DC2: Bars of Death: The Dangerous Connection Return with a "Deathgrip" on Hip-Hop
Written: Jul 23 '04 (Updated Jul 23 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: 7L's Incredibly Flawless Instrumentals, Esoteric's Vivrant Lyrics at times, Guest Appearances
Cons: Esoteric comes off as repetitive and boring many times
The Bottom Line: This album leans more toward fans of beats than lyrics, but the beats are damn well worth it. Don't sleep on this release.
|
|
|
| bigd99999's Full Review: DC2: Bars of Death - 7L & Esoteric Movies |
This Review is Dedicated to Ekidd911, a proud member of Epinions who has hung up his keyboard. Ekidd gave us some truly memorable reviews and has been here since he was 13, predating many of the new blood we have now. Ekidd's leaving actually saddened me, as he is one of the few links between now and the "old" Epinions, which I liked a lot more. Ekidd was pretty talented, and put his heart out in every review he did, and a lot of my favorites came from him. Evan... you'll will be missed... at least by me.
--------------
Big D made a mistake...
That's right folks. Besides my common spelling mistakes I make sometimes (remember mysogyny, haha), I've actually made one. On my last review for Akrobatik's The Lost Adats, I said this, and I quote: "Even hardcore underground fans like Def Jukies and fans of Rhyme Sayers would even forget that there is an emcee out of Boston who's actually good.". After I smacked my forehead numerous times, I realized it. I had completely forgotten about the Demigodz crew, more specifically, 7L and Esoteric (oh yeah, and that little Mr. Lif character).
Let's Begin...
Duos of Emcees and DJs have been around since the birth of this great artform and culture that we call hip-hop. Since the early days, groups like Eric B. & Rakim, Kool G. Rap and DJ Polo, and Gangstarr proved that this formula was successful. As the years passed, more and more of these started popping up. In the 90s, a new-wave of Emcee/DJ teams popped up to donate great music. In our modern era, teams like Jedi Mind Tricks, Atmosphere, Blackalicious and The High and Mighty are continuing this formula and giving us modernized hip-hop, but still retaining that original, classic feeling.
Boston's 7L and Esoteric are probably the least known out of all of these acts. However, fans of the Demigodz, as well as underground heads as a whole, have definitely taken a liking to these guys. The almost cultish following ensures that they have memorable live performances as well as good albums and recognizable guest appearances. After their seminally underrated second album Dangerous Connection dropped in 2002, 7L and Esoteric continued to deliver underground hip-hop with a much rougher and more aggressive edge. Well now, the anticipation for their third album ends, as DC2: Bars of Death has finally dropped.
Track List & Rating
1. DC Theme (NOT RATED)
2. Ring Music (4 Stars)
3. Loud & Clear (3 1/2 Stars)
4. Rise of the Rebel (5 Stars)
5. Rogue Nation (3 1/2 Stars)
6. This is War f/ Army of the Pharoahs (5 Stars)
7. Graphic Violence (3 1/2 Stars)
8. Neverending Saga (4 1/2 Stars)
9. Grace of Gods f/ Rise (4 1/2 Stars)
10. Murder-Death-Kill f/ Celph Titled (3 1/2 Stars)
11. Battlefield (4 1/2 Stars)
12. Touchy Subject ft. Uno the Prophet (3 1/2 Stars)
13. Deathgrip (3 1/2 Stars)
14. So Glorious (5 Stars)
15. Way of the Gun f/ Celph Titled, Apathy & Lord Digga (4 1/2 Stars)
16. Another Way Out (5 Stars)
17. That's Right f/ Main Flow & KT (4 Stars)
18. Hidden Track 1 (4 1/2 Stars)
19. Hidden Track 2 f/ Celph Titled & Apathy (4 Stars)
Typically, I don't cover intros, but "DC Theme", while short, is eerie. The gorgeous violin used here is creepy and tingles your spine. The track is short, but it's strange that those chords can hit you so hard. Personally I feel that either this beat should've been used in an actual song, or as the start of the next song.
Anyways, "Ring Music" kicks things off properly with both 7L and Esoteric delivering their "welcome back" song. The rock-influenced production that 7L laces is reminiscent of "Iron Man" almost, and they even make a reference to it. The beat is aggressive and powerful, and Esoteric sublimely compliments it, rhyming on-beat to a key with a bit of a slower flow. His lyrics are pretty damn good, with an assortment of vicious punchlines and braggadocio-ish similes.
Esoteric is a great emcee whenever he wants to be, and 7L is definitely one to provide lush soundscapes for him to ride on. One particular example, and probably the first of the album, it would have to be "Rise of the Rebel". The beautiful and melancholy piano melody give you goosebumps and actually visually make you feel something, which is an accomplishment in it's own right and very few beats could possibly achieve this. Lyrically, Esoteric completely rips it up with his mixture of prophetic and retrospective poetry and storytelling, almost autobiographical. Esoteric also takes a little bit of time to rip down commercial rap and the way that they thrive on materialistic possessions and don't have a shred of credibility inside of their bones.
Army of the Pharoahs join 7L and Esoteric on the venomous battle rap track "This is War". As if the title didn't tell you, this army of emcees completely rips it. Instead of wasting time describing just how ill the lyrics are here, but I'll just say they're pretty damn dope. Beatwise however, is where the song really draws you in. The keyboard and piano arrangement is set up with this little scaling effect as it rises and lowers itself, giving the song a real armageddon-esque feel. The melody here is simply beautiful, and words can't do it justice.
I've pretty much displayed so far how the duo can work well together. However, one thing you should know before purchasing DC2: Bars of Death is that its strong points don't lie in Esoteric's lyricism, but more in 7L's incredible beats. It took this album to make me realize just how talented and underrated 7L as a producer really is. One great example of this would be "Graphic Violence", a song which finds Esoteric delivering an incredibly uninspired performance with mediocre lyrics and average punchlines. I mean, lyrically this track puts me to sleep, but it's elegant, scaling piano beat keeps the wheels in motion and prevents me from skipping right away. In fact, 7L saves a lot of the songs on many occassions.
J-Zone's amazing and powerful production continues on "Neverending Saga" followed by 7L on "Grace of Gods". The first of the two finds J-Zone delivering a funky yet futuristic sound, with a few layers that aren't really describable. The assorted bass and trumpets, with high-key violins give the song a bouncy sort of feel, but still manages to keep that aggressive sound that J-Zone (and 7L) is known for. Esoteric's lyrics are much better on here than before, with a much more focused braggadocio. The second of the two is the same thing subject matter-wise, only much more venomous, yet the lyrics aren't really as good, just the flow and delivery. Beat-wise, the piano and keyboard assortment, mixed with sampling and scratching from Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say", which is actually very fitting and shows the similarities between 7L and J-Zone. 7L's beats remind me of a less-eclectic, possibly more focused Stoupe from Jedi Mind Tricks.
The next true highlight on the album comes in the form of "So Glorious", which is basically Esoteric spitting about the streets ala Cormega or Nas. The song takes his own biographical views of how the dark life of being hoodlum is like, and how there are devils inside of man who are trying to hold you down and prevent you from leading an actual normal life. He also takes a bigger, more wide-angled approach to street poetry, with a few bars dedicated to spitting commentary about his views on where the state of the world is leading. The title of the song is beautifully sarcastic and fitting for the song. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the beat. The beautiful assortment of chimes and flutes mix nicely with violins and war-like drums. It's very hard to describe the beat, but I can say that it is very atmospheric and smooth, almost soothing.
Fellow Demigodz membets Celph Titles, Apathy, and Lord Digga join the infamous Eso on the powerful "Way of the Gun". The song is basically a posse cut gone insane, with hardcore-esque rhyming and screaming mad deliveries ala "The Godz are Crazy". The scorching lyricism is unbelievable and truly a template for hungry, fresh emcees coming up in the game. Beatwise, 7L gives us another explosively powerful beat which seemingly holds nothing back. The blend of percussion, warrior horns, and drums gives the song a Godzilla-esque feeling, sort of like a Japanese monster movie where you know that time is critical before the planet is taken over. That is what the song makes you feel like, and the lyrics only push that factor.
"Another Way Out" is another classic, and probably my favorite song on the entire album. 7L weaves together a saddening melancholy productive piece with beautifully assorted flutes and pianos which actually manage to make Esoteric sound more skilled in his delivery and rhymes. It really is a true gift when a producer can actually make the rapper sound better (DJ Premier, 9th Wonder, RJD2), and 7L is adept at it. Esoteric isn't lazy whatsoever despite his at-times average lyrical display. Esoteric's retrospective thought-provoking spirit on here takes us back to 1996 and the inception of his career and the lessons that he has learned since that golden era of hip-hop. A lot of the points made here are honest and truthful, and backed by an excellent beat, there's not really much else you can ask for.
Two Hidden Tracks close the album out where it started, with excellent production and relatively good lyrics. The first is a remarkable retrospective and deep hip-hop track, while the second is a Demigodz battle posse cut. Be sure not to forget these two bonus joints as they only serve to make the CD sound that much better.
These guys are a great duo, but there is no doubt in my mind that 7L is head and shoulders above Esoteric. 7L provides production that Kanye West would salivate over, without relying on simplistic gimmicks like sped-up soul samples and the mother fucking annoying Eminem synthesizers. 7L gives us a different type of beat on every single song which is refreshing and fun to listen to musically. However, Esoteric's lyrics are the opposite, as he far too commonly becomes tired and bored, spitting nothing really creative and inspired. Granted he's got a select few shining moments, it's always 7L's production that saves it, which can be quite annoying for the lyrical heads out there. The beats on here are good enough to actually label this the "Best Produced Album of 2004" title THUSFAR, (and I'm sure I'll be getting a bunch of comments from people telling me Madvillain, Murs, and maybe even Kanye was better... yeah I'm sure). 7L is the main event here on DC2: Bars of Death, and in fact I would go so far as to rename this album "Beats of Death", because it's much more fitting. This album might not please all hip-hop heads, but it's definitely worth a few spins in my opinion.
4 Stars
SIMILAR ALBUMS
Akrobatik - Lost Adats
Demigodz - The Godz Must Be Crazy
Louis Logic - Sin-A-Matic
Various Artists - Eastern Conference All-Stars
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
bigd99999
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Location: Tampa, FL
Reviews written: 528
Trusted by: 251 members
About Me:
Niggas wanna be the King but the Ace is back...
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.