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Die Rugged Man, Die

RA The Rugged Man

HipHopIsDead by ONI, 6/15/07

I couldn’t believe how skilled this MC was. When my friend first introduced Die Rugged Man, Die to me, my first reaction was “who the hell is this guy”? I went in thinking I was going to hate the album; this is actually what I do with all albums. I call it my “shitty until proven dope” philosophy. Despite my doubts, the album definitely surprised me starting with the first track. The album begins with “Lessons” which hit me like an unexpected knockout in the first-round of a boxing match.

“People wanna know where the fuck I’ve been/ At the VIP section they aint letting me in/ They say maybe if he had Dr. Dre and Timbaland/ They say a white boy need a black boy to win/ Uhhh Bubba Sparks did it and so did Slim/ Just Blaze is hot now why don’t you get with him/ I’ve seen mad rappers bite ma shit and blow up/ And make millions of what I created that’s tough luck/ I first started getting coverage/ Around the same time Steve Stout used to carry Kid and Play’s luggage”

And my personal favorite line a few bars later:

“Alchemist you still ma little buddy/ Even though you stole that Royce Da 5′9″ ‘The King’ beat from me” (that beat drops in the background)

The first-round right hook took my feet from right under me. Luckily I was able to get up within the allotted 10 seconds and prepared to take more of a punishing.

R.A.’s lyrics do two things throughout the album. Firstly, they make you laugh and at the same time they also leave you wondering did that shit really happen back then. Like for example was there really a Big Daddy Kane AIDS rumor back then like he says on “On The Block” and did Slick Rick really diss the Grammy’s? I wouldn’t know because I was only 5 years old at the time. But if this shit is really true, it is really entertaining me and giving me a hip hop lesson at the same time. Apparently R.A. has a lot of history in hip hop according to his testimony. There was a time when every label wanted to sign him in the early 90s and he actually was under Jive Records at one point. However, the same usual corporate bullshit that kept J-Live’s “The Best Part” on shelves kept Rugged Man’s 1994 would-be debut “Bloody Night of The Apes” on shelves. He tells his story with amazing personality and the chip on his shoulder gets larger and larger as he reminisces more and more about his past.

Another notable quality of R.A.’s rhyming is his signature flow, best described as a spontaneous flurry, where every once in a while he spits several bars so fast that it seems like he doesn’t even breath. He does it in a manner that I can’t compare to any other artist. “Chains” featuring Masta Killah is one of the songs where he busts out this rapid onslaught of pain.

This ain’t some pitter patter bullshit boxing for points. R.A. hit me with jab after jab and had some amazing combinations despite only having been in amateur bouts. His goal: to inflict damage. His themes: centered around being a pioneer for a lot of the current white rappers and other rappers in general; being grimy, dirty, and disliked; and telling his old school account of hip hop. His fitness on the canvas: astounding which explains his incredible endurance of non-stop action for the entirety of the album. Whenever I tried to swing on him by trying to find ways to criticize his music, I just found myself being exposed as he was able to evade my punches and unleash his fury. And let’s not forget about his amazing corner crew behind him that included both great production and guests.

R.A. the Rugged Man concluded the 15th round with a dramatic upper cut that elevated me into the air and finished me. Now it’s time for the post-fight analysis followed by the question that analysts and historians will debate about for years. Is he the greatest white fighter to ever step in the ring? (in the most Marv Albert-like voice as possible) Who knows? I mean Eminem is, or at least was, really good at one time. But one thing is for sure. Classic album, hands down. Gloves down, too.