The MC/producer duo is a dying breed in hip-hop, even though
some undeniably classic hip-hop music has been created when a rapper teams up
with a single producer for an entire album. Take Eric B. and Rakim or Pete Rock
and C.L. Smooth, for example. But in today’s era of ringtone rap, a larger
emphasis is placed on making hit singles than classic albums. Unfortunately, this
has led to many rappers simply shelling out exorbitant amounts of money to
“super-producers” just so they can create that elusive radio hit.

Although those classic pairings of old are not as prevalent
anymore, legendary underground rapper Buckshot and producer 9th Wonder are
looking to start a revival. In 2005, they released Chemistry, their first LP together. Now their follow-up
effort, The Formula, manages to
avoid a sophomore jinx but still cannot deliver the magic expected from them.

“Intro (The Formula)” sets the album in motion with a
typical, soulful 9th Wonder beat and some uplifting Buckshot verses, but it
also involves an awful hook (“It’s the formula, the formula,” repeated over and
over). “Ready (Brand New Day),” similarly, grows weary with an Alvin and the
Chipmunks-esque sped-up vocal sample. Meanwhile, “Whassup With U?” is a poor
attempt at mainstream appeal that does not mesh with Buckshot’s style and
cadence.

Still, The Formula
does combine those unimaginative songs with some pretty exceptional ones. The
lead single, “Hold It Down,” features a vicious guest verse from Talib Kweli (“When
they hear ’em wave like a magic wand, I excite fam/ The way I rise my sun gives
you a nice tan”), as well as a strong chorus from singer Tyler Woods. Buckshot
puts his rhyming skills on display on “No Future,” rapping “You feel like the
world’s against you/ ‘Cause you don’t make dollars, but you don’t make sense,
dude.” 9th Wonder also gets a chance to show off on “Just Display” as he chops
up an R&B sample and layers some crisp drum work on top of it.

The album falls short by following, as the title would
indicate, a simple formula: Take a 9th Wonder beat based off of some obscure
1970s soul or R&B sample, add a couple solid yet generic verses from
Buckshot, and repeat 13 times. This recipe created both outstanding and tedious
tracks, thus constructing a good, albeit inconsistent result.

Regardless, this duo was capable of much more. Hearing 9th
Wonder step out of his comfort zone would have been a welcome change, and a
couple of storytelling or concept-based raps from Buckshot would have been a
pleasant change of pace, too. But instead of striving for sensational, Buckshot
and 9th Wonder stuck to The Formula and
ended up sounding routine.

3 stars out of 5