Get To Know H.E.R.

Hits: Die In Your Lap, Choose, Merciless (Interlude), Mercy, Ghetto World, Hands High, What’s Wrong, Guf 2, Everything, Reborn (Dana)

Strikes: Shame

Balls: Don’t Be Afraid (Intro), Hello World (Interlude), Our Song (Interlude)

Two reviews back to back. Signs of things to come I would say. Man, the low expectations I have for myself…

Anyways, today’s review is also of an album that dropped this past Tuesday, Cesar Comanche’s Die In Your Lap. If I am to believe the press release for this album, this is his 6th album to date (although I only know of 3 before this one). I won’t say that I’m a fan of the man as I don’t actively check for his new releases religiously as I would for, let’s say Mos Def or Masta Ace. However, I’ve enjoyed the albums I’ve heard from him in the past, especially Squirrel and the Aces, and as such I had hopes for this album going in.

For the most part, I think Die In Your Lap was able to live up to my expectations. It was a consistent listen straight through and one or two of the songs in here are really quite good. The lion’s share of the production is handled by 9th Wonder and Cesar Comanche himself and the only misstep beatwise was on the Khrysis produced Shame. This was great news for the rapper because as it turns out, the production on this album was used as more than just a beat to rhyme to. Instead of simply being background noise, the beats were very well integrated into the songs themselves and Cesar Comanche took great care to make his songs whole musical pieces. When this worked, it worked very well such as on the song Ghetto World. It also worked well on the Merciless interlude, which is probably the only interlude that has ever made the hits list. The way in which the instrumental, which is good in itself, is used to lead into Mercy, which featues a tweaked version of the interlude’s beat, is simply something that needs to be heard.

Now everyone knows that good beats mean next to shit on a rap album (different story if this was an instrumental) if they aren’t accompanied by solid rapping. Fortunately for us Cesar Comanche, while no lyrical monster, is still more than proficient to hold an audience through 15 tracks. Good thing too, since there are no guest features to be found on this whole thing. If Comanche was a slouch on the mic, this album would’ve been a chore to listen to but in this case the lack of guest artists contributes nicely to a consistent sound and quality.

Fans of the Justus League, do yourself a favor and pick up this album. Hip hop fans who have never heard of the man before, feel free to take a risk and give the rapper a chance (and some money?). Fans of Lil Wayne, pick this album up and then also proceed to buy Midnight Marauders, Delron 3030, Liquid Swords, Illmatic, and Resurrection (I kid the Wayne stans!!! Although if anyone hasn’t heard those albums yet, they really should pick them up). In all seriousness, while this album will not be top 10 end of the year material (unless 4th quarter 09 is particularly horrible for hip hop), it’s still a very good listen and is a great album for the first quarter of the new year.

The WTF Moment: Merciless to Mercy. I don’t know. For one reason or another, I love it.