Jason Schutte
(clockwise from upper left) Big Daddy Earl, Derek John, Jae Stone, Trey On Mars.
When rappers come together, like Wu-Tang Clan or Chicago’s PIVOT Gang, the results are often explosive and radiant.
The emcees’ individual styles collide and combust, creating something altogether new. Some moments reach that level on the 16 songs compiled on Heat Check 1.5 – a new album from the local record label Monsta Click Entertainment. But there are also times when the album fizzles out.
The album is divided into two parts. One is a stretch of solo songs from the collective’s marquee artists, Big Daddy Earl (the founder), Derek John, Trey on Mars, and Jae Stone. The second part has the artists collaborating together, and with others not listed on the record label’s website.
The solo tracks are mostly a wasted opportunity to let the audience in. On his track, “Engine Runnin,” Big Daddy Earl brags about how we “know [he’s] earning,” but we don’t know why he’s earning. Similarly, Jae Stone raps a lot about seduction on “Kodak Nine,” and Derek John tells a one-sided story of a lovers’ quarrel on “Why You Trippin?”
The only artist of the four to properly introduce himself is Trey on Mars, who, on “Marlien,” raps in a psychedelic and modulated style over an inventive trap beat about how his alienation from society has led him to create his own worlds.
Some of the collaborative tracks, such as “Let Me See It,” are catchy party anthems. On this track and others, though, the emcees could do a better job of distinguishing between partying with women and sexually objectifying them. Tracks like these also draw our attention to the lack of female artists on the record.
“California Breeze” is a standout, offering a fresh take on West Coast G-funk and a perfect meld between Big Daddy Earl and Trey on Mars. Still, it could have been even better if the emcees had experimented with more current, inventive production, rather
than leaning heavily on the past.
“Old School Flow” is the best track on Heat Check 1.5. Over a boom-bap beat, Trey on Mars and Jae Stone trade bars with the deftness of professional boxers. But the song serves as a demonstration of how the whole album is more of a showcase of the talent and potential of these artists, rather than a cohesive project or personal statement.
On the album’s opening track, Teen24 raps about how Monsta Click artists are the “dream team.” And this collective does have skill and talent. But future projects would benefit from more focus and defining of the rappers’ intentions.
