Buckshot and 9th
Wonder / The Formula (Duck Down)
Author’s Note: The following review appeared in the May
2008 issue of The Source. However,
although I attempted to reward The Formula with 4 mics, my editors thought
differently, and instead gave it 3.5 mics.
I’m still cool with my people at The Source, but I did want to make it
clear that the version of this review that ran in the magazine was tweaked to
make it less glowing. This was
especially embarrassing since the new Rick Ross album appeared in the same
Record Report, also bringing in 3.5 mics.
As far as I’m concerned, if Rick Ross earned 3.5 mics, then Buck and
Ninth deserved 5. Anyway – here’s my
review in its original form:
A few years ago
Duck Down Records co-owner Dru Ha cold called North Carolina chipmunk soul maestro 9th
Wonder. At the time, Duck Down was down
and out, and Dru knew that getting a contemporary hero like 9th to
kick his artists some beats could help them secure a new distribution deal.
As Dru had hoped,
Boot Camp’s ensuing Durham
field trips resuscitated the label. In
addition to the horn-pumped soul candy that Sean Price and Smif-N-Wessun walked
away with, Duck Down’s North Carolina
sessions yielded Chemistry – a full
album with 9th on every beat and Buckshot clocking mic duties. But while their debut project was better in
theory than in execution, the pair’s formulaic follow-up suggests that their
creative connection has since evolved.
Buckshot excels
over the type of raw and dusty vinyl jacks that 9th was famous for
unearthing with Little Brother, and on The
Formula Boot Camp’s BDI Thug competently rides wholesome rhythms. Tracks such as “Only For You” and “No Future”
showcase the most mature thematic content of Buckshot’s career, while cuts like
“Here We Go” prove that the little man is still smooth enough to sweet talk his
way behind an Amish virgin’s panties.
There’s not a
single weak song on this album, beginning with the cherubic reggae-tweaked
“Intro” and ending with the nostalgic Motown-touched “Man Listen.” That said; fans need not listen further than
track two for The Formula’s
resounding message: it’s a “Brand New Day,” and Buckshot woke up on the right
side of the brain.