Modern Hip Hop lyricism, in many ways, evolved in the shape of a circle. Circle by circle, crew by crew, city by city, raps fed off of the scraps that came before them and created something new. The quality and complexity of rapping intensified in circles and eventually fragmented into the dozens of sub-genres of Hip Hop that now exist. These Rap circles were called ciphers.
Da Circle is a “love-the-smell-of-napalm-in-the-morning” music partnership between Brooklyn’s Goodtime Slim and Fatz D’ Assassin from the Bronx. The Big Apple natives spent the last few years warming-up crowds for Immortal Technique all around the world. Skipping below most radars during 2009 and 2010, Slim and Fatz put together two mixtapes. Circle Muzik Vol. 1 and the Statik Selektah-hosted The S.A.F.E. set the knuckled-up, all-real-everything, tone for the group’s debut.
360 Deal is a 17-song statement of purpose for Da Circle. On “Circle Anthem,” Slim goes in early, “Slim and Fatz with aluminum bats / Getting maximum distance from you minimum cats / Spittin’ masculine writtens on you feminine acts / And my freestyles are hittin’ like invisible slaps.” From the jump, it’s obvious the two can spit. As apparent is their unwavering determination to create vintage Hip Hop. This theme booms during “Reality Check” and on the sentimental “Underground.”
The Viper Records pair enlisted like-minded muscle including Ill Bill, Posion Pen and Hasan Salaam. To further flex their feature chops, Immortal Technique took to “Napalm,” the projects most memorable moment. The siren-synth throbbing, flamethrower banger is jammed to the lid with an inspired lyrical tone to match the spirited instrumental. Unfortunately, Tech’s signature political conspiracy musings and calls-to-arms hint at concepts that are disappointingly absent elsewhere on the album.
The embers Tech stirs fade, while Slim and Fatz focus on a more flat message of Hip Hop backtracking. It’s hard to argue that Slim and Fatz aren’t keeping it real. It’s equally difficult not to champion their idealistic “just beats and rhymes” philosophy. Yet, being underground shouldn’t be limiting. The self-imposed shackles of this underground prison have bound whatever creativity the two have from finding its way through the bars. Instead, they decide to keep it a little too real.
The gradually curving debut takes a jagged turn for the worse during the album’s second half. “Going Crazy” is merely a laundry list of things that irritate the emcees. These, serialized in a nagging hook, include “pissy staircases,” “wack pussy,” and “bird shit.” “Swallowtics” broadcasts an even more ugly wane of the arc. Fatz finds himself power washing tonsils, crushing a uterus, and “filling ya gut with babies.” Meanwhile Slim boasts, “I got a pot a pot to piss in / It’s your mouth girl / Listen.” These nuance-free hiccups of expression add no content value, instead just pose a minefield of remarkably unpleasant imagery.
In an interview with DXnext last month, Fatz emphasized that in today’s music climate, “You just have to record fast, you have to get used to going into a session and bang out six songs just because.” It’s hard to not chalk these tracks up to a rushed recording regiment. Along with “Spanish Fly,” the lack-of-focus album lapses are tough sells for any artist who chooses to undertake a serious undertone.
Their stern mission to recreate vintage, straightforward Hip Hop is admirable, but a spark of novelty would have done their debut a world of good. Throughout the album Da Circle mostly stick to the script. The follow-the-recipe approach yields an age-old slice of Hip Hop that’s wholesome but wildly ordinary for anyone outside of their ideological oval. After all, drawing a circle is trickier than it looks. In fact, without the right tools, the careful hands of surgeon, and an apt amount of time, you’ll more than likely wind up with a jagged, mundane sphere.
Try hosting a cipher in that.
As usual a completely biased review by DX…Da Circle’s album is good and DX’s writer more or less finds a nice way to shit on it but gave Joell Ortiz’s terribly MEDIOCRE album a classic rating…fuck this site
Yet you rated it a 3 too?
Mistakenly, doesn’t change the fact that the review is terrible and biased as usual. I guess you have a less respect for whoever’s doing Viper Records PR, bunch of known faggots up at DX. FACT.
…
Mmm… 3/5
Fuck DX!
4.5/5
Now DX you better listen to this album, after you can rate it, plese.
Hip Hop and Lyricism I know. This album was bodied from the first track all the way to the last track. Da Circle came with that grime raw and uncut lyricism. Well Done I give it a 5
Hip Hop and Lyricism I know. This album was bodied from the first track all the way to the last track. Da Circle came with that grime raw and uncut lyricism. Well Done I give it a 5
Great album, long time in the making it is your time to shine
DF
what album did you listen too? Suggestion: next time don’t just listen to find something wrong then you will hit on the essence of the true art of hip hop. Dang…I’m from TX & square and even I know that it’s good. *sheesh*
I really enjoy this album. I have played this album for friends whose hip-hop knowledge is so lacking that they couldn’t tell you where Biggie is from and they enjoyed this album as well. Those are just a few of the reasons I gave it 5 stars.
The first half of this interview is good. Yes, it is obvious that the two can spit. Yes, they have solid MCs featured in the album. However, Alex Dwyer forgets that this is Da Circle’s album, not Immortal Technique’s, and although Tech is a great lyricist, he has albums of his own and he gets plenty shine on this album (much love to Tech and DC).
Mr. Dwyer missed some of the most important stuff that makes this album great. The original lyrics, raw beats, and fun, classic hip-hop feel on this album make it one that hip-hop fans can connect to. When mainstream artists are talking about money and cars, these NY MCs are talking about the ups and downs of life and communicating their message very well. The songs are original and reminiscent of older hip-hop when the focus was on lyricism and reality.
Slim and Fatz have done a great job with their debut album. After some really enjoyable mixtapes and appearances in other artists’ songs, I’m glad that they have put out some work that really lets their talent shine. I’m excited to see where they go with music.
-Will Hauptman
2 notes to the author: Your circle drawing sentence at the end of the review is whack, stick to writing the reviews. Also, Travis Barker’s album gets 3.5? You obviously haven’t heard his old drumming, which actually showed his talent..
This is the real hip hop we need. Not that watered down shit on Power 106 the wanna call hop hop. REBEL ARMZ GETS IT ON. KNOW THAT WE AINT TO BE MESSED WITH.
Oh and by the way fuck DX. You can tell these fag ass clowns know nothing about lyricism these the kinda dudes that would give lil wayne a 5
The Review…. Bigs up your lyrical skills and beat selections, then shoots down some of the content. ‘Hip Hop needs some of that raw ‘ish sometimes, Bringin it home where it started. Slim n Fatz made that happen!
Hollywood is fun and good etc, but reality is much needed these days. Without real talk (the lyrics mc’s use, the more less focused – hip hop listeners will become with their everyday living.
Props to Slim and Fatz for being REAL!
above average in this day and age
In that note nah not fuck DX but fuck the critic of DX
Haven’t listened to this AT ALL yet, but they also gave DIABOLIC LIAR AND A THIEF 3/5 which is absolutely comical
LOVE THIS ALBUM, THEY GOT THIS REVIEW ALL WRONG!
These guys are out of this world, a perfect example of what Hi-Hop needs!
*Hip-Hop
DaCircle360 is one of the best albums to come out in years. It’s pure hip hop at its finest. I moved from Sydney to NY as a true believer of the culture in which DaCircle fully represent. This album is FIRE! From start to finish period. Slim and Fatz are brilliant on the Mic along with some sick production making this album a must for anybodys collection. DaCircle all day..SALUTE
Perfectly said brother.
The comment on being “to real” is Fuckin absurd. You skinny jean multi colored kick wearing black eyed peas listening fag. Get the fuck outta here…
good