Raise your hand if you’ve heard a male emcee talk about cleaning up cat litter or the virtues of celibacy in 2009. At this point, if your hand is up, we’ll assume that this is one hell of a coincidence, you’re at the wrong Web site or you’ve heard an advance copy of the Quite Nyce & Raydar Ellis album Champs Vs. The League. None of this is to knock the aforementioned emcees/producers–or celibacy for that matter. But if you plan on listening to the album, it’s best to be prepared for some subjects outside the norm.
Those familiar with Raydar‘s 2006 debut, Late Pass, already know the pedigree. His Tri-State area sound and has the sonic feel of his more hardcore peers, yet trades macho posturing for the wit of an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Connecting with Central Massachusetts spitter Quite Nyce (of RADIx fame) is a natural fit. The pair balance each other out by alternating between shit talking, social commentary and emotional self-analysis with versatile deliveries and cadences that perfectly compliment what may be some of 2009’s best produced tracks. The latter point is not lost on Raydar, who admits as much on “Move” saying, “You know, sometimes I just like to lay out and let the sample do it.”
Like most underground albums which take their cues from the bygone era of blue-collar, boom-bap, east coast Hip Hop, it may take some listeners a while to get adjusted. Recession or not, most listeners still like their emcees larger than life. So while there’s certainly nothing wrong with an album by two artists whose median income is probably closer to their fans’ than Kanye West‘s (see Raydar‘s admission of his cable bill being a month late on “Love Is”), it’s just not what you’re used to hearing. And that may be more of an indictment on the current state of Hip Hop and urban radio than anything else.
The only knock on Raydar and Quite Nyce, is the same problem that plagues many underground acts. The genre often lends itself to the sort of peer critiquing that polarized legions of De La Soul fans on Stakes Is High. Video vixens, materialistic consumers and emcees deemed to be inferior are targeted. Similarly, Raydar and QN occasionally resort to overly used underground clichés, such as scolding complacent crowds (“Clap”), New World Order conspiracy theories (“Lalalalala”) and the personification of Hip Hop as a woman (“Love Is”). While all are still relevant topics, the duo approaches them in ways we’ve all heard a few too many times.
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As artists for the common man, Raydar Ellis and Quite Nyce truly look like the “Champs” they proclaim to be, when they’re giving their own unique perspective on topics a majority of the population deal with everyday. “Holla Bout a Dolla” pays homage to the type of bars one would hear from KRS-One in almost identical circumstances during the ReaganAdministration. “Ms. September” and “Broken Pieces” are the type of deeply personal tales that only a select group of emcees can pull off without sounding corny, and this is an area where the newly-formed duo excel at.
This group project showcases two artists who end up being greater than the sum of their parts. You can argue that both emcees have produced better material as soloists. And while this is a quality album, it’s clearly not for everyone. Quite Nyce and Raydar Ellis may not reach their championship aspirations this time around, but they’ve managed to create something suitable for a long postseason run.
