By Zach Gase
Detroit rapper/producer duo, Red Pill and Hir-O’s debut album The Kick borrows inspiration and themes from the 2010 Christopher Nolan film, Inception. In the movie, a kick refers to the way a person wakes up from a dream within a dream. On the duo’s stand-out single “Waiting on the Train,” Red Pill raps about the struggles and tedium of everyday life: commuting to work, dealing with his boss, swearing this is going to be his final cigarette, etc. Red Pill is drifting through life aimlessly trapped in a bad dream – until he gets a kick (courtesy of Hir-O). “Train” is the type of track that reminds you of why you fell in love with hip hop in the first place.
Throughout The Kick, Red Pill chronicles the journey of a twenty-something stuck in a rut, searching for inspiration and direction in his life. Pill’s everyman steeze and his vocal delivery remind me of an early, Midwest version of Blu. Look no further than the chops on the title track to see Hir-O’s resemblance to Exile.
Hir-O’s production complements Pill’s lyrical themes throughout The Kick. The beats on “Half-Remembered Dream” and “Architect” have very mellow vibes that perfectly match Pill’s groggy raps: “I just hope some sleep can save me,” he says on “Architect.” Tracks like “Home” and the title track feature very familiar samples, but Hir-O flips them in a way that breathes life into each composition, which is always a strong indication of a good producer.
Red Pill’s strongest asset is his ability to juggle conscious raps, personal raps and even a little bit braggadocio comfortably. He is at his strongest when he bears it all, telling personal but relatable stories about himself. On the heartbreaking “Simple Words – Nana,” he talks about his deceased mother saying:
I think I’m about to come undone, there’s too much to cover up / And the more I think, I think you really fucked me up / And I hate the fact that I’m angry at you for it, but the more I get it out, the more I’m moving forward / I’ll always love you, and I’m sorry how I treated you, just know I needed you / And this is my response to all the times that you weren’t there for me when I needed a mom.
The song closes with an equally emotional instrumental outro, one of Hir-o’s finest compositions on the album, is dedicated to his grandmother. Pill also delivers socially/politically charged tracks like “We Are Not Like Them” and “Like Us,” with a delivery more like an angry union employee, than a political leader preaching to the masses.
Red Pill also shows off his battle rap skills on tracks like “Best Rapper” and “Hir-O Told Me.” Unfortunately, the tracks end up being two of the weaker songs on The Kick. The rhymes are strong as are the beats (check out the slick guitar solo on “Best Rapper”), but they would be better suited on a different project, as out of place on this dreamy, Inception-inspired album.
The Kick is about as strong an album as I’ve heard recently. This is just the start for Red Pill, as he has linked up with Apollo Brown and Verbal Kent to form a group, Ugly Heroes. His pairing with Hir-O is just a taste of what’s to come and The Kick is as good an intro as any you’ll hear.
3.75 Out of 5
Follow Us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/planetill
Become a citizen of Planet Ill. Join our Forums
Join Us on the Planet Ill Facebook Group for more discussion
Follow us on Networked Blogs
