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| tracklisting |
| 1. The Jump Off |
| 2. Recession |
| 3. Living In Full Effect (L.I.F.E.) feat. DJ Mista Sinista |
| 4. Soul Searcher |
| 5. LIFE Magazine |
| 6. Incredibly Fresh |
| 7. The NightLife |
| 8. P.T.S. feat. Oktober |
| 9. Fall Back feat. Loer Velocity |
| 10. Facts Of Life |
| 11. Recession (Inst.) |
| 12. L.I.F.E. (Inst.) |
| 13. Soul Searcher (Inst.) |
| 14. Incredibly Fresh (Inst.) |
| 15. The NightLife (Inst.) |
| 16. P.T.S. (Inst.) |
| 17. Facts Of Life (Inst.) |
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| The strugglers that L.I.F.E.Long refers to on this mini-album may primarily be black people, or those trying to make it in the Hip Hop game, but the struggle he speaks of is more universally applicable than that. This record aspires to be a 'paradise' for each and every struggler
because it is L.I.F.E's attempt to break the difficult cycle of modern living. The music presented here is both an exploration of, and an elevation above, the struggle humanity faces. |
| On "Recession", L.I.F.E establishes himself as an aspiring revolutionary, but not in the same violent and overtly-political vein as artists like dead prez. L.I.F.E's call for revolution is a call for revolutionary perceptions:
people need to 'rise the fuck up' by realising their own abilities and capitalising upon them, not by grabbing a gun. As he references the classic "The Message" L.I.F.E's raps convey his intention to lead by example; his exploitable ability is rhyming, and he's going to use it not only to
raise himself up but also to communicate with others that they can follow in his footsteps. |
| While this theme permeates most tracks on "Struggler's Paradise", L.I.F.E isn't about to let it overshadow his music, so he gives us tracks like "Living In Full Effect" that are both intelligently informative
and anthemic, in the underground-banger sense of the word. With the help of rousing horns, an Isley-ish sample on the hook and DJ Mista Sinista's scratches, this track is L.I.F.E's presentation of just how he thinks Hip Hop should be. |
| As "Living In Full Effect" fades, a more serious message carries out the track as a preacher delivers a sermon about black culture being Africa's most valuable asset. This preacher calls attention to black culture's place
as a global industry and a global marketing tool, and urges African people to realise that being poor is not at the heart of their problems; being poorly organised is. Although this is a slightly more damning formulation, the preacher's words echo L.I.F.E's own about utilising one's natural talents
to get ahead in the world. This is worthy food for thought. |
| Following the more upbeat sentiments of "Incredibly Fresh" and "The Nightlife", "Struggler's Paradise" loses a little coherence as "P.T.S."
(or "Pimp The System") and "Fall Back" follow one another. "P.T.S." reaffirms L.I.F.E's encouragement of peaceful forms of revolution, but says that he and Oktober would
both "cock back the nine" if their peaceful protests were unsuccessful. "Fall Back", however, takes the notion a step further, and is basically an example of 'don't step to me' gun-toting rap, which seems out of place with the rest
of the album, as well as out of character for L.I.F.E. |
| "Facts Of Life" is the last declared track (save for the instrumentals), and L.I.F.E reverts to his more peaceful, introspective self to flow over a track with a light, early-90s feel. The kind of joint that could almost have been produced by Pete Rock. And it would
be a fitting end point, although we're also treated to two bonus cuts: one with Oktober and one that's more of a recorded session than an actual track. |
| Short though "Struggler's Paradise" may be, it does offer a period of distraction from the struggle as L.I.F.E perceives it. He may raise more questions than he can possibly answer, and the answers he does give may not be award-winning solutions, but most importantly he's
out there gunning for his. And he urges everyone else to do the same. |
| review: cornerstone |
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