Return of the boom-bap

Was Nastradamus prophesying the nature and title of the latest Royce da 5’9” release when he rhymed “This ain’t rappin’, this is street hop/ Now get up off your ass like your seat’s hot” on the 2002 single “Made You Look”?

Probably not, but Royce’s new album, Street Hop, is blazing enough to light asses on fire like Busta Rhymes’ song and make listeners get the f--- up like Pharoahe Monch’s “Simon Says.”

The Detroit rapper has been a reliable proponent of pure, raw-to-the-bone hip-hop since he first performed in the duo dubbed Bad Meets Evil with his homie Eminem in 1996. Although the 32-year-old hasn’t rocketed to worldwide stardom like his former counterpart, Royce has been steadily dropping material that is as rough and rugged as his home city.

Royce is a rapper’s rapper. He often stood out as a beast among men on this past summer’s Slaughterhouse, the album he released as part of the super group of the same name, consisting also of emcees Crooked I, Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz.

With Street Hop, Royce shows he can still hold it down solo. The album is a collection of militant braggadocio anthems, borderline horror-core declarations and a few movie script-ready stories thrown in for good measure.        

Royce wasn’t lying when he proclaimed he is “reigning king of the boom–bap” on the DJ Premiere-produced “Something 2 Ride 2.” KRS-One should be proud.

It’s clear from the opening track, “Gun Harmonizing,” that Royce is dropping a banger. The beat is a musical collage of soulful backing vocals, violins hitting the crescendo and soothing piano chords.

But Royce contrasts the placid melodies and rhythms with his gruff vocals, which sound as rich as an extra instrument. He screams weapon-related onomatopoeias on the hook and keeps the verses compelling with lines such as “Every bullet’s a note/ I write with a firing pen, every time the trigger pull it’s a quote/ Inside a room full of smoke, sniffin’ lines of that gun powder, I’m hotter than a pair of boots and a coat.” Rappers who slack lyrically better duck down because Royce is comin’ with heat.

His vocals also terrifically complement the instrumentals on “Dinner Time” and “Shake This.” The former sounds like a boxing match featuring Busta Rhymes as Royce’s hyped up trainer. Royce bobs and weaves all over the beat, making listeners’ heads spin in a different direction every two bars.

Then he knocks them out with a succession of jab-like lines such as “Take him, gut him/ And take out his organ and smörgåsbord him” and “Turn him to chicken chowder/ Dip him in some sniffing powder/ Season him with gasoline/ And throw his ass in the grease.” All the while Busta Rhymes sounds as if he is hanging on the ring’s ropes cheering “Feed on these motherf---ers homie!”

“Shake This” is one of the few conceptually deep tracks that doesn’t rely on punch lines. It features the most personal content on Street Hop. Royce discusses alcohol dependence, a friend’s death, felony charges and his overall career. As the music builds, he raises his voice on the verses to convey various emotions: dismay, frustration, anger and exultation.

And in addition to triumphing on an autobiographical song, Royce shows he is a master of Quentin Tarantino-style action and fiction. “Murder” is an epic tale of revenge with anachronistic chapters, and “Part of Me” is a wild story about a one-night stand turned into a frightening, Lorena Bobbit-esque incident. The protagonist wakes up numb, weak and covered in blood. Royce humorously alludes to the ridiculous situation by rapping “Last night we had a one-night stand, but when I woke up in the morning I missed you/ All I’m saying is can I see you again because when you left you took a part of me with you.”

There is some filler on Street Hop: The skit for a “hoe-tracking” device to monitor a significant other’s activities is pretty unnecessary, as is the following R&B singer-dominated track, “Thing for Your Girlfriend.” The record completely contradicts Royce’s bold statements, which include “I rhyme for them fly motherf---ers that’s up and ain’t tryin’ to dumb it down” and “F--- the radio, f--- video,” on the previous song, the title track.

But overall the LP is a success that exhibits quintessential hip-hop at its finest. And similarly to Nas’ proclamation seven years ago, Royce makes listeners slaves to a page in his rhyme book.
 

RATING: 4 stars out of 5

rush@umdbk.com