React
label: j

producers: erick sermon, just blaze, megahertz, rick rock, others.

guests: redman, keith murray, mc lyte, rah digga, others.
year of release: 2002
website: ericksermon.com | defsquadrecords.com
 
Comparing one legend to the next is kinda wack. But considering the similarities between Erick Sermon and Too $hort, it's not really a comparison, more just a parallel observation. So consider this: they both have more albums to their record than a hip hop life span of about three years could ever allow (if our count is right, Too $hort just released his 14th album and E has released six EPMD albums, an Erick Onasis album and this is his fourth solo album). They both like their funk, they both stick their rhetoric to what they know and whenever their name appears on the program you know the backbone of the show.
And that's why nothing changes on this album too. Then again: one big difference is that E hands over the production duty on many cuts to some younger cats, maybe with the intention to give him a more contemporary sound. Thus folks like Rick Rock, Just Blaze, or Megahertz handle some production duties. And if anything, they adapt their sound to the style Erick pioneered, if not to say created and originated. That's why on a "Hold Up Dub" produced by Rick Rock and featuring Keith Murray, you don't even realize that it's not E-Dub hooking up the sounds. While a "Here I Iz" is impossible to confuse as anything but a Sermon tune. As this is as much a new E song, as it could be a massive remix of many of his old songs, with the bassline being signature Erick Sermon.

tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Here I Iz
3. We Don't Care
4. Party Right
5. React feat. Redman
6. Skit I
7. To Tha Girlz
8. Love Iz

9. Go Wit Me
10. Skit II
11. Hold Up Dub feat. Keith Murray
12. Tell Me feat. MC Lyte, Rah Digga
13. Skit III
14. S.O.D. feat. Sy Scott, Icarus, Red Cafe
15. Hip Hop Radio
16. Skit IV (Khari)
17. Don't Give Up
Other interesting beats include "Love Iz" where Dub picks up another old school soul sample, what he so successfully did on "Music". With the sample not being so excessively used though, this is not a following the blueprint, but is simply in the tradition of sampling. Remember? Sampling. The art form that was destroyed by greedy label execs and artists lawyers? And that to some extend prevents rap to be much of what it used to be. As now rappers have to stick to sample free songs like "Go Wit Me" by Andre Ramseur and Erick himself. And with this being thoroughly weak, newcomer Andre is off to the worst impression. Better is "S.O.D." where the Mexican instrument sounds good over the growling rest of the beat. The same can be said about the grooving and excellent "Don't Give Up", while "Hip Hop Radio" comes musically weak, but lyrically strong.
As the dope message even let's us accept the pop crooning on the chorus. Here E teaches from the veteran perspective he holds down. And considering that EPMD material always was successful without following trends, you might better listen to the man, before you cash the check that bought your soul. Apart from that, with exceptions like "Love Iz" that's more positive than dismissive, E follows the good art of talking shit and bigging himself up. Thus on "Here I Iz" he says: "see you at your burial; 'wack emcee' on your gravestone / Atlanta, I get busy in the Braves' home / I'm on your head, Ted Danson cheerin' / you forgot Squad is Def, and we hard on yo' hearin'". What we also like is that E diggs out MC Lyte and teams her up with Rah Digga to do with them "Tell Me".
So E definitely sticks to his formula, and without one song overshadowing the whole album, like "Music" did on "Music", Erick sounds good again. The funk stinks again, the bass is phat again, despite E being slim again. And we're with him again.
review: tadah
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