Get To Know H.E.R.

Yesterday I reviewed the first disc of the 2 disc reissue of Freddie Foxxx’s Crazy Like A Foxxx LP. It managed to exceed my expectations and in fact I consider it to be a hair above Industry Shakedown. Now it’s time to see how disc 2, the DITC version holds up.

The Good:

2. Call Of The Wild - The production on this track is a lot more organic than any track on the first disc. I don’t really have a preference either way, but this track sounds pretty damn great.

3. Can’t Break Away

5. 8 Bars To Catch A Body - It’s a great track, but so far a lot of these tracks sound a lot like each other. Since each track still rocks, I can overlook that in this case.

6. Project Mice - I can’t really make up my mind as to which version I enjoy more. Disc 1’s production has a real ominous feeling to it, while this one sounds like nitty gritty mid 90s NY rap. Depends on your mood really.

7. Rev Glock - In this case I prefer disc one’s version to this one. However, that doesn’t mean that this one’s a bad track. It’s actually pretty good.

8. Crazy Like A Foxxx - The strangest thing is hearing Foxxx rap over a beat that most people will associate with Big L’s Da Graveyard. Although this track technically was created first, so it’s not necessarily beat jacking, especially since DITC was involved in both projects. Get over the Big L thing and it’s a great listen.

9. Man Destroys Man

11. Who Is The Middle Man

12. Cook A Nigga’s Ass (ft Kool G Rap) - A simple beat ripped to shreds by one of my favorite rappers of all time is always a win in my book.

The Solid:

1. Intro - Not needed, but it doesn’t hurt the overall experience. It’s just Foxxx explaining what the deal with this album is.

4. Click Click - After a great first two tracks, this track just doesn’t seem that special. Still a solid effort.

10. Pressure On The Brain

The Bad:

Final Score: 9.0

Both discs make for great listens. As for which one is the better of the two, I would say this one but only by the slightest margin. The lack of interludes just makes for a much more focused listen straight through and Kool G Rap’s guest feature is much appreciated. I would buy this double cd set as soon as I can since your getting two great albums for the price of one.

Freddie Foxxx is one of those rappers who nobody really hears about, and yet could probably seriously fuck up your favorite rapper both lyrically and physically. He’s a veteran rapper who just hasn’t really earned the legendary status of colleagues such as Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. I for one blame that on his lack of a good ol’ classic album under his belt. His best album was undeniably Industry Shakedown, and while that album was great, to call it classic would be reaching quite a bit. But now, with the release of his long lost 1994 album, Crazy Like A Foxxx, we can see if hip hop history would’ve been changed if it had been released at its proper time. Had it seen its original release date, would the world have regarded Foxxx as a GOAT, or would it have made no difference whatsoever? (Speaking of altered histories, most people don’t know that Freddie Foxxx was originally supposed to be Eric B’s partner instead of Rakim. How different would hip hop be if the world had never received Paid In Full? Just something to think about)

Since the reissue has 2 discs, with each being somewhat separate albums, I’ll review both separately today and tomorrow.

Disc One: Jail House Version

The Good:

1. Can’t Break Away - Listening to this first track makes me feel weird about billing this as a “new album.” This has 90s NY rap written all over it and it’s nostalgic as fuck.

4. So Tough - Great beats, great rhymes and no dance move gimmicks. What more could one ask for in a hip hop track?

5. Daddy Boot Knock

6. Project Mice - I would never call Freddie Foxxx the greatest story teller in all of hip hop, but he’s good enough and with the help of the ominous beat, it makes for a pretty good track.

7. Jailhouse Rock

8. Killer (ft Tupac) - Great track featuring a surprising feature by West Coast’s Tupac (RIP). I never realized it before, but Foxxx actually does remind me a lot of Pac sometimes as far as voice and flow goes.

9. Meet Some Skins

13. Funk In Your Brain - A track like this is going to have a hard time finding an audience in today’s hip hop world but as we all know, popularity has almost nothing to do with overall quality these days anyway.

14. Step (ft Chuck D)

16. Pressure On The Brain

18. Rev Glock - You know that one episode of The Boondocks, when Gangstalicious is telling Riley about his nightmares of Ice Cube? That actually just about sums up what I think about Freddie Foxxx.

19. Crazy Like A Foxxx (alternate mix) - This version is far superior to the Ultramagnetic Dis version found earlier on this disc.

20. Amen

The Solid:

2. Crazy Like A Foxxx (Ultramagnetic Dis) - As far as dis tracks go, it’s pretty average.

3. Interlude

10. Interlude

11. Shotty In The Back

12. Interlude - What the hell is it with all these interludes. They’re not horrible or anything but I’m not for interludes and skits that add nothing to the overall listen.

17. Rev. Glock Skit - Same as above. Just a dressed up interlude.

The Bad:

15. Do What You Gotta Do - No one element here is actually bad in any way but for some reason I can’t seem to get into this track. Doesn’t help that it’s pretty long as well.

Final Score: 9.0

The overall sound really brings you back to the mid 90s, and it sure is great to hear “new” material that sounds like this. Crazy Like a Foxxx is a bit more consistent than Industry Shakedown was and is probably the better album (although RNS kicks the living crap out of any one track on this). However, the number of skits do drag the album down some and most fans of today’s music might have trouble getting into the vibe (what with the outdated beats and actual fucking lyrics). I also don’t think it would’ve placed Foxxx on the legend pedastal even if it had seen a proper release. As for those who feel compelled to argue I can only say this. Illmatic, Ready To Die, Word…Life, and The Sun Rises In The East. I rest my case. Come back tomorrow for the review of Disc 2, The DITC version.