It was sort of a slow week for hip hop, mostly due to there being too many commercial releases. However, Stones Throw saved the day with the release of Strong Arm Steady‘s fourth studio album Stereotype. Teaming up with Statik Selektah, SAS hits the hip hop world with a dope release comparable to their highly acclaimed 2010, Madlib-produced album, In Search for Stoney Jackson. As far as lyricists go, Krondon, Phil Da Agony and Mitchy Slick are some of the most entertaining underground emcees I know. There’s just something about their diversity, both in sound and style, that blends so well together, and they do it with stride. Their confidence is obvious and their talent is apparent, and with Statik Selektah’s banging beats, it’s like salty-sweet. Two different styles mashing together in the best way possible. From storytelling to the common bravado-rhyming SAS usually uses in their songs, these tracks are great, and don’t need the help of any guest features. The only bad note I could put on this album is that some of the tracks sound a little mainstream to me – the beats and the rhymes seem off of what SAS and Statik have done in the past, but it only happens two or three times, so it’s not so bad. So, my rating…
8.5/10
I recommend this album to any fan of Termanology, Pharoah Monch, Guilty Simpson, or any straight-flowing lyricists like these guys.
Tracklisting:
1) Truth of the Truth
2) Premium
3) Forever
4) Born Into It
5) Do Ya Thang Girl (JOOK)
6) On My Job
7) L.A. Blues
8) Classic
9) Through the Motions
10) Married to the Game
11) Fair Fight
12) Back On Up
13) Outta Control
14) Smoke On
***Notable Mentions:
Baby Blak: Blaker Than Midnight
