The Cutting Room
Denying Masta Ace’s influence on the hip-hop game would be downright ignorant. His work on the momentous 1988 Juice Crew track “The Symphony” had many emcees clinging to his name. His fruitful solo career only further solidified this attention. While he may not be a household name, he holds esteem in the hearts and minds of hip-hop legends such as Eminem and Big Daddy Kane. At the age 51, Masta Ace really does not have to prove anything to his fan base anymore. His acclaimed works like Slaughtahouse and Sittin’ on Chrome have proven themselves to be worthy reference points for both old school and new school rappers. On top of this, Ace was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000, but still finds preservers and hones his craft out of sheer passion for the game. His dedication is undeniably incredible. Still, one has to doubt whether it is worth the effort he puts in anymore. So, with so much work behind him, can Masta Ace create an essential work so late in his career? Can he yet again stick out amongst the crowded genre?
Truthfully, the answer is no. A Breukelen Story, while promising at points, is an over bloated record that ultimately sonically bleeds together. At first, one will be excited with the bouncy and old-fashioned sound of cuts like “Kings” and “Breukelen ‘Brooklyn’” but this charm will soon fade away. The attempt at cohesion on this project may have gone a bit too far. The tracks that follow these two, “Get Shot” and “Still Love Her,” share the exact same appeal as the prior tracks. A piano driven track and another love story track infiltrate the listener’s mind, showing that inspiring music is not something to expect from this project.
Masta Ace’s bars are not necessarily poor throughout, in fact, they are strong as always. With that being said, they feel a bit less energetic and ultimately way more safe than usual. It feels as if this story is near and dear to Ace’s heart, but he ultimately lacks the hunger currently to tell it in an intriguing fashion. There are certainly some exceptions to this rule of thumb on this record, but they are few and far between. Sure tracks like “God Bodies,” “Wanna Be” and “Fight Song” display strong performances and energetic production, but ultimately they cannot save an album that is oversaturated with average production. Marco Polo’s work on this project ultimately feels stale and uninspired. Perhaps if he showcased more variety across this project, Ace’s words would’ve held more weight.
All in all, this project does not mean Masta Ace or Marco Polo are washed up in any capacity. The conceptual theme of the record is ambitious in theory, but the one-note production style and the grown-man cadence of the raps on this project do not embody the spirit of the story. Had this project been a bit more focused, it would have been magnificent. Ace clearly still has a very toned skill-set, but if he cannot embody his younger self when describing his hometown, I’m not sure what he needs to get properly inspired.
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