Debaser
Peerless

Written by Faceman. Published: Monday, May 17, 2010.

Following up after their 2006 album “Crown Control” is the Portland-bred duo of Ethic & Sapient, also known as Debaser. This Sandpeople-affiliated emcee and emcee/producer team, known for work with artists like Aesop Rock, Inspectah Deck, and Slug, brings us their sophomore LP entitled Peerless.

“Curseless Gift” opens up the album with a contemporary underground vibe with multi-syllabic rhymes and a somber, yet Eminem-like, instrumental. “So when I’m debasing this genre, I’m not talkin’ EQ, I’m talkin’ to you” is a dope line but will probably fly over most listeners’ heads unless they are in the music industry as well. I love how the beat progressively builds up and down through out the track. Also, the song structure stretches beyond the customary 16 bar verse-8 bar chorus which has entrenched itself as the hip-hop norm. I do sense a vague splash of Slug in their delivery, but they are clearly differentiable. “We’ve been cursed but it fits us / To grab hip-hop and then perk the bitch up”.

“Enough” starts off typically with some scratched vocal samples but then transitions into a flute melody before continuing into the first verse with the first tonal pattern. This unexpected switch accentuated that first melody, bringing in the first verse strongly. The chorus harbors yet another sequence of instrumentation, although more generic than the first two sets. “You’re playing play again until it’s plagiarism”, nice. “Blowin’ up like the death star did”, very played. Debaser’s lyrics were fairly decent, but left much to be desired.

Up next is the title track, “Peerless”. The singing is a nice touch to an otherwise sterile chorus. Nice use of vocabulary. “But really just paved the steps for huge mountains to climb”. Their multi-syllabic rhymes sound forced at times. Content artistry is more important than technical skill. Homie does not sound very convincing when he says “bitches”. Not very intimidating. “Tree of Life” is another hyphy track disguised under a weak and transparent tree metaphor. There is also some vague imagery thrown around that does not seem to connect at times. “Burning fields until they’re under that tree of life, but we shake that shit until the tree house falls”. Yeah, I don’t get it. “This side’s where the grass is greener / No it’s not a state of mind if the gas is cheaper”, now that is tight. The sing-a-long over the chorus is very sloppy. Although it was intentional, it still was not friendly to the ears.

“Spider in the Sheets” brings a clear topical variation after four fairly similar tracks. Dope multi-syllabic rhymes kick off the song and cohesively tell the story. “You was in possession of cake, but when you tried to eat it too it left a mess on your plate”. The chorus is quirky but listenable and memorable. The use of adlibs in this track sets it apart from the other songs. “We turn each other’s blood into fire and lay in a bed of ashes”. “Pedestals” is next and we are greeted immediately with a played patience/patients line. Forced multi-syllabics continue. “Nola” is a trippy instrumental with a dull main guitar riff.

“Quitters” launches with a tough beat and tight flow. “This is the story of rags to better rags”. The chorus is repetitive with “got the point” said one too many times, but the singing saves the chorus again. Essentially, this song goes along the lines of the first four “we’re better than you” tracks. “My Brain” is a funny twist on male-female gender roles. “Eating hummus off of my penis-head like it was pita bread”, haha wow! The chorus is pretty funny… “or at least my upper one”, haha! “Freaks on the first date increasing the birthrate”. “Now she wants to see me perform like she ain’t heard the CD before”. Overall, it’s an entertaining song that will get a laugh out of both men and women.

“Don’t Sleep” is next with a catchy beat and solid topic. The chorus has a dope synthy melody to it. “You can take it to the bank like it kissed the glass”, okay but some might not get it. The Grouch brings a new style to the mix which is a welcome change. “Around the clock like Flava Flav”, sick. I’m definitely feeling the unique delivery he takes on his verse. “Bang Like This” is a flute-tastic beat by Sapient The tribal-drum breakdown in the middle keeps it interesting. “Results” flips the flow and exemplifies more progressive beat-making. A focused topic keeps this song together and propels it past some of the earlier joints.

“Purest Disgust” is particularly bassy which goes well with the flute melody. The lyrics are very vague, and after one verse, I have no idea what this is about. “Outdated like a tapedeck”, really? That was way too simple and obvious. “Fuck me with confusion”, nice. “High Priceless” closes out the album with a zoned-out tune with all singing. The vocal effects are well-used and somehow reminds me of something Lenny Kravitz would go for.

Debaser’s second album is a uniquely-produced, yet lyrically-decent project that progresses instrumentally, but leaves a lot of room for improvement in content and rhymes. Vagueness and forces lines plague some of the LP, and some melodies within the beats seemed too basic and uninspired, but overall “Peerless” provides a notable twist to the usual underground offering. Progressively-structured beats and clever flows make this album standout, although more could have been done to make Debaser’s latest a true contender.

$13 out of $20

-The MC Faceman

Category: Reviews