Statik Selektah----Extended Play

Statik Selektah-Extended Play-Duck Down-(2013)

Artist: Statik Selektah

Album: Extended Play

Label: Duck Down

Producers: artist, Alchemist

Lawrence Massachusetts, Statik Selektah has put in work with his production skills. The deejay of his weekly radio show on Sirius XM put all the energy into making one effective album after another. Being mentored by DJ Premiere, the beat maker does know how to make compatible matches with his beat with the artists. With a full length 18 track album “Extended Play” will it favor the listeners?    

            Listening to this album puts the listener into high hopes of a great album and it certainly made its mark. Second album out of duck down, fifth studio album total, extended play blends well with switching up from the boom bap 90’s production style to original content. The guest appearances really fit the theme of the album. Fans love when an album starts off with a Pain in the Ass talking shit reminiscing from the Reasonable Doubt days as he teams up with Action Bronson, Big Body Bes and Tony Touch on “Reloaded”. The first single “Bird’s Eye View” starts off correct with three rhyming juggernauts Raekwon, Joey Bada$$ and Black Thought spit over the soulful sample beat while “21 and Over” seems like an odd pair on paper but Sean Price and Mac Miller came correct over the head nodding, hard kicks and a nicely simple beat with the 90’s feel element of DJ scratching and the high energized “East Coat” sounds like a M.O.P record but pairing N.O.R.E with Lil Fame actually works.

            The album continues with the jazzy horn infused “The Spark” where Action Bronson and Joey Bada$$ spit fire on this track despite not really feeling the Mike Posner’s chorus. The highlight tracks is three fourths of the album especially “Pinky Ring” that brings out the hunger Prodigy; although he doesn’t sound like the 90’s P but the musical compaibilty of this song makes it so close with that soulful sample and the ferocious lyrics. This also includes “Big City of Dreams” where Troy Ave, Push, Meyhem Lauren and AG Da Coroner add that hood spark with the official hard drums and scratches added by the clever producer and the piano loop insisted “Game Break” brings that laid back nostalgic feel to it with Lecrae, Posdnous and Termanology did their thing on this.

Extended Play put the average listener to perspective and put artists into how to make an album. This album has a great experimentation of old school rappers and new artists mixed with boom bap production and some contemporary beats. While Statik Selektah didn’t abandon the old hip hop elements such as the deejay elements and sampled infused beats, this album works very well. the minor concern may be listener fatigue because the album is lengthy. Personally, I enjoyed this album but some listeners don’t have a lengthy attention span. This does not affect the consistency of the album in any way. Whether making an odd pair of Sean Price and Mac Miller on “21 and Over” seem listenable, perfect compatibility of Styles P, Bun B. and Hit-Boy (which I had no idea he raps too) on “Funeral Season”, bringing out the new emcees like Pro Era on the Alchemist assisted “Live From the Era” or hot tracks from artists I’m not too familiar with, this album hits all angles. It doesn’t matter if it’s contemporary or the old school boom bap sound; it’s how to make a song. Enough of the old school boom bap music hating or the new school hating, Extended Play made its way to break the segregation of the trends. This album has an extended play on my I-POD.

            Strong Tracks: “Reloaded”, “21 and Over”, “East Coast”, “Bird’s Eye View”, “Funeral Season”, “Pinky Ring”, “Big City of Dreams”, “Game Break”

            Average Tracks: “Make Believe”

            Weak Tracks:  None

            Rating:out of