House of Pain - Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again (October 22, 1996)

Once again, the power of the Soul Assassins opens up the mind. Seek deep inside. Tell me what you fiiiind. Too late? Damn. Yeah, as you may have guessed, this run ain't stopping no time soon so buckle up.

So it's back to the year 1996 we go when I was but a watery-eyed preteen whose head was still fixated on Tekken 2 & that Space Jam movie. Oh and I was having an absolute ball with a little-known gem called Final Fight 3. #IYKYK. Anyways, during that time, the Irish-Latvian trio of Erik Schrody aka Whitey Ford aka Everlast or E, Daniel O'Connor aka The '55 Cadillac King aka Danny Boy or D & Leor Dimant aka The Mad Bum Russian aka DJ Lethal or Lee, collectively known as House of Pain, were facing a management dilemma where they wanted more creative control over where they were heading musically. Unfortunately, that apparently didn't sit very well with Soul Assassins head figure DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. Muggsy took it so bad that he went ahead and dissed HOP on the third Cypress Hill opus Temples Of Boom, which caught his own group members by surprise, as even they didn't know how upset he was.  Funny part is, HOP has yet to respond to such one-sided aggression to this day. It's as if everyone but Muggs didn't even pay that shit no mind.

Regardless, where did that leave HOP and their progression? It freed up a lane and presented the perfect opportunity for DJ Lethal to fully come into his own as a producer. Even though every track on that was co-credited to E, I somehow don't believe that he applied any production techniques beyond bouncing ideas back & forth with Lee. Maybe that entitles one to receive a co-production credit, I don't know. Anyways, the more glaring change is to the lyrical input, as D's appearances are limited to just two times on the entire album, while E brings in a mentor from his past in Mark Richardson aka Mikal Safiyullah aka Divine Styler and underground reggae stalwart Cokni O'Dire, both comprising the member of Scheme Team, as backup for the lyrical undertakings on the joints him & Lee were prepping for the next album, with the three MCs forming a pseudo-collective called the Killa Rhyme Klik, along with a continuation of the links back to NY that HOP established on their previous album, Same As It Ever Was. So instead of a Diamond D, they bring in Sadat X of Brand Nubian & the late great Guru.

Story time: I found out that Guru RIP was a co-founder of the ageless Gang Starr long after GTA3 introduced me to his acting chops. And while the boom bap pedigree of the Chain & the Star speaks for itself, I was actually first exposed to Guru's lyrics through the Fed Up Remix, the very first record I heard from HOP's eventual third opus, Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again. (That right there is a long-ass name, kinfolk. I don't give a zombie armadillo's anus if it's a quote from William Cullen Bryant, that sentiment could've been relayed in a more concise way. Straight up.) And not just the album version, but the video version of the Fed Up Remix. Remember, this was still the early Youtube days so that was my only venue of discovering these joints for the first time. And man, when I heard Guru I lost my ever-loving mind. Dude had it all: Charisma, bars, imagery, wordplay. All within the span of his first verse. I'll talk more about this in the review. Back on topic.

The fact that the only songs that got the video treatment were the Fed Up versions speaks volumes to the fact that E, D & Lee weren't actually at a healthy place regarding their dynamic as HOP, as according to E, the trio broke up at the actual record release party for Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again (Told y'all. Unnecessarily long.) It's truly a shame because that flattened any further attempt to push the record, which of course led to this album selling jack squat. Even if it did get that push from Tommy Ain't My Motherfucking Boy, however, would that have made any difference? Was this album worthy of a push in the first place?

Truth Crushed Or Some Other Bullcrap, boy/girl (pick one):

THE HAVE NOTS

OK. From jump street, it's very very obvious that the House of Pain aesthetic has irreversibly moved on past their Irish partying hoodlums image. Because I'll be cursed if DJ Lethal didn't deliver one of the most hauntingly beautiful instrumentals that have ever, and boy do I mean ever, appeared in the House of Pain zeitgeist, doing so by whipping up an enchanting progressive rock loop. This is also where Everlast delivers what is probably my favorite verse from him. Just listen to that first offering, man. Dude relays one hell of a spiritual journey within the span of a measly 16. Danny Boy, in his first of only two showings on this album, airs out his own problems as best as he can, his tone never lacking a shred of believability despite his simple writing. Then, E had to bring a sex rap where brags about stealing your wife in this mix. I don't understand, E: Have you or have you not shed your party hound ways?! As atrocious as the subject matter for that closing E verse is, the rest of the song is too bloody immaculate for you not to burn it into your brain ASAP. True story: I had this song on repeat the night I got engaged to my wife, after we parted ways for the day. I don't know what came over me, but I kept replaying E's first verse over and over and over. I will never forget that experience and what this track did for me therein.

FED UP (FEATURING COKNI O'DIRE)

Everlast has gone on record stating that this is his favorite House of Pain song ever and I do not blame him one bit. The fact that I heard this version after its remix was a blessing in disguise as the shock factor of E's newfound seriousness hit me even harder than it would've had I simply transitioned from Same As It Ever Was to this. This, regardless of how I feel about the past song, is Everlast's finest performance on wax. Two verses of lava over another Lethal blend of folk rock and cartoon samples distorted to scar your dreams for a long time coming. And I mean that as the highest of compliments. Oh and Cokni's closing toasting? The cherry on top. This will blow you away. 

WHAT'S THAT SMELL (FEATURING DIVINE STYLER)

Lee winds the proceedings down for this followup with a somber loop threaded with very prominent, slow, deliberate, and fonky drums while E gets his brag on, ending his verse with a cliffhanger after yet another sexcapade. He certainly leaves a lasting impression. Groan. For his first appearance on a major label release since his own sophomore album four years prior, Divine Styler repeats the first 8 bars of his most well-known song Ain't Sayin Nothin which ironically housed the sax sample DJ Muggs would popularize on HOP's Jump Around! I'm outta breath! Anyways the rest of DS's contribution is flames. He sounds every bit the MC from his generation of supreme battle rhymers that came outta NY in the 80s, with a style nobody can mimic. I will add that DS sounds exactly like an Everlast that is calm, collected and not trying to blow out his vocal chords every time he growls in the booth. Overall, this was dope.

HEART FULL OF SORROW (FEATURING DIVINE STYLER & SADAT X)

Lethal is determined to prove himself to the purists as a production force. And believe me, with flips like this where he loops four seconds from a jazz fusion classic, he has very well succeeded. Read: This here is that powder. It's fitting that this beat is where you hear Sadat X, Everlast & Divine Styler take down fraudulent sellout rappers as Dat & E take turns dropping jewels, during which you experience the timeless pleasure of E verbally shitting on 45 the orange incompetence for a very brief moment, with DS closing up shop with one hell of a quotable. It's the line "Rap charges ain't funny but it boost your career" that's still painfully prevalent these days as exhibited in the whole Snitch9 ordeal. Bottom line, one of the greatest posse cuts I've ever heard in this game and the first of three contenders for best song on the album. Period.

EARTHQUAKE (FEATURING DIVINE STYLER)

OK, so you can read the track features, can't you? I have to ask: How in the halibut (Shoutouts to Shark Tale) was this ever to be sold as a "House of Pain" album again?! Aside from the false advertising, this song is further proof that E & DS have a natural chemistry together as they take turns catching wreck over an addictive DJ Lethal instrumental that effectively meshes funk & rock together for the backdrop. I'd even say that this chemistry eclipses that of Everlast & Danny Boy which, in this context, might be considered blasphemy. Still enforces the fact that promoting this album as a HOP album was a mistake, in my humble opinion.

SHUT THE DOOR (FEATURING SCHEME TEAM)

This run Lee is having... Whew! He masterminds one smacking contender for the most blunted funk a beat has ever displayed, complete with drums that knock exactly the way they're supposed to. Because fuck shoe-in, the Killa Rhyme Klik take one giant dump on what they could've done with such a heater by using it for guess the balls what? Sex raps on a rap album again. I'm done here. Next song

PASS THE JINN (FEATURING SCHEME TEAM)

First off, all is forgiven. Because Lee senses an impending storm coming as he whips up a sinister blood pumping backdrop and escapes the booth as if he's running from an exploding tower. Rightfully so, as the Killa Rhyme Klik are looking for death and destruction on this posse cut and they make you feel. Every. Second. All three sound straight up demented as they're unleashed onto you, with Everlast being among the very few MC's to rhyme about the Lord Of The Rings before to Peter Jackson's blockbuster trilogy hitting the box office. Oh, and Divine Styler blacks out on the closing verse, making you forget every offering that came before his. The second contender for best song on the album.

NO DOUBT

Yeah, so this is the longest any Killa Rhyme Klik "House of Pain" album has ever gone without a solo Everlast track. That ends now as he commences another convincing sellout takedown over a smooth and relentless funk loop. My only grievance with the song is that hook. Blasphemy alert: I'm not a fan of Everlast the singer. It's what it is. This is still a dope wind down from Pass The Jinn

CHOOSE YOUR POISON

Hey, look! Danny Boy is back to remind us that this is still a Killa Rhyme Klik "House of Pain" album! To date, this remains the final time Everlast & Danny Boy perform a rap duet on wax. As if it's meant to be such, Lee concocts a dark but mirthful beat for E & D to have their last ride of shittalking. Keeping things per tradition, E bookends the song as D provides the not-so-skilled-but-still-fun cream filling. The end of an era.

X-FILES

Lethal decides that for his second solo offering, Everlast needs an acoustic-based backing. Tailor-made for braggadocio, the beat steers clear from E's path as he unloads a two-verse flurry of punchlines that are among the best he's ever written. These tracks show how E is actually underrated as a puncher because every line he throws connects as something you don't normally hear from other punchers. This was dope!

FED UP (REMIX) (FEATURING GURU & COKNI O'DIRE)

If there ever was a song on the album that successfully recalls House of Pain's previous reputation as party animals, this is it. This also marks the occasion of the late great Guru best showcasing his own rowdy ways on wax. If you're a longtime fan of Gang Starr and have never heard this song, the album version houses verses by Guru that are vastly different from the video version. The reason why this distinction is important is that the first verse of the album cut contains a significant portion of the rhymes Guru eventually uses on two of Gang Starr's timeless masterpieces: You Know My Steez & So Wassup. Now myself? I'm too attached to Gang Starr so I infinitely prefer the video version. That, and I heard said video version first. On that, E & Goo bounce off each other effortlessly over the same beat as the album version which finds Lee sampling the same source as Just To Get A Rep, yet another timeless Gang Starr masterpiece, and flipping it in a more exuberant fashion. Oh, and Cokni also closes out the proceedings just like he did the OG version earlier on the album. Side note: The video itself showcases House of Pain, Scheme Team & Guru having an absolute ball, so there's that.

KILLA RHYME KLIK (FEATURING SCHEME TEAM)

While Lee may have made better beats on this album, this song houses his most technically impressive instrumental to date. Forget the fact that he later joined Limp Bizkit and wasted his talents with them for decades, songs like this prove that he's a perfectly capable producer as he meshes samples of jazz instruments & vocals together to form this locomotive of a beat. And what's the result of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object? A certified banger, as each MC in this Killa Rhyme Klik throws a damn javelin and hits the bullseye. Our third contender for the best song on the album. This was the perfect proper song to put last before...

WHILE I'M HERE

The traditional shoutout track, where Everlast reverts into shoutout mode over a mellow DJ Lethal production that loops a Milk Dee sample and utilizes it as though E & Milk Dee are going back & forth throughout the track. Clever. I will say that E seems less enthused about giving shouts this time round, though. And we're done

FINAL THOUGHTS

I'm willing to bet that E, D & Lee regret the shit out of breaking up when they did. Because holy God, was this Killa Rhyme Klik "House of Pain" album a refreshing evolution. For E & Lee, at least, since D was more the creative force rather than a fellow artist. Lee finally develops a sound all his own on the boards that actually feels like a natural evolution from his roots under Muggs while E's lyrical skills reach their zenith here. I kid you not, he makes every effort he gives count. Apart from the shoutout track as that actually didn't require any effort. When I finished listening to this, I distinctly remember feeling that maybe Everlast should focus more on this new Killa Rhyme Klik thing he got, because his chemistry with Divine Styler & Cokni O'dire was volcanic almost every single time they shared a booth with songs like Heart Full Of Sorrow, Killa Rhyme Klik & oh my God Pass The Jinn, which for my money is the best song on the album. I know I said Heart Full Of Sorrow is one of the greatest posse cuts in history but Pass The Jinn tops it. It's that good. So yeah, truthfully? This album absolutely should've been credited to the Killa Rhyme Klik. Instead, it's on commercial record as the final album by House of Pain. However, don't let that distract you from the fact that Truth Crushed WHATEVER is absolutely essential if you're looking for an original boom bap experience.

WORTH IT?

Throw traditional "you're trash if you enjoy mumble crap" insult here and we're good. Yeah, if you're into the true school, do whatever you can to listen to this.

For more on the Jump Around dudes who beefed with Eminem, here. To continue down the Soul Assassins rabbit hole, here.

Cypress Hill - Temples Of Boom (October 27, 1995)

I'm not a fast review writer. You've probably gathered that by now, though.

Heading right back further into the Soul Assassins rabbit hole, I finally reached the period where cofounder/head producer Lorenzo Cavassi aka Larry Muggerud aka Grandmaster Muggs aka the ever-so-consistent DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill started kicking his production skills into high gear.

I gotta come clean on one thing: As revolutionary and dope as the first two Cypress Hill albums are, and as much as I preferred not to listen to the rest of their catalog due to said albums respective status, that outlook on Cypress Hill's overall quality immediately changed once I remembered how I got exposed to them.

The whole retrospective journey started when, you guessed it, I went for my first secondment in the cesspool known as Jeddah. (RIP to my uncle, the patriarch of my family, to whom Jeddah was home for over 6 decades. Love you and yours, Unc, but Jeddah's a shithole.) Living in a claustrophobic shitbox and having zero contact with anyone apart from work, that was by far the loneliest time I've ever spent. Suffering from nasty mental health issues, things went downhill fast and I entered into an ugly depression that lost me my appetite after a few days which eventually landed me in the hospital from malnutrition. That pales in comparison to the nightmares. What my head was putting me through almost put my life in danger. And that's where God sent his third gift to me.

In the midst of playing Batman Arkham Asylum, (one of the greatest video game experiences of all time, straight up) I would take breaks by browsing the internet every now & then. I would revisit my steadily-growing hip hop iPod list and see if it needed expanding. One day, I decided, after watching a gameplay video of Twisted Metal 4, to research the era where Cypress Hill lead MC Luis Freese aka the Phuncky Feel One aka Dr. Greenthumb aka the mighty B-Real delivered his guest feature for the Monstars Anthem, the very first hip hop song I was ever properly exposed to. I've already gone to lengths in previous reviews on how he & the mighty Method Man are the two MCs most responsible for my love for this artform, so it when I revisited the material B made from that era. I didn't take my usual approach of testing the waters with the singles, though, as I was too desperate for an immersion. I flung myself straight into this album. Was I ever in for a ride.

Temples Of Boom began formulating around a time when DJ Muggs started getting fed up with the blunted funk sound he pioneered as he felt that he exhausted every direction that sound was capable of, evolving in a way mirroring that of his many peers with his work on Brothas Doobie by Funkdoobiest. The new direction was exciting and put many of his peers on notice: The fusion of East Coast & West Coast tendencies just took a trippy new twist.

Unfortunately, this exciting development also came at a time when group leader and hypeman Senen Reyes aka the Perro aka Sen Dog was experiencing some serious burnout. This clearly concerned his fellow group members for his sake to the point of frustration, especially B-Real, whose gripes with the situation was clearly reflected with a sinister new twist that B adapted into his usual nasal cadence that somehow lost all the mirth present in their previous records. Another dominant sentiment back then was the fact that the Cypress Hill name started to get associated with the mainstream a little too much for the group's liking. I mean, they were getting called on by venues such as Woodstock, Lollapalooza & SNL (from which they were banned for life. Good. Fuck Lorne Michaels.), so people would almost be justified to assume that the Hill were selling out.

Almost. Sen & co pushed back hard with the direction they took here, with his inner turmoil influencing every dark turn B went with his typically-nihilistic subject matter. Hell, even the weed songs were influenced thereby. Muggs making it a mission to ensure that his name doesn't get lost in the shuffle of timeless producers booming at the time was simply the icing this album needed to come into fruition.

Speaking of weed songs, Roll It Up, Light It Up, Smoke It Up, made in the Temples sessions but ultimately released on the Friday OST, has since combined with the lead single for our album for this post, Throw Your Set In The Air, to become the catalyst to a shortlived-but-nasty feud between Cypress Hill & close friend, the legendary Ice Cube. Elaboration will come in the review.

Astonishingly, Temples Of Boom remains the fastest Cypress Hill album to reach the milestone of one million units sold in the States. Here, I ask the routine question that I do with each review: Was it any good, though? (Wink wink)

Temples Of Boom, boy/girl (pick one):

SPARK ANOTHER OWL

Sen gives a short intro and outro that sets the mood. Mirroring Black Sunday, a dedication to weed opens the album. However, this DJ Muggs beast renders the darkness on both preceding Cypress albums combined a trip to Disneyland with its macabre mesh of jazz & funk bytes. B steps in the booth and lets off a quick shot one-verse weed tribute in which he points out that the Hill set the trend for hip hop music embracing weed culture. Since I've already mentioned here that I have no qualms with these tributes even though I refuse to touch the stuff, I definitely vibed with this song. You will enjoy it, too. Especially if you're stoned out of your mind, apparently.

THROW YOUR SET IN THE AIR

First off, let me actually review this joint before I get to the juicy gossip y'all keep getting so fascinated with: Cypress Hill are apparently big on odes. Whether it be to cannabis as with the previous track, or to gang life. Or rather, B spins a tale about the harrowing life of gangbanging painting himself as a set leader and you as his soldier, all to the sinister tones of Muggs' evil mesh of funk & soul. Now on to the "good stuff"... B was invited to a session where Cube was in the midst of the Friday OST process. He suggested that the Hill contribute a song to the soundtrack, so B pulled a demo tape with Roll It Up, Light It Up, Smoke It Up & this song on it. It was fated that B would make the mistake of playing Throw Your Set first, because Cube fell blindly in love with the track. So much so that he wanted it for his soundtrack. B explained that this was the lead single to rollout the upcoming album and suggested the ode to weed instead. Cube seemingly accepted that until the OST came out with its title track having a hook that was too similar to the one on this song for B's liking. That's where the problem sparked into a fire that almost went out of control and overshadowed the single's actual quality, which was pretty damn good since the Hill were pretty adjacent to that life and knew exactly what it entails. Shame.

STONED RAIDERS

Can we get back to the actual music on the album? Yes? Good. Because this track here houses a contender for the most haunting instrumental on the entire album, courtesy of Muggs beautifully freaking a mesh of jazz excerpts to sound like an audio horror sequence, complete with demonic female choirs and all. For his part, B places himself in the shoes of some locally known criminal whose out on the hunt for a rival. In his own way, B has always had a talent for giving voice to thoughts that go through one's head, as these rhymes legitimately sound as if someone out there's thinking them right now. Props to Sen Dog's terrifying adlibs in the background.

ILLUSIONS

The journey into darkness continues as we arrive at what many consider to be the highlight of the album. And you know what? I somewhat agree except I don't think it's the only highlight. Whoops. Spoiled the verdict, huh? Watch me not give a rodent’s anus. I'm guessing Muggs & B wanted to deliver their own ode to Scarface's Mind Playing Tricks On Me. #GiveScarfaceHisFlowersNow. And guess what? Muggs & B knock it out of the fucking county, scratch a park. B displays a unique & extremely competent knack for relaying paranoia through his writing as he transforms into a deranged gang member who's taken to a mental institution then let out. The rest becomes the canvas for B to paint, and boy does he over Muggs' demented beat which remains one of the nastiest flips of Gary Burton I can recall, straight up and down. The Carnatic prelude only adds to the trip you go through listening thereto. This will remain in your playlist for decades.

KILLA HILL N****S (FEATURING RZA & GOLDEN ARMS)

In a surprising ceding of control, Muggs pulls a fast one and calls on the help of one of the most prominent peers he's trying to gain advantage on in the form of the motherfucking RZA of the fabled Wu-Tang Clan. To show his appreciation, RZA not only jumps on the track but produces the song and brings another Wu General along, as Golden Arms gets his first significant feature. B, RZA & Uey take turns demolishing a grimy, wormy RZA instrumental that would've fit snugly on Tical by Method Man. Hold up, why the motherfuck isn't Method Man on this? In any case, RZA gets outclassed by Uey's negative capability and a single utterance by B: "Number one mission: Opposition gets thrown, sent home in deposition" which just sounds cool. Of course, Sen's ever-so-present as he screams in the background in Spanish how he'll bring the end of corruption in modern society or some other adjacent bullshit. Whatever, all I care about is that he sounds pumped as fuck doing so and that adds to the track's overall excitement. The album's hot streak continues, but I'm still pissed that Mef ain't here.

BOOM BIDDY BYE BYE

Sen Dog finally comes out to play! And it's only the sixth track on the album! His inner demons pretty apparent judging by how long it took him to do so. Anyway, truth be told: B-Real's venom is just spewing out as he shells out 3 verses, with Sen performing the 2nd, that might seem simple on paper, but once you hear them against the straight-up whimsical xylophone loop Muggs chefs up, you start to grasp the horrifying contrast. This must be Muggs' answer to RZA's challenging beat earlier. No joke, this song is what would play in my head if I ever regrettably beat down someone I had major beef with. I'd imagine them actually giving up tryna fight back, fully grasping of the fuckshit they pulled and accepting what was coming to them without resistance as I delivered. None of that shit I just wrote is remotely close to actually happening, of course. However, these are the emotions that this track will pull out of you. the third home-run in a row, one that might very well be my favorite. The Fugees remix featuring Wyclef Jean & vocals from a pre-mainstream Lauryn Hill gives a good attempt of Clef attempting to get his thug on, but his duet with B, while fairly competent, fails to reproduce the magic that B & Sen cultivated with Muggs on the original.

NO REST FOR THE WICKED

So, that issue B & them had with Cube? Resulted in this. Muggs, whose consistency really needs to be talked about by this point, provides a sinister jazz piano loop as the backdrop for B to dig into Cube proper. And dig into him, he did. B airs out a whole bunch of secrets and factoids as fuel and they find their mark properly. I'm not a fan of diss tracks as a whole, but I feel B's abilities as a battler on wax are heavily slept on, and this track proves it. Hell, I even got this as superior to Cube's eventual response, because Cube & co were simply name-calling while B was hitting Cube with painful accusations of theft, dishonesty & everything in between. The feud eventually died down in 97 because it reached a very dangerous level, with Cube actually getting assaulted by Kam's homie Franklin Solo. Moving on.

MAKE A MOVE

I believe this is the first hip hop song to sample that scene from Pulp Fiction. Could be wrong, though. Anyway, Muggs sets shit off with a mean as fuck funk bass loop that's the most reminiscent of his earlier sound and minimalist enough to get the hell outta the way as B lets loose a flurry of verses tackling all wannabe rivals with his by-now patented descriptions of violent thoughts. Hearing Sen adlibbing most of B's rhymes with him also feels like Sen trying to remind himself of how much fun he was having in the Hill’s earlier albums. Maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed to be? Anyway, this album has yet to come with a skippable track.

KILLAFORNIA

B and Muggs combine to give you another claustrophobic description of what a gangbanger has to deal with on a daily basis, with B constantly asking himself "Who can you trust?" over another sinister piano loop from Muggs. Sen fleshes out the proceedings by contrasting B's paranoid thoughts with the surface-level pluses of gang life as he chats with one of their associates about what they're going through in the bridges mid-verses. This is another album cut that houses more hidden goodies if one looks closer.

FUNK FREAKERS

Another Carnatic interlude, followed by Muggs really showing off by introducing a demonic flip of a sax excerpt that can only be described as such. Believe me, the Hill were not in a healthy place while making this album as they took their aggression out in their music. B makes that abundantly clear as he promises death and destruction to all challengers. However, Sen swoops in and, with as little effort as he can muster, steals the show with his delivery of B’s bars. I promise you, you will feel the line: "Fucking up egos and anybody who oppose" because you hear his conviction in his voice. No need to raise hell or shout as B was doing, not that there was anything wrong with B's vocals as he returns for a last go at the track as it fades away. However, as far as Sen was concerned, a simple utterance was enough. Add this gem to the album's highlights.

LOCOTES

Did Sen’s inner conflict really affect the Hill’s dynamics that much? Because you would never be able to tell judging by how he & B do on this song, as B tells the story of a gangbanger fresh out of jail who resorts to robbing people on the street out of desperation. He kills a police officer and gets on a bus where he spots an old drunk who refused him a job in the past, thereby turning him to a life of crime. What dude wasn't counting on was the fact that the old geezer was packing and sober enough to see him coming. The old drunkard actually turns the tables on him in a shock twist that doesn't end well for our protagonist! Muggs gives another contender for the most terrifying beat on the album with a blood-pumping & menacing thumper for B as his bars provide him & Sen the path to weave their tale with disturbing detail. The icing on the cake is B writing Spanglish for Sen that resulted in iconic deliveries in the past. People forget that he, not his younger brother Mellow Man Ace, was the first to utilize said concept. Another song you'll have in your playlist for decades.

RED LIGHT VISIONS

The third Carnatic interlude of the evening. Muggs was really bent on tempting his listeners to smoke something while listening to this shit. Well, I refuse! Sorry, where was I? Oh yeah, another minimalist piano loop paired with a swift pair of battle verses from B that contain a quick middle finger to racist cops with Sen adlibbing with his psychobeta Chuck D-esque voice. Nice!

STRICTLY HIP HOP

Hold up, when did this problem with House Of Pain arise? Oh and Muggs seems awfully comfortable throwing the N-word around. I know he's Italian but... Anyway, since the House Of Pain problem gets resolved in the very near future, the bigger problem seems to be with an editor by the name of James Bernard because Muggs goes fully in on him in between B's scathing takedowns of industry sellouts, in which he sneaks a line about Cube. The one problem I have with this track is that Muggs talks too damn much to the point that he distracted me from the experience. And when you compare that nag with his relentless beat, which actually meshes well with B's rhymes, it becomes nigh intolerable. I'm here to listen to B rhyming over your shit, Muggsy, not to hear you whine and moan about who you got problems with. B's criticisms are pretty valid, though, so I wouldn't call the track worthless. Oh, and James Bernard did say some truly foul shit about Sen’s Cuban origins, so he had it coming. Shoutouts to the PMD sample, as well.

LET IT RAIN

This is just a higher-energy version of the previous track, with B switching his aim to OG Latino rapper Kid Frost whom the Hill also eventually squash it with. They had been going at each other by this point ever since the previous Cypress album. Oh, and yay, no Muggs chitchat. I will say that Muggs' bass-heavy loop this time round is another dope reminder of his blunted funk innovations. Moving on.

EVERYBODY MUST GET STONED

The original closer of the album, it makes sense that Cypress Hill bookend an album of theirs with tributes to weed. And as far as those go, this one's pretty par the course with the exception of a slight last dig towards Ice Cube. Muggs always knew how to provide the right backing for these joints and this is no exception

SMUGGLER'S BLUES

A bonus track from the Japanese version, Muggs sets up a sinister, slow and plodding backdrop for B to give two verses spinning a tale of a weed smuggler who ends up getting caught. At some point, people are going to have to start talking about B's attention to detail, because his stories have been on fire so far and this belongs right up there with them.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I remember my misgivings regarding what Temples of Boom was going to end up sounding like because I was such a huge fan of its two predecessors. Oh, how wrong I was. Nothing that Cypress Hill has ever done in the past compares to the upgrades they've displayed here, as Muggs has uphauled the ever-living shit out of his production, while B has stepped his lyrical game something undeniable and Sen has mastered the menace in his delivery of B’s bars here. It always surprises me how much the Hill mastered the art of combining elevation and consistency. And never let it be said that they're one-trick ponies because they display a breadth of different subject matters here from a gangbanger's perspective ranging from dealing with new recruits, set-ups, paranoia, old grudges. All these topics rely on Muggs' grasp on sound and B's abilities as a writer and both rise to the occasion ever so majestically, churning out classics such as Stoned Raiders, Illusions, Killafornia, Locotes, etc. And the number of times Sen vocally inserts himself into the fray is noticeably less than any other Cypress Hill project so far, so I really understand the fact that his inner crisis may have caused real turbulence within the group, back then. Still, if he ain't rhyming B’s rhymes, he's either adlibbing them on damn near every song or providing further context to a song via a few utterances here and there, so his presence was always felt one way or another. Putting it bluntly: This will be an album you revisit for a long, long time.

WORTH IT? As if I'll suddenly tell you 'No, go buy Funeral by Lil Wayne.' If Temples of Boom ain't the type of album you'd like to listen to, what the motherfuck are you doing here?

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:

THE LAST ASSASSIN

From the OST of one of my favorite movies, The Cable Guy. Leave it to Muggs to remind you that, damn it, he still knows the hell outta his way around some funky drums as he meshes them with some jazzy excerpts to form a macabre instrumental fit for a trademark B-Real tale of coming up as a hood assassin in a local gang. Y'all definitely should search for this if you dug his stories in the proper album.

ROLL IT UP, LIGHT IT UP, SMOKE IT UP

Ah yes, the track Cube ultimately took instead of the one he actually wanted. I don't know why Cube didn't want this ode to weed because it sure beats the one they ended the US album with. Muggs gives a shivering mix of jazzy bytes over some hard blunted funk drums as B gives another ode to the herb, with Sen using B’s bars while bobbing and weaving in between the second verse alongside his partner. Dope!

WHATTA YOU KNOW

Again Muggs flexes his mastery over sound as he manipulates a soulful loop into a soulless result and lets it loose for B & Sen to tell a tale of a gangbanger robbed by his own homeboy, with B playing the role of the robbed and Sen playing the opposite character. If there were any differences between B & Sen, then this track must've been written by B as therapy for them both as their respective characters eventually clashed. This will surely worm its way into your collection.

THROW YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR (FEATURING ERICK SERMON, REDMAN & MC EIHT)

And there's Barron Ricks! Finally I get to talk about this motherfucker, as he remains one of my favorite MCs to spit over a DJ Muggs beat. He's only introducing the proceedings here, though. Speaking of DJ Muggs, he further flexes on his peers by reworking not one, but two of his beats (Spark Another Owl & Throw Your Set In The Air) into an all-new third masterpiece. Bruh! Story time: This was actually my very first introduction to Erick Sermon as an MC after being introduced to him for the first time outright on Def Jam Fight For NY. You just have to give it up to the MCs of that generation who just knew how to convey conviction in their cadence, and Erick is no slouch in that department. B then steps into the cipher and does his group proud, before DJ Kut Killa aka The Funkadelic Devil aka Funk Doctor Spock aka Reggie motherfucking Noble aka the mighty Redman swoops in and pulls the rug from under everybody. This is what I wanted to hear Method Man doing on that earlier Killa Hill N****s song on the album. CMW's MC Eiht closes out the proceedings with the first of many tracks that, in my humble opinion, prove without a shadow of a doubt that the man simply finds his footing better on production that leans more towards East Coast tendencies. You can argue the opposite till you're all blue in the face and you'll still be wrong. Bottom line, one of the most underrated posse cuts ever. And we're done.

For another dose of that Soul Assassins funk, here. And for further posts about the group that won against Ice Cube, here.

Funkdoobiest - Brothas Doobie (July 4, 1995)

Welcome back to the resurgence of 2020. (I promise I won't mention the pandemic anywhere in this review. Stay safe, boy/girl (pick one))

So I'm midway through my Soul Assassins run, and I'm finally at the point where, true to Soul Assassins fashion, their sound gets updated to match the burgeoning East Coast Renaissance that was giving the G-Funk era (Shoutouts to Warren G) a good run for its money over the control of the hip hop landscape. As mentioned in my review of Between A Rock And A Hard Place by the criminally underrated Artifacts, the Soul Assassin producer who initiated such foray was South Carolina native Todd Ray aka the criminally underrated T-Ray. Little did he know that his venture would be followed by a run that would be talked about for years to come.

By this time, I’m almost certain that one Lorenzo Cavassi aka Larry Muggerud aka the ageless Soul Assassins founder DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill was paying very close attention to his fellow (Former? Current?) crewmember T-Ray, along with the rest of the producers usually mentioned in such contexts like the RZAs, the Large Pros & the Pete Rocks as they respectively crafted the works that forced the entire hip hop culture to hail them as the preservers of the artform they absolutely are. This came at a time when Muggs' influence in the West already began to bear fruit, such as the rich sounds of the Hieroglyphics & Likwit collectives and the wild experimentation of the Pharcyde. Nevertheless, it was time for the Grandmaster (he seriously calls himself that. I still don't know if he was actually branded as such by the fathers of this or it was an ego trip. Oh well.) to show what production techniques he's refined during this vivid time.

And he chose to do it with the goofiest crew in their team.

Don't get it twisted, I still adore Which Doobie U B? by Latino trio Funkdoobiest, made up of Ralph Medrano bka DJ Ralph M & MCs Jason Vasquez aka the Tribal Funkster bka Son Doobie & Tyrone Pacheco bka Tomahawk Funk. They continued expanding on the party vibe Muggs resolutely established with Cypress & fellow Soul Assassins founders House of Pain but this time Muggs called on their ambitious sides. Nowhere can this be more seen than on their first single for the new album, Rock On. The content here was as far removed from the party vibe they're known for as possible and whomever was lucky enough to come across it was really in for a treat. I'm telling y'all, it remains a complete mindfuck. Released in 1994, the single signified Muggs' departure from the blunted sound that made him famous, to which he has never returned. Brooklyn's own Brett Bouldin, from Muggs early 7A3 days, should really be hailed for mentoring SD, along with his Soul Assassins crewmate B-Real, in the ways of songwriting, as the following single, Dedicated, remains one of the more heartfelt tributes in hip hop, often forgotten because it wasn't "lyrical" enough. Le sigh.

Not to say that the Doobies didn't know to have fun anymore, as they still remembered the "Funkiest" formulas that got them into the dance in the first place. (Cheeky, right? Oh, shut up!) That would be reflected with songs like You're Dummin, Who Ra Ra, Tomahawk Bang and... Oh fuck it, who am I kidding? This album also unfortunately marked the spark that led to Son Doobie being known for what he's known for now. Yep, that Eminem line. Songs like XXX Funk, Pussy Ain't Shit, Ka Sera Sera & Superhoes showcased how this guy embraced his Porno King persona that he debuted on the eponymous skit on their debut and repped what Kool Keith infamously dubs as pornocore rap to the fullest. And folks, it is exactly as advertised.

Brothas Doobie released on Independence Day of 1995 to crickets, as is unfortunately typical of every underground act. Still, those who did come across this album were caught mouth agape. First by the raunchy shit that SD was able to get away with. Second, with the fact that he & partner TF can get hella deep when they want to.

Don't believe me? Brothas Doobie, boy/girl (pick one):

THIS IS IT (INTERLUDE)
Muggs sets it off with an instrumental comprising a smorgasbord of musical styles meshed in a melodious way that's completely novel. And from the get-go, you can hear how serious he is about one-upping his competition and evolving his sound. Pity no one rhymed over this shit but still, some good music.

ROCK ON
And straight away, you run into the first of two songs that can be argued as the crown jewel of this album. SD & TF get their metaphysical on proper on the whimsical Muggs concoction and this is ageless rap from the unlikeliest of sources. Brett Bouldin, MCing genius that he is, laid out the concept so well thought out that SD & TF were forced to elevate their respective verses to match his vision. You will not give a shit that TF suddenly started highlighting the importance of knowledge of self. you'll be too busy breaking the rewind button in playing this. Props to Buckwild from DITC's remix featured in the video. Still doesn't touch the Muggs version, IMHO, as the latter is much more layered. One of the most slept on songs in hip hop history. I'm gonna be saying this a lot on this site.

WHAT THE DEAL
Muggs returns with a soulful loop that Brettie B from 7A3 lays out a daily-life concept to. That's all the Tribal Funxta needed as he paints the rest of the picture with a vividness that really needs to net son more props as he gives you his own It Was A Good Day. Only he's describing a good night on the neighborhood with his fellow doobies. I'm somehow surprised that the end result wasn't a flat out raunchfest. Wasn't that the expectation you saddled yourself with when you listened to Funkdoobiest? No? Suuuuure. Anyway, this bangs.

LOST IN THOUGHT
The third Muggs showing as he flexes his digging qualities by crafting an instrumental that brilliantly blends Latin funk and 70s disco and somehow giving a dark spin on it that still makes the head nod uncontrollably. For his part, Jason chooses this beat to unload his tripped-out thoughts on wax, describing the mentality of someone who spent his life entrenched in many darknesses from hood life. And I must say: Third hit in a row! Son effectively and alarmingly relays the confusion, the lack of mental presence, the faulty decision making and the straight-up lack of cohesion in the thoughts he commits on this track. Nice!

DEDICATED
Ah yes. We finally come to the song I banged the most from the entire Funkdoobiest discography. Muggs lay the foundation with the most haunting soul & jazz mesh that Brett deemed worthy for a dedication to the impoverished. And folk, this is one chillingly emotional song. Son goes for dolo and doesn't even bother putting thought into his rhyme structure, because you won't be looking for such. You'll be too busy feeling the sting & conviction in your fucking chest as he monotonously delivers the grey and grim outlook on life many residents in the inner city suffer from through a hypnotically layered performance. Listen, bottom line? Fuck a review. Go listen to this song, now.

KA SERA SERA
Back, huh? Well, you'll wish you were somewhere else now, as this is the point in the album where Son Doobie chooses to embrace his pornocore tendencies to the fullest in a trilogy of sex raps. First off is a tale I'm sure nobody in hip hop has ever done before: A tale about the neighborhood floozy. Brettie? Get ya mans. To top it off, this trife is wasted on a fonky blend by DJ Ralph M in his first production for Brothas Doobie. Translation: skip this barf.

PUSSY AIN'T SHIT
Second go at this pornocore bullshit and I'm already almost regretting ever giving a fuck about Funkdoobiest as a whole. Hell, even the title ain't original at all. I'm sure a litany of people already badgered Muggs, Brett & Jason about this but let me pile on: Rap pioneer Fresh Kid Ice already had a song with the exact same title in 1992, y'all. And even then, shit was trash. Y'all should've got the memo. And I ain't even mentioning the beat this time cuz fuck this song, that's why. Skip this barf.

XXX FUNK
I don't give a fuck that this is the third single. I don't give a flying fuck that Ralph & Muggs teamed up and brought the absolute business on the boards with that grimy update of the Jeep-rattling funk pioneered by EPMD. I couldn't give less of a rat's ass that this is one of the Doobies' most well-known songs: SEX RAPS GET NO LOVE HERE.  SKIP THIS BARF!!!

IT AIN'T GOING DOWN
Muggs must've had his fill of sex raps for the following year or two as he finally relinquishes production duties to protege and fellow Soul Assassins producer DJ Lethal from House Of Pain, in his lone production for the album. Son Doobie chooses to continue where he left off on Lost In Thought and, dare I say, I think Lethal's beat, claustrophobic in the best way possible, topped Muggs when it comes to producing a song about your mind losing all function and rationale, as Jason delivers yet another standout performance. We're sorta back on track with the good stuff.

YOU'RE DUMMIN'
You've come to the song most in common with Funkdoobiest's output on Which Doobie U B? as Ralph retakes the helm aboard the boards and delivers a beat that can only be considered an ode to the blunted funk Muggs pioneered on the Cypress Hill debut. This is intended as a compliment. For his part, Son is instantly comfortable on familiar ground as he launches into the braggadocious style that put him on the map in the first place. Nicely done!

TOMAHAWK BANG (FEATURING BASHTON)
The prerequisite TF solo joint, except TF chose to share the spotlight with one Sebastian Rosset aka Bashton the Invisible Man aka Invizabul Mang aka True Bash aka MF Bash aka S. Rossiter. Lotta nicknames for someone I've only heard of once, no disrespect. Anyways, TF & MF here deliver, to my knowledge, one of the very few odes to the peoples indigenous to Turtle Island (Google that) in the form of a tale of revenge against colonialists. Read: They tear up a bunch of them motherfuckers. Anyway, TF & MF bring the biz over another infectious Ralph M beat looping a classic William Tell excerpt from a TV show. Props to the hollering amidst the hook.

SUPERHOES
Because fuck shoe-in, that's why. Here, Jason chooses to weave an explicit tale of various childhood staples. All you need to know is that he describes an instance where He-Man fucks Smurfette. Fuck pornocore.

WHO RA RA (FEATURING BRETT BOULDIN)
The final track on Brothas Doobie provides the listener with the chance to finally hear DJ Muggs produce a track for his original 7A3 crewmate Brettie B, albeit sharing production duties with his protege DJ Ralph M again. For his part, Son is giddy about the opportunity to rhyme with his mentor so he lets Brett set the song off. And it's here that I confess that I'm still pretty damn pissed at myself for not being mature enough to check out 7A3's lone 1988 album Coolin' In Cali until long after I became a Soul Assassins stan. Because folk: Brett Bouldin is nice! And even though SD puts up a pretty good fight with his following braggadocio offering, Brett definitely cleaned house with a masterful verse. And we're done.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Yeah, sure: Brothas Doobie is the album where Son Doobie embraces this bullshit alter-ego of his. On at least four songs, no less. But the rest? Yeah, this is the album where Funkdoobiest transcended from their tried and true party rap ways into something... more. No bullshit, Son Doobie & at times Tomahawk Funk lay down some pretty thought-provoking shit on wax here. I was especially drawn to what TF & Bash tackled with their ode to the Natives. For his part, Son also proved that he was pretty damn adept at carrying multiple tracks on his own. I just wish nobody ever introduced him to porn, because now that's what everyone remembers him by. None of the brilliant songs, you damn sure read correctly, here would be possible had it not been for DJ Muggs' competitive streak. This was the album where he chose to take the plunge into experimentation as every producer worth his mettle back then had done. This need to distinguish his sounds brought you songs like Rock On & Dedicated, two songs that you should absolutely burn into your fucking brain. NOW. And the rest of the non-porno music is right up there in quality. Muggs' focus was so potent it rubbed off on both his proteges, groupmember DJ Ralph M & DJ Lethal as they too stepped their game the fuck up. This was hella satisfying.

WORTH IT? Despite the four disturbingly trash songs I've highlighted, I still think Brothas Doobie is worth your time. SD & TF aren't the most lyrical of MCs but they never needed to be, because they give you plenty to sink your teeth into. Each MC fleshes their background and subject matter something lovely, under the guidance of mentor Brett Bouldin's veteran instincts. And they present said material in the most fitting of packages. And Ralph, Muggs & co. couldn't've produced better music outta these two if they tried. Imagine (Yes, I'm going there.) DJ Premier giving those Group Home beats to an MC way more competent than Melachi The useless Nutcracker. That's what this project feels like. If that doesn't push you to go listen to this album now, then I don't know what would. Now, git.

For more Funkdoobiest, here. If you want more diversions into the Soul Assassins canon, do so at your own risk here.

Artifacts - Between A Rock And Hard Place (October 25, 1994)

This is the post where following my blog actually enhances the experience. Because when I told you to remember the name Todd Ray, I meant that shit.

Todd Ray aka T-Ray is a legendary hip hop producer from South Carolina who moved to LA in the mid-90s after a legendary stint in NY with some of hip hop's most pioneering producers and figures. T-Ray's introduction into the Soul Assassins collective, whom I'm still gonna talk about, was the moment his decade of production finally paid off. He produced one of crewmates Cypress Hill's biggest singles to date in I Ain't Goin' Out Like That off their bestselling album to date, Black Sunday. Shit was gravy until the finished album for B-Real’s protégés the Whooliganz (comprised of Mudfoot aka production juggernaut The Alchemist & Madskillz aka actor Scott Caan... I wish I’m making this up.) was shelved with the quickness. For some reason, T-Ray and Muggs had a quiet falling out. To the extent of my knowledge, though, Todd still considers himself a Soul Assassin member to this day. Reason enough for me to include this review in their run that I seem to be taking forever to complete.

Reality set in quick as T-Ray needed to find a way to showcase his wizardry to the world, and for a while it seemed like every production venture he participated in either gets left for dead or overshadowed by circumstance or tomfoolery. Little did he know that his magnum opus would be right around the corner.

For his story largely mirrored that of the duo we’re tackling today: Rahem Brown aka Tame One, cousin of one Reggie Noble aka the mighty Redman from EPMD's legendary Hit Squad crew, was already well-established as the local punchline hero of Newark and was already a member of one of the many precursors to the Wu-Tang supergroup formula consisting of a group of family members and family friends: The Revolutionary Posse of Terrorists. RPT for short. Also noted graffiti writers, Tame, Red, along with former Newark City Council candidate Doitall from the criminally-underrated Lords Of The Underground, used to follow crew leader Diesel Don to their producer DJ Gruff Rhino's house where Tame would be constantly hounded by close friend Jay Burnz Jaya, so happening to be a guest on this album, about one Elliott Williams aka El Da Sensei and how he's a dope MC from his high school who also happened to be a fellow MC and graffiti writer. Finally, after numerous mistimed appointments, the two MCs meet at Gruff's house and start recording together. A spark was born, and Jay insisted that the two would form a duo. Eventually, they would get their first name from simply their reputation of smoking opponent duos, earning them the simple-but-effective name That's Them. Later on, they'd gamble on themselves by heading up to NYC and somehow getting handpicked by Stretch and Bobbito for their legendary show.

And this is where I tie the two tales together.

T-Ray was present when our duo first wrecked shop on the Stretch and Bobbito. They impressed so much that everyone changed their name for them into the Artifacts. Just so happened that the fuckfaces at Big Beat Records (Told you I'd come back to these motherfuckers) heard Tame & El's consistently magnificent showings on the show and presented the duo with a "deal that'll make you a star". One thing they did do right was that they also offered T-Ray to produce the majority, if not the entire record. And he almost did if it wasn't for producer Buckwild from the legendary DITC offering up beats that T-Ray felt were good enough to make the debut they were all working on. Our duo pulled in a beat apiece from a respective acquaintance of each other and boom. Album done.

Four months before Between A Rock And A Hard Place dropped, the Artifacts were finally ready to unleash the debut single that hopefully would leave an impression with audiences. Wrong Side Of Da Tracks, to my limited knowledge, received a shit ton of praise from the fanbase of one of hip hop's most forgotten elements: Graffiti. Taggers were getting increasingly scarce because of the stereotypical association of graffiti with criminal activities which led to it eventually becoming a criminal activity itself. So, naturally, Wrong Side Of Da Tracks became the unofficial graffiti anthem.

Sadly, Between A Rock  And A Hard Place never received any commercial success given the fact that it was under Big Beat and the album suffered the same fate that would later befall Real Live: A commercial failure that carried over the goodwill generated by its lead single to graffiti enthusiasts, and now you're here to see if this album deserves such reverence.

Between A Rock  And A Hard Place, boy/girl (pick one):

DRAMA (MORTAL KOMBAT FATALITY)
We begin the night/day/whatever with an ominous blood-pumping beat from Drew (El Da Sensei's bud) that's perfect for playing in the background when you're beating down that pissant who bullied you in high school incessantly, complete with addictive scratches by the legendary DJ Roc Raida of the X-Ecutioners RIP. And neither of our duo rhyme on the shit. Top it all off, Roc is actually scratching two samples from a song already on the album. You know how much that shit pisses me off. Still, an awesome beat begging for someone to destroy it.

C'MON WIT DA GET DOWN
The second single and Buckwild's first production on here, this track has one doozy of a story here.
It's worth your time because it involves Busta Rhymes with his old Leaders Of The New School crew and some noname rapper by the name of Jay-Z. I don't think that last dude made anything of himself in this hip hop game, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in the comments. Back to the song, though, as Buck demonstrates once again why he's one of the most gifted producers to ever construct a beat through flipping a classic funk loop, with all the musical highs and lows expected from the genre on as full a display as you're ever gonna get. Also, do I hear Buck's fellow DITC crewmate AG on the catchy-as-all-hell hook? Anyway, Da Sensei decides it's his time to shine and sets off the album with the most appropriate MO for a new hip hop act: We are lyricists. We will bar you to death. Either get with the program or step off. The difference between El and these subpar rappers being forced down people's throats is that he comes off as a veteran from the very first bar: You know you're listening to someone who knows their shit. And if you thought El was impressive, (which he unquestionably was) Tame comes in and blows your socks off with a continuation of the message at hand. This lyrical assault should've opened the album because it's one of the hypest setoffs to a hip hop album I can ever think of. I know damn well what that encompasses.

WRONG SIDE OF DA TRACKS
The debut Artifacts single and, really, the reason why you're here reading my review about them. The definition of an anthem is 'a song that is identified with a particular group, body, or cause'. When I said that this song was a graffiti anthem, I meant that shit: Tame and El flex their respective graffiti backgrounds while still retaining their punchline venom over what could truly be considered as the beat that changed the Soul Assassins sound forever and T-Ray's coming out party. Todd concocts the most haunting jazz instrumental is something that will not leave your consciousness anytime soon. And the hook adds fuel to the grimy fire which always enhances the immersion. This track singlehandedly establishes Tame One as one of the most underrated MCs to ever grace the microphone. I know I said that in the review of the previous song, but Wrong Side was the one the people heard first, so fuck outta here.

HEAVY AMMUNITION
The thing about crafting albums is that you have to master the art of the wind-down. You simply cannot high-octane the audience to death. Which is what I feel the Artifacts have mastered with this third track: After the previous two knockouts, they allow the energy to simmer down on the musical tip and just step up to the mic and shit-talk the fuck outta you. And even though they give in to the cliche of comparing their lyrics to gunfire, it's hard to stay mad at Tame & El when they're this good at it. Shoutouts to another bomb T-Ray beat as he chefs up a bass-heavy thumper with samples from Erick Sermon, Pete Rock & Tame's cousin Redman. And the beat still minds its own business and stays the hell outta the way of the bars! Read: This shit bangs.

ATTACK OF NEW JERUZALUM (FEATURING JAY BURNS JAYA)
Rest time is over as the Artifacts decide it's time for the energy to pick back up as they repay the favor to the dude who was responsible for them hooking together in the first place by featuring him on the album. Buckwild reenters the fray with an uptempo horn-&-bass-heavy beat that you realize is fated for utter demolishment the moment you hear Tame's opening adlibs. And best believe, all three came correct with bars that'll bury you. Props to DJ Roc Raida RIP as he scratches Tash from Tha Alkaholiks in as the song ends.

NOTTY HEADED N*****Z
T-Ray must've felt like Buck's work on that last song was a producing challenge in who can create the most energetic beat. Because son whips up the most raucous beat on the entire album! I wish I could've been a fly on the wall when both Artifacts heard this beat breathe for the first time in the studio. Naturally, Tame and El bounce off each other flawlessly as they try to outdo each other in tackling the beat. I personally feel that Tame takes this unofficial competition with his sudden display of assonance mastery. Overall, you'll love this joint.

WHAYBACK
T-Ray, fucking production master that he is, decides that it's time for another wind-down as he stitches up a beat comprising psychedelic and jazz elements that absolutely perfect for a hip hop act to convey something. Naturally, our duo knocks it outta the park with the nostalgic rhymes they kick that truly reflect how deep the love for this game can run. The icing on the cake is the song ending with samples from a few of the greats that debuted in 86-88: Just-Ice, Biz Mark, G Rap, PMD, KRS, Shan, the JBs & Kane. Once again it comes back to how great sonic art can make you feel because songs like this will definitely invoke a nostalgic feeling from you even if you've never been around back then.

FLEXI WITH DA TECH(NIQUE)
B-side to Wrong Side Of Da Tracks, people who took a liking to the Artifacts had this to dig into next. Common sense would dictate that our duo had to make their rhymes count if the hip hop community had only 2-3 jawns to whet their appetite until Between A Rock And A Hard Place dropped. Thankfully, they deliver in spades as Tame & El barrel through your brain with punchlines galore over a thumping T-Ray beat that achieves a great contrast with the rhymes with its jazzy horn & bass combo. You can play this shit in a hotel lobby and people wouldn't bat an eyelash if that hotel was The Tunnel back in the days.

CUMMIN' THRU YA F-KIN' BLOCK (FEATURING REDMAN)
Since El brought Drew in to produce that intro without either Artifact rhyming on the shit, (still pissed about that, by the by) Tame One's suggestion, the great Reggie Noble, made damn sure that both Artifacts rhymed their asses off on his spacey bass-heavy brew. Fun fact: For a hot minute, Reggie used to be pretty good at those and the one he gives our duo here is no exception. And by God, do they both oblige as they bounce back and forth, beating you down with their punchlines worse than any ass-whooping you'll ever see on any Streets Of Rage game. Shoutouts to SOR4 finally entering development a quarter of a century after the preceding trilogy ended. Read: We have a slapper, folks. A part of me can't help but stay pissed at the label fuckfaces at Def Jam for not allowing Reggie to actually demolish the beat with his kin. Their complimenting styles would interact later on in their careers, thankfully, so there's that.

LOWER DA BOOM
T-Ray's back. I must say, he's been absolutely lava on this entire album, so far. He's building up quite the case as a production force to be reckoned with and here, he pulls another rabbit outta the hat with an exquisite bass-heavy beat sprinkled with drops of horns that create a wonderful swirl of music. You know, the perfect beat to rhyme your dedication to weed to, which is exactly what our duo venture in. Tame and El have already proven numerous times that they can diversify their subject matter so this was unsurprisingly a walk in the park for them. They exerted the most lyrical effort for this, you say? Huh! Two things caught my ear when listening to Tame verses here: 1. If the dude who got the contact high from his potent batch 'even though he don't touch the stuff' was Redman, I call bullshit. 2. I wonder how he feels about actually seeing cannabis getting legalized throughout the States. Pour your heart out, Tame. It's OK. This hook by El is also something I'm addicted to. Point is, if you don't like this jam then get the fuck off my blog.

WHAT GOES ON?
Buckwild comes back from his long bathroom break to find that T-Ray wasn't messing around so he feels pressed to catch up with a strong-enough instrumental and he definitely impresses with his fusion of funk & jazz. Too bad, Tame & El shoot that shit on sight with them finally succumbing to the most unfortunate industry trend: misogyny. The sheer number of rappers who feel like they absolutely have to diss women on their albums confuses me to no end. Are y'all really that weak as to give in to the whims of your A&Rs?! It's a statistical fact that the vast majority of women in the US (fuck it, worldwide) are good people so from the bottom of my heart: FUCK THIS TOPIC.

DYNAMITE SOUL
Whew. I need to hear something that'd get me back in the groove of things here. Oh, T-Ray got me covered? Sweet! T-Ray bakes a beat that would end up nailing the maximum scope for a song called Dynamite Soul. You literally feel like you're flying around in the Grand Canyon. The Artifacts decide that maybe they should stick with punchlines from hereon out and try experimenting with subject matter on later albums. Good call, fellas. Tame & El revert to punchline mode and shit just feels natural again as they bar opposing crews to death. On the last verse, our duo join the litany of crews who paid tribute to the Run-DMC style of back-n-forth rhyming, usually a great step to take. And these two didn't slack off in the least.

WHASSUP NOW MUTHAF-KA?
T-Ray's final beat for the evening is a simple minimalistic blues loop. It's also the best beat on the album as it's the perfect Artifacts display: Dope beat and dope lyrics. El and Tame bring their best punchlines to the yard and duke it out heavy with just one verse apiece. Here is where you really find out that Tame One is Redman's cousin, maybe even his inspiration, as he blacks the fuck out. Seriously, El oughta thank God that he didn't have to follow Tame on that particular joint, real talk. With that, T-Ray solidifies his dominance over the entire album's sound. This might be the most addictive song on the album because no matter how many times you say you're gonna move to the next one, you remember how short it is and you press rewind again! My favorite song on Between A Rock And A Hard Place.

C'MON WIT DA GET DOWN (REMIX)
Story time: I first heard this Buckwild beat when Celph Titled from Army Of The Pharoahs used it as part of his Nineteen Ninety More re-up for those who were left wanting more after his Nineteen Ninety Now collaboration album blew everyone the fuck away. (Oh, best believe: that album will be discussed here sooner or later) I distinctly remember my giddiness when I finally discovered the source material and how much of a classic fucking collaboration this is. For this is probably Busta's second ever feature after leaving LONS, following his famed showing on the Flava In Ya Ear remix. And boy/girl (pick one), his hunger shows as he takes the final verse and knocks it out the park. Still, I didn't say he bodied everyone else, as Tame came out the gate swinging and eviscerating the jazzy bass-&-xylophones beat. (Shoutouts to my 2-year-old's favorite instrument!) I really felt sorry for poor El, as he really was caught in the crossfire, even though his outing was dope as fuck. All in all, one of the best posse cuts in history.


FINAL THOUGHTS

I must confess that a group like the Artifacts wouldn't be nearly as lasting without consistent production like what my man T-Ray's been able to deliver. A stark update from his blunted sound just a year prior, he reflected the influence of the East Coast Renaissance pretty damn well as he truly cemented himself as one of the most underappreciated production masters in the history of this business with this album alone. Not one single beat he made for Between A Rock And A Hard Place was lacking in any way, shape or form. One thing worthy of note is that he never featured on an album so heavily again as he subsequently returned to freelance work. Nothing to be sniffed at, though, as a year later he'd produce For Da Brothaz, pretty much my favorite Kool G Rap solo display ever off his mafioso debut 4,5,6.  Also overlooked is the fact that T-Ray's work here forced his fellow Soul Assassins producers to update their game hard on their subsequent catalog (which I promise I'll get to soon). And for MCs as hungry as Tame One & El Da Sensei were, that's all they ever needed. The heat from Buckwild & Redman didn't hurt, either. Tame & El also similarly prove that whenever you think of dope MC duos, hell, dope MCs period, both Artifacts deserve to be on there. They've proved their mettle in every facet of the lyrical game: Punchlines, wit, flow, imagery, storytelling, the gamut. Wished they'd rhymed on the intro and dumped What Goes On? into the toilet as that shit subject matter simply disagrees with my very being. The problem, as always with acts this focused, is that they signed with the worst label possible. Big Beat ranks right up there with TVT Records as one of the shittiest labels to ever promote hip hop, naturally leading to casualties like Mic Geronimo, Royal Flush, Real Live, and our boys the Artifacts. Still, at least they were greenlighted for a follow-up. But that's for another time.

(Mr. Todd Ray, I know you sadly moved on from hip hop to do you. If you feel any information in here is incorrect, please feel free to put me and my reader up on game in the comments.)

WORTH IT? What part of "lasting" didn't you understand?! Go acquire this now!! Or simply gobble up whatever the fuck DJ Akademiks' untalented, clout-chasing ass shovels down your throat.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
DYNAMITE SOUL II (LIP SERVICE MIX) (FEATURING SKILLZ)
My very first review of a Skillz track!! Been a while since I reviewed EZ Elpee, too!! I feel that EZ's beat here is so reminiscent of DITC's sound that it could be mistaken for a Buckwild or Lord Finesse production. That's intended as the highest of compliments, as he freaks a mean bass loop with the hardest snares. Tame, El & guest Skillz do not waste this opportunity in the slightest as they all body the fuck outta the beat, with Skillz sounding so at home he could easily be confused as the third Artifact MC. DJ Roc Raida RIP's scratches at the end are, as always, the icing on the cake. This is one remix you don't wanna miss, especially if you loved the proper album. And we're done.

For more Soul Assassins entries, have at it. If you want to diverge into Artifacts territory, be my most welcome guest.

Almost forgot...

A big, BIG shoutout to No Knockoffs Radio, who provided me the chance for my first public recorded appearance in the US. You read correctly, I'm on the show. Have at y'all in the comments of this video, because clearly, y'all ain't interested in commenting here! LMMFAO!!

House of Pain - Same As It Ever Was (June 28, 1994)

It's another Soul Assassins post, and we still ain't scratched the surface of how beloved and respected this crew was. For example, back in their heyday, inter-regional acceptance was a pretty big accomplishment. Seeing as there wasn't no social media to speak of, only way you knew that Snoop Dogg was feeling Nas' output, for instance, was through radio or TV interviews. However, there was always a way more impactful and traceable method: Actually work with the mufucca you tryna big up! And while East Coast luminaries were always known to appear on albums from the West Coast, vice-versa there really wasn't a lot of people besides Ice Cube. But as influential as Cube was, his appeal on the East Coast didn't really last as much as his buddies/frenemies the Soul Assassins crew, consisting of Cypress Hill, Funkdoobiest & our hosts today House Of Pain. Because, let me tell y'all something: When that senseless crap between the East & West was going down, everyone from this crew still had safe passage and made a gang of records with the East. Not only that, but a figure like Mr. Lorenzo Cavassi aka Lawrence Muggerud bka the criminally-underrated DJ Muggs (originally hailing from Queens, NY) had so much sway on the East Coast that he helped other mufuccas from the West discover their musical calling on the other side. Enough about that for now: How about we get into where his Irish/Polish crewmates were up to by then, eh?

Because let there be no confusion: The trio of Erik "Everlast" Schrody, Daniel "Danny Boy" O' Connor & Leor "DJ Lethal" Dimant had one of the biggest smash hits in musical history on their hands, no joke. The Muggs-produced debut single Jump Around blew up so friggin' big that every other industry related to entertainment wanted in on the action. Hell, the Stale Cheeto In Charge grabbed it for his horseshit presidential candidacy campaign. Thank God, E turned out to be one of the good ones and shut that embarrassment down with a quick cease and desist accompanied with the healthiest of middle fingers. Enough political discourse, though.

As a direct result, the debut album Fine Malt Lyrics followed its gargantuan lead single into platinum status. Good thing, too, because it was a bar-room-brawl-anthem-chugging-machine. Soul Assassins’ in-house producers Muggs and his two protégés Lethal and DJ Ralph M from Funkdoobiest set the standard for future albums from the camp with their blunted funk sound, while Everlast shone on punchline duties while establishing an infectious chemistry with Danny Boy and providing the public with the only album to date where the 3 lead MCs from the camp appear on the same album, duetting with Son Doobie and B-Real (best verse on the album, that) separately. Suffice to say, Fine Malt Lyrics was a success.

Naturally, the assfaces at Tommy Ain't My Motherfucking Boy (Shoutouts to De La Soul. We hold y'all down over here.) wanted now more than ever to squeeze as much money as they could outta the trio. They even shoved E into that Ed Lover/Dr. Dre vehicle Who's The Man? (Shoutouts to Guru's cameo in that. RIP.) and the Judgment Night flick nobody saw, which resulted in at least two House Of Pain songs apiece for each soundtrack. We'll get to those later as one of them appears on the album we're discussing today. Safe to assume that the pressure was on House Of Pain by the abovementioned assfaces to recreate the debut's success.

Now, before I delve into the fact that Same As It Ever Was sold five hundred thousand units stateside within three months after its release, I must say that nobody was checking for its DJ-Lethal-helmed lead single On Point. It smelled forced, as if the label desperately wanted it to be Jump Around 2: The Jumping of Arounds. I'm not saying it's a bad song... yet. Nevertheless, half of the fanbase cultivated by Fine Malt Lyrics returned for a second helping. That's got to be a good sign.

Right?

Same As It Ever Was, boy/girl (pick one):

BACK FROM THE DEAD
DJ Muggs backs E once again with the jumpiest blues horn sample I ever heard in life, that's on GOD. I'm telling you, it's something about when these two work together that brings the extra fonky samples outta this dude Muggs' beats. I believe the industry term for that is chemistry. A concept so abundantly cared for these days in mainstream hip hop. What you mean, I'm delusional?! Oh, y'all wanted to hear about E's performance? (Yes, E's back for dolo. He's been doing that since the prior album, get over it.) I'm glad to report that this display y'all listening to is a damn fine punchline reinvention on wax: Dude stepped his bars and delivery up noticeably, signaling how much he was a student of dudes like Grand Puba & Lord Finesse. No lie, I replayed this around 583 times in a row once. It’s that infectious.

I'M A SWING IT
Lethal is back on the boards, successfully winding down from the previous offering while still continuing the festive mood with a relentlessly dope bass loop, while E&D tag team the beat and give it a punchline fatality. D, far from being E’s lyrical equal, does amp up the overall energy present. I also found the fact that he's introduced way earlier on this album than on Fine Malt Lyrics very welcome indeed. So far this album is 2/2.

ALL THAT (INTERLUDE)
Lethal lets his Juice Crew-themed instrumental go uninterrupted as the jazz sax sampled throughout is begging for E to jump on and cripple. Because you always gets what you want, that never happens as the beat simply fades away.

ON POINT
The lead single. As I said earlier, this was incorrectly marketed as the successor to Jump Around, even though the trio managed to build a song that's straight up fun. On top of providing the grimy jazz-infused beat, Lethal actually drops a short 8-bar verse (his lone lyrical foray to date) mashed with D's own contribution while E bookends the song with bars that are emphasized that much more by his psychotic delivery. Side note: Lethal's brief entry contains yet another 'the Biter' shot at producer & Ruffhouse CEO Joe 'the Butcher' Nicolo, whom E previously dissed at the end of Jump Around, establishing that the bad blood between them wasn't close to being over. Then again, this was a quarter of a century ago, so who knows how these people feel about each other now. Like I said, though: This remains an enjoyable song when one removes the forced Jump Around association.

RUNNIN' UP ON YA
Muggs reenters the fray, armed with a mean bassline loop complimented with a left-field horn byte that actually completes the beat instead of derailing it, something Muggs has mastered around this time. E brings you yet another healthy lyrical dose of fight mode and, trust me, he stepped up his flow game something lovely for this one. Icing on the cake is when he ends his third verse with a Nirvana interpolation that, no joke, made me laugh my ass off because of how random it was. All in all, go ahead and beat somebody up after hearing this. Preferably your asshole of a boss. You'll feel truly alive. (I'm OBVIOUSLY joking, and I'm stating this fact explicitly because you never know with the internet. Not that I have that big of a pull but just in case.)

OVER THERE SHIT
The grimy blues funk is strong with this Muggs composition, which propels E further into his zany rhymes with one hell of an infectious performance. Props to E actually shouting out Milk Dee prior to the popular Audio Two sample. On paper, this might sound like a repeat of the previous song, but the drum break somehow finds E continuing to upgrade his flow, which is a rare thing to see in a hip hop album. Matter of fact, he's actually been impressively consistent throughout the album so far!

WORD IS BOND (FEATURING DIAMOND D)
Remember how I pointed out that the Soul Assassins had a enduring following in the East? Songs like this are a big reason why. Y'know, when one overlooks the production school that Muggs introduced. Anyways, how is this place still called Boombapreviews if I've only just gotten to mentioning the legendary Diggin' In The Crates Crew again after four goddamn years?! Top it off, I've only talked about Diamond D three times in four years. I'm really disappointed in myself. Time for some reparations: Joseph Kirkland bka DITC co-founder Diamond D is your favorite producer to the tenth power. Please believe that if it wasn't for producers like him, our genre would not sonically be what it is today. Also, please believe that he'll stomp that ass on the mic, as he's right up there with the best punchline rappers to ever collide into the game. This is actually the song that put me on to Diam and his innovative usage of sound period, as he turns the sampled Pete Rock & CL Smooth record into an effing instrument atop a soothing blues mesh, including one of the most inventive utilizations of a vocal sample I've ever heard in our beloved genre. And even though the beat is one effective calmer when compared with the rest of the album so far, you can just hear E's excitement at working with a revered figure in his verses. And credit to Diam as well for returning his host's enthusiasm, resulting in a hella fine collaboration. I'm saying, Word Is Bond is so dope it could've fit snugly on Diam's debut Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop. Not saying this album is inferior but... You know what I mean, bruh.

KEEP IT COMIN'
Muggs really just sat there and watched as E called himself the N word... Aside from that,  the first two verses were a rare change of pace as E gets personal with his rhymes, airing out his insecurities over Muggs dingy blues bass loop. Then, E mutter's that he thinks he's having a breakdown to which Muggs inserts a drum break that intentionally disrupts the fuck outta the experience. Then, as if his brain is damaged beyond repair, E spends the 3rd verse spitting empty threats and boasts the way he's been doing all album, but not before shouting: "Free John Gotti!" outta goddamn nowhere. This was awesome!

INTERLUDE
So, DJ Lethal finally reappears on his own group's album! Too bad, it's an interlude. Shame nobody rhymes on this one, neither, because this jazz sample clearly gives the horns on Back From The Dead a run for their money in terms of jumpiness. Oh well...

SAME AS IT EVER WAS
Danny Boy decides to jump back in the game, as well. And this time he's opening up the track as E hypes him up?! Someone's feeling their nuts! Anyway, the energy on the album returns to group's comfort zone of bar-room-brawl levels as Muggs composes this beat from an energetic mesh of funk & rock. By this point, I'm surprised you're surprised that he can pull this off so effortlessly. Songs like this have effectively highlighted the House Of Pain signature sound, as D and E always sound like they're having the time of their lives getting wooden chairs smashed on their heads and returning the favor in their pub of choice. And E's hook is a tribute to the Beastie Boys. What more can you want? I love this song!

IT AIN'T A CRIME
Muggs bows out of the album as he and Lethal combine forces to hand E, back for dolo, a rambunctious instrumental so he can wreck with some BNB. He does a 180 and provides my favorite rhymes on this here album: A tale of a juvenile gone wild. Honestly, the tale is fairly tall but you won't care if the shit's fun. Songs like this are where you point any stuck up douche who comes at you with the old 'Everlast doesn't know how to rhyme about anything besides fighting in bars'. This here bangs.

WHERE I'M FROM
Lethal takes the helm from here as he provides E with a jazzy tune, to which E spits a heartfelt dedication to his friends. A lotta names get mentioned here: His HOP crewmates, underground Brooklyn legend Divine Styler, ragga legend Cokni O'Dire among others. The 3rd verse interests me, though, because he bemoans the lack of communication between them and even disses one at the end. That went south quick. This is an enjoyable song, though.

STILL GOT A LOTTA LOVE
The sequel to the closing track on the debut. Over a smooth DJ Lethal bass loop, E simply spits one verse where he shouts out a bunch of people, some whom you might've heard of and some not. My favorite shoutout was the last one, because it's true: Ultramagnetic MCs never really got enough credit.

WHO'S THE MAN
Told you I was coming back to this. The song that opens up the abovementioned flick, DJ Lethal really steps up with the beat provided here as he swirls an evil drum break around around a nasty bass sample and lets it breathe, even taking a page from DJ Muggs' book by inserting an interlude mid-beat, while E & D kick stories of being lowlifes in the hood. Both rappers sound like this was recorded shortly after Fine Malt Lyrics was released. Side note: My first inclination was to disbelieve every single word being spit on here, until I found out that E & D actually had a little rep before they got put on. I remain unconvinced E would shank someone in prison, though. All in all, I fux with this.

ON POINT (LETHAL DOSE REMIX)
Basically the exact same rhymes as the original, but Lethal switches up the mood with a far more darker & spacey instrumental. Some might prefer the original, saying its chaotic nature is a better fit for the lyrics, and some might edge out the remix saying it gives the lyrics more space to breathe. It's on you to decide which camp you wanna follow.

FINAL THOUGHTS
First off, lemme just point out the fact that for all the bullshit labels like Tommy Ain't My Motherfucking Boy give artists to produce albums quickly, they sure took their time releasing our trio's sophomore into the public. Because Same As It Ever Was would've surely made much more noise had they done their fucking jobs and released it a year prior. However, we are still talking about Tom Silverman's vanity front and from all the bad press currently circulating about him, it's apparent & clear that the conniving bastard NEVER cared about the culture, let alone its purveyors. Anywhat, the focus should remain Everlast, Danny Boy, DJ Lethal and their collaborators on this album: I am very pleased to report that this is a vastly superior album to their debut, even if no song on here is bigger than Jump Around. DJ Muggs brought the vast growth he experienced to the table, and Lethal met him blow for blow every step of the way, while E clearly elevated his bar game. Danny was never that type of rapper but his energy was always palpable, which is perfect for projects like this. Bringing in Diamond D was a masterstroke, as well, because it exposed House Of Pain to a crowd that might've never heard of them prior. Well done, you Irish hoodlums and you Polish asshole. This will bump proper in your system.

WORTH IT?
Get to this yesterday or go shovel Post Malone into your brain somewhere else.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN

LEGEND
It's baffling to me that Tommy Boy would release an EP prior to Same As It Ever Was that house songs made after the shit. Kinda defeats the purpose of hyping the album, don'tchathink? This is the EP's title track, released as a single and given the video treatment nonetheless. Utterly baffling. Never mind these details as Lethal commissions a somber mesh of piano and electric key samples that drag you to the bowels of E's mind as he mixes some BNB with chilling observations about the age-old dilemma of fame-seeking. Had this been on the proper album, it would've dethroned It Ain't A Crime as my favorite song thereon, but here we are.

WORD IS BOND (REMIX)
Also off the Legend EP. At this point, I’m like: You know what, Tommy Boy? I'm so glad Treach did what he did to y’all asshats. Diamond D must've caught on to how good Pete Rock was with them xylophone samples, so I guess felt he had to prove he was just as good. Hey, 'tis the rules of the trade. You shouldn't trip, though, because a motivated Diamond D is a genius Diamond D. Not only does he freak a vastly superior remix to his original production, he also obliterates E on his own shit. To be fair, E never stood a chance with the verse he gave. It is what it is.

JUST ANOTHER VICTIM
Off the Judgment Night OST is yet another metal/rap mashup where our trio collaborate with alternative metal band Helmet. More like it’s two minutes of Helmet thrashing away until the last two minutes where Lethal takes control of the beat and directs the band and crewmate Everlast into performing a much more effective metal hip hop mashup. And we all know by now how comfortable E is at delivering threats and highlighting insecurities. Shit is wild.

Wanna go back to the House Of Pain? Be my guest. Or explore some more Soul Assassins. It's good for the soul