producers: mr len

guests: chubb rock, jane grae, juggaknots, lord sear, massinfluence, mr live, d-stroy, q-unique, murs, others.

Mr. Len is stepping from behind the two 1200s and positions himself behind a machine with more buttons, to provide the music on his third album, but first solo release. It is then called "Pity The Fool: Experiments In Therapy Behind The Mask Of Music While Handing Out Dummy Smacks", but I'm sure we are allowed to refer to it as "Pity The Fool". While on the last album, the Company Flow effort "Little Johnny From The Hospital", there were no voices needed as it was an instrumental album, on here, Len opened the studio doors for an enigmatic bunch of folks, to provide the words.

The record starts with a track that has been released before, as we are getting the "This Morning" cut, that was on the Material / Intonarumori album. But as this features The Juggaknots, and we barely can ever get enough 'Knots material, and enough of you have probably missed that Material album, it's only right that the track appears on here again. Also as it's straight up dope. Now, this cut is still a little more in a CoFlow tradition, while "Get Loose" is quick to abandon it. CoFlow gets a mention though, courtesy of Massinfluence, who are doing the rhymes. As said, this changes the vibe, as it's going for the straight up funk beat, with a looped guitar pushing the track, that allows the Atlantian cats to spit some braggadocios words. Next up we are getting the artist that is shining the brightest on the whole record, and she rightfully can be heard on several cuts. Yes, it's a she, and her name is Jean Grae, and every track she blesses, she just comes through. The first of the couple is "The Hurt" that also features Living Legend's Murs, who's handling the chorus through the telephone. Jean is first getting our attention with battling words, before the second verse is more on a setting things straight determination.

After a quick funky interlude, things get hard on "Straight" that features Q-Unique of the Arsonists. Again Company Flow gets shouted out, probably because the track was recorded before El and Len split up. The voice alteration that Q had to endure, is not really a treat for the listener, as the grit of the beat and the unapologetic lyrics would have been urgent enough. The funk then returns on "Girl (Got To Give It To Me)", where Lord Sear is spreading his wisdom on one of his favorite subjects, doing his best one liner flow. What then gets us to the epic "Taco Day", that's done by Jean Grae featuring The Melon Bayside High Drama Club, with the latter being responsible for all the cinematic voices, that are providing the necessary surrounding elements for this audio play. As Jean is reappearing as Becky who is sharing all her pains and fuck ups that had her go crazy, or maybe sane, as she's the one bringing some reality to all those phony and fake people, making them take responsibility for all their ill doings. However, this is done just too good, what makes it be rather.... hmm.... disturbing.

The next cut is one to ignore as "Force Fed" by Agents Of Man featuring Amplifire is some death metal scream crap, and we are hard tempted to find any reason for this to be on here, besides Len shining with some ill scratching, that however, is rather buried within the noise. We rather check out the scratching and turntablism tricks that open "Bring It To Me", a track featuring ex-Arsonists D-Stroy. He's getting his bragging and boasting notebook out, and spits some lines from there. Mr Live also chooses to kick some of those rhymes on his "What The Fuck (Gritty Version)", that happens to be one of the most happening tracks on here. What can't be said about the interlude that is following next, that's held back by a rather weak beat, as that guitar plucking is just a little 'oh well'. However, "Love Venom" is again making everything right, while here everything is just a little.... hmmm.... drunk? Jean Grey and the Juggaknots' Brewin are just sounding frustrated and they are speaking about some of it, having their words drip off anger and the desire to go smack someone. Len is matching that growling, with what's referred to as a 'happy beat', but that is pretty much everything but.

Len proves that he has an ear for not obvious couplings, that then actually work mighty well. The next such can be found on "Dummy Smacks", a track that has Mr Live and Chubb Rock share it. And you shall not underestimate either of them, as both come correct, but however, they are somewhat held back by a repetitive beat, that while taking us back a couple of years, and featuring a couple of breaks, is still not much more. Another interlude leads up to "Family Matters" by Kice Of Course and Steady Roc. Things are a little calmer with the beat and also calmer with the thoughtful rhymes. And after a couple of minutes of silence, we are then getting a hidden track. Hence we can say in total the Len is giving us a lot to like. However, his beats might be a little surprising at first, as they are more to the funky than abstract side. But then how could we expect more CoFlow material, that was an El production after all. This is a Len experience, and he makes sure to show his own style and his own character, to good results.