The Immersion: Preparing for Slaughterhouse’s Onslaught Posted by Dharmic X on 03/07/13 | Filed under Opinion, Slaughterhouse, The Immersion

For certain hip-hop fans on the internet, no release was more anticipated than that of the four-headed monster, Slaughterhouse. The super group, comprised of Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Royce da 5’9”, and Joe Budden, seized the internet by storm with their first release. When “Onslaught” came out and the group’s formation was cemented, the waiting game began. When would the next track come out? What format would the first project take?



It didn’t take long for the pieces of the puzzle to start to come together. Remixing a song that originally just had Ortiz and Budden on it (and sparked a pretty engaging debate during the recording process), the whole crew formed like Voltron to murder the concept behind “Move On.” Taking a mellow beat from the Kickdrums, the quartet delivered an anthem for overcoming adversity and moving past their most well-known industry pitfalls. Rapping about the industry had a surprising impact to those who had never been a part of it, the essence of the song simply able to resonate and transcend.

More records started to slowly trickle out. First came “Fight Club,” notable for its frenetic and unorthodox song structure. Eschewing a more traditional verse-hook-verse format, the rappers took turns trading bars, even going as far as to cut each other off at sporadic and seemingly random moments. Meanwhile, “Wack MC’s” was a power-packed track, a banger produced by Red Spyda serving as the perfect soundscape for the four emcees to trade vicious punchlines.



Soon came the announcement of the album itself, and along with it, street single “Woodstock (Hood Hop).” Taking one of Nottz’s vintage heat rocks and augmenting it with a hook from M.O.P. was genius, and each member of the Slaughterhouse machine takes turns dismantling the beat. A similar firing squad approach was taken with “Warriors” and with “We Outta Here,” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEwL6BiPWyE) a quirkier song than most with an autotune hook from Royce da 5’9” that (sorta) works.

While it’s a shame that neither of these two songs made the group’s debut album, the self-titled release was very strong on its own merits. It all starts with the album intro, “Sound Off.” The start of each emcee’s verse is subdued, the flow slow and deliberate. Midway through the verse however, the beat picks up the tempo and the group kicks their bars into high gear. Spazz sessions occur throughout the album, from the Alchemist-produced “Microphone” to the high-octane “Onslaught 2.”

The group did manage to display some amount of versatility on the record, throwing in some party songs, left-field concepts, and more introspective records. It would be tough to claim that one rapper particularly disappointed on the project; hell, it was tough to find a wack verse on the entire album. That said, the standout on Slaughterhouse was Joell Ortiz. His flow sounded desperately hungry, as if he had a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.



But the highlight song of the project was by far “Raindrops,” a very personal song that sees all four members reflect on the obstacles in their life. Royce starts the track metaphorical, while Joell and Joey touch on topics that have been constant motifs throughout their careers. It’s perhaps that reason which makes Crooked I’s verse standout. The fact of the matter is that Crook’s verse, a descriptive journey into the scenario of his aunt (his mom’s identical twin sister) getting killed, might be the best verse of 2009 on any level. It’s brutally vivid and painful to listen to, a full sampling of Crooked’s rhetorical prowess put to expert use. Novel’s hook ties the whole song together, making it more than just a collection of scattered verses.

Maybe I was an internet soldier, despite the fact that I was not privy to the antics of Joe Budden’s website, and chose to ignore the different distractions Budden posited to the group in the form of his beef with Saigon, and later, Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon and Inspectah Deck. Maybe I was crazy. But I was definitely one of the few people who chose to purchase Slaughterhouse. I refused to listen to an illegal copy prior to its release. I was a part of the movement from day one, and wanted nothing more than for the four-headed monster to succeed on its own terms.

See Also:  The Immersion: Going “Loso’s Way” With Fabolous