(Note: This is the first in the new series "Albums That Deserve Another Chance". Each week, an album commonly seen as "wack" by the hip-hop community will be featured here, with Burmy making the case as to why they should give each album another listen.)
When hip-hop was first established, it was as underground as you could get. Since then, the strongest hip-hop heads have resisted any commercial intrusion into the music, which explains the negative reviews of albums in which "ringtone singles" are featured, as well as constant dissatisfaction when albums are backed by major advertisers. Given that no business controls every aspect of entertainment like World Wrestling Entertainment, these hip-hop fans were naturally skeptical when they heard in 2004 that WWE superstar John Cena was recording a hip-hop album. Though various titles and release dates circled around underground, it was finally released on May 10, 2005 as "You Can't See Me". Nonetheless, Cena didn't try it all by himself, recruiting his first cousin Mark "Tha Trademarc" Predka to share the rhyme duties on each track.
Of course, most reviewers listened through a different set of headphones, explaining the widespread blasting despite going platinum. However, at the Hype, we strive to be as neutral as possible, leading us to ask the question: Was it really that bad? Let's give it another chance!
#1 "The Time is Now" Likely the song most people remember when they think of John Cena, it was fitting that his entrance theme serves as the album's opening track. We get our first impression of him as a punchline-heavy rapper (for those keeping score, that's seven similes and metaphors in just one verse!) Trademarc follows up with the typical Bay State mentality, professing this creed:
"A man's measured by the way that he thinks
Not clothing lines, ice links, leather and minks
I spent 20 plus years seekin' knowledge of self
So for now Marc Predka's livin' life for wealth"
Put that on top of the then-unknown Jake One's horn-heavy beat (sampling "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"'s intro as well as the kick-in from M.O.P.'s "Ante Up") and you get a catchy intro number which Cena has stood upon for the last six years (and it still gets the crowd as pumped as ever!)
#2 "Don't Fuck With Us" A more hard-hitting and explicit style follows on the second track, yet still with the trademark eighteen punchlines (I bet Cena's fellow Celtics fan Nathan likes "We bring more drama than the Laker roster," but my personal favorite is a tie between Cena's "This rook'll take your queen and put ya king in checkmate" and Marc's "You cold fuck like eskimo hoes at 7 below"). Over the G-funk instrumental by Murs & The Grouch's fellow Living Legends alumnus Eligh, this could be seen as jokey to many others, but I still think it could top the DJBooth's Underground Charts had it been released a few years later.
#3 "Flow Eazy (ft. Bumpy Knuckles aka Freddie Foxxx)" We get an underground hip-hop sound as Beantown legend Freddie Foxxx (going by his Bumpy Knuckles alias) joins Cena & Marc to give a cypher-background. We know how Foxxx puts it down, but I still can't understand Marc's "Man and grab microphones like pedophiles gropin late bloomers" (aren't the folks into late bloomers called gerontophiles?). Cena's voice is even deeper than usual, though "Like Jordan in the 4th quarter, I'm still money" is a "new hip-hop quotable." Even more "money" is Hidden Agenda's Havoc-style production, making "Flow Easy" a perfect choice for any mixtape being put together at the time.
#4 "Right Now" An ode to everything positive, Cena & Marc encourage the fans to take a moment to appreciate life and give thanks for all you have, in particular family, friends, and hometown. Enhanced by Chaos' sample of L.T.D.'s '81 jam "Now," I guarantee this will make sure your mood is increasingly brightened. Note I included the video link, because in my mind it's a must-see. Complete with imagery from Cena's childhood & teen years and footage from the family reunion in West Newbury, Massachusetts, this surely enhances any good mood you may be in!
#5 "Make It Loud" The most WWE-heavy track on the set, Cena uses a sample from one of his more memorable Raw shows to get the club moving. Though Cena's certainly in the mood (I think I'll start posting "Y'all are just soft like some Cinemax porn" in my Facebook status more often), Marc sounds a tad bit tired on this Chaos beat. Either way, it has the power to fit in as a standard Northeast club banger, for which I think it should have gotten more chances.
#6 "Just Another Day" Though he may have made it to celebrity status, Cena maintains his underground mentality, noting how Marc is barely surviving. Over Jake One's reflective instrumental, the best part is undoubtedly this memorable exchange (Cena in bold, Marc in plain):
"Shakin' hands with some fans by the thousands"
"My place so poor, looks like public housin"
"Gettin the Porsche when I shoulda got the CL6"
"My ride broke down, I'ma kinda between whips"
"Face on the X-Box, you played the game lately?"
"Man I can't rent, I owe too much in late fees"
"Do I, charter a jet, or fly first class?"
"Do I take a cab? Bus seats hurt my ass"
"Pay my jeweler in cash, he don't take a check"
"The chain I rock, leaves a green mark on my neck"
"Do I get the filet steak or the shrimp & crab mix?"
"Do I get a number 3 or a number 6?"
"Get in the club V.I.P. man they lettin me slide"
"Man they bust me for dress code, I'm still outside"
"Everybody wanna be down, but I ain't got no friends"
"Man nobody's around, I ain't got no friends"
Truly a "prince and the pauper" storyline if I ever saw one!
#7 "Summer Flings" The one female-oriented track on the album, it's also the most old-school sounding. Once again, Chaos takes it back to the Dre & Cube days with his G-funk beat, while Cena & Marc get their LL on (New pickup line for me: "That's when she said she live right down the street/She love white chocolate, well I got somethin sweet"). Basically, if it had come out several years prior, it could easily be remembered as a hip-hop classic and go #1 on the radio had it been released as a single.
#8 "Keep Frontin (ft. Bumpy Knuckles aka Freddie Foxxx)" Once again, Bumpy chips in to throw in some street cred...and once again his veteranship shows. Cena apparently has a thing for repeating the middle word of each bar three times (every line has that feature), and Marc handles his own once again. Nonetheless, the obvious highlight is Hidden Agenda's sample of Big L's classic "Size 'Em Up," making for a solid mixtape cut which could potentially have been another Underground chart-topper.
#9 "We Didn't Want You To Know" First things first-JOHN CENA CANNOT SING (though he tries on the hook, it woulda been better fit for Nate Dogg). Still, he holds onto his punchline gift, making solid references to Guns-n-Roses, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and the Washington Redskins. Jake One's beat draws obvious influence by the G-funk era, making this a likely fit for what could have likely been a good West Coast banger.
#10 "Bad, Bad Man (ft. Bumpy Knuckles aka Freddie Foxxx)" The only official single, its 80's influence is obvious. What makes it rare is that it's one of the album's better tracks (usually the singles don't get that good reviews). The accompanying video accurately represents the group's drive on the mic, with Cena, Marc, and Bumpy as the Bay State's "A-Team," ready to bring that focused hip-hop back! Cena even forewarns producer Chaos ahead of time: "You shoulda put this one in the vault man!" Give it a chance...you'll unearth a treasure.
#11 "Running Game" The pimp-style track on the album, Cena & Marc talk about how quick their pimp game is. Cena's standout line here is: "And if you think she don't be lovin my thangs...That's like sayin you eat at Hooters for the buffalo wings." With Chaos on the harmonica, you can enjoy this taste of the pimp game that streches almost 2,000 miles on the coast.
#12 "Beantown (ft. Esoteric)" A proper hip-hop tribute to Boston (set to match the countless ones to New York, LA, Atlanta, and Chicago). Special attention is given to the multiple championships won by the city's teams over the past decade: Cena big-ups the Red Sox breaking the Curse of the Bambino, Marc reminisces on the Patriots embarrassing T.O. and the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, and veteran Esoteric remembers back when Larry Bird was lighting up the Garden. Over Chaos' Eric Clapton sample, Nathan can truly be proud of how his native land is repped (now if only the Bruins can get a Stanley Cup).
#13 "This Is How We Roll" Basically a rehash of "We Didn't Want You To Know." If any track could have been left off, this is the one. Moving on, though:
#14 "What Now" Now that Cena & Marc have made it, it's easy to feel a sense of complacency. However, they both want to share what they've learned in their respective trades to show the masses how to spit well. Over Chaos' pop-heavy beat, it has something for everyone-quality message over an easy-to-swallow beat.
#15 "Know The Rep (ft. Bumpy Knuckles aka Freddie Foxxx)" The last of several Jake One productions and Bumpy Knuckles collabos, it is also the most epic-sounding. Bumpy continues to hold it down for the streets, while Cena boasts about the Chain Gang "known to beef up the Heat, just like the Shaq trade". In the meantime, Marc spits his best showing on the album, capping off something Boston can be proud to call home.
#16 "Chain Gang Is The Click" Over Chaos' sample of Cena's original theme "Basic Thuganomics," Cena & Marc both bring back their aggression one last time, showing their squad unity. Though by track 16, it gets a bit old, it remanis a good setup for what's next:
#17 "If It All Ended Tomorrow" The album's shot at introspection, Cena addresses all his haters (still at full strength to this day), letting them know that even if he was no longer on this earth tomorrow, he'd still feel good about everything he's been able to do throughout his life. In retrospect, it's quite fitting given Cena's current status in the WWE.
FINAL SCORE: Though it certainly has a few skippable tracks, the bulk of the album displays an appreciation for hip-hop in all its forms, with solid tributes to the Northeastern cyphers and the West Coast/Dirty South trunk bangers alike. Cena obviously sees hip-hop as a passion rather than a hobby, so he's focused on making something any class of the WWE universe's hip-hop fans can appreciate. Of course, even if you're not into pro wrestling, it's still worth a shot, because as of right now, it is the
most recent hip-hop album recorded by someone from Massachussets that was released on a major label. So with all that, I give it a 4 out of 5 - SOLID.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: Cena had planned a sophomore set "Chain Gang Revolution," but for whatever reason that was scrapped. Though "The Time Is Now" remains his entrance theme, he's mainly given up his rapper aspirations, turning to the WWE Universe full-time. As for Marc, he switched to TNA's storyline and went solo, before quitting his job to become a local special-needs teacher. Both have certainly found their full-time calling, but as far as one-shot hip-hop albums, go, I'd say "You Can't See Me" ranks in the Top 10.
