difference between talent and skill. "...talent you have naturally, skill is only developed through hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft..." When Random begins flowing over one of the sampled beats that will be heard throughout the album, you immediately know that he is both a talented AND skilled rapper. You then hear who we will later learn is an alter ego "Mayne E. Savage" who he uses to illustrate what he says are "swagger drunk rappers." Don't get me wrong. I agree with his sentiment. It is his methodology of portraying his vision that loses my interest.
On the next track "Inspector Mad Spit," which samples the Inspector Gadget theme in a fashion which can only be described as amateur, Random Abiladeze continues his assault on hip-hop's present state. I continued to await a track I could enjoy. Next came the song "Got My Own Style," which I immediately disagreed with in its sentiment. In my opinion, Abiladeze has the amalgamated style of most 90's so-called "conscious" rappers. The production on the album continued to suffer from lack of development as well.
It was the next track, "Ways 2 Flow," that would finally pique my interest. Although the production is still behind the times, it at least was musically pleasing to the ear. This is also the track where the hook game was most on point saying, "I got so many ways to flow/You know/Any way you wanna get it I could spit it let me know/Comin out of Califo/Representing the rose/Connected to my people/With so many ways to flow..." After this track, I began to feel that maybe all of my hopes for the emcee weren't dashed.
UNTIL. The next track where we are introduced to "Macho Mayne" feat. Mayne E. Savage. Here is a song entirely dedicated to ripping the current style of rap through illustration of what Random Abiladeze finds distasteful. Ironically, though the actual words are ridiculous along with the voice, the CADENCE of the rapping is more accessible to listeners than Abiladeze own style.
The album continues with its sampled beats, and when we get to "Forgotten Memories," I start to slightly smile again. Not only is the sample decent, Random Abiladeze comes off as more vulnerable than preachy, a vibe that I've been waiting for at this point for the seven preceding tracks. I think this is my favorite track on the album, as here, he slows down the flow... tells us a story... lets us in to see more than disdain. If the album was going to be as nostalgia-based as it was stylistically, I wish he had followed this song as the blueprint for the entire project. "I lost another woman 'cause my mood is too distant/couldn't stay I love you when I wanted to, but listen/It's the vibrations we shared when face to face..." are words that we could all relate to, and not feel abused by.
"I Had A Dream" was a fantastic idea, that just came off cheesy. I liked the sample, but felt that the drums should have been more hard hitting and have more bounce. Here, Random Abiladeze speaks about the fact that real life can seem like a dream with all of the ridiculous things happening not just in hip-hop, but in world affairs, the U.S., the community, our own lives. The sentiment was felt, but the execution just wasn't there.
The album ends with "The Matrix," more preachy commentary on humanity's faults. This album, for me, suffered from three main things: below average production, redundant content, and seemingly a closed-mindedness to the evolution of a genre that the artist is attempting to navigate. I will be the first to say that hip-hop has its faults, but I don't believe that it's about continuing to complain and stay stuck in the so-called "Golden Era" of hip-hop. It's about forward movement, and innovative ways to speak on multiple facets of life accompanied by production that is now and next. "This project took a beating," is I'm sure, what you may be thinking. What I will say is this, Random Abiladeze is an above average rapper, stuck in a period of rap that is over and will never return. Only by acclimating himself to the changes that hip-hop is and will inevitably continue to experience, do I feel he can reach the full potential of what he has to offer. Check out SKILL BEFORE SWAGGER at www.randomabiladeze.bandcamp.com
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