Slaine- King Of Everything Else

Best known for his work in the groups Special Teamz (with Edo G, Jaysaun and DJ Jayceeoh) and La Coka Nostra (with Danny Boy, Ill Bill, DJ Lethal and formerly Everlast and Big Left) Slaine has carved himself a solid career as a solo artist. He brings us his fourth solo album, entitled “King Of Everything Else.”  Does the album deliver the same old school flavor and sound his fans are used to or does he take a much different approach? Track listing

1. No Handouts
2. Destroy Everything
3. Bobby Be Real Ft Tech N9ne & Madchild
4. Dot Ave Ft Ritehook
5. Back Against The Wall Ft Moroney & Ritehook
6. Dopehead Ft Jaysaun
7. Pissed It All Away
8. The Years
9. Hip Hop Dummy ft Bishop Lamont & Apathy
10. Children Of The Revolution Ft Ill Bill
11. The Most Dangerous Drug In The World
12. Come Back Down Ft Checkmark, Vinnie Paz, & Regan Hartley
13. Zip Zero Ft Rek & Termanology
14. Our Movement
15. To The Light (Bonus Track)
16. Getting High ft Demrick (iTunes Bonus Track)

Track by track review and rating No Handouts- A simple and slow beat drives the verses in this track.  The lyrics are delivered in a clear and steady pace.  The track itself talks about Slaine’s road to where he is at through hard work.  It is a nice message for all up and coming rappers. 4/5 Destroy Everything- The beat here continues the slow deliberate pace of this album.  Solid verses are performed with solid purpose and intent.  The hook here is simple and solid although a little muddled due to the altering of the vocals. 3.5/5 Bobby Be Real Ft Tech N9ne & Madchild – The beat is very Cabaret but it works surprisingly well.  The hook is repetitive but that is a good thing in this type of track.  Slaine, Tech, and Madchild deliver dope verses and make this an instant classic. 5/5 Dot Ave Ft Ritehook- A nice old school style beat with a few new twists.  The verses are hard hitting and give way to a toned down melodic hook.  The composition and production are both super solid here. 4.5/5 Back Against The Wall Ft Moroney & Ritehook- A complex and driving beat leads this one.  The verses flow over the beat and allow the listener to bob their head along with this one.  Moroney adds a solid verse that rounds the track out nicely. 3.7/5 Dopehead Ft Jaysaun- Another slow driving old school sound here.  The bass will have most systems bumping hard.  The hook is robotic and simple but it is needed here.  The verses tell an interesting story with a positive meaning. 4/5 Pissed It All Away- This track gives us another look into his rise in the business.  The beat is solid and the hook is well written.  The verses tell a great story and pull the listener into his world. 4.3/5 The Years- The old school vibe continues with this beat.  The hook will remind many of classic rap hits from the late eighties.  The verses are solid and well delivered. 3.8/5 Hip Hop Dummy ft Bishop Lamont & Apathy- A very different beat with this track.  It has a very deliberate Hip Hop flavor that lives up to the track name. The hook also fits the Hip Hop label to a tee.  Bishop Lamont and Apathy add their flavor to this track and make it very enjoyable. 4.5/5 Children Of The Revolution Ft Ill Bill- Back to the slower beat here.  The verses talk about growing up in more current times and how it shaped us.  Fellow La Coka Nostra artist Ill Bill adds a solid verse that works well in this one.  The hook is solid and rounds out this track. 4/5 The Most Dangerous Drug In The World- What is the most dangerous drug in the world?  This track answers that question with a simple answer, Pussy.  The beat is put together very well and drive the tracks hard hitting flows.  The verses are delivered at an equal pace to the beat here. 3.7/5 Come Back Down Ft Checkmark, Vinnie Paz, & Regan Hartley- This track has a beat which is simple yet complex at the same time.  It tells a tale of drug use and some of the dangers involved.  All of the verses add a lot to the story and paint a vivid picture of this issue. 4.2/5 Zip Zero Ft Rek & Termanology- A much more Reggae vibe in this beat.  The hook also fits into the Reggae tone.  The verses are well written and performed.  The track as a whole is enjoyable but seems out of place on this album. 3.5/5 Our Movement- A slightly disjointed beat backs this track.  The hook is decent but does not stand out here.  The verses, while well performed, lack the same urgency as the rest of the album.  A weird turn in this album with the last two tracks. 3/5 To The Light (Bonus Track)- Back to the hard hitting beats of the main album the beat works nicely with the verses and his delivery.  The passion and urgency returns to the verses here.  The hook is very different in this one but it is a nice change of pace. 4/5 Getting High ft Demrick (iTunes Bonus Track)- An old school beat backed by a very seventies sound.  The verses are solid and Demrick adds decent flow to the track.  Of course the content is about getting high but it works. 3.8/5   Overall Rating: 3.96 /5 Conclusion: This album will appeal to a wide base of fans. Slaine’s fan base will undoubtedly like this while fans who know little to nothing about him will be drawn to it as well. He walks a fine line of too much old school and just enough in this album.  The few times the album strays from this it leaves the listener let down.  Overall the album is very well written, performed, and the production value is high.  Hip Hop fans should take the time to pick it up and give it a try.