Posted on 09/18/2009
There are special moments in time when like-minded individuals merge their respective talents and make a significant impact on the world. Some people have tried to do the same thing through music. Take The Firm, for example, the short-lived hip-hop collective of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Nature. Then there’s Lucy Pearl, which included producer extraordinaire Raphael Saadiq, En Vogue vocalist Dawn Robinson, and A Tribe Called Quest producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Most recently, rock-n-roll multi-tasker Jack White formed The Dead Weather and released the Horehound LP.

Now there’s Slaughterhouse, a supergroup comprised of emcees Joe Budden, Royce Da 5’9”, Joell Ortiz and Crooked I. Unlike some alliances, this group seems unified by controversy and the disappointments its members once experienced individually. Budden’s feuds with Method Man and Jay-Z have been well-documented. The same goes for Royce, who had a very public spat with Eminem and his group, D12. Ortiz and Crooked I signed to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath and Suge Knight’s Death Row labels, respectively, only to see their projects put on the backburner. These four emcees have harnessed that energy to produce Slaughterhouse, the group’s self-titled debut. But, please don’t think these dudes waste their time rehashing the past. Rather, Budden, Royce, Ortiz and Crooked I have released a gritty and menacing lyrical opus, which is less about topics and more about giving hip-hop a much needed shot in the arm.

Slaughterhouse begins quickly with “Sound Off,” an introductory track backed by thump-heavy drums and majestic trumpets. Royce doesn’t waste time serving notice: “You herbs, we merged, we’re an alliance, we fight fires with flame throwers, why would you try us.” He then explains the role of the group members as it relates to the human body — Royce is the head; Crooked I represents the arms; Ortiz is the torso; Budden is the legs. The next song, “Lyrical Murderers,” features Kay Young and is a hard charging boom bap accompanied by a haunting piano loop. Budden uses that track to issue a direct warning to naysayers: “Your run’s over, run wit us or get run over, I’m here to save this shit and I brung soldiers.” “Microphone,” produced by The Alchemist, is a battle rap about raw rhymes and lyrical prowess.

The DJ Khalil-produced “The One,” has a bona fide rock-n-roll feel due to its electric guitar loop and topic. On the song, which features The New Royales, the emcees shout out the names of rock-n-roll artists while boasting about living the glamorous life. “Salute,” which features Pharoahe Monch on the chorus, is best characterized by the rhythmic head nod it causes, and is about persevering through negativity. On “Pray (It’s A Shame),” Ortiz, Royce and Crooked I are praying to God through rhyme, and wonder why He hasn’t answered their prayers. “Cut You Loose” is an observation of the current state of hip-hop, which is corny by Royce’s account. By album’s end, listeners are treated to one more piece of lyrical dementia on the song “Killaz,” where all four emcees trade bars about how twisted they are.

Slaughterhouse’s self-titled heater is not for the faint of heart, so those conformed to the current state of commercial hip-hop should look elsewhere. Slaughterhouse is a courageous, no-frills piece of raw hip-hop that cannot be taken lightly. While the album might be too heavy for some, this fearsome foursome proves it has what it takes to bring hardcore hip-hop back to the culture.

-Marcus Moore