JESUS PRICE SUPASTAR
SEAN PRICE

Ruck, aka Sean Price, dives head first into lyrical blasphemy with his second solo LP, Jesus Price Supastar. The Boot Camp Clik emcee displays an impressive repertoire of wit, charisma, and lyrical skill. These virtues are combined with all-star production, forming an album that builds on prior Duck Down efforts to revitalize both underground hip hop and one of hop’s most prominent supergroups.

Price’s post-Heltah Skeltah emcee style is a display of lyrical charisma, intense compounding, and self-deprecating talk-sh*t. This unique combination produces verses that are as hilariously entertaining as they are lyrically gifted. On the Khrysis-produced “Stop”, Ruck rants, “… never give you bozos love/Omar from the wire u’s a homo thug/Use your head for more than a hat pack, ’fore I choose to use the lead to f*ck up your hat rack/ peep the nap sack, back pack vibe/used to ride the Amtrak with a nap sack with crack inside”

The Justus League’s 9^th Wonder and Khrysis headline the production contributions, providing 9 of the 16 beats. In total, the album features 8 different producers. However, the complete product has a seamless flow and the production styles never clash despite the obvious diversity. The Illmind-produced “Cardiac” features gritty drums driven by a looped soul sample. 9^th later follows with piano,strings and percussion on the hard hitting, “Let It Be Known”. The one constant of all the production highlights is the presence of gutter drum tracks. These tracks are consistent with what Price’s fans have come to expect and love, and they provide a perfect platform and compliment for his hardcore rhymes. Although the sound of Jesus Price Supastar is updated, the album is still inherently “Ruck” and not an example of an emcee

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“doing” someone else.

Throughout the 90s, the Boot Camp Clik’s members were arguably the East Coast’s underground hip hop poster children, drawing constant comparisons to the equally dope, but more mainstream, Wu Tang Clan. In the new millennium, the comparisons still hold strong with Sean Price provoking similarities and contrasts to Wu Tang’s Ghostface. Each has emerged as the unlikely shining emcee from their respective clik or clan, relying on splendid production, lyrical skill and charisma, and then manifesting these elements into albums that are sonically dope and more importantly, relevant. True to form, Sean Price remains an uncut, underground highlight with Ghostface producing real hip hop for mainstream consumption. If Ghostface can save the Wu and mainstream hip hop, then Ruck can save the BCC and underground hip hop.

Sean Price’s sophomore solo LP is a titanium-strong effort. Jesus Price Supastar showcases musical gems and lyrical styles that are characteristically underground, inherently Boot Camp Clik, 100 % Ruck, and virtuously hip hop.

A. Knight II

Anthonyknight2@thisisrealmusic.com