Last week I reviewed a modern rap
artist that deserves more recognition. Today we visit a classic rap artist who
deserves the same.
Disc 1089 is…Hip Hopera
Artist: Volume 10
Year of Release: 1994
What’s up with the Cover? This cover answers the age-old
question, “what if the Incredible Hulk got into rap?” He is still plenty angry
about whatever the Incredible Hulk is angry about (unable to find pants that
fit?) but now he takes that rage out in the form of furious rhymes rather than
smashing stuff.
How I Came To Know It: Shortly after Rage Against the
Machine released their amazing 2000 album “Renegades” (reviewed back at Disc 377) my buddy Spence went out and sourced the original versions of all of
the songs on the album (“Renegades” is entirely composed of covers).
One of
those songs was the original “Pistol Grip
Pump” by Volume 10. It was one of my favourites (both the original and the
cover) and I started searching for the album it appeared on. Little did I know how
hard the search would be. This record is exceedingly rare. Used
copies never seemed to show up in music stores (and I searched in every one, almost
every week, for well over a decade). Buying a used copy on Amazon would have
set me back over $100 and in more recent years it is simply listed as “unavailable.”
I’d
almost given up hope when Sheila and I took a trip to San Francisco last
September and went to Amoeba Records – a massive sprawling music store at the
western edge of the Haight Asbury district. I brought my usual list of rarities
to search through the stacks and sent a partially bored Sheila off to the rap
section with a list of a few albums most of which I doubted she’d find – “Hip
Hopera” among them. Lo and behold, Sheila and Amoeba came through. Not only was
there a copy of the album, it was only $10. Now, after more than 15 years of
searching, it is finally mine.
How It Stacks Up: Over twenty years Volume 10 has only released
five albums, and “Hip Hopera” is the only one I have, so it can’t really stack
up. I think over the years I’ve investigated others and they weren’t as good,
but it might be time to revisit them, newly inspired by my successful find.
Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4
“Hip Hopera” is uneven overall, but the combination
of rapper Volume 10’s charismatic delivery and four or five truly great tracks make
it very easy to forgive its relatively minor faults.
If you haven’t heard of Los Angeles rapper Volume 10
(real name Dino Hawkins), you wouldn’t be alone. “Pistol Grip Pump” was a very minor underground hit (not even cracking
the top 50), and that’s about it. Hearing “Hip Hopera” that lack of recognition
felt more than a little surprising. The rhymes on this album aren’t incredibly
innovative, but they are solid, and the beats are funky as hell. Volume 10 has
a smooth, compelling flow that is so effortless he seems to look for ways to make
it harder on himself. He changes up his phrasing from one line to the next,
even doing so to the hook of each song. His delivery is a mix of funny voices
and deadly serious Chuck D type slams. He is clearly having fun, but never lets
all that fun detract from being hard core.
As a result the album comes off a lot like a party.
Sometimes it is the early stages of the party, where everyone is being silly,
and sometimes it is later when things get a little strange, but it is always a
party. Even though the individual songs are uneven, you’ll find yourself having
a good time start to finish.
The album is anchored by a few tracks that are
brilliant, and fairly evenly spread out (tracks 2, 4, 7, 10 and 15 to be
precise). This helps ensure the energy gets restored any time it starts to flag.
Volume 10 is at his best when his beats are hitting
hard. “Pistolgrip Pump” drops a heavy
bass line that is thick with danger as 10 extolls the virtue of having a
shotgun when making your way through a dangerous neighbourhood. “Knockoutchaskull” (yes that is one word)
is similarly violent and threatening and while not a positive message for today’s
youth it is really hard not to sing
along to the angry specifics of:
“I’ll knockoutchaskull
What is left?
Nothing but skin danglin’!”
Volume 10 is not all about the gangsta rap, though,
and the title track and “Flow Wood”
are both exemplary songs in the tradition of “I can rap better than you.” “Hip Hopera” really pushes its luck, with
two false endings: the first to take a hit from the bong and the second…for no
apparent reason but so awesome you don’t care. I haven’t had a false ending
this fun since ACDC’s “Problem Child”
never mind two of them. The song’s chorus suggests over and over again that “you can’t fuck with this hip-hopera” but
Volume 10 proves he can do just that and make it better in the process.
Unfortunately, the album is not sufficiently focused
around these rap gems. 17 tracks is just too many tracks, even if three of them
are just skits. Why rap albums of this era feel the need to throw skits into
their albums is beyond me. I know it is part of early rap, but at best it
bloats an already long album, and at worst it blunts the momentum of the music.
The album is exceptional at establishing powerful
beats, with a bit of jazz around the edges, but not enough to blunt the groove,
but there were times I wanted more out of the rhymes. Volume 10’s charisma and
delivery is so amazing you overlook these flaws because it is just too much fun
listening to him perform.
If you ever get lucky to see this rare-as-hell album
in a music store do not hesitate; buy it then and there. It may not be perfect,
but it has some of the best rap songs you’ve never heard of and you aren’t
going to find it again for a very long time.
Best
tracks: Where’s
the Sniper?, Pistolgrip Pump, Hip Hopera, Knockoutchaskull, Flow Wood
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