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Rhymefest won a Grammy before he released this, his first album for Mark Ronson's J-distributed Allido label. As one of the writers behind Kanye West's "Jesus Walks," the Chicago-raised MC gained some above-ground notoriety after several years spent paying dues as a battler (he beat Eminem at Scribble Jam '97) and featured guest (Ronson's "Bout to Get Ugly," West's "We Can Make It Better"). And, as he is eager to point out, he hasn't been paid all that much -- he has cycled through a fair share of low-paying jobs. Blue Collar, which involves production work from Ronson, West, Just Blaze, No I.D., and Cool & Dre, tends to remain true to its title and establishes Rhymefest's role as a down-to-earth, no-larger-than-life figure who happens to be exceptionally talented. With a slight lisp, his gruff voice projects several verses that are humbled and humorous without sacrificing any sense of swagger: "Blue-collar rap, why I call it that?/Sh*t, I know more real n*ggas that U-Haul than haul crack" ("Dynomite"); "I know I'm ahead of my time/But I'm behind on my rent" ("Devil's Pie"); "Workin' hard for scratch/Talk sh*t, get your jaw detached" ("All I Do"). His contradictions wouldn't be so significant if he didn't present himself in such a specific way. In "Brand New," he proclaims "Look at all my whips, they're all vintage" and boasts about his "loft with a view of the sea," possessions that don't sound blue-collar at all, unless he's putting a clever spin on referring to a few planks in a tree and a fleet of broken-down Gremlins. "Fever," another calculated shot at the charts, doesn't match his character either, dressed in the kind of production that would sound better behind an adolescent pop-rapper. If you subtract the shortcomings and pay extra attention to the tracks that discuss what things are like in Rhymefest's reality ("More," "Sister," "Bullet"), you'll hear roughly 45 very good minutes surrounded by 15 minutes of fluff. Regard the 45 minutes as the program and disregard the remainder as the commercials.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
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Ryan Penman, Vocal - Jonathan Davis, Composer - Jonathan Davis, Lyricist - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Animal House Productions, Producer - Maxx P, Recording Engineer - Plugg City Entertainment, Producer - John Hanes, Engineer - Rhymefest featuring Q-Tip, Performer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - John Henry, Recording Engineer - Jon Frost, Composer - Jon Frost, Lyricist - Mike Payne, Composer - Mike Payne, Lyricist - Mike Payne, Vocal - Bobby Summers, Keyboards
(P) 2006 J Records,a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Justin Smith, Composer - Justin Smith, Lyricist - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Rhymefest, Performer - Just Blaze, Producer - Gimel Keaton, Mixing Engineer - Toby Henry, Composer - Toby Henry, Lyricist - David Brown, Recording Engineer - Sylvia Robinson, Composer - Sylvia Robinson, Lyricist - Jerry Harris, Composer - Jerry Harris, Lyricist
(P) 2005 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Rhymefest featuring Kanye West, Performer - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Kanye West, Composer - Kanye West, Lyricist - Kanye West, Producer - Gabriel Roth, Composer - Gabriel Roth, Lyricist - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - John Hanes, Engineer - Derek Pacuk, Recording Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Anthony Kilhoffer, Recording Engineer - Kevin Mahoney, 2nd Engineer - Mark Ronson, Recording Engineer
(P) 2005 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
No I.D., Producer - John Hanes, Engineer - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Eddie Cooley, Composer - Eddie Cooley, Lyricist - John Frye, Recording Engineer - John Davenport, Composer - John Davenport, Lyricist - Rhymefest, Performer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer
(P) 2005 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Cochise, Producer - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Rhymefest, Performer - Jeremy Ball, Composer - Jeremy Ball, Lyricist - John Hanes, Engineer - Derek Pacuk, Recording Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Emile Haynie, Composer - Emile Haynie, Lyricist - Emile Haynie, Producer - Willie McKinley Hutchinson, Composer - Willie McKinley Hutchinson, Lyricist
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Pierre Barough, Composer - Pierre Barough, Lyricist - Rhymefest, Performer - Ernest Wilson, Composer - Ernest Wilson, Lyricist - Francis Lai, Composer - Francis Lai, Lyricist - John Hanes, Engineer - Derek Pacuk, Recording Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - No-ID, Producer
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Rhymefest featuring Kanye West, Performer - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Kanye West, Composer - Kanye West, Lyricist - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - John Hanes, Engineer - Robert " Brizz" Brisbane, Recording Engineer - Keanna Henson Johnson, Background Vocal - Andre Lyon, Composer - Andre Lyon, Lyricist - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Marcello Valenzano, Composer - Marcello Valenzano, Lyricist - Cool & Dre, Producer - Cool & Dre, Performer
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - T. Boykin, Composer - T. Boykin, Lyricist - Rhymefest featuring Mikkey and Bump J, Performer - Michael Snoddy, Composer - Michael Snoddy, Lyricist - Michael Snoddy, Producer - Gimel Keaton, Mixing Engineer - John Frye, Recording Engineer - No-ID, Producer - M. Nance, Composer - M. Nance, Lyricist - E. Wilson, Composer - E. Wilson, Lyricist
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Animal House Productions, Producer - Plugg City Entertainment, Producer - Rhymefest, Performer - Eric Taylor, Mixing Engineer - John Henry, Recording Engineer - Jon Frost, Composer - Jon Frost, Lyricist - Paul Simon, Composer - Paul Simon, Lyricist
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Christopher Jasper, Composer - Christopher Jasper, Lyricist - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - John Hanes, Engineer - Robert " Brizz" Brisbane, Recording Engineer - Derek Pacuk, Recording Engineer - Andre Lyon, Composer - Andre Lyon, Lyricist - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Ernie Isley, Lyricist - Ernie Isley, Composer - O'Kelly Isley, Composer - O'Kelly Isley, Lyricist - Rudolph Isley, Composer - Rudolph Isley, Lyricist - Rhymefest featuring Mario, Performer - Marcello Valenzano, Composer - Marcello Valenzano, Lyricist - Marvin Isley, Composer - Marvin Isley, Lyricist - Mark Ronson, Producer - Ronald Isley, Composer - Ronald Isley, Lyricist - Cool & Dre, Producer
(P) 2005 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Rhymefest, Performer - Don-E, Vocal - John Hanes, Engineer - Derek Pacuk, Recording Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Mark Ronson, Composer - Mark Ronson, Lyricist - Mark Ronson, Producer - Mark Ronson, Performer - Mark Ronson, Recording Engineer - Julian Casablancas, Composer - Julian Casablancas, Lyricist
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Rhymefest, Co-Producer - John Hanes, Engineer - Derek Pacuk, Recording Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - No-ID, Producer - Rhymefest featuring Mike Payne, Performer - Mark Ronson, Recording Engineer - Garry Glenn, Composer - Garry Glenn, Lyricist
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Shane, Background Vocal - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - James Edward III, Keyboards - Malik Yusef, Composer - Malik Yusef, Lyricist - John Hanes, Engineer - Franco DeLeon, Recording Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Rhymefest featuring Malik Yusef, Performer - Terry Hunter, Composer - Terry Hunter, Lyricist - Terry Hunter, Producer
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Jon Brion, Composer - Jon Brion, Lyricist - Jon Brion, Producer - Jon Brion, Performer - John Hanes, Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Emile Haynie, Composer - Emile Haynie, Lyricist - Emile Haynie, Producer - Rhymefest featuring Citizen Cope, Performer - Mark Ronson, Co-Producer - Clarence Greenwood, Composer - Clarence Greenwood, Lyricist
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
The East Harlem School Choir, Vocal - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Rhymefest, Performer - Vernon Bullock, Composer - Vernon Bullock, Lyricist - Harvey Fuqua, Composer - Harvey Fuqua, Lyricist - John Hanes, Engineer - Derek Pacuk, Recording Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Mark Ronson, Composer - Mark Ronson, Lyricist - Mark Ronson, Producer - Mark Ronson, Piano - Mark Ronson, Synthesizer - Mark Ronson, Recording Engineer - Harry Nilsson, Composer - Harry Nilsson, Lyricist
(P) 2005 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Rhymefest featuring O.D.B., Performer - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Che Smith, Composer - Che Smith, Lyricist - Mike D'abo, Composer - Mike D'abo, Lyricist - John Hanes, Engineer - Derek Pacuk, Recording Engineer - Tim Roberts, 2nd Engineer - Mark Ronson, Composer - Mark Ronson, Lyricist - Mark Ronson, Producer - Mark Ronson, Piano - Mark Ronson, Guitar - Mark Ronson, Acoustic Bass - Mark Ronson, Background Vocal - Mark Ronson, Recording Engineer - Tony Macaulay, Composer - Tony Macaulay, Lyricist
(P) 2005 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Album review
Rhymefest won a Grammy before he released this, his first album for Mark Ronson's J-distributed Allido label. As one of the writers behind Kanye West's "Jesus Walks," the Chicago-raised MC gained some above-ground notoriety after several years spent paying dues as a battler (he beat Eminem at Scribble Jam '97) and featured guest (Ronson's "Bout to Get Ugly," West's "We Can Make It Better"). And, as he is eager to point out, he hasn't been paid all that much -- he has cycled through a fair share of low-paying jobs. Blue Collar, which involves production work from Ronson, West, Just Blaze, No I.D., and Cool & Dre, tends to remain true to its title and establishes Rhymefest's role as a down-to-earth, no-larger-than-life figure who happens to be exceptionally talented. With a slight lisp, his gruff voice projects several verses that are humbled and humorous without sacrificing any sense of swagger: "Blue-collar rap, why I call it that?/Sh*t, I know more real n*ggas that U-Haul than haul crack" ("Dynomite"); "I know I'm ahead of my time/But I'm behind on my rent" ("Devil's Pie"); "Workin' hard for scratch/Talk sh*t, get your jaw detached" ("All I Do"). His contradictions wouldn't be so significant if he didn't present himself in such a specific way. In "Brand New," he proclaims "Look at all my whips, they're all vintage" and boasts about his "loft with a view of the sea," possessions that don't sound blue-collar at all, unless he's putting a clever spin on referring to a few planks in a tree and a fleet of broken-down Gremlins. "Fever," another calculated shot at the charts, doesn't match his character either, dressed in the kind of production that would sound better behind an adolescent pop-rapper. If you subtract the shortcomings and pay extra attention to the tracks that discuss what things are like in Rhymefest's reality ("More," "Sister," "Bullet"), you'll hear roughly 45 very good minutes surrounded by 15 minutes of fluff. Regard the 45 minutes as the program and disregard the remainder as the commercials.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 00:58:23
- Main artists: Rhymefest
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: J Records
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
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