Posted on 06/23/2009
After both Marco Polo and Torae had critical success with their respected albums, Port Authority and Daily Conversations, it seemed only natural that they would be destined for bigger things in hip-hop. It came as a surprise, however, that this potential success could come to them in the form of a duo together on a project released through Duck Down: Double Barrel. While the Canadian producer (Polo) is renowned for his DJ Premier-like boom bap style and his hard hitting, catchy loops, the Coney Island emcee (Torae) is becoming a consistent source when it comes to delivering clever and creative wordplay. At the end of the day, could Double Barrel prove to be a respectable outcome for both, or would it only favor one side of the duo and showcase the imperfections of the other?

On a production front, Marco delivers quite possibly the best-of-the-best that he ever has, effortlessly taking front stage of this duo project. While some think that his magnum opus came with Pumpkinhead on Orange Moon Over Brooklyn, listeners of DB will quickly magnetize to the thump and energy this high octane production spreads throughout the album. After the Red Bull-like boost given from the title track, Marco bombards the listeners with “Party Crashers,” “Lifetime,” and “Smoke;” encouraging neck-snapping aggression and forefront appreciation for the remarkable use of horns, snares, and cuts courtesy of DJ Revolution, who indeed, is the king of cuts. Quite frankly, the production throughout the entire LP is jaw-dropping, and even though Port Authority left this reviewer pondering about the lack of longevity in Polo’s beats, this time around, the beats stick to the eardrums like good hip hop always sticks to the soul.

Torae’s interesting. He has a great amount of skill and talent, more than most emcees these days; however, he’s not the most engaging artist. At times, he’s just too boring for even the most forgiving listener. We see signs of an incredible lyricist on “Word play,” a joint that has Tor playfully juggling his vocabulary effortlessly and then once again on the title track, as Torae matches the intensity of the Polo production. However there are more than a handful of cheesy and weak moments, like the “Danger” gem: “Orville Redenbacher, we pop the top.” Not to be picky, but lines like this are heard throughout the entire project, alongside Torae’s frequent mentions of “gay” or being gay or looking gay or rapping gay. It gets tired and I thought we stopped calling things “gay” after high school. Juvenile (and homophobic too)? Of course it is, and it only demeans any skill that Tor has. Regardless, “Rah Rah Sh*t” sums up Torae’s performance throughout the album: boring, dull, and limited even while attempting to jump-start a fire that Marco has evidently already started. Once again, this is upsetting considering the skill set Tor has.

It’s funny, because most, if not all of the pictures I’ve seen promoting this album have Torae at the front and Marco in the back; alluding to Torae as the star/front-man. This is Marco’s album, even if not listed. It might take until “Hold Up” to fully realize that it is indeed Torae who fades into the background after getting outdone by Masta Ace, Sean Price, and the Polo production (and cuts). Regardless, on Double Barrel, Marco emphasizes the fact that he has all the potential in the world to be a super-producer in hip-hop today (if he isn’t already) and Torae only reiterates that he still has a lot of work to do as an emcee. Still, what’s the greatest succession behind all of this? Even with a lot of the faults and uninspiring rhymes, Double Barrel is still one of the most entertaining albums of the year and an LP that is hard to put down. Pick your battles with it.

- Sean Deez