9DM & Lawz Spoken – You’ll Never Be Famous (2011)

Artist: 9DM x Lawz Spoken

Album:  You’ll Never Be Famous

Source: Itunes

Tracklisting:

1. You’ll Never Be Famous (Mr. Hollywood)
2. Everywhere I Go (ft. PC Platinum)
3. Dangerous
4. Red & Blue Lights (ft. Illmaculate)
5. Lay Em Down
6. Wire Tap
7. Poison
8. What’s New
9. Walk Of Fame
10. Any Risk
11. Miss Me With That (ft. Only One x PC Platinum)
12. Your Call
13. If I Can’t Be With You
14. Down For The Cause
15. BLVD of Broken Dreams

I was sifting through Itunes a couple of Tuesdays ago and came across this release which was a pretty random find.  I knew Lawz Spoken had just worked with Only One on a project and I wanted to hear what this one sounded like.  I was really blown away with what was coming out of the speakers.  Lawz Spoken laced incredible beat after incredible beat and 9DM just laid them to rest. The phrase “This album goes hard!” is really overused but this album does indeed, go hard.

So what makes this album different?  Well the production is the first thing that catches your attention.  Lawz Spoken uses samples from 80s Hair Bands, Ratt and Styx, in addition to pulling samples from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  He blends these flawlessly with scathing drum patterns and a true hip hop sound.

The first track that had me truly open was, Everywhere I Go.  The keyboard sample really makes this song.  The production’s not too noisy but it’s not complacent either.  It allows 9DM and PC Platinum to tear the track apart.  The emcees take on all comers with lyrics that are clearly aimed at the competition.  You know from this early point in the album that Lawz Spoken and 9DM are putting together something special.

On Dangerous, Lawz Spoken puts together more superlative production.  He weaves his penchant for 80s rock production around hardcore hip hop drum patterns.  9DM flips his verses around Lawz’s work and it really comes out perfectly.  Definitely a track that lives up top it’s monniker in being…dangerous. I always like when the emcee can wrap his thoughts around the idea presented by the producer and this is what happens time and time again on this album.  9DM has a very deliberate flow and that works to this album’s advantage as everything seems to be perfectly on time.

The album’s best track in my opinion is Wire Tap.  This is just grimy all the way around.  The beat is nasty.   This time there is a piano sample that sits on top of another rock sample and some neck snapping drums.  What also makes this track so hot is 9DMs angry delivery on this one.  You can feel his fire on this track.  This is actually coming from real life events.  Apparently,  some guys gave up his friends to the police to avoid their own accountability in the case.  This is the type of track that epitomizes what it means to be betrayed.  Check the chorus, it’s not actually what he says but how he says it.  He is delivering points home:

You run your mouth nonstop, that’s what snitches do / And the cops don’t care  if it isn’t true / According to everything I say, this ain’t an interview / Plus I bet you told them you would wear a wire, didn’t you?