By TJ Love
A battle rap legacy is to a rap career what a high school championship is to NBA player; it’s an indicator of talent and success under pressure, but it just doesn’t mean spit on the highest level. It still counts for at least some credibility though and NYC emcee Iron Solomon brings battle cred in spades. In his very first battle at the legendary Braggin’ Writes, he finished third and hasn’t finished that low since. Since then Iron Solomon has wrecked shop far and wide including a freestyle on the World Famous Wake Up Show that prompted Snoop and Busta Rhymes to call in with platitudes and props. Obviously dude’s got the chops as a lyricist but does he have the artistic vision to avoid Canibusville?
For his first formal dolo LP Iron Solomon was able to procure guest shots from the likes of Talib Kweli, DMC, Cassidy, Jean Grae, and Paul Wall. This doesn’t save Monster from mediocrity at times. Everything about this album reeks of been-there-before. The beats are only okay and regrettably, by his high standards, so are the lyrics for the most part. There’s never a point over the 19 tracks where you think, “Wow, dude really went in on this one.” Like many of his brethren at the other end of the melanin spectrum he sites both rock and Hip-Hop influences ranging from Nirvana, The Fugees, and Jimi Hendrix, to Notorious B.I.G. Yawn. You can read the same claims about Lana Del Rey in Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly. Having a creative influence aesthetic that would make you a jackpot on Match.com for a pop artist is most assuredly not the way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the masses who want to rap.
Despite the overall mundane nature of Monster, Iron Solomon manages a few heatrocks. Talib Kweli graces “The Empire,” and while Hov effectively made the number one definitive New York anthem for the foreseeable future Kweli and Iron Solomon make a strong case for 1A. Iron Solomon delivers a serviceable verse but the man famous for stating “my name is in the middle of equality” steals the show over a beat that’s equal parts triumphant, celebratory and ominous with lines like these:
“if you listen to Big L, Ebonics was the meanest/the bombers made it tragic but we rose up from the ashes like the promise of the Phoenix/I promise you we eatin’, why don’t you stop bein’ greedy/we too hot for TV, Panasonic or a Zenith”.
Iron Solomon displays some introspection on a number of tracks, with “Breathe” being the most compelling. It serves as a coming out party of sorts as Iron Solomon showcases an uncanny ability to articulate his philosophy and his life. The beat, to a significant degree, sounds like Blueprint era Just Blaze and Iron Solomon goes in:
“Baby sister growin’ up, I ain’t around to show her stuff/progress slowin’ up sometimes the road is rough/gas bill overdue headed for the coldest months/patients bein’ tested, way too many questions/thought I had the answers maybe I was guessin’/keep makin’ the same mistake, never learn my lesson/I see the progression seems that I’m regressin’/tired of bein’ wired need an outlet for aggression/tired of bein’ tired still stuck in this depression/ feel like I’m destined to be in this profession/family think I’m crazy cuz of my complexion.”
“44 Hours” finds Iron Solomon in his element and it’s got The High and Mighty’s “Open Mic Night” feel to it; a meat and potatoes boom bap banger and homie does what he does best: spitting that battle shit. Iron Solomon sounds comfortable and focused and the rewind-worthy lines are too many to count. Punchlines abound, but the unfortunate reality is that it’s the best song on the album by more than a little bit.
Monster is your standard debut for an up and coming rapper from the Rotten Apple. Battle emcees are faced with a catch 22, show the world that they are indeed capable of being well-rounded artists or emphasize showcasing the skills that got them notoriety in the first place. Iron Solomon erred on the side of caution and really hasn’t provided much impetus for anybody to check for him. Maybe it’s wrong to expect every new artist coming out, to have something unique to say. If they don’t they should at least demonstrate proficiency covering the same ground everybody else has, and Iron Solomon does that. Monster isn’t wack by any means, it’s just nothing to get excited about.
http://soundcloud.com/ironsolomon/the-empire-ft-talib-kweli
Out of 5
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