Review: Statik Selektah - Spell My Name Right

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Words By: Hallway Jay
OVERALL RATING:

Best Collabo on Album:
Styles P., Q-Tip, Termanology – “Stop, Look, Listen”
Most Underrated Song on Album:
Jon Hope, Reks, Skyzoo – “Talk to Me”

Over the years, albums composed by DJ’s are hit or miss, yet we have seen great Albums and this should be notched into the timeline as one. The Boston, Massachusetts heavyweight sporting his ShowOff label brings a refreshing breathe of air to a snap and dance genre gone wild. A tracklist that includes such veterans as Doug E. Fresh, Q-Tip, Kweli, Krs-One to new-comers Termanology, Joell Ortiz, and Uncle Murda.
Before I even review this album there is an obvious commitment to put Termanology on the map with him on approximately 1/3 (7out 21) of the songs on the album. The lead off collabo is a mesh of two opposite ends of the spectrum “ Stop, Look, Listen” intertwines the deep pain laden voice of Styles P. with Tribes own Q-Tip along with Termanology lending vocals over old school boom bap draped with horns. “Express Yourself” was first put on by N.W.A. and shows why Term is on his way to being a great, as well the Blacksmith CEO Talib Kweli and Consequence lending their voices to a solid cover of the classic. As if the first two songs didn’t boast he combines D-Block comrade Sheek Louch, Aftermath newcomer Joell Ortiz and the legendary Kool G Rap for “6 n tha Mornin”, a scratched chorus with verses from some of NY’s finest past, present, and future. So we ask where is Philly at, and he answers with history, Freeway and Cassidy have never done a song together on an album and this attempt is a great collabo between two of Philly’s Kings. Both emcees preach how the industry is dirty over a premier-esque beat. The only down fall of this CD is the always annoying rants of Miami native, DJ Khaled, where he throws an interlude worth skipping. Red Café, Termanlogy, and Mims’ lace a classic Sister Nancy sample in “Bam Bam”, and the constant street preaching continues.
The entire CD is covered with classic NY sound perfected thus “G Shit” is a collection of Uncle Murda, Termalonogy, Sev-One, and Jadakiss rhyming over a very chill beat laced by female vocalized chorus. Although the most underrated song on this album may very well be Royce Da 5’ 9’ and Cormega’s melodic boom-bap “Back Against the Wall”. Termanology and Reks flex there muscles upon the biggie sampled “Hardcore” where ShowOff records finest seem to express veterans prowess, we here Term raps:

“I got my head on my shoulders/ live for my pen and my daughter/ fuck it my enemies roll up/ im ignore ‘em and/keep it movin with my head in the sky/ cuz I could fuck up my kicks but rather be fly/ and I could/ end up dead another casualty/ or I could/ go to the pen/ but I’d rather be free/ so I will/ always be that person that I become/ until my knowledge is instilled into everyone”

Just when you think that it gets no better groundbreakers such as Doug E. Fresh and Tony Touch lead a group of talented producers and DJ’s on “No Mistakes Allowed. Okay so what sample could he use that no one would expect, the perfected sample of “Mike Tyson’s Punch Out” featuring Big Shug is an expectation that shows his range of sampling, thanks Selektah it brought me back. Other great songs on this album include the happy M.O.P. featured “The Good Life”, always timeless AZ and Cormega “No Holding Back”, Slum Village feat. Granite State “Got Me Goin’ (Hip-Hop) and the Krs-One assisted “Did What we Had to Do.” We find Krs-One spitting some of his always timeless rhymes: “he new KRS, criminal minded, I am possessin’ the tool/I am possessed by the spirits of Langston Hughes/A true pioneer, I am here, free at last, chart climbin’/For those that thought rappin’ was a pastime, it’s perfect timing. So as if this were perfect timing Selektah you get the nod from me as always. As always Stay IN the Struggle……Hallway.