, ,

Foul Mouth Jerk Streetlight Music [review]

While I love new Hip-Hop, I am an Old School head at heart. When I heard Foul Mouth Jerk's new joint was called Streetlight Music, I was instantly intrigued, hoping that dude really keeps it park jam and fly on this album...

"Streetlight Music"
Has all the pre-req sounds, even throws in that KRS-One "power from the streetlight made the place DARK" sample in there. Nice intro cut.

"The Jerk's Theme"
Hot use of an Eddie Murphy sample. One thing that cracks me up about MCs that brag on the weed they smoke is lines like "chain-smoking $20 sacks"... is that possible? Definitely some "pothead comments" in there.

"NJ Transit" (ft. El Da Sensei)
How can I hate on a track that's a tribute to my homestate. El and FMJ definitely encapsulate New Jeru in this one, especially the Hip-Hop side of NJ. Club Sensations ftw. Even though FMJ now reps North Carolina, you can tell by his dirty steez that dude is NJ bred, through and through.

"Small Town USA" (ft. Masta Ace)
Gotta love when cats show love to the smaller cities in the US that still hold it down when Hip-Hop acts come to perform for them. Sad thing is, I hardly ever see these niggas come to my area. It's always Princeton, Camden, Newark. Trenton, NJ has one of the best arenas in the country, yet I've seen more comedians there than Hip-Hop acts. This is an ill tribute, though.

"Surrounded By Criminals"
OK, who let the stop snitchin' track in the door? Very unexpected, but I guess "streetlight" is more than just block parties and stolen electricity? Regardless, this seems out of place... And yes, they do drop the Biggie sample in here.

"One Room Shack"
I love that loop in this. So damn funky - if they just took that 2-bar loop and made that the beat, shit would have been ON! I remember this one cat I used to work with had a one room shack - well, it was technically a two-room shack, but the 2nd room only had a light and a mic in it. I drank Natty Lights and smoked some fluffy weed up in that spot. Also the first spot I watched Fight Club in, but yeah. You didn't necessarily want to be chillin' over there.

"Neighborhood Drug Dealer"
I mean, I know niggas who dealt drugs back in the day, and I have no beef with them, but trying to play these niggas like they are the working everyman like any other hardworking individual misses the mark completely. And yes, they drop the KRS sample in here.

"Day One" (ft. Grandmaster Caz & TopRamen)
As much as I love the old school, and really wanted to be into this, the beat just kind of plods on. Hearing Caz on a track is always welcome, though - dude hasn't lost a step.

"The Decider"
The only interlude on here is a bunch of "Bushisms" that never gets old.

"Culture Of Life (Jesus Doesn't Give A Shit)"
This track epitomizes "real talk". Dude goes in on our government and everything that we are fucking up today. I like the line about our country being headed by CEOs, giving new meaning to "the executive branch". I have a cousin going to Iraq next month... its such a wild feeling. I hate so much about our government, but they are the ones sending one of my own off to fight in this war. My cousin is a man, and makes his own decisions... I just want him to come back in one piece.

"Played Out"
Dude spends a whole song breaking down shit he liked in the early 90's, with the punchline being that he is played out by today's standards.

"Lost In The Sauce" (ft. Breez Evahflowin')
Sick beat, and these two just attack it. Peep Breez on the 2nd verse, with his seemingly endless comic book references.

"Mr. Green" (ft. Hardy Cooper)
This one is for you ganjalists. I like the Clue reference in the chorus. This one is to be played when you are blowing trees out of a phat water pipe in a college dorm on a lazy afternoon.

"Take The Money & Run" (ft. Tao Principle)
The best thing about this track is the Cutty Ranks sample in the intro.

"The Hard Part (Remix)" (ft. MURS & Gus McGuillicutty)
Solid track, but honestly, there's not much to grab on to here, even though all MCs provide solid verses.

"Monopoly (Remix)"
Surprising track here. A remix where the beat is pretty much taken out. The storyline is accented by soundbites and some cat playing the role of the dude FMJ is speaking. Kind of a like a Hip-Hop radio serial program. I dug this one.

See, there's kind of a ying and a yang with FMJ. While I love his old school aesthetic, and dude is definitely a talented cat on the mic, his virtues can also be seen as his faults. While he is definitely a dope old school head, a lot of the themes and thoughts he brings out have been done time and again. And while he is a nice lyricist, he has some spotty lines in here (e.g. he makes a comment about stackin' "more dead presidents than Mt. Rushmore"; Mt. Rushmore has 4 dead presidents on it, so anyone with a $5 bill in their pocket fits that bill, although that's not what he was trying to get across). I do love that he has the ability to stay on topic for an entire song, but if the topic is played, what good is it?

rock the dub gives Streetlight Music a 3.5 out of 5 stars. FMJ is talented, and when he comes with interesting and off-the-mark topics, he shines. It's when he falls back on unnecessary or, in his words, played out themes where he falters.

Burn Deez: "Culture Of Life", "Small Town USA", "Monopoly (Remix)", "Lost In The Sauce"

Streetlight Music is available NOW! Hit up FMJ's MySpace page for more details on him and how to cop it.
Share:

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Mt Rushmore comment you make is off the mark cuz Mt Rushmore is a mountain and if you're stackin' a mountain of dead prezzs than you rich. Beyond that, it's a fair review.

Anonymous said...

While Mt. Rushmore only has four presidents, they're really big ass presidents, so I'll give that line the thumbs up.

khal said...

thats the esoteric idea... it literally sounds dumb. that's like saying have one big ass check for $4 makes you rich.