CLAN DESTINED - Abracadamn!

www.dominationrec.com - $$(1/2)

Review by - Nin

Depending on your perspective, the meteoric expansion of rap music over the past decade has either been a great blessing or an interminable blight- the dizzying saturation of talent and the continual sprouting of upstart labels have invariably made it that much harder for aspiring artists to carve their respective niches. In some respects, we are none the worse for this development, with the deluge of mediocrity often being condemned to just obscurity. The prevalence of certain musical currents, however, has led to the sterilization and redundancy that permeates and defines a host of fashionable subcategories- “backpack rap”, “post-Def Jux avantgarde”, “crunk”, “G-funk”…and the list rambles on infinitely. In an epoch where these categorizations have assumed an almost monadic significance, where emcees sculpt and tailor their personas to conform to these immutable moulds, our plight is further complicated- we are ensconced in a suffocating mire of prescribed definitions, area-specific generalizations (ie Dirty South, West Coast, etcetera), where acutely assigned and stringently enforced roles have reduced rap to an elaborate masquerade. Surely one of the more prominent prospects in underground rap of late has been the “Native Tongues resurgence” first sparked by J. Dilla with Slum Village, but expounded upon by the likes of Cunninglynguists, Juggaknots and most recently, Little Brother. Say what you might about 9th Wonder, the sonic architect, with all his knowing references to early ‘90s feel-good boom-bap, ignited a blaze that has engulfed much of the underground fraternity.

Pardon the garrulous preface, but it is in this context that we must situate Clan-Destined, whose press statement proclaims, with effervescent abandon, that the duo are responsible for all aspects of their artistic craft- beats, scratches, hooks and lyrics. Again, on a terrain populated by boisterous griots, self-proclaimed prodigies and self-aggrandizing dunces, these talents are relegated to being poor parlor tricks- pardon this reviewer’s brusqueness, but such is the cruelty of an industry where scarcely anything is novelty anymore.

Judged on its own merits, this record is competent enough in execution, if a bit frustrating in its haphazard inconsistency. The duo brandish an impressive lexicon, and wield their vocabulary with taste and élan, avoiding the pitfalls of other similarly wordy emcees (using words out of context, being too clever/showy for their own good). Their organic, ingenuous approach to boom-bap houses a good deal of thought and self-awareness, and their flights of pensiveness/contemplation represent the finest spots on the record (notably “Read The Signs”). There is a depth to some of their conceptual constructions (”The Monkey”, despite flaunting some rather irritating vocal turns and an off-putting beat, is a deft turn) and the immaculate execution/chemistry of both emcees, echoing the likes of M-1, Andre 3000 and Big Boi in energy and construction, is certainly laudable. Yet, there is a rank staleness to the material that truly fails to distinguish itself- while the record does ascend some high plateaus, it is always toppled by the stiffness of its aspirations.

Maybe I’m jaded, but this ultimately feels like a bland attempt at suckling a certain demographic. It is far from dross, but it is assertively unspectacular. Factor into it all some rather questionable hook choices (some of the singing on this is positively awful) and the focus of the record is further diluted- condensing the album’s length would go a long way towards improving it. If you enjoy rap of this variety, there is an encouraging amount of nourishment here, but otherwise there is scant enduring substance here to warrant your irretrievable coin.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 25th, 2007 at 7:50 pm and is filed under Music, The Lyrical Lounge (Hip-Hop). You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will be moderated but will appear as soon as humanly possible.