Rating: NNN
Death, taxes and El-Producto making difficult hiphop — these are three of life’s greatest certainties. And despite subtle, nearly subsurface appearances by Trent Reznor, Cat Power and the Mars Volta boys in addition to usual indie rap suspects Mr. Lif, Aesop Rock and Cage, the Def Jux prez’s second official vocal rap album is still harder than Viking moonshine, both in production and lyrical density. El-P’s progressive beats here are full of driving, distorted drum sounds and rough samples futuristic b-boy shit that walks a fine line between funky and grating. On the lyrical tip, we’re given plenty of double-edged lines full of dystopia, sarcasm, social observation and abstract science. Maybe influenced by Atmosphere’s Slug, some less El-P-style, emo rap love/lust themes emerge in The Overly Dramatic Truth and The League Of Extraordinary Nobodies on an album designed to be unravelled slowly.
