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The mixtape, rap’s controversial equivalent of a warm-up or practice, is inherently problematic. An MC hopping on the most spectacular and popular instrumentals of a given juncture in hip-hop is usually little more than an act of healthy competition, often worthy of a “wow” but rarely of the praise an album-quality track merits.
Nonetheless, hip-hop is more popular than ever, and mixtapes are an invaluably modern method for artists to stay relevant and in-form. Relatively unknown MCs Sandman and Ab Liva join Internet-rap aristocracy Clipse — brothers Pusha and Malice — to become the Re-Up Gang, who offer the third installment of their popular We Got It 4 Cheap series, sub-titled Vol. 3: The Spirit of Competition.
This series brought Clipse — whose music industry slighting over the years has been legendary — back into the picture in a big way in 2005, paving the way for their 2006 futuristic, drug-dealer magnum opus Hell Hath No Fury. Despite its sonic and aesthetic achievements, the lyricism of Clipse and, by extension, Re-Up Gang has led to their being unfortunately pigeonholed as only rapping about the illegal retail of narcotics — however, a quartet of Jeezy’s they are not.
Though vivid and nuanced recollections of deals-gone-bad and Pyrex-pots-ruined are often the core of lyrics being kicked, “The Spirit of Competition” delves into the mythology behind the group just like the rest of their previous, highly acclaimed releases. A criminal’s life isn’t glorified in the nihilistic paranoia of “Cry Now” — “Family and friends resemble enemies/ And I can’t tell the difference though I no longer grieve” — but dissected in practical and frighteningly understandable, even occasionally ironic, terms. On their brilliant version of Raekwon’s seminal “Rainy Dayz,” Pusha spits “My house default/ His house paisley/ He’s not at fault, no not vaguely/ He’s on a yacht somewhere with Jay-Z.” Recurring themes include the psychological impossibility of leaving a life of hustling (“500 Birds”), as well as the burden of shame Pusha and Malice carried while selling behind their mother’s back (“Show You How to Hustle”).
As formerly noted, mixtapes are ultimately quite problematic to the analytically inclined rap fan. Since few, if any, of the instrumentals are constructed originally for the release, it’s hard to give full credit to a song when only half the necessary work has been done. The selection of beats on “The Spirit of Competition” is good, but not great. Recent speaker-thumpers like Kanye West’s “Good Morning,” Jim Jones’ “Emotionless” and Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys” are explored, as well as timeless staples like the aforementioned “Rainy Dayz” and a Dr. Dre-centric G-Funk tribute piece.
And while the performance throughout the mixtape is solid, it almost disappoints in comparison to the eye-opening We Got It 4 Cheap, Vol. 2, on which a considerably more diverse body of instrumentals were transformed into relentless symphonies, equal parts ostentatious and cold-blooded. So while the tracks here are sonically good as is, they aren’t by any means sublime, given Clipse/Re-Up Gang’s recent portfolio.
Aside from tripping slightly over the usual hurdles a mixtape must clear, there isn’t much to complain about here. Re-Up Gang rap with precision, wit and larger than life sneers. They manage to legitimize their subject matter in a way most contemporary rappers have had great difficulty doing, particularly timely in a country that seems to be only now beginning to acknowledge the urban world as a stage for moralistic conflicts (I see you, David Simon). Besides, “Vol. 3: The Spirit of Competition” is 18 tracks of hungry, clever hip-hop, and it’s free, available at reupgangrecords.net. Listeners could do much worse.
3.5 stars out of 5
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This deserves more than 3.5/5. We Got it for cheap is the best mixtape series ever. Still, not as good as Vol. 2