The press release for this album opens with the following line: “this is that moment of truth where he breaks out of the basic beatmaker box and elevates to virtuoso status.” Ain’t that the truth. The RZA has called him one of the illest up and comers in the game, Kanye West has compared his chopping ability to DJ Premier, and Primo himself has dubbed Chops one of the top underground producers. Acting as the anchor for Phili’s Mountain Brother his beats have always been the most redeeming aspect of their albums. Nevertheless, his beats have drifted from certifiable bangers to the realms of mediocrity and to this point some may question the praise given above. That is, until they heard this album.
“Virtuosity” does not see any drifting; the term mediocrity could only be used if ‘opposite of’ was put in front of it. Chops has finally delivered a selection of beats that his previous work hinted that he was capable of. The albums intro “Git Dat Mutha” (which is in the vein of the beat he used on “Birds of Paradise”), sets the tone of his butchered madness and never looks back. Chops get in the booth from time to time, but he largely relies on a select group of mic controllers to bless his instrumentals. “What’s Fuckin’ Wit Us” features a rejuvenated Raekwon getting loose over some spaghetti western guitars. This is better than anything that was featured on his last album. The intensity goes up a notch when Chops is “Comin’ From the Lowest Level” with Ras Kass, Talib Kweli and Phil Da Ag. Kweli doesn’t adjust well to the beat, but damn if it isn’t a nice posse cut. Bahamadia rides a funky offering in a “B-Girl Session” that starts a wave of Phili natives that represent for their hometown brethren. Highlighting one of albums major strengths, “B-Girl Session” is seamlessly morphed into “Blockbuster Smash” via the “Opening Night” interlude. Chops uses 10 to 15 second interludes after nearly every track to act as a bridge to the next song. The result is an album packing a unified sound that is rarely heard these days. What’s better is all the instruments used in the interludes are actually played by Chops.
Back to the regularly scheduled program, “Still Life” featuring CMNR is one of best joints here. It’s a low key piece with a xylophone that will just kill you. “No Pressure” with Mystic quickly tops it though as her beautiful voice just melts over Chops’ incredible string selection. “Niggarachi” is similarly fueled by strings, but it is Planet Asia’s Slick Rick impression that steals the show. Kanye West proves he is capable of “Changing Lanes” and rocking over a beat other than his own. It’s a shame that it is so short ’cause I could listen to those drums all day. Chops even manages to save one of his best for himself as he does a proficient job on the obese yet funky “U Know Who Is.”
Whether or not you are familiar with Chops, I can almost guarantee that you will be shocked with how good this album is. His meticulously crafted beats will likely launch him onto the top of many fans favorite producer list. As the first noteworthy release of 2004, Chops has set the bar high…come and get him.
