M.O.P. - Foundation Review

Posted by Patrick Robinson on 09.16.2009

After their time on G-Unit Records yielded no album, M.O.P. decided to go the Independent route with their latest album, Foundation. Is it a forgettable low-budget affair, or yet another quality release from the Brownsville natives?

There are many different types of rappers within the hip-hop genre. Some artists, such as GZA and Common capture our thoughts with clever wordplay and engaging lyrics. Other artists, such as Jadakiss and Nas weave tales of the streets, often mixed with social commentary from an observer’s point of view.

There are not however, any artists out there who can match M.O.P.’s incredible energy and aggressive delivery that both Billy Danze and Lil Fame have mastered in their almost 20 year career.

Many people were skeptical when M.O.P. signed with 50 Cent’s G-Unit Records back in 2005 as the label was expanding at a rapid rate, and were worried that M.O.P. would be lost in the shuffle. Needless to say, not many people were surprised when the group left G-Unit Records in 2008, having not seen a major release on the album during their tenure.

Now part of the E1 Music label (formerly Koch Records), M.O.P. are back with their first major release in years. Can the group still bring the intensity that made them so popular, or has time taken its toll on the Brooklyn duo?



Tracks

1. I’m A Brownsvillian
2. Blow The Horns
3. What I Wanna Be Ft. Rell
4. Foundation
5. Stop Pushin’
6. Crazy Ft. Termanology
7. Street Life Ft. Demarco
8. Forever & Always
9. Rude Bastard
10. Brooklyn
11. Bang Time Ft. Styles P.
12. Sharks In The Water
13. Riding Through Ft. Redman
14. Salute A G

The opening track, “I’m A Brownsvillian” is certainly a step in that same direction the group took us in during the mid 90s. Over a beat comprised of chopped up guitar riffs and crashing symbols, M.O.P. remind us exactly where they came from and who they are, in the event that we could have possibly forgotten. Likewise, “Blow The Horns” continues the trend with an energetic horn ensemble produced by Lil Fame (under the Fizzy Womack moniker).

Surprisingly though, M.O.P.’s reunion with DJ Premier doesn’t result in another high energy banger but instead with a more tempered track. It’s not enough to stop M.O.P. though as they still bring an aggression to their lyrics which complements the theme of growing up in a difficult neighborhood. Similarly, “Street Life” follows the same formula with equally impressive results and although both Danze and Fame tone their delivery down a little, it helps the track as it allows the focus to return to the lyrics.

Guests on the album are thankfully kept to a minimum which is a nice change compared to today’s hip-hop trend to pile as many artists onto a record as possible. Demarco and Rell both perform admirably on their respective hooks and their smooth vocals provide a nice contrast to M.O.P.’s significantly rougher delivery. Termanology stops by on “Crazy” and switches up his flow nicely between bars and fits in comfortably alongside M.O.P. Styles P’s middle verse on “Bang Time” provides a nice filling to the M.O.P. sandwich as he rocks a very different flow to the two other emcees. Redman contributes to the hook and a verse on “Riding Through” and rounds out the song with an entertaining anecdote of his first meeting with M.O.P. before he was famous.

The bulk of the production on Foundation is handled by Lil Fame and this naturally gives the album a very, ‘Authentic M.O.P.’ feel such as on “Stop Pushin’” and the duo’s ode to their home borough on “Brooklyn”. Statik Selektah provides two of the best beats on the album on “Crazy” and “Forever & Always” with the former featuring a scratched in hook in a very DJ Premier-esque style, while the latter uses strings to build to a crescendo every few bars. Another reunion with DR Period results in “Sharks In The Water”, a very aggressive track that is classic M.O.P. from start to finish.

The only problem with Foundation is that the slower beats, whilst being solid in their own right, don’t quite match up to the high tempo ones. It’s no fault of the producers or M.O.P., in fact it’s good to see the duo willing to try different sounds compared to their normal fare, but there’s the feeling that fans are certainly going to remember tracks like “Foundation” and “Crazy” more than “Street Life”. This is only a slight problem though and really only affects the replay value of the album. Still this shouldn't be a major deterrent to anyone considering checking the album out.

The 411: Rather than spend time dwelling on the state of hip-hop, particularly as artists who came up during the mid 90s, Foundation showcases a duo who are more than happy to just be rapping and giving their fans a taste of what they want. Between Jadakiss, Jay-Z, Raekwon and now M.O.P., it looks like New York may just be on the way back to the top.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]