Monkey Barz [PA] (CD - 2005)

Recording information: Da Man Studios, New York, NY; Missing Ann Studios, Raleigh, NC; Wax Museum, Bk Jeratmanyang, NY.

From his first appearances with the Boot Camp Clik through to his tenure as one half of Heltah Skeltah, Sean Price (aka Ruck) has made a distinct mark on the rap game. While most MCs compose verses in which the last syllable in every line rhymes, Ruck goes above and beyond, averaging a remarkable four to five in each line. The result is a seemingly effortless flow and an endless stream of punch-lines that have listeners scratching their heads and rewinding the track to catch up. His mind-boggling skills are on full display on his debut solo release, 2005's stellar MONKEY BARZ. And thanks to consistent, top-notch production from 9th Wonder, Khrysis, PF Cuttin, Justice, Ayatollah, and Agallah, Sean P gets 16 hot tracks to wild out on. Fellow Boot Camp MCs Buckshot, Tek, Steele, Starang, Louieville, and Rock all make guest appearances.

Having lost its distribution deal with Priority, Duck Down Records, the home of New York's Boot Camp Clik, was at a low point around the turn of the century. BCC member Ruck's predicament did not fair any better. However, during the mid-2000s, he became one of underground hip-hop's MVPs under the name "[he] chooses to be called when [he's] in front of his moms," Sean Price, and Monkey Barz was vindicating proof of that fact. On this first installment of Duck Down's "Triple Threat" campaign, a collaborative effort with Justus League producers 9th Wonder and Khrysis, Price guides you on a journey of wit, humor, and grime. His deep, commanding voice on the opening track attempts to set a solemn tone for the rest of the album, even though the actual tone of Monkey Barz fluctuates from dead serious to slapstick nonsense. "Fake Neptune" has Price spitting filthy rhymes ("How you gonna sh*t on me/After I let you sh*t on me, freaky deakay") over a beat that does sound like a bootleg version of the Neptunes-produced track by Birdman and Clipse, "What Happened to That Boy." The real question posed is whether or not he can deliver with Justus League productions; the 9th Wonder-produced "Heartburn" offers the best answer. 9th composes a delicate, steady beat with hard drums, a husky bassline, and a beautiful soul sample, and yet Price's "courting" (more like repelling) of his love interest basks in his hardcore image. That peculiar contrast, which is representative of the album as a whole, makes Monkey Barz that more intriguing. Even more captivating is the title track, a rhyme session of jungle rap acrobatics in which his lyrical modus operandi -- the stop-and-flow delivery of clever rhymes and non sequiturs -- is epitomized: "We Mighty Joe Youngin' it/Thuggin' it/Straight from the jungle my brotha/My ni**as, Banana Republican/Orangutan slang/Chewbacca, not proper/Tube socks full of rocks plus the cops watch us, yo." Price clearly knows his strengths. His charisma alone can hold any song together and definitely stands out on tracks like "Jail Shit" where the production is less than stellar. The sexism expressed in some of his lyrics can be a bit off-putting, but by the end of the record, he will still have you chanting the ad libs along with him, "Sean P"! ~ Cyril Cordor minimize