Ursula Rucker - "Silver or Lead"

first of all, I just want to give a big shout out to Red Lobster Cheddar

Cheese biscuits because those joints are BANGIN'!!! I've been tasting them

for about the past 3 days and it's killing me, I'm going to break down

tonight I just know it.....



"Um, yeah, can I get one biscuit?.... no just one..... thanks."



Second, I want to tell you about a really, really great album, the new one

by Ursula Rucker - "Silver or Lead"  There are some monatanous hip-hop beats

that drag the album at some points, but overall, it is outstanding....

here's my song by song:





1. Soon (music by Rob Yancey)   From the beginning, you know this is going

to be something different.  The beat feels like it was ripped straight off

of a portishead  album.  Slow simple hip-hop beat with a looped piano riff,

with Ursula flowing over the top of it. I personally don't feel like it

suits her flow very well but it might grow on me.  Lyrically she's coming on

some hard slave story vibe, ending the record with, "Fuck yeah, I'll go back

to Africa"



2. What A Woman Must Do (music by Jazzanova)  A very understated Jazzanova

production but the skills are still obvious.  The live drum sounds give this

a different feeling than the first track and the simple congas in the

background keep the vibe flowing on this one.  The changeups in the track

allow this song to run almost 7 minutes.  Notable lyric.... "concubine,

cunt, bitch, whore, witch, dike" ??? not sure what she's talking about and

the singing doesn't add anything to the track, but it's a nice chilled out

head bobber for sure.



3. Untitled Flow (music by King Britt)  I've never been a fan of King

Britt's hip-hop production and this is no different.  His house / afro-latin

/ soul productions are usually on point, but musically here the track is

weak in my opinion, Ursula takes it to the streets on this one.  She

completely broke out on some underground poetry cipher vibe on this one.  I

mean I felt like I was in a stank, dark, musty cipher where the cops might

break in at any moment.  Despite the beat, the flow is hot, for a poet.  If

she were an MC, it would be weak tho.



4. Lonely Can Be Sweet (music by The Mysterium) Musically, the track is

basically non-existant allowing Ursula's lyrics to be the showcase here, but

the simple looped hip-hop beat underneath just seems to drag after the first

16 measures, so 5 minutes of the same after a complex track like What a

Woman must Do is sort of a letdown.



5. Time (music by 4 Hero) Instead of the typical 4/4 beat here the vibe

switches to a 3/3 swing vibe.  After the simplicity of the music on the last

two tracks, production-wise, this is MILES ahead of what we just heard.  At

about the 2 minute mark, it switches up into a hot drum and bass beat and it

suits her flow perfectly and she even feels and sounds much more comfortable

over this tricked out beat on shrooms.  The way the song builds up to this

point is loverly and definitely a stand out track on the album.



6. Q & A (music by The Society) Keeping with the more forward thinking

breakbeat-esque vibe but with a FUNKY bassline to go along with it, Ursula

flows like water over this beat.  HOT TO DEATH!  This wouldn't be out of

place on a Nuspirit Helsinki or Kyoto Jazz Massive album.  Definitely

turning the vibe up a notch on the album at this point and I'm left

wondering what took her so long?



7. Release (music by Little Louie Vega) What can you say, Little Louie Vega

brings the Afro- Latin house rhythms but what makes this track so great is

there are no drums at all, just keyboards, strings, and congas and it's hot

without the heavy bass or house beats or dope ass Masters at Work sound that

he's known for.  This track is real hot and immediately was put on repeat. 

Whatever is on the rest of the album can wait because I have to hear this

one again.  The only reference to the album title is in this track, still

not sure if there is some overall theme that 'Silver or Lead' represents.



8. I / We (music by Tim Motzer & Rob Yancey)  After taking to this hype

dancefloor feeling that has everyone and their momma within earshot up on

their feet, we get the rug taken out from under us.  Like those dope ass

beats and tracks we just heard were just for fun, so the vibe goes  back to

mellow, and rather simple hip-hop beats.  But it's cool, because it has that

eerie Portishead vibe like we heard on the first track.



9. Damned If I Do (music by The Mysterium) break it waaaaayyyy down..... no

wwwaaaaaaayyyyyyy down..... yeah, right there..... okay, that's where this

track is.  smoky jazz club banger with vocalist bellowing soul in the

background as a compliment to the sensual Rucker keeping it in the pocket.



10. Return of Innocence Lost (music by The Roots) Straight poetry.  not out

of place at the end of a Roots album. Musically, it's like a smooth lullaby

or music box playing while Ursula drops some serious, not for yo momma

lyrics addressing sex, pregnancy, bleeding, kids, pain, shame, sexual

abuse.... like whoa... heavy, heavy, heavy lyrically, be ready.



-C