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If there was any doubt behind Scarface’s limitless respect in hip-hop, then his tenth solo album, Emeritus,
will turn you all into believers. With the same lyrical grit and grime
that he stomped onto the scene some 20 years ago, the world’s
number one ghetto boy delivers an already-classic album where every
track goes harder than the last.
The
seething lead single, “High Powered,” is a perfect
precursor to another flawless collection of honest, street-hardened
testimonials. Atop a mid-tempo helping of N.O. Joe’s simmering
gumbo funk production, Face airs out fellow Houstonian Lil Troy in a
lyrical cat-and-mouse game of crime and punishment.
On
the semi-autobiographical “Can’t Get Right,” Scarface
walks a mile in the shoes of the average Joe. Over soulful bass plucks
and Sunday morning organs, he vividly illustrates the everyday
struggles of life.
But even though Emeritus
is supposedly Face’s final farewell to hip-hop, the album is not
all dark and gloomy, but a celebration of sorts. On the braggadocios
“Forgot About Me,” he trades verses with Lil Wayne and
underground king Bun B on top of a dynamic horn section and a sped-up
rock sample.
No need for the
fast-forward button or even cute radio-friendly singles, Brad Jordan
has never let up since day one and proves once again why he is the true
king of the South.
–carlton wade
