Although Max B [click to read] and Tru Life are two of Hip Hop’s most recent additions to the list of incarcerated musicians, Queens’ emcee Tragedy Khadafi [click to read] recently joined the club after catching a felony drug sale charge. However, the move from Queensbridge to Rikers Island didn’t seem to stop fellow Queens-based rapper Trez from collaborating with him to produce Lethal Weapon. Adding to the incentive for fans of Queensbridge Hip Hop to give the album a listen are features from artists such as Big Noyd [click to read], Infamous Mobb, and Littles. If anyone is still complaining that they miss that hardcore, street shit in their music, say no more.
The one word that best describes the overall feel of Lethal Weapon is “gangsta.” No mushy love songs are to be found on this album, and each track is overflowing with drug and gun talk and references toward a harsh street lifestyle. The essence of the classic Queensbridge rap style that fans know and love is present, however the execution falls short. With Tragedy’s incarceration taken into consideration, it is only logical that Trez has more presence on the album than his counterpart, despite how disappointing this may be to longtime fans of Tragedy’s work. This leaves the album burdened by sub-par lyricism and inconsistencies.
Where the lyrics are lacking, the beat selection keeps the album going. That gritty style that provides a musical backdrop dark enough to make the sunshine want to go into hiding prevails, and pairs impeccably with the “shoot ‘em up” mentality that Tragedy and Trez bring to the table. This is most evident as the album opens, with the first two tracks, “Rise of the Machines” and “True Story” bringing mediocre lyrics with redeeming beats that make the them audibly digestible. Trez and Tragedy get familiar with the skip button on the CD or MP3 player in the form of “Pleasure to Know ‘Em” [click to listen] and “Back in the Street,” the latter featuring Littles reminiscing about the older days over a playful instrumental that becomes uninteresting after the first verse.
High points on Lethal Weapon include “Hell Fire,” “Wild Side,” and “Learn to Hate.” A grimy beat backs featured artist Willie Stubz on “Wild Side” as he points out that, “world leaders make a toast, rappers brag and boast, ignorance runs the land, and the street commands, for the dollars even nuns will be begging to swallow, turn a priest into a beast with a collar.” Meanwhile, Tragedy Khadafi shines on “Learn to Hate” as he gets introspective with raps such as, “the feds wanna lock and cuff us, murder our fathers and that’s how they destroy our mothers, God help us, they say that I was cold and selfish, but if they only knew, I was tryin to run from the Devil, it’s either now or never, I’m just tryin to hold it together.” Even at their best, the lyrics on the album aren’t much to brag about. Trez seems best when he channels his inner rebel and criticizes politics and the government, as seen on “Fahrenheit” with Infamous Mobb and Lotto.
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When it comes to Lethal Weapon, it appears that Tragedy Khadafi didn’t pack his inner Intelligent Hoodlum that his long-time followers are craving with him on his trip to Rikers, and Trez is just along for the musical ride. The pair isn’t quite as cohesive as “Crossbreed” would make a listener believe when Trez states, “me and Tragedy. I feed off his knowledge, he feed off my hunger.” If one wants the overall trademark Q.B. “sound” that is consistent with artists such as Tragedy, Mobb Deep [click to read], or Cormega [click to read], they may be satisfied, but for undeniably incredible production and strong lyricism, listeners will have to look elsewhere.
