Gangstarr – Ownerz Review

My stance on “old school” rappers has gotten me my fair share hate mail. Often times, y’all misunderstand my position as disrespect for the cats that paved the way for the artists of today. So, for those of you who still don’t get it and for those of y’all who are readin’ me for the first time, here’s how I feel: There are dozens of excellent “old school” acts. There are dozens of tight “new school” acts. The best of the “new school” is better than the best of the “old school”.

A generalization? Sure, but it holds true more often than not. All of which is a wonderfully inappropriate segue for the latest from Gangstarr. DJ Premier and Guru have been on the mainstream scene since 1989. That year they dropped No More Mr. Nice Guy which, while not a classic, was certainly a step or two ahead of most of the recycled New Jack crap coming from the radios.

Amazingly, nearly fifteen years later, the group can still put together a formula for an eclectic album that’s sure to appeal to many audiences without compromising their rich legacy. Ownerz manages to take familiar (and even a few played out) rap themes and make them sound like something fresh outta the oven.

Put Up or Shut Up is an effort to call out the fake thugs and studio gangstas who are permeating the industry today. Premier comes with that one-of-a-kind scratch, while Guru drops knowledge like:

Since I was twenty-one years old and legal
I knew the difference between gimmicky gangsters and powerful people

The production is just ridiculously crazy on Capture. It works very well with the passion on display from cameos by Big Shug and Freddie Foxxx. Here’s a line from the latter:

Parked while on the street out of unseen vans
I’m the law of the land, the rawness of man
That’ll show up on stage, puffin’ on contraband

Speakin’ of guest spots, there’s a pretty good number of them on this album. When they “connect”, such as with Jadakiss on Rite Where U Stand, the tracks don’t miss a step. In one verse, Jada shows a little vulnerability:

You wanna know why I invest all my money into haze and into dope
Cuz right now, I’m currently a slave for Interscope

He then comes back with a whole lotta venom:

Listen, I’mma leave you right where you stand
Have the ambulance pass ya Timberlands off right to ya man

Then, there are the cameos that don’t work. Who Got Gunz features the same Fat Joe guest verse that he spits on anyone’s CD for a two-piece and extra biscuits. Snoop Dogg is also (surprisingly) toothless on In This Life. It’s still a decent track, but Guru would’ve been better off by himself.

These critiques are minimal, however. There’s really only one cut that absolutely will induce rampant fast forwarding. That’s the awful send-up of the Clipse’s Grindin’ track. The majority of Ownerz is very reminiscent of their last original album, Moment of Truth, and that’s a good thang.

The funked out beat and melodic hook on Nice Girl, Wrong Place is smoother than a new weave. While, the goodness of their production peaks on Playtawin which dials up the chest-thumpin’ machismo, yet still works because of the pulse of the exceptional beat. Lyrically, Guru’s work on Peace of Mine is some of his best ever and probably only matched by his coverage of anarchy, hypocrisy and self-pride on Riot Akt.