NEF106: On ’12 Steps to a Deffer You’, Ricca Razor Sharp accomplishes what few battle rap veterans have been able to do; he has bundled the energy, intensity and edge that has made him a favorite on stage, and brought it into the studio.
From the everyday appeal of the album’s lead single ‘New Shoes’, to the exciting wordplay of ‘Gotcha Movin’ and the conscious reflections of ‘Planet’s What You Make It’, ’12 Steps to a Deffer You’ is both lyrically and sonically outstanding. $12
- New Shoes (Feat. The EquAzn)
- Gotcha Movin’
- Speak On It
- Aya (Spin Ya Head Back Round)
- Keeping’ On (Feat. Mantrakid)
- Dope MC
- Call Her ‘Honey’
- Game of Life
- Safeway Card
- Hokey Pokey
- War Against Ignorance
- Planet’s What You Make It
ALBUM REVIEWS
http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid1=85&csid2=865&fid1=24526
Oct 2006
By Thomas Quinlan
Evolving through rap/metal and funk/hip-hop hybrid bands before going solo, Ricca Razor Sharp debuts his battle-honed mic skills with his 12-track debut, 12 Steps to a Deffer You. Ricca dabbles in the battle raps you’d expect but also delves into humorous punch lines, tales of everyday existence and socially conscious raps. His flow is solid, with an early ’90s influence, and is easy to understand whether the beats are slow and minimal or rockin’ and up-tempo. Mantrakid’s production is a mix of old school styles updated for the 21st century and beyond. While the two have a natural chemistry that is evident throughout the album, things don’t really become interesting until the Cypress Hill-sounding “AYA (Spin Ya Head Back Round)” four songs in, which ups the tempo and the energy level. But once Ricca has your attention, he doesn’t let go. He flexes his skills and brags for the next two tracks (“Keepin’ On” and “Dope MC”) and then mellows out with some relationship woes (“Call Her ‘Honey’”), cracks jokes about life (“Game of Life,” which becomes a recurring theme in the artwork), relates a too-true low-income experience (“Safeway Card”), riffs off the children’s song of the same name for “Hokey Pokey,” and ends with a couple of meaningful songs (“War Against Ignorance” and “Planet’s What You Make It”). Before you know it, it’s over and you’re left wishing for more, but maybe now you’re just a little bit “deffer.” (Neferiu)
FFWD-Calgary
Let’s set sumpin’ straight from the get-go: however slippery defining the “true meaning” of hip hop may be, you can’t front on the fact that if you ain’t about reppin’ your hood, you’re a whack biter and suckah MC. With that in mind, let us dispense with the tired “pretty good for Calgary” or “pretty good for Canada” or even “pretty good for underground” bullshit. 12 Steps to a Deffer You is plain ol’ pretty good.
You could easily draw comparisons to his flow from old skool crews he name checks (KRS-1, ATCQ, Das EFX and Wreckx n Effect) but Ricca Razor Sharp makes it clear with his eponymous wit and incisive insight that he knows exactly where he is, when he is and what he’s doin’ while carving a unique style in the process. On point with his prose and deft in his delivery, 12 Steps stands up to repeated listening not just because so many tracks are damn catchy (the bumpin’ AYA, the raw saw-wave riot Keepin’ On, Game of Life’s 8-bit Nintendo boogie or the dirty distorto-funk reality-check Dope MC for example), but thanks to the fact he’s got something to say and he’s damn good at sayin’ it.
Flippin’ effortlessly between socio-political commentary (“It ain’t religion that’s makin’ people die/that’s just a way for warlords to get people on their side”), self-deprecating humour (“I’m in a hurry to get things done/doin’ 140 in a K-Car with a paintball gun”) and slice-o-life storytellin’ (“I get to the store/walk in the door/a kid just puked/./in a city of thugs and pimps and whores/I’ma walk real tall like I’m all hardcore”), RRS stays on top of his game and makes full use of his strength at intelligent word play without gettin’ all academic on your ass.
In fact, if anything, he’ll take that ass of yours and get it shakin’, thanks to the top-shelf production courtesy Mantrakid. Kickin’ off with heavy boom-bap and a wild-ass wobbly bass that morphs into a grimey electro-swing kinda thing on opener New Shoes, the kid’s really hit his stride on this release. Throughout the course of the album he lays down’nuff ruff beats, tweaked-out sounds, party-rockin’ riddims and left-handed grooves that catch you off-guard and leave you grinnin’ with their imaginative change-ups and subtle trickery. Screw supporting the local scene, just pick up a copy and get yourself a good album.
4/5
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