Guilty Simpson has been featured on Stone Throw productions for the last five years and has been a regular on Detroit’s hip-hop circuit for longer than that. After appearances on cuts from J Dilla, Dabrye, Madlib and Percee P, he has finally released a debut entitled Ode to the Ghetto, his showcase album. Guilty is a rapper who focuses on inner-city life with a smattering of male hormones. I’m not entirely convinced by his skills but I am enamoured by the productions on the album from hip-hop beatniks Madlib, Mr. Porter, Oh No, J Dilla, Black Milk, DJ Babu and Konnie Ross. There-in lies the problem, the production far outshines the clichéd rapping, so much so, that you may not even notice how average Guilty is to begin with. After a couple more spins, songs like ‘She Won’t Stay At Home’ starts to grate with its one-dimensional bitch-wrangling and you start to wish Guilty would shut up so you can hear the beats.
MP3
Guilty Simpson – The American Dream (produced by Madlib)
Guilty Simpson – I Must Love You (produced by J Dilla)
In related Madlib news, as well as playing here soon, you can listen to a new Stones Throw podcast recorded live from Hella International, Miami featuring Madlib playing new material from Beat Konducta #5 and his unreleased Madvillain remixes.
Video – Guilty Simpson – Get Riches
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
The rapping is indeed bleedin’ rubbish. I’ll be picking up the Instrumentals version instead.
well, he’s no niallerz – that’s for sure!!
MONOPOLY, RICH POWERFUL AND THEN THERES POVERTY. RICH GETTING RICHER, THE POWERFUL GOING TO YALE. THE POOR GETTING POORER, RISK TAKERS GOING TO JAIL. TOP HATS FAT CATS DICE’S ROLLS ROYCE’S. LIVING IT UP AT ALL KIND OF PRICE’S. LIFE AND MONOPOLY IN SOME WAYS THEIR THE SAME BUT HERES HOW LIFE GETS DIFFERENT FROM THE GAME. HAPPINESS SADNESS LOVE HATE AND THEN THERES A THING WE ALL LIKE TO CALL FAITH. BELIVING IN GOD AND THE HEAVENS ABOVE. BELIVING WE’LL SEE THOSE WHO WE MISS AND BELOVED. HE WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE, CREATING DOGS WITHOUT THROWN THEM A BONE, RELIGION OR MONEY WHICH ONE WOULD YOU CHOOSE, WITH MONEY BETTER HEALTH CARE, WITH RELIGION YOU CAN LOOSE. BANKERS PAYED MILLIONS WHILE PEOPLE DIE OF HUNGER. GUILT GETTING OLDER AND INNOCENCE DYING YOUNGER. ILL LIVE MY LIFE AS I SEE FIT AND WHEN I MEET MY MAKER BE REWARDED FOR IT. ALWAYS HAVE FAITH BUT DONT WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN RAP DID’NT COME TO ME I WENT IN TO RAPPING.