Grant JonesAnother DJ Premier record that’s not the NYGz album? Come on, Preem, what are you playing at? I’ll continue ranting about this in every Premier review until it eventually turns up. We know it’s pure gold just sitting in the chamber. What we have instead is an EP with prominent lyricist and clear workaholic Ransom, and to be fair, it’s pretty darn good! At six songs long (with a “skit” clipped from an interview with Rap Radar), it certainly feels like a teaser for the highly anticipated Nas album produced by Primo. Admittedly, both acknowledge that this was knocked out in the space of a week (the Rap Radar interview is worth a watch), demonstrating that both artists are professionals with familiar formulas.
Formula may not be the most respectful term, particularly for Ransom’s style of rap, but it’s difficult to ignore on some of the tracks presented under the guise of a reinvention. Lead single “Amazing Grace” is a good example, smacking you in the head with suitable menace, yet the first verse falls foul of played-out rhyme schemes, injecting Gang Starr album names (Talib Kweli did this in 2013, J-Live in 2015, C-Rayz Walz in 2009 and even Braille back in 2006) :
“These n****s read off a script, when they see me they stop the acting
School shooter, grey colt .45 when I lock the class in
Drunk nights, I would battle the Remy with lots of passion
Lost a war knowing, it never was easy to block a captain
Lеan+Back soldier, ya need crack, don’t ya?
Won’t let ya quit, herе go a fix, just relapse, won’t ya?
This that fatigue rap, jeans black
Green Bay jersey matching the team hat
You all need crack, so I brought Preem back (Come on)
No+More+Mr.+Nice+Guy, we The+Ownerz of street rap
It is Hard+To+Earn, my Daily+Operation is bring the streets back
Everyday I go in the booth, I load up and shoot (Blat)
When I Step+In+The+Arena, always seen a Moment+Of+Truth
I been a Gang Starr from flipping raw to prison brawls, and shank scars
No need for thanks y’all
I’m from the bottom bred where n****s’ll twist ya top like they locking dreads
Chess not checkers, your Bishop get jumped by Radames”
Doing this over a Premier beat, though? That’s different. Clearly, Ransom is a fan, having shared that he even considers himself a fan more than he does a rapper. When he claims to bring Preem back, he may well be right with “A Cut Above”. This beat never fails to give me the face of heavy constipation! The cuts are kept simple too – it’s just plain mean, and the braggadocious rhymes feel warranted.
“Forgiveness” was a slow-burn that I’ve grown to appreciate more with every spin, possessing a PRhyme-like feel to the sample.
My favourite track is “Survivors Remorse”, which is quintessentially DJ Premier down to the strings, beat shift and ginsu-sharp cuts. Its 24-bar verse breezes through a Nas-like tale of being punished for self-improvement, and with another verse, it could have been a classic. It’s certainly got the air of a true Ransom/DJ Premier collaboration that shows the two at their best.
Speaking of storytelling, the final track “Reinvention” sees Ransom share his struggles coping with a parent battling dementia, but halfway through drifts back into his own history and how he shifted from drug dealer to rapper. It’s a missed opportunity because that’s actually interesting material that isn’t really discussed in rap. As much as I enjoy “The Reinvention”, it still falls short of the greatness it claims to be, because it often relies on familiar territory. Tupac and Biggie are mentioned numerous times. There’s a Contra line. Lines like “I came from the ignorance, beligerent, but knowing where I came from makes this all the more significant” are far more effective than another well-worn reference for us rap nerds, and when Ransom gets that balance right, he’s magnificent to listen to in full flow.
“The Reinvention” thankfully eschews the drumless mantra Ransom excelled at with notable producers such as Nicholas Craven and V-Don, and the DJ Premier beats here offer more replay value than the lower-key offerings he supplied for Roc Marciano earlier this year. Six tracks is stingy, but what’s here is good, sometimes excellent, yet inevitably left me wanting more.