Ugly Heroes---Ugly Heroes

Ugly Heroes-Ugly Heroes-Independent-(2013)

Artist: Ugly Heroes

Album: Ugly Heroes

Label: Independent

Producers: Apollo Brown

It seems like hip hop music has been strongly infected with the bling bling era. Hearing lyrics is starting to become a dinosaur and making songs has been a standstill. Fortunately, you hear the dying breed coming through but it is hidden. Joints have to be digging like a stone. Detroit’s producer Apollo Brown has been a household name which includes making stellar joints such as the OC collaboration Trophies album. Apollo Brown has aligned himself with fellow Detroit emcee Red Pill and Chicago’s Verbal Kent to form the group Ugly Heroes. They collaborated for the self-titled album to see if it is up to the test.

            When you have Apollo Brown on the boards, you’re going to get a good 90s feel good vibe and this album shows it. Lyrically, this album starts off on the right foot with strong verbal skills. Tracks like “Desperate” and “Graves” are both tracks that take off when both Red Pill and Verbal Kent express the hardships of living day by day and will go through drastic measures to survive credit card debt and the struggles of the everyday 9-5 grind. “Heart and Soul” and “Never Go” share relationship experiences from Red Pill and Verbal Kent that relates to every man’s pain. Apollo Brown blessed the basslines to a tee on “Take It or Leave It” giving Red Pill and Verbal Kent rhyming ability to own the track. The group ended the album well with the rough track “Push” where Apollo Brown takes it on another level on the boards with the hard hitting kicks added to the beat and Red Pill and Verbal Kent represented very well.

             Throughout this album, the cohesiveness between Apollo Brown and the artists Red Pill and Verbal Kent is phenomenal. Production wise, Apollo Brown personifies the art of sample based beats that keeps the album well put. There is a major shift that dwindle the momentum of the album. The subject matter becomes very repetitive which throws the album off in which there is no break hit songs. Whether commercial or underground, there should be a standout song and there is no songs that stood out like a sore thumb. The plus side is Red Pill and Verbal Kent knows how to create songs that the average listener can relate to. This is the first time I heard of these emcees and they really came through on the album. Altogether, Ugly Heroes are a great blend that made an impression with the album. It depends on how relatable your listener’s ears are: are you digging the pains the struggles on the album or you rather escape towards the fantasy of music that will not allow you to think critically.

            Strong Tracks: “God’s Day Off”, “Long Drive Home”, “Graves”, “Take It or Leave It”, “Push”

            Average Tracks: “Desperate”, “Never Go”, “Heart and Soul”

            Weak Tracks:  None

            Rating:out of