How much underrated madness must occur before the public wakes up? As the industry continues to encourage the flash and pizzazz of easily quotable lyrics in Hip Hop, the disconnect from the original art of verbal creativity grows deeper and increasingly defined. The Slaughterhouse coalition is not included within the undistinguished category of rappers.
Since the group formed as a result of Royce da 5’9, Crooked I, and Joell Ortiz featuring on Joe Budden’s Halfway House track entitled “Slaughterhouse” in 2009, they have promoted themselves as superior to the competition. Platforms including the BET Hip Hop Awards cyphers of 2011, where they stole the award show with the famous Shady 2.0 cypher, have given them the perfect showcase to demonstrate their most important asset, bars. During the Hip Hop Awards: A Cypher Defined interview after the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards, each of them discussed the importance of cyphers to the individual’s lyrical prestige and to the foundation of rap stripped from its mainstream chains. They continue their rage against the transparency by giving us a 10-deep, face mashing mixtape entitled House Rules, released via various Internet music hubs.
Bars are a given on this project without the crutch of catchy hooks. Don’t be afraid to run the mixtape back a few times to digest the unsparingly alliterated protein provided proportionately by each of the four corners of the group. The foundation laid by producers Illmind, Harry Fraud, Nottz, and Araabmuzik give the mixtape enough balance between subtlety and boldness to allow each emcee to emphatically sink their teeth into each track. “Offshore” and “SayDatThen” give prime examples of how the production gives support and professionally grace each rapper instead of overshadowing their voices. Both tracks also provide insight into the current state of each rapper’s mindset, coming from bleak situations and questioning the authenticity of the state of hip hop by assessing their position among their peers. The listener can’t help but notice their acknowledgement of their underground status and hunger to be larger. “…this goes out to every blog and columnist around the globe. I want my rhymes solidified in time so, gotta get on my grind bro,” says Royce in “Offshore”. We can hope that this is foreshadows a bright future from everyone in the group.
House Rules may be one of the most lyrically laced mixtapes to come out this year, and will go ignorantly underrated once again. This is nothing new, for each of these rappers has had problems selling their product in the past individually. This tragic oxymoron of the industry nowadays, but Slaughterhouse will not compromise for lackluster material. Shady is sitting on treasure.
