|
JR Writer - Writer’s Block 5Album Review by:
Michael Ivey
Thursday, December 6, 2007
 Love Dipset or cringe at its' verbal and executive decisions, paying attention tohip hop means noticing the steady flow of material released by Koch, Babygrande, Warner Music Group and Def Jam-all partners of Diplomat Records. Outside beefing and styling, Harlem ’s world-wide Dip Gang is known for consistency. JR Writer, arguably the fourth rapper in line (under Killa, Capo, and Juelz,) up on the set, recently put ‘Writer’s Block 5’ in the streets to keep his name relevant.
Writer goes in strong on the bouncy anthem "We Getting it Baby." Flow in tact, the kid really doesn’t miss a beat, channeling Big Daddy Kane over early 90’s B-boy percussion. "Runner" proves that sometimes musical risks aren’t necessary to bang out a head nodder; the track includes a cartoons' running sound effect between bars as Writer warns wack dudes to skate from round him.
The young Dip’s production choices are smart- overbearing chords and choppy percussion ("Got It Covered," "Heavy Jewels") compliment his easy couplets. "Dear Hip Hop" shows that though he chimed in on his boss’s trite lyrical beefs with Tru Life, Jay-Z and Nas, the power of hip hop culture isn’t lost on Writer.
Despite Writer's growth, listening to the bulk of ‘Writer’s Block 5’ is indeed a revisit, in form and content, to ‘S.D.E.,’ Killa Cam'ron's 2000 sophomore joint. He is steadily etching an imprint on the indie landscape, but Writer has yet to fully step out of Killa's glitzy silhouette.
There is room in hip hop's macho, misogyny laden landscape for inspiration-even barrowing cadences and ideas-but biting is frowned upon, strictly. Plus, Writer boxes himself in by rapping about weak acts; in today's fluff, recycled climate itcomes off like Eminem dissing Britney and N'Sync, without the intricacy and wit. Writer, considering his own lack of originality, could only be talking about the Souljha Boys or unsigned fellow Harlemites on the street DVD circuit. When a rapper doesn't stand out in his own camp, how can his boasts of lyrical superiority be taken seriously? Writer gets busy-est when he's doing just that-chopping through tracks and avoiding the monotony his unvaried patterns could easily bring about. There is hope for "The writer of writers." Writing is re-writing.
 ( 15) Comments | Post a comment »
|
|
