... We eventually got “Eastern Philosophy” in 2006 after a long run of push backs and delays. It was supposed to come out through Atlantic Records, who Ap had a major label deal with, but ended up on indie label Babygrande. Better through them than not at all.
1. Eastern Philosophy – 5/5
Apathy’s ... Read review
Advantages: No question: Apathy is a great MC Disadvantages: Weak production, guest appearances aren't all that
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1. Eastern Philosophy – 5/5 ===================== Apathy’s eastern influences are evident from the get go. Chum the Skrilla Guerilla (seriously...hence forth simply “Chum”) produces a retro beat reminiscent of the early 90’s east coast boom bap style. It features a hard drum line that sounds suspiciously like an “Impeach the President” sample. This is just the millionth time that classic drum loop has been used in a hip ... ...type, on the whole of Eastern Philosophy right here. Motive was ok, but his effort pales in comparison to the monster Ap came with. It’s a straight seventy second lyrical onslaught from start to finish. Motive is one of the only guest appearances to do a good job on his verse; I think I’d probably be more favourable towards him if he had been a part of any other track. Apathy steals the show somewhat.
In my opinion, Apathy is one of the most complete rappers out there. He has the full package: wicked wordplay, near faultless flow, a consistent multisyllabic rhyme scheme and the right mix of intelligence and humour within his tracks. There aren’t many who can match him blow for blow on the mic.
Originally from Connecticut, he’s the founding member of the DemiGodz crew (with Celph Titled, Styles of Beyond, 7L, Esoteric, and others) and is a part of the east coast hip hop super group Army of the Pharoahs. In 2002, DemiGodz came out with “The Godz Must Be Crazy” which, in addition to his “Where’s Your Album?!!” mixtape (2004), helped build a lot of hype for Ap’s solo debut. We eventually got “Eastern Philosophy” in 2006 after a long run of push backs and delays. It was supposed to come out through Atlantic Records, who Ap had a major label deal with, but ended up on indie label Babygrande. Better through them than not at all.
1. Eastern Philosophy – 5/5 ===================== Apathy’s eastern influences are evident from the get go. Chum the Skrilla Guerilla (seriously...hence forth simply “Chum”) produces a retro beat reminiscent of the early 90’s east coast boom bap style. It features a hard drum line that sounds suspiciously like an “Impeach the President” sample. This is just the millionth time that classic drum loop has been used in a hip hop track (LL Cool J and Nas to name but two to have jumped on it), so not the most original idea Chum will ever come up with.
“The cause of our accent? The place we represent We don’t pronounce R’s like a speech impediment Our influence on hip hop beats is evident The first to rock raps on Impeach the President”
Ohh right, it’s a play off the lyrics. If he’s right, and I’m not about to check, those are some very impressive bragging rights. I guess that would depend on your definition of impressive though. Ap uses this title track to fire off random titbits of east coast related info, letting listeners know all the quirks of his favourite geographical region of the USA. It’s quite short, clocking in at just under the 90 second mark, but a well written and topical opener nonetheless.
2. 1000 Grams – 5/5 =============== Track one he introduced the east coast, track two he introduces himself. It’s a self hype track, allowing Ap to put his lyrical prowess on display very early on in the album. He did a lot of battle rapping in the past, and this is one of those songs where that really shines through. It’s a track packed full of similes, metaphors and wordplay, and Ap’s rhyme scheme is as impressive as ever.
“Listen, I don't care if you Christian, Muslim or Catholic God got a whole iPod filled with Ap's shit Y'all came for cream but get very little Cuz Ap reign/rain supreme, y'all barely drizzle”
His flow is vicious over another raw, throwback 90s style beat that is in a similar vein to the album’s opener but with a few trumpets thrown in this time. The production is once again handled by Chum, who produces most of the tracks on this CD. It’s neither bad nor memorable, but the consistency in the style allows for the album as a whole to flow between tracks smoothly. Unlike the beat, the lyrical content is very memorable. Apathy knows how to handle the mic.
3. All About Crime – 4/5 ================== On this track, Apathy talks about how crime is everywhere, not just on the streets. He compares the typical images of street crime, like robberies and shootings, with crimes committed in business, like insider trading, by the wealthier and more respected members of society (“even Martha Stewart do it”). It’s a nice concept track. Ap takes a topic that’s been done to death but puts his own fresh spin on it. It’s good to hear this kind of creativity in hip hop music again.
“It’s been all about crime pretty much since the beginning of time Early men killed each other for objects that shine Now businessmen do it with progress in mind It ain’t all about streets, projects and nines”
On the production front, it’s Celph Titled’s turn. I’ve never really noticed his production before but after listening to this track I think he’s better in the booth than he is behind the boards. The beat has more of a jazzy feel to it, but still doesn’t deviate greatly from the status quo. It’s again quite mediocre; however the Gangstarr sample in the hook is worked in well.
4. 9 to 5 ft Emilio Lopez – 3/5 ====================== This track’s about trying to break out of the 9 to 5 lifestyle and get rich through any means. This time Quincy Tones provides the beat. It has a chill, laidback vibe to it, and the inclusion of the Jay-Z “D’Evils” sample on the hook is very fitting indeed. Although the beat wouldn’t sound terribly out of place on Reasonable Doubt,i t’s not about to turn Quincy into the most sought after producer out there either. Or even a well known one.
“So call me a capitalist, consider us savages Cuz we rob and kill, don’t live life’s lavishness Broke mind state’ll only get me mad I’d rather be a sugar daddy than a dead beat dad”
Emilio Lopez (who is in DemiGodz) features on this song. It’s put together in an unusual format; normally the featuring artist will take one verse and Ap would have the other two. This time they split each verse up. The first verse Lopez takes the first eight bars, Ap the last eight; second verse they swap every four; and on the third and final verse they exchange every two bars. It’s this format that helps highlight the difference in class between the two MCs. Lopez follows a similar rhyme scheme to Apathy, making use of internal rhymes, but he seems to be putting a lot of effort into achieving this. That results in what he’s saying often sounding forced. It may have been better if he had simplified his rhyme scheme, allowing him to sound more natural, but this would have had a knock on effect on the scheme Ap would have had to use due to the line trading (especially in the final verse). It’s a catch 22. The solution? Use a better MC as a featured artist.
5. Here Come the Gangstas – 4/5 ========================= This is another lyrical workout track in a similar vein to 1000 Grams. This time, Ap attacks those that swear they’re “gangsta, gangsta”. What’s most impressive about this song is the rhyme scheme. Throughout most of the first verse, Ap constantly rhymes the “o” sound both internally and on the tail of his lines. It’s very effective, especially combined with his quick flow through the verses.
“Scientific, typical, a genius is the evilest Who raised hell so high, the Eskimos are feverish Be cool, 'cause me even dealing with these fools Is kinda like a rocket scientist teaching pre-school”
Once again, the only aspect letting this track down is the production. The sample in the hook is the King of boring samples, and is the source of the song’s title. It’s pretty much just those four words on repeat. The beat itself is also quite repetitive. Apathy’s vocals drown it out a little, making it more bearable, but I think if I had to listen to the instrumental a few times I would wind up with a headache. It’s a shame because lyrically this song had the potential to be the best track on the album.
6. Can’t Leave Rap Alone ft Celph Titled, Ryu – 4/5 ====================================== I really like Celph Titled as a rapper. I’ve yet to listen to anything he’s written and think it’s plain wack, which isn’t something I can say about a lot of MCs. Inevitably, everyone has a day where they write something terrible, think to themselves it’s good and either release it without consulting anyone or release it without consulting anyone who’ll be honest with them. Celph hasn’t had that day yet. Ryu obviously has; his verse could do with being edited out. Ryu: “I'm the one to call when your third verse is free...” Nope. His verse sticks out like an albino in a heat wave. His voice doesn’t help; he’s spitting alongside two guys who sound quite rugged. Ryu sounds like that guy who was on that track, you know that track right? It was that one with that other guy who used to hang with that dude from that place? Joe Average. I don’t think Ryu’s career will ever take off; he’s in Fort Minor, DemiGodz and Styles of Beyond, but will never have a successful solo career. He has zero charisma.
“You muthafuckas wanna scrap? Be quiet! You know when Apathy drops, you’ll happily buy it All these cats are a riot, wanna rap, so they try it But will quit as quick as Ruben Studdard on the Atkins diet”
I really like this track up to the point where Ryu joins the party. Although Celph Titled’s verse is by no means the best sixteen he’ll ever write, it still has all the goodness I’ve come to expect from him and is very enjoyable. The beat is pretty samey and forgettable, but it doesn’t detract from the song. It’s by Chum again, and sounds quite upbeat. Or as upbeat as is possible if you’re determined to use the same beat making formula for every single track on the CD. The Jay-Z sample in the hook is nice, if a little predictable.
7. One of Those Days – 4/5 ===================== Apathy is having some girl trouble on this track. It’s another subject that’s been thoroughly murdered over the years as far as creativity goes; who doesn’t have a track about their girlfriend? Lester... It’s necessary to put a different twist on the track or else you’ll come as close to making a cover version of rapper X’s (as well as rapper E’s, T’s and C’s) song as is possible in hip hop. So Ap flips it by poking fun at his girlfriend instead of simply whining or bragging about her.
“She's like, ‘buy me this and buy me that’ Think I got dough like I'm supplying crack Never comply with that, my reply to that? Better start looking for another guy for that”
I’m sure some guys can relate to a lot of the things he says. The weak point on this track is still on the production end of things. It’s Apathy that has stepped up to produce this time; I’d have thought he’d be the one person who knows best how to make himself sound good over a beat. Apparently not. I hope he doesn’t try and make the switch over from rapping to producing; El-P is probably the only guy who is good whichever side of the boards he’s on. Kanye West can’t rap. Apathy can’t produce. They both need to realise this and stick to their strengths.
8. Me and My Friends ft Celph Titled, One Two – 3/5 ======================================== Apathy, Celph and One Two reminisce on their childhoods and stuff that happened while they were growing up. I could have lived without any guest appearances on this track; Celph isn’t as sharp as he usually is and One Two is plain awful. I find my mind drifting during One Two’s verse, which is the middle of the three, so that probably has a knock on effect on how I view Celph’s closing verse. To be honest, Apathy is more than capable of holding down a track like this by himself. There’s no obvious benefit to having any other featuring artists, especially if they’re not going to contribute anything good to the song (I’m looking at you One Two).
“I remember in the nineties it was all about forties and blunts Nas cassettes, Das Efx and Reebok Pumps Punk mutherfuckas that were claiming they got techs And rock a ski mask like Q-Tip in ‘Hot Sex’”
The beat is the second one contributed by Quincy Tones. It’s also another of the laidback, chilled out variety. The drum line sound very similar in both the tracks he produced, and this one too has a kind of stalled beginning. Once it gets going it does sound quite different from the 9 To 5 beat, however. I find this to be one of the more boring tracks on the album and it holds little replay value for me. It’s very average. I usually skip over it.
9. Chemical – 5/5 ============= This is one of the best tracks on the album. Apathy raps about the chemicals that are used in everyday life, their effects and the way we’ve come to rely on them. He sounds slightly paranoid about some of their effects, but it’s good to have this level of variety on the album: battle raps (1000 Grams), meaningful songs (Chemical) and even a story telling track (The Buck Stops Here). It’s extremely rare that one MC would attempt all three types on an album, let alone do all three well.
“Red Bull pumps your energy, weed fucks with memory Coke mixed with Hennessy turns friends to enemies Pills to stop pregnancies, slow the flow steadily Incredible, we're based on a chemical dependency”
Even the beat on this one is nice. I’ve spent some time criticising Chum so it’s only fair I give him credit for this. He still sticks with the stripped down, drum dependent theme, except it sounds far more atmospheric. The piano notes do wonders for the overall feel of the track, and the opening bubbling sounds play effectively into the stereotypical chemical sounds we all learn from watching cartoons. It defiantly helps that Chum switches around a few things to fit with the lyrics, such as making the drums heavier when Ap starts listing chemicals in order to add emphasis to his words. I’m very impressed with Chum’s work on this track. It’s one of two where I think he got it spot on.
10. Doe Raker Check ft Motive – 5/5 =========================== Apathy has an amazing flow. This track is testament to that. He delivers the best battle verse, quite possibly the best verse of any type, on the whole of Eastern Philosophy right here. Motive was ok, but his effort pales in comparison to the monster Ap came with. It’s a straight seventy second lyrical onslaught from start to finish. Motive is one of the only guest appearances to do a good job on his verse; I think I’d probably be more favourable towards him if he had been a part of any other track. Apathy steals the show somewhat.
“I’m a bastard that’ll master ways to massacre the masses Like a massive meteor that smashes cities into ashes And bashes little faggots till their face is facing backwards Wait for you I’m taking you to quiet places in the back woods”
The beat is also nice. It features some good guitar riffs and a simple yet effective snare put together in the style of early nineties New York. It’s very good for this type of track, although would fall flat on its face if the song’s content had been anything different. The hook is written instead of sampled: a rarity. The (excessive) sampling on the album fits with how things were in the nineties New York hip hop scene. Apathy clearly had his head in that era while creating his album.
11. Philosophical Gangsta ft Poison Pen, Bad Seed – 3/5 ========================================== Motive may have done a good job on his feature, but Poison Pen and Bad Seed don’t. Poison Pen was particularly bad. I will credit the worst verse on the album to him; it’s terrible. He did a track with Immortal Technique on Tech’s “The 3rd World” (2008) and was bad on that too, so I guess this wasn’t a one off. I find it difficult to make out what he’s saying because it sounds like he’s struggling for oxygen at times; it’s actually worse in 2008 than it was on this song in 2006. The wheezing could be explained by either an accent or by smoking thirty a day...
“I spit it liquid nitrogen, mics are left freezing cold MCs explode, exposing their weakened soul My speech controls the block like street patrols I’m a monster who stomps foes and eats ‘em whole”
The beat is the only one produced by Exact Beats on the CD. It’s quite mundane; I don’t have much to say about it. The Nas sample was a good one to use, but makes for quite a repetitive hook if that’s going to be the only element to it. It’s basically just “philosophical gangsta” repeated a few times with some scratches. Poison Pen and Bad Seed are why I skip this track. They make it difficult to suffer through.
12. I Remember... – 3/5 ================== Apathy describes his journey into hip hop music on this one. The first verse is mostly about growing up in Connecticut whereas the last is more about moving up in hip hop circles and meeting the guys he hangs around with now. Every artist has a song like this; Ap doesn’t make any attempt to flip it in a different way to break the mould like he did on One Of Those Days. Instead he relies on his skills as an MC as means to set himself apart in this oversaturated subject area.
“Ask my man Mo, them younger dudes in New London Been puffing on that wet get upset and start gunning Me in open mic used to roll with Zulu in New Heaven ‘Til we build with Alienation and made the separation”
He delivers two more solid verses, but they’re not the best he’ll ever write. Nothing about this track really grabs my attention. It’s the second self produced song on the album and the beat is far superior to his other effort. It’s hardly spellbinding but it’ll do. I still think he should concentrate on staying in the booth; it’s where his true talent lies. Leave the production to the professionals. If he has a label willing to pay for the clearances on all the samples that have been used then surely they’d fork out for good producers too.
13. The Buck Stops Here – 4/5 ======================= This track chronicles the passing of one dollar bill from person to person showing where your cash may have been before you get it. On the second verse Ap describes this in more detail but the events that transpire to move it from a lottery winner through to a child seem outlandish. The only place where those events would be possible one after the other is in a cartoon – or a song. Still, it gets the listener thinking nonetheless.
“Same dollar bill that's stuffed in a stripper's thong Could be the same dollar bill that's out shopping with your mom Same dollar bill buying drugs for junkies Is the same dollar bill for your kid's lunch money”
A sample from Audio Two’s “Top Billin’” is used in the hook to much better effect than when 50 Cent used it. 8th and Vertygo are responsible for the production, but once again I find it somewhat lacking. This deep into the album hearing the same kind of beat over and over gets quite boring. There’s nothing in it that really compliments Ap’s lyrics and that’s the only thing necessary to move this track up to the next level.
14. The Winter ft Blue Raspberry – 5/5 ============================= Lastly, a track that is simply about winter. This is one of my favourites on the album; everything about it is spot on. Apathy raps about how much he hates winter time and relates it to nothing more than looking at death. His imagery is great; I really can’t fault his talent as an MC. It’s been a while since I heard someone as complete an artist as he is.
“The trees look so wicked with no leaves in it The breeze so frigid it freezes liquid and I Start up the whip, can’t just jump in it Gotta let that shit run for like fifteen minutes”
Chum does a great job on the production side of things: slow drums, dark strings, and haunting piano notes weave together to create an eerie atmosphere and moody beat. Blue Raspberry, who was the female vocalist on many of the Wu-Tang Clan’s solo albums, does a very good job singing the hook. It’s also the best written hook on the CD; when samples weren’t used they tended to be replaced by a very repetitive line or two. This one is easily the best.
Overall ====== Apathy is a great MC. He knows how to handle to microphone and is at least a step above 95% of rappers out there when it comes down to the technical side of things. His problem is he’ll struggle to break into the mainstream due to this. If I was trying to get a friend who is used to listening to the pop charts into hip hop music, there’s no way I’d point them in Apathy’s direction. He doesn’t have the kind of appeal that would turn someone into a hip hop fan the way Eminem did; you have to at the very least already be on your way there.
If anything, this album would turn potential fans away due to the quality of the production. After the first five tracks, the beats got boring and repetitive. That will inevitably make it difficult to hook casual listeners in. Although I appreciate that he wanted to stay true to his eastern roots it can’t be ignored that this came out in 2006. It’s not the 1990s anymore; things have changed. Some indication of an awareness of this would have been great.
The use of samples, again, got boring after a while. Those are best used as a novelty thing rather than for the whole album. Some sounded forced into the track, such as the Lauryn Hill sample on Me and My Friends, so cut downs could have been made in places where the samples added very little to the quality of the track.
The guest artists tended to be members of DemiGodz that he’s worked with before. Most of the time they weren’t as good as he was; I think some of the tracks would have been far better had Apathy just done them himself. As I’ve said, he’s a good MC. He doesn’t need anyone else to hold his hand on the track.
Despite these negatives, Eastern Philosophy is an entertaining album and a very good solo debut. I’d recommend it to any fan of hip hop music.
Album Details =========== Price - £11.99 for the album; £5.95 for the MP3 version (Play.com) Run Time - 49:54
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