MIND INVERSION

Ever since I’ve been listening to Hip-Hop, I’ve always been drawn to dj/emcee duos. In the case of albums like Train of Thought by Reflection Eternal and Moment of Truth by Gang Starr, the display of mutual respect and  pure chemistry between the two artists (respectively) is amazing; 1982 by Statik Selektah and Termanology is no different. I remember when this album came out back in 2010, and for some reason I just didn’t give it a chance. This may be partially because I had been sleeping on Statik’s beats. At the time, I had known about Term for a while because of his mixtape If Heaven Was a Mile Away that he dedicated to J Dilla. Sleeping on this album was a huge mistake; 1982 is a monster of a record, and it was no doubt one of the best albums in 2010, if not the best.

I have no idea what I was thinking not really giving Statik Selektah any credit for his beats, but that attitude quickly changed after listening to 1982; Statik was able to craft beats that accented Termanology’s ferocious style perfectly, and it’s blatantly obvious that these two are lights out together, and they should definitely continue making music in the future. On one of the album’s standout cuts “Radio”, Statik Selektah puts on his masking cloak and does an impeccable job of mimicking the classic style of DJ Premier, and Termanology spits venomous bars about his experiences with the form of media known as radio. Bun B joins forces with Termanology to glide over Statik Selektah’s ice smooth beat on “You Should Go Home”.

On what is surely the album’s finest cut, Saigon and Freeway rap alongside Termanology on “Life is What You Make it”, and Statik’s beautiful beat built from piano keys and soulful strings is nothing short of magnificent. Saigon is the first out of the gate, and he wastes no time in flexing his lyrical ability: “Snake shit’ll make your face get hit harder than Statik make the bass kick/base spitter, basic necessity’s an accessory/my destiny is taking complexity to the next degree”.

I think I can credit my friend Aaron for putting me onto this album; I think he asked me about it one day, and I remember saying I knew it had been out, but I hadn’t listened to it. I’m glad that I looked into it because I absolutely love this album. Statik Selektah & Termanology did an impeccable job crafting an album that sharply showcases the times they grew up in, and it also does a great job of paying homage to the sounds that shaped their tastes. 1982 is a beautiful manifestation of Hip-Hop that sounds like it belongs in the golden era, and sleeping on this album should be considered a felony as far as I’m concerned.

8.5/10

Dig Deeper: (Download) Statik Selektah & Termanology, 1982 (The FreEP)

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 4:38 pm and is filed under Music Reviews, Slept on Saturdays with tags 1982, Freeway, Saigon, Statik Selektah, Termanology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.