10."Thug 'N' Me (featuring Master P, Mo B. Dick, Ms. Peaches & O'Dell)"
A sort of “take me as I am, don’t try to change me girl” kind of song, unapologetic and also tracing the development of his girl, from a shy thing to someone who’s standing up to him, maybe. The vocal here is really annoying, like the guy is having problems on the toilet and really straining. The female vocal on the other hand is pure sultry soul and there is an actual song here rather than just a rap, which I must say, if we call it the chorus, I really like. And BOOM! Three out of three. Halfway there. All I got to do now is finish this album and I don't’ really see that being a problem to be honest.
Boast Count: 10
Total Boast Count: 158
11."All Night (featuring Mo B. Dick)"
This is very funky. It’s certainly changed from shouting against a beat to a much more musical soul-style. I like this. Yes I know I’ve already reached my quota, but as they apparently say here, I like this for reals. Cool.
Boast Count: 7
Total Boast Count: 165
12."Who Can I Trust?"
Oh man I really like this. The sample, yeah, it’s probably from something I would prefer to listen to, but a little like Bodycount, this is almost rock mixed with rap and the sense of anger and retribution as Silkk talks to the guy who betrayed him to the cops is pretty stunning.
Boast Count: 0
Total Boast Count: 165
13."It Ain't My Fault (featuring Mystikal)"
Man, the rap is fast and angry here! Quite funny really. Not a bad track at all, though not one of my favourites I would have to say.
Boast Count: 20
Total Boast Count: 185
14."What Gangstas Do (featuring Kane & Abel & Mo B. Dick)"
Now this is funky, with a great chorus. I really like this. There’s an almost cartoonish element about the lyric, even if it’s real life. Hilarious.
Boast Count: 15
Total Boast Count: 200
15."Ummm (Skit)"
Some soft-core porn nonsense. Pass.
16."Let Me Hit It (featuring Mystikal)"
Continuing the, ah, theme from the previous, this track is a philosophical dissertation on the relationship between man and woman, presented in a tasteful rap. Uh-huh. Pretty damn indulgent and laughable. Oddly, you’d imagine there would be a huge Boast Count here, but no. Not much really. Jesus, just let him hit it, will you, and we can all get some sleep?
Boast Count: 5
Total Boast Count: 205
17."How Many? (featuring Master P, C-Murder, Mia X & Mystikal)"
There are really some dichotomies going on here. In some songs, Slikk talks himself up - or his homies do - going on about how hard and tough they are, ready to die, don’t mess with me etc and then in others - in the minority, to be sure, but still - they’re bewailing the state of young people and the way they ride. So it’s hard to know if a) these guys are serious (though if Slikk’s brother was killed I guess you have to say they are) b) they believe everything they say or rap about or c) it’s all just a game, as the title hints at. Meh. Don’t really care but it’s confusing. This is another big boasting track in which they invite all comers to take them on and ask who will be in their gang, so to speak. Yeah, I think I have an appointment to have my tonsils out guys. Love, to, obviously, but just not poss. Sorry.
Boast Count: 28
Total Boast Count: 234
18."Who I Be?"
A serious boast, not surprisingly with a very high boast count. More shouting. Not fond of this one.
Boast Count: 25
Total Boast Count: 259
19."Tell Me (featuring Master P & C-Murder)"
Not being in the hip-hop scene I suppose I can’t comment, but the amount of horrible, angry misogyny going on in this song just makes me grateful that it comes near the end of the album, as I might have had concerns about continuing if it was all like this. It’s cute how he tries to justify or excuse his vitriol by shrugging “I ain’t calling every woman a hoe, but if the shoe fit, wear it”. Right. Decent tune to be fair but a very disturbing lyric.
Boast Count: 0
Total Boast Count: 259
20."Me And You"
And ending on an unusually reflective and sad song, where Slikk talks to his dead brother, wishing he was still there and contemplating all the mistakes he made in his life. Quite touching really, and unexpected.
Boast Count: 0
Total Boast Count: 259
FINAL BOAST COUNT: 259
So there it is. Made it to the end, found my three nuggets (and a few more), enjoyed some of it. Would I listen to it again, or this genre again? Most likely no, but I can at least say I didn’t hate it. Well, towards the end, there were some very questionable, even objectionable lyrics; the glorification of violence and murder is disturbing, though I’m aware this is how it is in gangsta rap, so what can you do? You ‘d think someone who had lost his brother would know better, but then, Slikk seems to be doing well, and I don’t see, from my admittedly minimal Wiki research, that he was ever arrested or in any gang trouble, which is why I question whether his lyrical material is autobiographical or just drawing on the experience of others?
I would say it makes me quite uneasy when he basically encourages others to kill in his name. Okay, yes, this may not be what he’s actually doing - as I say, I see no evidence of his being involved in actual gang warfare or even drug dealing - but the young impressionable teenagers (not only black I imagine) who came up on this stuff would now be in their forties, and who knows if they took up the call? Who knows if they too are now gangbangers, drug lords, kingpins or hell, in jail or even dead, because of what one guy said on a record? I mean, “how many niggas wanna die with me?” Does that not sound an irresponsible thing to say, when you know youngsters may be hanging on your every word, and taking it literally?
Anyway, leaving the moral implications aside, overall the album was better than I had expected. I thought I would really struggle, especially with twenty tracks, but though I’m certainly glad it’s over, I’m not as relieved as I had expected to be.
You know, it may be self-indulgent, but I think I deserve this.
Score
Trollheart 1 - SGR 0
Trollheart 1 - The World 0