TETE A TETE: Jeru Tha Damaja vs MF Doom

Both men became the quint essential purchase in any record store during the rapid growth of hip hop in the 90's. Amongst the staunch levels of cadence flaunting MC's who popped out of every crack in the urban areas of California and New York, Jeru Tha Damaja and MF Doom made their mark by distancing themselves from all the ubiquity.

Suffice to say that aside from the glowing sensualism each one of their tracks will evoke in you, both men possessed different attributes, which will now do battle as we try to decipher which one of these hip hop Goliaths has the greater credentials.

JERU THA DAMAJA

He once made the grandeous claim that he was "the saviour of hip hop". Two decades have past since that proclamation and it would be hard to form a rebuttal against it. 

Jeru first came into the spotlight during a snippet of the track I'm the man off the album Daily Operation by  fellow striving artists Gang Starr in 1992. His moment of fame came when he was signed to Payday Records and released both his debut album The Sun Rises in the East and Wrath of the Math with them in '94 and '96 respectively.

He enjoyed early success on both ( even when he was reprimanded for stereotyping women in the song Da Bitchez off his debut drop) however people really began to pay attention upon the release of the '99 album Heroz4Hire. It was here that Jeru would gain the prevalence that will keep him infinitely at the top echelons of hip hop.

The experimental production on the album created a melancholic feeling in every track. The real success story of the album was the song that would eventually define Jeru amongst the broader catchment area of phlegmatic rap fans. 99.9 percent and the success it enjoyed could hardly have been expected considering it was placed as the last track on the album. Nevertheless it encompassed all that has made Jeru the iconic figure he is, a lyricists with the ability to hold the most fastidious of critics.

His success has continued (somewhat) in recent years with the album Still Rising, an album title that says all you need to know about the man. There have never been any attempts at pretentious songwriting or a false sense of intellect with Jeru. He was (and still is) simply a man who began to talk about what his day to day life entailed and enjoyed the success that this combined with a melodic voice brings.

He was perhaps a victim of his own circumstances; he came on the scene at a time when Brooklyn and the East coast was engrossed in nothing but B.I.G. Nonetheless respect must always be payed to Jeru who will be highly regarded for his illustrious career, both on solo projects and with other big names in the business at the time.

MF DOOM

Born Daniel Dumile yet forever known as the masked hero of hip hop; MF Doom. His career will probably be better known for collaboration work on such album's as the transcendent Madvillainy (2004) with meticulous MC Madlib. The album contained the track All Caps, instantly recognisable for it's nostalgic beat that will take you back to the sun-filled days of your youth. Other tracks off the album, including Accordian and Raid became instant hits for the Madvillain collaboration and has them held in high esteem as potentially the best collaboration in hip hop.

That is not to say that MF Doom has not enjoyed a fruitful solo career. His two CD album Doomsday shall always be the first thing that roles off a persons tongue when you mention him, regardless of the success Madvillain enjoyed.

Operation: Doomsday unleashed the man under the mask, or more importantly the mind under the mask. Whereas Madvillainy gave a 50/50 split of talents on display to both producer and rapper, the simple beats off OD allows the voice of a lyrically maverick to take it's full effect. The album established him as one of the fastest bar-spitters at the time.

The themes tackled range from misery in the ghetto to a struggle with adolescent alienation similar to writer James Joyce's Potrait of an Artist as a Young Man. Probably one of the lesser known tracks off the album is The Finest. Anyone who wants to experience the full portrayal of MF's talent culminated in a single track should proceed immediately here. His ideals are timeless, every generation of rap fan (be they old or young) seem to discover MF.

The nostalgic rap fan will appreciate the harmony of early 90's rap beats featured on the album, including the  blissful sound of record scratching on the decks. 

Another interesting fact about MF that may tickle the fancy of general knowledge enthusiasts is that he was born in England and moved to America during the early years of his childhood. It didn't take long for him to fit amongst the culture rising around him.

THE VERDICT

I would say that if you took the early careers of both men, a clear advantage would have to be given to Jeru for how much quicker he came onto the scene with his solo albums (bear in mind both men are the same age). Before MF had released Operation: Doomsday in '99, Jeru had already made an impression with three albums including his '99 Heroz4Hire.

However the belated success of Doom was something that began a catatonic revolution in rap and was the primary reason why he enjoyed so much success on collaborations. He became a commodity everyone wanted to identify with.

MF Doom also seems to enjoy greater success in the present, whereas Jeru has somewhat been entered into the history books (that is not to take away from the prowess of his career). 

MF Doom's Madvillainy also gives him a 2-1 advantage over Jeru when it comes to iconic albums of hip hop.

IMMORTAL CRITIQUES RESULT: MF DOOM WINS

THANK F**K IT'S FRIDAY: 3RD EDITION

COSTELLO & G.I- MARYJANE

An album to give the U.S a run for their money

WorkinClass Records are back once again with two of it's biggest commodities G.I and Costello and their latest album Maryjane.

There is nothing left to imagination as one delves into this labyrinth of Dublin's urban Intelligista. 

Production quality, possibly the only thing Workinclass did fall short on in the past, has come along sevenfold in this album. The instrumentals off some tracks (most notably Smack Haze and Ghostwritin) alone make for blissful listening and could easily be sampled for future drops by emerging Irish artist. 

With four solo projects between them, the restless work of both men on this collaboration has shown no cracks under pressure. They omit an encyclopedia of knowledge regarding Dublin's deprived communities, with the poetic harmony to escalate the resonance. Its not often that music makes you sit up and truly pay attention, however listening to the track Chill D Fuck Out will leave you speechless and wondering whether you know what "having problems" really means. It only serves as another example of  WorkinClass member's emphatic ability to turn negative lifestyles into positive end products. 

Literature does not over cook the praise that must be given to this album. Both Costello and G.I's lyrics have the distortion of an Easton Ellis and the heart felt passion of a Dostoevsky or Mickiewicz. It also evokes the sense of a collection of short stories, similar to Joyce's Dubliners, as each track tackles a different issue brought about through life experiences. Point of View (which also features Willa Lee) must be commended not only for the broad use of relevant vocabulary but also the duo's astute knowledge of intricate rhyme patterns.

They have brought back to mind the golden years of the mid 90's rap in Harlem with this album. Praise 2 Da Jungle has the same noir beat and fluent bars than anything off Big L's Lifestylez of Da Poor And Dangerous. It all culminates in a powerful portrayal of a sinister culture the rest of us would rather forget. Credit must be given once again for the extra emphasis that the album has placed on production. 

Lunatic- 1984-2009

Further tribute is payed to the deceased WorkinClass member Lunatic on the third track Put Your L's Up, which is laced with passion for a beloved friend of the duo who will never be forgotten in their eyes. Furthermore a lot of the messages Lunatic carried in his own work has rubbed off on both Costello and G.I who continue the ideals of Irish heritage and it's importance. 

So for anyone brazen enough to still regard the prodigies of Irish rap as reprobates with too much time on their hands, now is the time to sit in silent shame over MaryJane's pre-determined success. If this high level can be maintained going into the future, it is no over-reaction to expect our Emerald Isle to finally have credible representatives to contend on the continental market of rap.

IMMORTAL CRITIQUES TOP 3 TRACKS

1. Smack Haze
2. Born 2 Represent
3. Praise 2 Da Jungle

Check out the full album @ http://workinclassrecords.com/

Give Men The Mic

It is akin to the ever growing male presence on the fashion scene but in recent years nothing has served as a greater emasculating entity than the rapid escalation of a repugnant female rap base.

I will be the first to vouch for the now classicism that artists such as Lil Kim, Missy Elliot and the talents they brought to hip hop, however these days a lavish serving of genital exposure with a side order of simplistic songwriting that will take you back to your 4th class poetry club have marred these ladies' work.

When talent turns to taciturn tracks filled with erotic symbolism that would put redtube to shame, it is time to hand these ladies their jacket from off the rack and send them in search of employment worthy of their meagre capacity.

A fact that goes without saying is that most, having read this, will already have conjured an encyclopedia of such artists but two stick out like a fly in the soup of this cesspool of talentless damsels. See if our trail of thought crosses paths:

IGGY AZALEA

There are three things I have learned from Iggy Azalea which I shall forever be indebted to her for:

1- Iggy Pop and Azalea flowers, two colossal forces in their own particular field, NEVER the twain should meet!

2- Her second album Million Dollar Misfits discusses the hardships of success. As worldwide issues go, it's almost up there with all the people who died during the 90's in Yugoslavia. We feel for you Iggy.

3- Attempts at bourgeoise dressing (such as the elegant black ensemble she sported at this years Brit Awards) don't cover up the tramp within. 

Please give up the day job Iggy. Tesco are opening a new hypermarket in the greater Dublin area, if you hop on the next Ryanair flight I may just put in a good word for you. 

M.I.A

She will always be a poor man's Beyonce and she has the credentials to prove it. It would be much appreciated if people didn't retort with a measly argument for her with the only hit she ever had, Paperplanes, as the cons far outweigh the pros.

 It really comes home regarding M.I.A when in 2008 she promoted the release of her album Kala during a concert tour entitled The People vs Money Tour. Don't ever try to relate to the little guy again M.I.A. Your botched attempts at a normal life are made all the more laughable by the net 3.5 million you have made off the idiocy of your songwriting.

It is true that in many cases, a female rapper has come from the same traumatic upbringing as most of the iconic male rappers we revel at today. The difference lies in the emphasis both place on what will eventually determine their career. 

So the next time you hear Tupac's awe-inspiring lyrics from If I die Tonight, played against Fergie's "My humps, my lovely lady lumps", please think twice about defining this article as chauvinistic dribble.