Washington rapper Dead Poet & LA rapper Wildcard come together in a VERY dope album with nice production and raw, personal, and skillful lyrics
1) Saints (Intro)
Intro with random quotes, no rapping all. Might as well skip.
2) Desperados
Great intro! Showcases lyricism from both, with a decent chorus and nice beat. The third verse has them trading bars ATCQ style. Also has nice punchlines, such as “I’m big enough to hang my fucking coat from a pyramid/And I’ll leave you looking like your fucking throat’s on its period”
3) Dog Tags
I’m sure some people won’t like the call-and-response type of chorus, but considering the song is about the army, it makes a lot of sense. Punchlines like “comes once in a blue moon like a hooker when she climax” are paralleled with dope lyricism, such as “He’s standing in a stance at an avalanche couldn’t match/Jack Daniels and Camels till the ambulance advance/Innocent bystanders gather to take a gander/At a man who’s snapped beyond all reasonable answers”
4) Stomping Grounds (featuring Illmaculate of the Sand People)
Dope track with all 3 MCs featured (Dead Poet, Wildcard and Illmaculate, respectively) talk about their hometowns. I like Poet’s verse the best (“Baby girl come around on a porch swing to kick it//She fourteen and wicked, and morphine-addicted.”), but all of them are good.
5) Message For Poet
This is just a message for Poet, not worth listening to
6) All In My Mind
One of my favorite tracks on the album. Like the sample, saying “All In My Mind,” and how that’s the only chorus. These guys are ALWAYS on point lyrically, it’s ridiculous. Unfortunately the second verse starts off a little cliché, random lines about demons casting evil spells and shit, but for the most part it comes off as a list of how his depression feels. The emotion doesn’t feel completely there, but the lyricism definitely is.
7) Checklist
The beat can get sorta annoying, wasn’t really liking it, which sorta takes away from the lyrics. Some of the lines are notable, but a lot are forgettable once the song is done. There were some nice punchlines though – “I got a fulltime shine like a light generator/The closest thing I’ll get to heaven is a flight simulator/A depressed bag of rocks and a psycho when I talk noise/Eating up these maggots like Michael and the Lost Boys.” “Shaking like hookers when they get blood tests done” was another nice one
.8) 5150
Another favorite! I can’t even say much, nice production, decent chorus, and dope verses. Love the way the first one begins “Let’s take a stroll through the mind of a maniac…”, like how the second one is addressed to a lover/someone close, and love the third verse – “I hate taking trips down memory lane/Cause all I do while I’m walking is remember the pain/If I talk to you, trust me I’ll pretend to be sane/And that ain’t easy when your soul’s in the center of flames”
9) Quick & Dirty
Not really feeling the chorus, but it’s some dope lyrics. Part of it (2nd verse) sorta sounds like old school Eminem too. The original song seems quite familiar…it’s a good song, though compared to a lot of the album, it doesn’t really seem as strong as it would if it were just a random song you heard.
10) Take A Mile
Dark track, gloomy and almost creepy intro/beat. Part of it has them being Satan – “remember what the fuck I did to Emily Rose?”, etc. – though the second verse has Wildcard addressing himself personally. The lyrics were good, but none were that memorable. The third verse is quite good.
11) Intervention
Nice to hear them get personal and talk directly about their drug issues. Lyrically on point, and they do a nice job of portraying emotions without sacrificing skill or flow. Example: Dead Poet saying “And I’m sick of hearing Phil talk that drunk and sober shit/Probably murder Wildcard before it’s fucking over with.” It’s a nice track, and though I’ve never had drug problems, one can feel the emotions fairly well, particularly from Dead Poet.
12) Puppets On A String (Remix)
Nice production, and again some dope lyrics. Liked Dead Poet talking about the state f rap – “Your brains are fucking worthless and all your shit is ghostwritten/Everybody knows that Biggie Smalls is the most bitten.” Liked the song in general – not as good as a few others on the album, but it was definitely worth listening to again, and without a doubt it was dope.
13) Ignite
Wasn’t feeling the production at first, but it grew on me quickly. The lyrics, while depressing (because its about depression), are quite dope. Not much to say, it’s just a nice track.
14) Deathbed
Dead Poet got arrested near the end of the album being made, and the track begins with a phone message from him about his arrest. Another favorite on the album, the first verse feels a bit rambling, but it’s still quite dope. The second verse, however, is one of my favorite verses on the album. “Lucifer’s illusions keep giving me lucid dreams/It’s quiet next to you and I’m usually used to screams” is also one of my favorite lines. A very good song, nice lyrics and nice production. I also like that each person gets one verse each, as opposed to other songs where there are a total of three verses.
15) Setting The Bar
I actually didn’t like the chorus, which is a collection of lines said by both rappers. It felt a little bit like they were forcing their dopeness in the listener’s face, as opposed to letting us hear it ourselves and appreciate it. Can’t complain at all though, cause they are, as they say, “setting the bar.” Dope song, loving the production and the punchlines/lyrics.
16) Self Portrait
Probably my favorite song on the album, though that’s a tough call. Love the production, the chorus, the verses. So many lines I really like: “Had an excuse when I was seventeen/But now it’s like get up you falling angel, motherfucker time to spread your wings!” The second verse is beyond dope, up there with the second verse on Deathbed, recapping a pretty fucked up childhood and addiction. The third and first verses do not disappoint at all either, particularly the third which talks directly about the rapper’s parents and the impact of drugs on their and his lives. The whole song is directed to their parents, and it feels heartfelt, and is very dope.
17) Soul Disposal
Dope verse, dope chorus, nice production. I would’ve liked Self Portrait to have ended the album, but this is very dope, nice flow and punchlines.
Best tracks: To be honest, EVERY track is ridiculously dope. My personal favorites are 5150, All In My Mind, Self Portrait & Deathbed, but Soul Disposal, Desperados, Dog Tags, Stomping Grounds, and Setting The Bar could easily be in there, and the other tracks are dope as well.
Grade: A
-DKE
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