Street lore and A&R boasting have made the story of Stimulated’s Hom legendary. The rap-world tale states that the block-corner pharmacist was being sought out by producer Dart La on the Newark, N.J., streets when a chance late-night encounter found the skinny MC tapping on Dart La’s shoulder as he slept on a friend’s floor during the famous talent search.
Startled and shocked, Dart made Hom freestyle and was so impressed that he took the Afro-sporting lyricist to a studio in Brooklyn to record a group of songs.
Moving quickly to snatch up the talents of The Source’s “Unsigned Hype” column subject, the young Loud Records-supported imprint signed the nasal-voiced rapper as part of the plan to tread in the rough waters of bling-bling, Puffy-ness and sub-par independent and underground work.
Finding themselves in the ultimate niche market that currently exists in hip-hop, where everyone has a pigeonholing adjective tagged onto their album, music industry veteran Dante Ross has collected talent and created a team that utilizes the positive aspects of all of his artists.
Like Joe Torre, the man who has managed to construct champion Yankee teams that maximize every player’s abilities, Ross employed artists whose careers he helped launch (Brand Nubian, the Hieroglyphics) to give a helping hand with a group of newcomers (Hom) and artists who have been absent from the new release shelf for years (Camp Lo, King Tee).
Unlike many compilations by labels that serve as a potluck dinner of artists that attempt to wet the listener’s palate, Stimulated mixes the old and new personalities representative of its diverse roster that reflects its desire to “act as a thread, stitching together the broken halves of hip-hop.”
Kicking off Stimulated Volume 1 with the introductory track “It’s ? Hom,” the previously mentioned rapper contributes the requisite initial career-building track, all over an amusing beat provided by Dart himself. Following is “I Love It,” a funk- and bass-heavy signature Rockwilder track featuring Young Zee of the Outsidaz and Rah Digga, keeping the New Jersey influence heavy on the compilation.
The presence of young guns in the first two tracks leads the way for veterans De La Soul to follow with “Speed Limit,” a soulful, guitar-laced song; former House of Pain frontman Everlast and “your friendly neighborhood lush” Xzibit deliver their tale of inebriation and hallucinogenic drugs on “Shroomz Pt. II.” In addition, former Brand Nubian member Sadat X brings his high-pitched, nasal flow to the Ross-produced, upbeat “The Great Dot X,” and Cypress Hill’s B-Real teams up with Everlast on “Laugh Now,” a throwback to the days of early ’90s, heavy-MTV-rotation hip-hop.
Ross’ aforementioned old buddies make memorable appearances on Stimulated Volume 1, all trying to revamp their careers as well as contribute to an effort to create a label collective of diverse talents of all different ages, eras and geographical locations. Where Stimulated Volume 1’s strength lies is in the fact that the A&R pool holds clout that allows for them to use the money and power of SRC, the business collective owned by Loud Records leader Steve Rifkind, to create a an excellent introductory compilation. Eastern Conference All-Stars masterminds the High & Mighty, new-school West Coaster King Tee, eccentric MC and Ice Cube’s cousin Del, underground champions Dilated Peoples and even Mobb Deep’s Prodigy put in their two cents, adding to the solid starting lineup that Stimulated Volume 1 gets to work with.
With brains, lyrical brawn and a desire to create a lineup that could mend hip-hop’s wounds brought on by materialism, gluttony and “producer of the moment” trends, Stimulated’s goal of a hip-hop utopia that offers a diverse group of entrees could possibly become a reality — and maybe the beginning of the next hip-hop dynasty.
Grade: A/B
