Play dumb when you young and be a older fool Those male dominating ways for a man to prevail
Pap excels lyrically, essentially stating that nothing has changed in the ghettos of America since Tupac dropped “Brenda’s Got A Baby”: “Pimpin’ Won’t Die” has Pap sounding reminiscent of 50 Cent, with a suitably swinging production from C4 that wouldn’t have gone amiss on a Fiddy record. Assisted by Buckwild’s minimal backdrop and Erykah Badu’s hook, it truly feels like a concept worthy of a much-delayed album. “Cure” plays to Pap’s strengths, namely the ability to narrate a unique track where Papoose plays the role of the AIDS virus, describing his origins, his purpose and ways to avoid him.
There are plenty of noteworthy lines (“The Apple is nothing without me like Steve Jobs”) but the production isn’t as strong as it should be. The problem with “Motion Picture” and a proportion of “The Nacirema Dream” is that the stories just aren’t interesting enough for a hip hop fan raised on the lifestyles of the poor and dangerous. Admittedly, Papoose is a supreme storyteller with a delivery akin to Big L. Regardless of the fact it has been chopped and changed over the years, many mixtape/battle rappers find it hard to adapt to concepts and the cohesion an album requires.Īfter a bold “Intro”, Pap’ narrates a “Motion Picture” crime tale over a Dame Grease production that sounds more 1998 than 2013. “The Nacirema Dream” then, is a big deal because an album meant to be released in 2007 could already sound dated in 2013. There’s no doubting Papoose’s ability to outshine other rappers lyrically, but mixtapes and collaborations can often allow for rappers to flex their muscles over their pick of dope beats. My own experience with Papoose records is predominantly through lyrical experiments such as “Alphabetical Slaughter”, and although he is clearly adept at lyricism and understands the power of simile, he still remains a battle rapper that isn’t actually known for battling. Hooking up with DJ Kay Slay helped Papoose get on a whole bunch of remixes to popular tracks, most significantly Busta Rhymes’ “Touch It”. Many rappers release a different solo effort first, but Papoose went the mixtape route that had served him well in establishing a buzz in the first place. Artists with a big buzz that just never capitalise on it, thanks to A&R bullshit, shifting musical landscapes or any number of factors. We’ve been here with Saigon’s “The Greatest Story Never Told”, with Cormega’s “The Testament” and Bumpy Knuckles’ “Crazy Like a Foxxx”. Having signed a deal for $1.5 million to release an album on Jive Records back in 2006, “The Nacirema Dream” (American spelt backwards) has only just seen its release in 2013. As far as mixtape rappers go, there are few bigger, or better than Papoose.
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