Da Beatminerz
Stifled Creativity
Soulspazm
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Da Beatminerz’ Stifled Creativity is like a bowl of my wife’s Pasta Bolognese: pure comfort food to soothe my tried-and-true hip-hop backpacker soul. It’s an album that I would have bumped relentlessly when I was in my late teens or early twenties. Now, on the doorstep of 50, Da Beatminerz’ long-awaited third offering is the type of quality hp-hop that restores my faith in humanity ever so slightly.
Stifled Creativity reminds me of one of the compilations that small, independent labels would curate in the late 1990s or 2000s. Which makes sense, since Da Beatminerz—comprised of brothers Walter “Mr. Walt” and Ewart “Evil Dee” Dewgarde—have released what’s akin to that type of album twice before. And I do not mean that as I slight; the production team knows what works for them, as evidenced by the very dope Brace 4 Impak (2001) and Fully Loaded w/ Statik (2004). Now, 20 years later, they’ve dropped Stifled Creativity.
Da Beatminerz have been on their grind for over three decades. They are best known for their work with Brooklyn’s Boot Camp Clik. As the DJ and producer for Black Moon, Evil Dee helped firmly establish rugged hip-hop in the 1990s with the group’s debut Enta Da Stage (1993). The production team also did some of their best work lacing tracks for other components of the crew, including Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, and OGC. Over 30 years later, they are still extremely skilled producers and beat-makers, possessing chemistry with a myriad of artists. Their ability to work within their chosen pastiche is on full display across Stifled Creativity.
Da Beatminerz take a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to Stifled Creativity. Which is very much the right approach for the production team. It’s an album that’s steeped in the principles of boom-bap hip-hop. The beats that they create are sample-based. The songs feature hooks with scratched vocals from other tracks. The duo assemble a sturdy collection of skills-oriented emcees. There are remixes. There are bonus cuts. The album honors the past while still sounding dope in the 2020s.
Listen to the Album:
Stifled Creativity starts off on the right foot with “Seckle,” one of the strongest tracks released by KRS-One in two-and-a-half decades. The Blastmaster has always worked well with Da Beatminerz, and this track is another top notch partnership. The reggae/dancehall soaked track is a dedication to grimy, street-oriented hip-hop and the spirit of competition intrinsic to the genre. The album also features a remix of the song, where KRS is joined by Smif-N-Wessun, with Tek and General Steele each doing their part to honor the Teacha’s legacy.
The “Seckle” remix is one of a few of Da Beatminerz’ collaborations with Boot Camp Clik emcees and affiliates on Stifled Creativity. “B-Ville Pioneers” features General Steele giving a history lesson of pre-gentrified Brooklyn, particularly the various hard rocks who ran things in the Brownsville neighborhood. Rustee Jux, Duck Down artist and protégé of Sean Price (R.I.P.) kicks same straight-ahead lyrical shit on the banging “Product.”
But the highlight is “ANTI,” billed as a full-fledged Black Moon track. Over the mellowest of grooves, Buckshot details his efforts operating as a “free” independent artist and label owner. “I never did a dance for a dollar,” he raps. “If I didn’t earn when it was my turn, I didn’t bother.”
Southern California’s Ras Kass does his thing on a few tracks. “Back In Style” celebrates the power of nostalgia, as Da Beatminerz hook up an almost disco influenced track while Ras muses about how everything that’s old eventually gets its time back in the spotlight. Meanwhile, “100 Proof” serves as Ras’ dedication to his love of alcohol. The duo enlist Keith Murray on “Adore (HER),” a tribute to mid-tempo festive hip-hop, in the vein of Busta Rhymes’ “It’s a Party” or Tha Alkaholiks’ “Off the Wall,” where the Long Island emcee finds a hip-hop loving object of affection at a packed house party.
“My Year” is one of Stifled Creativity’s most creative entries, merging artists from different periods and genres. De La Soul’s Posdnuos and Dave (R.I.P.) are joined by Pharoahe Monch and Rasheed Chappell, all dropping verses centered on their drive to succeed. They give their audience “just a dose of those 20-plus años analytics / We outlast crews and the critics,” in the words of Pos. Corey Glover of Living Colour contributes a bluesy, soulful hook, sounding nearly unrecognizable.
Stifled Creativity features other emcees that first made their name after the genre’s Golden Age. Underground stalwart Apathy wrecks shop over a grim piano sample on “Martial Law,” proclaiming, “Fuck rappers, Ap will shatter their spinal cords.” Blog Era standouts Mickey Factz and Bishop Lamont give entertaining stylistic expressions on “Champion” and “The Birds,” respectively. “Cheeba” is a hard-as-nails dedication to the love of marijuana by Stahhr, who boasts that she’s “holding court with the highly esteemed / head of the coven, all-star of the team.”
Da Beatminerz also work with other artists outside of hip-hop. “It’s All For You,” featuring upstate NY born, Brooklyn-based soul singer Halley Hiatt, is a throwback to the singer/rapper team-ups of the ‘90s and early ’00s. Over a melodic piano and vibraphone sample, the French-Lebanese vocalist sings of finding bliss through true love, setting up a dope final verse by a long-since M.I.A. Al Skratch (of Ill & Al Skratch’s “Where My Homiez?” fame). There’s a reprise of the song towards the end of the album, featuring a smooth contribution by the long underappreciated AZ.
Stifled Creativity isn’t groundbreaking, but it doesn’t need to be. There will always be room for an album that celebrates the principles of traditional hip-hop, and Evil Dee and Mr. Walt do not disappoint. I don’t need to eat Pasta Bolognese every night, but when my wife does make the dish, it never fails to put a smile on my face.
Notable Tracks: “ANTI” (featuring Black Moon) | “Cheeba” (featuring Camp Lo & Stahhr) | “Martial Law” (featuring Apathy) | “My Year” (featuring De La Soul, Rasheed Chappell, Pharoahe Monch & Corey Glover)
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