4. My Mic Sounds Nice (Interlude)

There used to be times, when hip hop was fun. The beats were banging and the lyrics were well written, possibly even funny. Hip hop was entertaining without being corny. It was music that inspired us to pick up pen and paper too, that inspired us to picture the world with graff's on every wall, that had us break, not because it was a trend, but because that seemed to be the right way to express the music with our bodies. Life was dope back then. Life still can be dope right now. While Benefit is not the saving messiah that will lead us to Mount Sinai or give us 10 new commandments, he will allow us to proudly say: "yo, I'm a hip hop cat", without having to defend the whole thug aspect to this mistreated art form.

Opening the album with children singing, this has to remind you of Ja˙-Z, but Benefit leaves that impression behind with dropping a multitude of 8 punchlines within 8 bars on "Exact". And so he's 'kill' without the 'k', he's 'basic' without the 'ba', and folks that are paralyzed from the neck down are still shacking what they momma gave 'em. Lyrically the best bragging and boasting imaginable, the beat moves forward with a funky guitar. But the best production on this album can be heard on "Proceed With Caution". One of the illest orchestra samples since Puff Daddy's "Victory" (don't front, you felt that too), Benefit gives every wack emcee the obligatory ass whupping and if this does not have you march with raised fists, you are probably already unreversibly brainwashed by some manipulating force. After the short Salt'N'Pepa sampling interlude, Benefit returns with a beat that would have had the world moving in the early 90s, as it is now getting every head in nodding motion, like cats can earn money with that. Ben' rhymes about how "Supreme" he is, and with no corny line being spit, we might as well agree with that.

Things stay ridiculous with the exceptionally well produced "Fairwell". A dope piano, along with some thunderstorms provide the perfect backdrop for his schizophrenic, homeless, dead zombie, alcoholic, bum, or whoever type rhymes. Then there's another funny interlude, that again shows that interludes don't have to be wack, as they are on most other albums. Everything is forgotten as soon as "If I Owned A Midget" pumps out the speaker. The concept is as un-political correct as possible, but it will have you rolling on the floor laughing, and the next time you will see a 'midget', it will be hard to restrain yourself, not walking up to him or her, hopping around madly, tapping his/her head and asking if he/she can dance a little for you. The beat again is extra dope, with a playful piano, fitting drums and a rounding up voice sample for the chorus.

"Blind Following" is giving us Benefit at his most thoughtful, and the desperate anger the beat reflects is sounding like a father that is protecting his child with a tear in one eye. Nixon is sampled on "Call Of Revolt", the only track not produced by Benefit himself, but by Blitz. And funny enough we have a track that is not amazing us too much. And so it's not Benefit's failure. His superiority is getting quite scary. The lyrics are damn dope again, but the beat is not moving us too much. Add another interlude, a strange interlude, but an interlude that entertains us in a Telly Tubbie way. Then "Warp To World 6-9" is grabbing all our attention. Nintendo should be pleased about this, cause it's all about helping Mario to save the Princess. Hmmm, but Benefit says that Mario wouldn't give a damn about her, if it wouldn't be for her pussy. The game sound is bubbling in the back, the whole game theme is used to help Benefit jump and run over this track like Mario is through the game, and at the end, Mario gets the girl and Benefit is allowed to watch. Jazzy guitars, bass and a female voice sampled for the hook are the main ingredients for "My Story", that basically is another disgustingly dope track. And Benefit's peep into "A Page In Hip Hop's Diary" is giving us more pianos, and hip hop talking trough this emcee is pouring out it's heart and we shouldn't be ashamed of the watery eyes we get. "Cheedum" will cheer us up again. So will the story telling rhymes of "Friends" entertain us, and it will be hard to not jump up and go 'yo, damn those guys'. Fuck the phonies.

So last but not least, there's the uptempo "My Enemy". Another story telling rhyme, that only shows that Benefit is dope when he spits the bragging and boasting, he's dope when he comes up with something as ridiculous as his midget song, he can put real thoughts to a song, and he's got his Slick Rick down too. Talk about a complete emcee. And 'complete' is a good ford for this album, since it's full of complete songs, songs that don't leave any desires, lyrically and beat wise. They are just banging, they are just dope, they are just killing the competition. And so we finally have found something that can live up to the hype.