Detroit has managed to birth one of the biggest rappers in hip-hop history. However besides Mr. Mathers, nobody has managed to shine in the Motown spotlight. With the possibility of retirement hanging over Eminem’s head; you wonder if the Detroit rap scene will retreat back to the shadows from which it came. Trick-Trick is here to answer that question with his album, The People Vs..
With the lead single, “Welcome 2 Detroit,” Trick gets a helping hand from Eminem to help represent his hometown. With a raspy, aggressive voice similar to Ice Cube, Trick shows that he is not going to be yet another Detroit rapper with joke-laden lyrics. In contrast, listeners may feel otherwise when they hear “My name is Trick Trick,” a true west-coast bouncer. Although the instrumental is up-tempo, the hook makes you wonder if the song was taken from his 1980-something demo.
Trick quickly reinstates himself as a threat in the rap game with the Jazze Pha produced, “Attitude Adjustment,” which is the closest thing to another radio single [Welcome 2 Detroit]. Trick welcomes you to his dark side with a unique instrumental arrangement on, “No More To Say,” featuring D12’s Proof. While Eminem offers a highly addictive hook echoing what seems to be subliminal shots toward his enemies, Trick and Proof don’t need to try very hard to make the song a hit.
Versatility is a key trait that Trick displays throughout the album. For example, on “What The F*ck,” Trick showcases his story-telling skills. However, the highlight of the album is when Trick puts the guns down and speaks from his heart on the cuts “Lady” and “Don’t Think About It.” On “Lady,” Trick changes the mood by calming down his aggressive style and talking to his baby-momma. Although the mood is changed by the 3rd verse, Trick abruptly resumes his regular flair with a shocking end to a great personal story.
“Don’t Think About It” is Trick at his lyrical best with reality based lines unheard of from many new artists: “It’s kind of hard when the ten and the eleven o’clock news come on/ The stories that break first, is really what’s going on/ Like what would possess this man to do what he did/ Purchase a 12 gauge pump and shot 4 of his kids/ His own flesh and blood, if that aint enough/ He set a fire to his house and burned his kids up/ But one of his kids survived, and after all that/ She asked the EMS where her father was at.”
Overall, don’t expect never before heard phenomenal material from The People Vs.. In the same instance, do not pass the album up as just another artist following the same drawn out road to success. Trick is not your average writer and it’s evident when he speaks on his hard times. Will this album be groundbreaking? Only time will tell. Will Trick-Trick be another artist to come and go? After beating a murder charge, it won’t be hard to establish himself as a true contender in the rap game.
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