For some reason -- who knows why -- this year has been a standout for rap and hip hop. DJ Danger Mouse, by illegally mixing the Jigga man with the Fab Four, made one of rap's most innovative albums in years. Kanye West amazingly straddled the line between critical acclaim and love of the masses, proving to be just as intelligent in his spitting as he is in his mixing. And the rap group that every indie rocker loves, The Roots, continued their amazing success with a new fantastic album.
And things have even been heating up across the pond, where garage two-step has been growing since The Streets attacked everyone's perceptions of the musicality of an English geezer. In fact, Mike Skinner released the excellent follow-up to "Original Pirate Material" this year, and, love them or hate them, Welsh collective Goldie Lookin Chain has gained significant press coverage in the British rags with its single, "Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do."
Thus, is it really any surprise that two of the most enigmatic rap groups from the two shores released sophomore albums at the end of the summer? Hard-core London boy Dizzee Rascal dropped his second album on Sept. 14, almost exactly only one year after he won Britain's most-esteemed Mercury Music Prize. And Northern State, the trio of Caucasian female rappers from (where else?) Long Island, who were last summer's underground hip hop darlings, released their first major label effort one month earlier on Aug. 17.
For those people who couldn't adjust to the harshness and brashness of Dizzee Rascal's amazing first album, "Boy In Da Corner" -- watch out. His follow-up, "Showtime," is even more intense. He might have been criticized for his violent lyrics before, but now when Dizzee intones, "You people are gonna respect me if it kills you," on the chorus of "Respect," it's almost downright frightening. And when he brags, "I'm exactly what your parents don't want to see on your TV," he just might be right.
But if it's more unsettling than "Boy," it's also even more intelligent. It's almost hard to believe that, but it's true.
The only thing bad about this is that people give up on Dizzee if they only give him one listen. Dizzee deserves better than that, as "Showtime" is smart, fresh, sharp and fantastic.
This isn't a typical sophomore album, and certainly not a typical sophomore rap effort. Sure, the production is now thick as Dizzee's London accent, but the Rascal smartly avoids showing off the bennies and bling of a famous life. He, thankfully, presents no answer to "Big Pimpin" even though he toured with H.O.V.A. in 2003, and he proves B.I.G. wrong, as "money, hoes and clothes" ain't all this Rascal knows.
But this is not to say that fame didn't affect the album -- anyone who makes such a claim obviously missed the title: "Showtime." But Dizzee approaches fame with caution and introspection.
The first thing most noticeable about the album is how self-conscious it is. This is immediately evident on tracks like "Face," which ends with heavily accented London teenagers verbally tearing Dizzee to pieces (which is immediately followed by "Respect Me"). It's equally, and painfully, obvious on tracks like "Get By" which recalls similar emotions as "Brand New Day" did last year, and even more so on the standout "Imagine," which is heartfelt when Dizzee sings, "And imagine if I found another way of getting dough without doing dirt / Let's blurt / Would you love me for giving you some hope / Or resent me 'cause your pride got hurt?"
Although Dizzee's previous experience as a jungle DJ (Dizzy D) continues to be obvious on the album, "Showtime" also has some new sounds to it. The fantastic "Stand Up Tall," which features a chorus just as catchy as "Fix Up, Look Sharp," is a little more electro-pop than anything Dizzee has done before. "Get By" is Dizzee's first to feature a sung chorus, done very well by Vanya. And the hilarious "Dream" shows just how awful Dizzee is as a singer as he childishly and jokingly tries to chime in with a sample of Captain Sensible's "Happy Talk." When Dizzee laughs, "Ha, you love dat" at the end of the track, he's talking the truth.
The one track that doesn't live up to the rest of the album is "Girls," which features Marga Man. Marga's high-pitched squeaky singsong seems odd next to Dizzee's gruffness, and the song is a little too brutal to be enjoyable.
But, the last track, "Fickle" represents why Dizzee is so successful. The track is strong, fast and tough, but the lyrics are tender, truthful and intelligent. It is this balance that Dizzee achieves that makes the album brilliant. These are the things that make Dizzee so unique. Just hearing the way he intones certain lines (like the half-whispered "Who da f--- are you?" on "Learn" or the almost giggled "Whatcha gonna do?" in "Knock Knock") makes it so evident how Dizzee has perfected this, ironically, delicate balance between forceful hip hop and thoughtful lyrics. It's enough to make the songs beam with a sense of aural euphoria even when Dizzee's chiming about the grime of the ghetto. And it's more than enough to make every listener beam with pleasure at just being able to hear it.
Sadly, the girls from the 'G'Island did not fare as well on their second album, "All City." Northern State was initially much admired for their amazingly intellectual lyrics on their first album, "Dying In Stereo." But what else would you expect from a group in which one of the MCs is named Hesta Prynn? Part Oberlin grads, part substitute teachers and all Long Island attitude, the girls of Northern State (Prynn, Spero and DJ Sprout) wowed critics with their Beastie Boys-like sound, their ultra-educated lyrics, and their unfailing fun ("Yo we rock the stage anyway we want/ Hell I'll rock this party like a debutante!").
On "All City," production is slicker and thicker, and the guest artists and mixers are more numerous, including the likes of Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson and Har Mar Superstar. It's also more of a major label album, with a definite attempt at an easy single, the light, breezy and not-overbearingly-intellectual "Summer Never Ends" (with it's easy but likeable lyrics like, "Yo check my crew / You know how we do / Write songs / Drink brew / And barbecue" and its pop-culture reference to Carrie Bradshaw).
But other than that, it seems like the girls have regressed in their writing abilities since their amazingly assured debut. From the first two tracks it's obvious that the girls are really damn sick of being dismissed as "that white girl rap group." But sadly, this means that their mantra that "sexism is the new racism" weighs down a little too heavy on the songs, often squelching the fun, intelligent energy that pervaded every single track on "Dying In Stereo."
Thankfully the fourth track, "Last Night," revives the girls' fun spirit and light-heartedness. With intelligent and witty lyrics and a catchy chorus about partying city-style ("This is New York City, so I / Hit the ATM again, again, again" is so sadly too true). The track "Nice With It" also reps the classic old school style that made Northern State seem so accessible the first time around, but has an interesting additional sung chorus. And the production is tightest and very smooth on "Don't Look Down."
"All City" is not a bad album. In fact, Northern State continues to do a fantastic job keeping all fem hop from sinking into the likes of a Salt-N-Pepa mold. It's just a disappointment after the first album was so brilliantly self-assured while being cleverly lo-fi and constantly witty. The step down from "Dying In Stereo" is a heart drop for all hip hop fans who were hoping for another fantastic album from a group claiming the scene for the girls.
