Kiddies, make no mistake: Old-head rappers and producers can still put out quality music when they’re focused enough.
Members of the influential, New York-based Digging In the Crates crew, in particular, have been turning this trick for years: making relevant contributions to a youth-dominated industry à la Vince Carter in his 20th NBA season.
D.I.T.C. members Fat Joe, O.C., Diamond D, Lord Finesse, A.G. and Buckwild have released well-received projects over the past few years. Joe’s ubiquitous hit single, “All the Way Up,” with Remy Ma, French Montana and Infrared, bolsters this notion.
https://youtu.be/RuAErrm1nWI
Not to be outdone is legendary producer and D.I.T.C. pillar Showbiz. His terse, five-track EP A Room Therapy arrives 25 years after he and A.G. released their bedrock album, Runaway Slave.
The best track on the EP comes courtesy of “Dead Man Walking,” which finds O.C. spitting cogent bars about the plight of black men and the impact of police brutality over a somber piano loop, sparse drums and synths. It’s an eerie record that mirrors the subject matter. Here O.C. asks, “Am I a dead man walking? If the police pull up on me, will they shoot first or talk to me?”
Solid beats and rhymes are a mainstay throughout but A Room Therapy ultimately feels like a loose collection of tracks rather than a thematically-composed project. The breezy “Bronx Day,” featuring Tashane and Majestic Gage, is yet another New York-centric ode to Hip Hop that name-checks all of the requisite greats, but it’s Showbiz’s gorgeous, soulful loop that steals the show. And the Tropicália-infused EP closer, “Speak Ya Mind,” serves as the most sonically expansive track on the project, checks in at just 3:19 – too-brief for an instrumental so promising.
Much to its strengths and shortcomings, A Room Therapy sticks to an East Coast boom bap blueprint; making it inviting for existing fans and nonexistent for newcomers. Is it the most groundbreaking project in the world? Of course not. But it is a solid showcase for a man who has forgotten more about Hip Hop than most scholars could ever learn.
Wow this is 90s for real. He must have recorded this back then. This sounds too good to have been recorded in our time. This is really good almost like a mimi illmatic. Wow production is unbelievable
Mini Illmatic? Get ahold of yourself m8. We know mumble rap can be a bit of chore to listen to but you completely jumped out of the window with that claim
Skaine? Hahahahaha. Anyone who says “mate/M8” doesn’t know shit about Hip-Hop. Jerk of food with some HP brown sauce and listen to Roots Manuva. No one out here feels that limey shit. You have no opinion. Keep your bullshit fake Hip-Hop on that ice rink of an island. You’re good, women and opinions too. LOL. Thanks for Slick Rick and DOOM though. Hahahaha. Note, neither of them want to stay in your “driving on the wrong side of the road” ass country. BTW, cops don’t have guns out there. How do they shoot black people? Such a dilema. Mate
Legendary! Super dope project!
This EP was fire!!!
This joint is banging. I love showbiz from way back in the day. I can’t believe this was giving a 3.8 for a rating. This person must be from the rap years 2000-2018. We must go after the corporations to stop this madness. If we control the corporations, then the rap years will die.
Classic rap and production at its best! Just wishing A.G. was on each track. Substance meets style on this album. The production is ghetto fab NYC steelo.
Classic sound
Showbiz is the man D.I.T.C is legendary status and the next generation like David bars and motif Alumni hold down Bronx tradition …don’t sleep !
Doppy DOPE !
yep 5
Grows on you.
Dope album!!!! ????
It was not much to my tastes.