RZA - Birth Of A Prince
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www.stylusmagazine.com Rating: 0
r Diggs/Steels/Digital,
Thank you for your interest in having Birth of a Prince approved for a place within the Directory of Hip-Hop Classics, I have been fortunate to receive submissions from several qualified applicants this year, and, as ever, the selection process has been very challenging.
Kudos on giving Birth of a Prince such an inspirational opening, beginning with a lengthy sample from the song “Feelin’ Good”, the message of “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me” is a brave start, promising much. Yet sadly the full album does not reflect the sentiment of these words. Unfortunately, for induction we need something fresh, something new; a rebirth of your strengths as a Producer and MC. Your application for admission to the Directory of Hip-Hop Classics, thus, has been reviewed, and I very much regret to inform you that I cannot extend an offer of admission to you at this time.
May I also remind you that our usual practice is to receive a reference from past employers, not employees. Just because Mr. Tony Starks has had several LPs already accepted by myself does not mean I am able to accept his recommendation of this as “the bomb ass shit”. I must compliment you though on your good taste in choosing him to attempt to save the otherwise dull “Fast Cars” from the FFWD button. Following this stinker are six more soporifically dull tracks, all of which have truly awful (and sometimes inadvertently hilarious) chorus hooks and lacklustre lyrics. From this point onwards (with two exceptions, which I will cover in due course) Birth of a Prince is truly sunk thanks to the dire stream of “Chi Kung”, “You’ll Never Know”, “Drink, Smoke and Fuck”, “The Whistle”, “The Drop Off” and “Wherever I Go”. There are facets of your production style exemplified in these seven tracks which have plagued your work since 1997 and they are now becoming the norm, the stereotypical RZA sound, as opposed to a momentary change in technique or a passing experimental phase. For example, your drum programming is more or less utterly dependent on existing and staid patterns and rarely gives me cause do anything at all with my feet, head or hips. These stripped shells of tracks are splattered with the occasional odd keyboard sound as if this will redeem them from their cold, digitally lifeless feel (the monotony of your Digital Bullet LP being an extended and painful example).
Quick point. The skit at the end of “Wherever I Go” and the beginning of “The Birth” which shows how your fictional Bobby Digital alter ego and maybe you, the real Robert Diggs, were turned from a wasted life by the study of Mathematics. Very interesting, I look forward to hearing where you will be taking this train of thought with your future lyrics.
Additionally, new Wu producer Bronze Nazareth should have been given more tracks to handle. In this company, these two organic tracks strike such a contrast to your own that they feel like they’ve been beamed in from a totally different genre. “The Birth” takes and twists lyrical samples on a bed of eastern wind instruments, birds in flight and strings, a fresh perspective and talented hands seems to have inspired some reflection and thoughts on the plight of your people throughout history. “A Day to God is 1000 Years” even lifts a line from Barbara Streisand doing “Memories”, boldly and randomly dropped over stomping drums, flutes and loosely strummed guitars.
Considering that the other producer you used was responsible for Nas’ cinematic "Got Yourself a Gun," the Megahertz production of “We Pop” sounds like a demo version of “Bad Boy for Life” which is, I admit, catchy in a radio jingle sort of style. I also take umbrage at the fact you have used ODB quite heavily in this LP’s advertising campaign despite the fact that his only appearance is his barely audible voice on the chorus. Sneaky.
About two thirds through early track “The Grunge”, you break the track down old school style into just a funky drummer type beat, vocals and a warped snippet of the original sample. Where in the past you would have¤dragged this loop unchanging for a full track, there seems to be greater care taken wit...
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