INTRODUCTION
The first album I ever reviewed on this blog was Sean Price's second album, Jesus Price Supastar, so I figured it was about time I started completing the rest of his solo discography.
I already supplied you with some background information in the Jesus Price Supastar writeup, so I'll try to keep this introduction short and sweet.
After releasing two albums with Heltah Skeltah (a duo comprised of himself [where he is known as "Ruck"] and his partner-in-crime Rock), Sean P went seven years without putting out any solo material. He worked with his Boot Camp Clik crew on the 2002 album The Chosen Few and dropped a few guest verses on other projects, but for the most part, P was silent.
Then, in 2005, Sean Price released his debut album, Monkey Barz, to critical acclaim. It was named Independent Album of the Year by AllHipHop.com, and many other hip-hop aficionados and fans dubbed it one of the best projects of the 2000s.
Is Monkey Barz as good as everyone hypes it up to be?
There's only one way to find out, and that's by reviewing it.
TRACK-BY-TRACK
1. Peep My Words
Well, Sean Price is already off to a good start, as he forgoes and album intro for an actual song. The late Kleph Dollaz of the group Ill Biskits laces a soulful beat for P to spit his boasts over, and he comes with some hilarious rhymes that have become so typical of himself right off the bat. Solid way to kick off Monkey Barz.
2. One Two Yall
This is pretty freaking good. Moss is on the boards here, putting together a grimy instrumental consisting of a piano riff and some dusty drums. In his second verse, Sean P says "plain lame, acting ignorant." That's a fairly accurate way to describe Sean Price's rhymes, which generally never make any sort of sense but still somehow sound great.
3. Onion Head
This is where things really start to get good. Khrysis crafts a banger for P, who threatens to "smack off half your smile" and then smack off the other half "after trial." Awesome. Tek from Smif-N-Wessun is here, as well, and he drops the hook. "Onion Head" is one of the best pump-up songs I've ever heard. It's pretty much guaranteed to get your blood boiling.
4. Fake Neptune
Sean Price isn't exactly enthralled with mainstream rap, and he lets you know that in the title of this track alone. Clearly, P is poking fun at The Neptunes and radio records of that ilk. And come on; you know you laughed when Sean P said "how you gon' shit on me after I let you shit on me, freaky deaky." Everything from the instrumental by Phat Babyz to P's raps to the guest verses by Steele (the other half of Smif-N-Wessun) and Louieville Sluggah (from Originoo Gunn Clappaz) is on point. Louieville's verse is especially dope. Oh, and Buckshot does the hook. Yeah; "Fake Neptune" is pretty much sick.
5. Heartburn
9th Wonder lays down the smooth production for Sean P on "Heartburn," where our host talks about everything he "loves," ranging from his wife to "fist fights with brass knuckles" and, um, wallabies. Yes; wallabies. Another winner for Sean Price on Monkey Barz.
6. Shake Down
Over a pretty hard beat by Star.com and Justice (who?), P, Starang Wondah (of Originoo Gunn Clappaz) and Steele rap generically about how they can't be messed with. I know that last sentence may have seemed like a subtle criticism, but it really wasn't. This is pretty good. It's not on the same level as the preceding three cuts, but it was still good, nonetheless.
7. Mad Mann
The first true misfire on Monkey Barz. P.F. Cuttin's drums are way too busy, and the sample just sounds messy. P definitely could have done without this one.
8. Brokest Rapper You Know
Even Sean Price himself would tell you this isn't true anymore, but back in 2005, I guess this was kind of appropriate (although still not really). Regardless, this song is obviously not to be taken literally. It's Sean Price, after all, and hey; this short record is still pretty solid, anyway.
9. Boom Bye Yeah
You know how I've said how sometimes rappers "rap like nothing and it sounds like something" on this blog before? Well, this is where it came from, as Sean P says that line in "Boom Bye Yeah," which is undoubtedly one of the best tracks on Monkey Barz. Tone Mason's fast-paced beat is crazy, and P obliges with a brilliant three-verse performance. This is another one of those good pump-up songs that seem to permeate this album.
10. I Love You (Bitch)
The title of this song is obviously in conflict with itself, but that's Sean Price for you. The Luther Vandross-sampling production by Dub Z is decent, and P drops some pretty damn misogynistic rhymes about how even though he can't stand certain things about his girl, he wants to stay with her. In his defense, though, he says "I ain't shit and you ain't shit, we belong together." So, at the very least, he was also self-deprecating.
11. Bye Bye
That leads us to the crown jewel of Monkey Barz. Khrysis laces the best beat he has ever done here, utilizing an Aretha Franklin sample and throwing on some banging drums. Buckshot is here to actually drop verses this time, and although Sean P clearly walks away the winner, Buck does very well. "Bye Bye" is actually a misogynistic record itself (maybe even moreso than the song prior), but Khrysis' instrumental is so damn good, and the performances by both Sean Price and Buckshot were more than impressive, objectionable lyrics aside. The record is basically about how P and Buck no longer want to deal with their girls' bullcrap anymore, and I'm sure a lot of guys out there will relate to that subject matter regardless of the way it is being presented.
12. Spliff N Wessun
You would think Smif-N-Wessun would be the guest artists on this track, but you would be wrong, as Ruste Juxx hops on (and rips it, I might add). The Ayatollah beat is really freaking good, and Sean P comfortably spits some fire. Good cut.
13. Jail Shit
This was solid. Agallah lays down the instrumental, and Rock is on the hook. I'm not sure why P wouldn't ask his Heltah Skeltah brother to drop a verse here, and I'm really curious as to how Rock would have sounded on this if he did so. Oh well. Sean Price does well enough on his own.
14. Monkey Barz
Ty Deals' production seriously consists of a bunch of jungle noises--especially monkeys, surprise, surprise--and Sean P somehow manages to make it work. This is actually one of P's best lyrical outputs on the album, as the Brownsville rapper proves that he can spit over any beat. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
15. Slap Boxing
Rock is here again, and this time, he actually drops a verse. Ruste Juxx comes through for another verse of his own, too. Unfortunately, the instrumental by Edward Maximillion III isn't engaging enough to make "Slap Boxing" that worthwhile, a pretty freaking dope performance from Rock notwithstanding. It doesn't help that Sean Price sounds like he phoned in his verse, either.
16. Rising To The Top
You may remember this song from the Grand Theft Auto III soundtrack. Agallah is on the boards again, and he offers up two verses and the chorus, as well. The production is just alright, if not a bit bland. This was a fairly boring way to close out Monkey Barz, and to make matters worse, this is the longest song on the album.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The verdict on Monkey Barz is in, and it's that it deserves every ounce of praise that has been heaped upon it since its release in 2005. This is a great album, containing numerous bangers and consistently dope performances by Sean Price (and his guests) on the mic.
Monkey Barz does not stick to any one particular theme, but that's the type of artist Sean P is. He is not a concept rapper. He just spits, and sometimes, that's for the best. P's debut record is a prime example of that. The large variety of producers on this project also adds to the unpredictability, and a little bit of volatility often makes a hip-hop album that much more interesting.
The only criticism I would have is that Monkey Barz is an album that probably should have come out five years earlier. I'm not sure what took so long for Sean Price to release his debut record, as Heltah Skeltah put out Magnum Force in 1998 and then didn't put out another project for 10 years. Perhaps Sean P was very busy during that time period; I don't know, but an earlier release would have certainly lengthened his solo career.
It was also a bit disappointing that there was no production from Da Beatminerz on here, but the beats were good enough as a whole where P's former go-to beatmaking team wasn't sorely missed.
Another aspect about Monkey Barz that you have to admire is how Sean Price kept the features in-house. Outside of Agallah, every guest on the album is a member of the Boot Camp Clik or, at the very least, is affiliated with the collective (Ruste Juxx).
Monkey Barz was a very impressive debut effort from a rapper that wasn't expected to be this dope as a solo artist. If you don't have this in your collection yet, then I suggest that you get moving.
TOP TRACKS
1. Bye Bye
2. Onion Head
3. Boom Bye Yeah
4. Fake Neptune
5. Heartburn
INTRODUCTION
Given that I just reviewed Heltah Skeltah's Nocturnal, I figured Sean Price's debut, Monkey Barz, would be an appropriate follow-up.
I'm not really going to bore you with too many details about Sean P, as I have already reviewed two albums where he was involved (Jesus Price Supastar, his second solo LP, and the aforementioned Nocturnal), and all you really need to know is that Monkey Barz was a long-awaited project from Sean Price, as he and his partner in crime, Rock, took a long hiatus after releasing their second record together, Magnum Force, in '98.
An interesting note about Monkey Barz, however, is that it does not feature one beat by Da Beatminerz. Instead, P enlists Justus Leaguers Khrysis and 9th Wonder, plus a plethora of other producers (most of them fairly unknown) to handle all 16 cuts on the project. Another notable is that there are no skits on Monkey Barz, and that is a fantastic thing, as I have always felt that skits were pretty pointless.
You all already know Sean Price's grimy, I-don't-give-a-crap lyrical style by now, so I won't get into that, either. Let's just jump right into that review, shall we?
TRACK-BY-TRACK
1. Peep My Words
No album intro? Perfect. Kleph Dollaz (seemingly a play on words of the pastor Creflo Dollar) produces a brilliant laid-back, reflective beat for Sean Price, but that doesn't stop P from going notoriously hard: "Y'all niggaz is fake, straight perpetrating the fraud, give me the cake 'fore I insert the eight in your broad, scared to death, niggas going face to face with the Lord, dumb out, bang ya motherfuckin' face in this board." Great start.
2. One Two Yall
Moss lays down a sick piano-driven beat for P on this cut, and Sean rips it: "Trained by ya vet, aimin' to sket, bangin' ya chest, flamin' ya flesh, straight David Koresh." Did I mention that Sean P has some vicious punchlines?
3. Onion Head
The first of two Khrysis productions on Monkey Barz is an absolute banger. As a matter of fact, it's one of the best beats Khrysis has ever laid out (it actually samples the famous song "If Lovin' You Is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right," believe it or not). This is also one of Sean Price's greatest performances, as he opens up the cut spitting: "Bitch harm me, the swiss army knife in my hand, know this shit corny, but it can end the life of ya fam, niggas know Sean nice with the hands, watch me punch up your face, dig in your pockets, leave you right where you stand." Whewww. "Onion Head" makes for the perfect pump-up song. By the way, Tek of Smif-N-Wessun does the hook.
4. Fake Neptune
Well, Monkey Barz is batting 1.000, because "Fake Neptune," produced by Phat Babyz, is also ill. The beat is sick, and Sean Price's lyrics are hilarious. For example: "Her favorite song on Nocturnal was 'Brainz Blo,' put on my pants, if she can let the brains blow, heh, I had to find that funny, lost my wallet, gotta find my money, bitch, how you gon' shit on me, after I let you shit on me? Freaky deaky." Then later, P raps: "Yo, alotta niggas rhyme, some of y'all nice, some sound the same, but not Sean Price, the O.D.B. of the B.C.C, I'm David Ruffin, save it it's nothin', no, need for acceptance, no need for applause, all you need is the gauss, when you bleeding of course." Buckshot does the hook, and Steele of Smif-N-Wessun and Louieville Sluggah of Originoo Gunn Clappaz drop guest verses. Everything about this track is great.
5. Heartburn
This is the lone 9th Wonder track on the album, and it's terrific. As you can expect, the beat is very soulful, and the kicks and snares on this are crazy. Over 9th's production, P raps about all of the things he "loves." Sean opens up with: "I love selling nicks at night, go home to my son, roll a spliff and watch Nick at Nite." Thus far, Monkey Barz has no weak points.
6. Shake Down
"Shake Down" contains a strange (but good) beat co-produced by Star.com and Justice, and Sean Price makes note of that in his first verse: "Come walk with P, so you all can see, how I get dough, spit flows, to an awkward beat,
betta look both ways before you cross the street,
the Pirellis on the Porsche push you off your feet." Steele spits the hook and raps a verse, and Starang Wondah of O.G.C. drops a verse, as well.
7. Mad Mann
This is the first song on the album that I don't like. P.F. Cuttin's beat isn't hitting me at all, and P, for the first time, doesn't really rap anything memorable.
8. Brokest Rapper You Know
This cut is only a minute and thirty-five seconds long, but it's still nice. Ty Deals drops a pretty soulful beat for P, who raps about how poor he is: "Last album came out, you motherfucks hate it, Rock solo, Ruck broke, here's a hundred dollars, what a fucking joke, eviction notice, yo I gotta go, album been out two months, ain't did a fucking show." Sean was obviously referring to how Magnum Force flopped there. Good cut.
9. Boom Bye Yeah
The Tone Mason-produced beat on this is nails (you have to play this in your ride). It is in sharp contrast to the rest of the album (save "Fake Neptune") as it is very fast-paced, and because of that, Sean P must change up his flow and adapt to the production, and he does that seamlessly. "I step in the ring weighing an even two hundred, lost twenty pounds in E-ville, fuckin' around with E pills, so I took a trip to Jacklin Lane, got my weight back like that when I snatched the chain," spits P. He later raps this gem: "Niggas be rhymin' 'bout nothing, I rhyme about nothin', it sound like somethin'." Definitely one of the best songs on Monkey Barz.
10. I Love You (Bitch)
This song is similar to "Heartburn," as Sean Price sticks to one concept throughout the entire track. This time, he raps about all of the cons of his girl and how he loves her anyway. The cut is just filled with backhanded compliments (if you can even call them that), making it extremely entertaining. The Dub Z beat seems kind of "off" at points, but it's still solid (I love those snares).
11. Bye Bye
Which brings us to the best song on Monkey Barz, and my favorite song of all-time, period. Khrysis produced what I think is the sickest beat in rap history, sampling a relatively unknown Aretha Franklin number ("No One Could Ever Love You More") and chopping it perfectly to form some incredible background vocals. There is no hook on this; just Sean Price and guest artist Buckshot each dropping two sick verses. In the first verse, Buckshot spits: "I know I coulda called you more, even though my niggas hustlin' in Baltimore, I call, you call, you call, I call but, I ain't callin no more, call a U-Haul, 'cause you off." P then raps: "Shorty rob all the stock outfit from pickin', I'll rip the fifth and, I ain't playin' witchya pa, leave ya shit split and take a quick trip to Wichita." I have listened to this track over and over again and I just can't get sick of it. Khrysis is a genius.
12. Spliff-N-Wessun
I figured "Bye Bye" would just be setting this track up for a letdown, but then the great Ayatollah comes through with a sick beat for Sean Price and Ruste Juxx, and Ruste rips it: "The criminal of the year, yeah I'm back to rob, so take ya shine off, when you see me on the job, due to the mac, I'm strapped, ready to clap, react, stop runnin' ya yap, and run ya stack." Nice, nice record.
13. Jail Shit
"If I die, yo I'm going out with knives in they grill, all my motherfuckin' life I've been real," spits P to end this Agallah-produced cut. Rock does the hook, but his performance on it is rather lackluster. The beat is decent, but overall, this track isn't anything spectacular, especially when compared to all of the songs prior.
14. Monkey Barz
Ty Deals puts together probably the most unorthodox beat I've ever heard here. Whenever I listen to the album's title track, I have to look around me to make sure I'm not in a zoo, because the production here literally consists of a bunch of jungle animals with some drums thrown over it. Somehow, though, P manages to make it work, spitting: "Aiyyo we Mighty Joe Youngin' it, thuggin' it, straight from the jungle my brother, my niggas Banana Republican, rang-a-tang slang, Chewbacca not proper, two socks full of rocks, plus the cops watch us." This will really grow on you after a couple of listens.
15. Slap Boxing
I didn't like this one at all. The beat, produced by Edward Maxmillion III (try saying that five times fast) is just terrible, and Sean Price sounds pretty uncomfortable on it. Rock and Ruste Juxx make guest appearances, but it doesn't matter; this track just isn't very good.
16. Rising To The Top
Unfortunately, Monkey Barz ended on a pretty poor note to me, as I didn't like this cut either. Agallah produces the beat (which isn't very good), does the hook, and drops a verse, and he manages to sound like a strange combination of DMX and Canibus in the process. "Rising To The Top" is also far too long for its own good, spanning five minutes and three seconds.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Although it didn't exactly end well, there is no denying that Monkey Barz is a spectacular effort by Sean Price. The good songs on the album are ridiculously good, possessing fantastic beats and some slick rhyming by P. Generally on an album that I like, I'll love one or two songs, like another four or so, and then the rest will just be so-so. On Monkey Barz, however, I love a good four or five songs and like every other track on the project save for "Mad Mann" and three of the final four records.
It's evident that Sean Price certainly does not need Rock to succeed, as one can argue that P's debut was actually a better all-around record than Heltah Skeltah's classic Nocturnal. Sean P obviously has a great ear for beats, as even the productions that were done by lesser producers sound good, for the most part. P's punchlines are also sharper than ever on this album, displaying considerable growth from the Heltah Skeltah days.
Monkey Barz is certainly one of the best hip-hop efforts that has been released thus far this century, as the production and Sean Price's otherworldly swagger is sure to keep the listener interested for all 16 cuts. P's choice of guest artists was also superb, as he, for the most part, limits it to fellow Boot Camp Clik members.
Of course, it would have been nice if the album ended better, but hey, the rest of the project is so phenomenal that I'm not going to gripe about that too much. Monkey Barz is one of my favorite records and will always receive consistent rotation in my music player.
TOP FIVE TRACKS
1. Bye Bye
2. Onion Head
3. Boom Bye Yeah
4. Fake Neptune
5. Heartburn
SKIPPABLE TRACKS
Mad Mann
Slap Boxing
