[Album Review] El-P - Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx Vol. 3
Hip hop production has come a long way from obscure samples and drum breaks. Sure, nowadays there are a lot of minimal production that has replaced the samples for copyright purposed and the drum breaks with basic 808 drum kits and claps. But those that truly follow more than the mainstream club scene know there are tons of other talent out there in the genre and as soon as I come across the Indie hip hop genre, the first name that comes to mind is none other than Definitive Jux head honcho El-Producto.
El-P has come a long way from his days with legendary hip hop group Company Flow. However, his genius behind boards is what makes him one of hip hop's biggest legends along with his mic mastery. After listening to his latest release Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx vol. 3 I have to say, in my own opinion, this album is by far one of the best instrumental albums I ever heard.
To those unfamiliar with the megamix series, the original release of the Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamix series started off with as a compilation mixture which featured 1 or 2 unreleased El-P instrumentals and mainly contained unreleased collaborations and other tunes El-P thought you should hear. He later came back and revamped the series with Volume 2, mainly focused around his production and was a popular release among fans every. So of course it would make sense to release the next installment following Volume 2's successful formula.
From start to finish this record hits you in the face like a ton of bricks. The intro track "Take You Out at The Ball Game" starts as nice little orchestrated track and all of a sudden bangs in to this Sci-Fi ballet mindfuck filled with explosive kickdrums. There are a lot of other tracks on this album that would make great hip hop tracks to rap on but in all honesty, i'm happy to see them stand on their own as the giants they are, such as "Whores: The Movie", "DMSC", "Time Wont Tell" and "Jump Fence Run Live".
However, El also throws in a few instrumentals from other productions he worked such as the remixes for Kidz In The Hall ("Driving Down The Block") and Young Jeezy ("I Got This") and beats he provided to Rakaa of Dilated Peoples ("Meanstreak") and Bajah & The Dry Eye Crew ("Honda"). Another one of my stand out favorites is the collaborative track with Chin Chin's vocalist Wilder Zoby titled "Contagious". Once you listen to this track it leaves you wanting more of this sexy anthem that El-P and Wilder created. This track alone gave me hope that we may see a collaboration album from these two in the long run.
But if that wasn't enough, El-P throws in another brick throw your window with the bonus track containing the drum breaks of each song on the record. The production value on these breaks alone is worth the attention this album deserves as a whole. Therefore, with all that said, we highly suggest that you pick up this record as it does not disappoint. Even if you aren't a fan of hip hop, this album transcends more than just one genre of music and is a must have for any fan of good music. So give the album a listen and let us know what you think, but whatever you do, don't call El-P's music Post Apocalyptic.
Rating 5.0
