Slaughterhouse Welcome to: Our House

Slaughterhouse, four of the illest Mcs in the game that have consistently put in work year after year through good times and broken promises, when you talk about dedication not many people define it better than these four. So when it was announced that they would be getting signed to Shady after their stellar first album and EP, the expectations went sky high. Because at Shady they’d have the creative freedom, possible push, and necessary support that real Mcs making real hip hop need and most importantly the budget and understanding, they’d be a priority. Since forming the group they’ve been dropping a high volume of great consistent material and constantly garnering attention for the group and each individual. And after the BET Hiphop awards cypher, those that didn’t know them before were definitely put on notice as Slaughterhouse along with Eminem and Yelawolf did one of the most memorable cypher in Award show history.  Its still memorable say it with me “ Hi Rihana”, if you haven’t seen it you tube it.  We heard that the album was to be expected soon, but then delays and setbacks begin.  Then slowly but surely we got closer and closer to a release date and the excitement built, and the attention became more and more, and then surprisingly Slaughterhouse dropped a mixtape, with Dj Drama.

The mixtape, On the House, good enough to be the album, and once again the expectations shot through the roof. But after a bunch setbacks, delays, and much anticipation, Slaughterhouse delivers the their first major label release, with Shady Records, and they more than live up to the hype and expectations. Four artists accustomed to setback and delays that constantly put in work and deliver, they more than answer the call and hit the mark on Welcome to our house.  We know without a doubt that they would deliver a lyrical clinic, A class, no questions to even be asked.  But it’s the whole album approach that makes Welcome To Our House special.  It would have been easy to take the expected road for them to get pure hip hop beats, Get Dj Premier on production and Just Spazz out, and spit lyrical fire, which we know they can all do with ease. But, they took a route that will surprise a few people and went another route, the Radio Friendly route, but not regular radio friendly, The Eminem or B.oB. radio friendly, so still highly creative.

They say the key to be a great Mc is staying relevant, and transitioning with the culture, and in today’s culture, in order to sell records, you need to fit the format that video and radio will play. Well every single track on this album is radio friendly, but delivered with so much skill.  We knew that each one of the members of Slaughterhouse could rap, but could they gel, and could they song make. The Answer, Hell Yeah!!! 

The deliver an album with everything you want, and album needs. Sonically its eclectic, the beat styles are different from track to track, and they never get stuck in one form or type, they continuously keep it moving, with beat selections that challenge each artist because its not their normal selection of beats. And with that change in beats each is artist is allowed to show their full repertoire of skills, some rarely shown and some we didn’t know they had.  The subject range and versatility is incredible, each artist has their shine moment and an equal number of shine moments. Once again everything you want, need and expect from an album is delivered, making the album one big hip hop lesson.  You need something for a concert or to get you hype Check for “Coffin” ft./ Busta Rhymes.  For the strip club check for “Throw That” . You want that spazz out and just get to the lyrical thrashing; we know they can do that check for “Die”, a song that will have you head bobbing hard while you riding out. But of course it cant be all bounce, hard hitting and go wild music, if you really want to know how good a rapper is, put him on a slow track where you can hear them clearly and the beat is not distracting, got that too check,  “Goodbye” and  “The Other side” give you that soulful introspective vibe, with the latter easily being able to be a single.  But beyond those there are great performance tracks, that the mainstream should definitely pay attention to, “My Life” ft. Ceelo Green, if cleaned up can easily be a single, but it also begs to be performed at something major like an award show, because it’s a big beat with pop crossover potential. Expect to hear “Walk of Shame” in the background at somebody’s stadium or performed in a rap and rock collabo,  “Get Up” I expect to hear somewhere on an ESPN highlight segment, on none urban radio, or possibly in a stadium. Need that rap pop collabo, got that covered too, check for “Rescue Me” ft. up and coming Skylar Grey.  You need some get hype music, party music beginning of a concert or major performance music “Throw it Away” with Swizz Beatz, fits the bill and it can easily crossover and get radio play also.  Concept story telling, check  “Asylum”.  You need some rawkus music, check for “Hammer Dance” and “ Frat House” and if you need a good all purpose joint check for “Park it Sideways” which will end up being the background to a commercial or slide show or something, especially the clean version.  And last but not least the addictive “ Place to Be” ft./ B.o.B., is a live performance with a live band waiting to happen.

If radio and video outlets don’t find a way to get this album in rotation there’s a conspiracy and people need to be fired, the label has to give this album a push a major push in every market, because the potential is there. The replay value high, if you have the On the House mixtape, you’ll be listening to both of them back to back on heavy repeat. Its highly entertaining, every time you listen you’ll catch something different, because there are so many layers to the songs, from the lyrics, to the beats, the adlibs, interactions, sound effects you name it.  It’s got Star Power that will should introduce them to some new audiences, the Production team is first class (Eminem, Boy Wonder, Boi-1da, Kane Beatz, Justice League, No I.D.).

   I give the Slaughterhouse Welcome to: Our House album a classic rating 6 out of 6 stars. A classic album changes something; it changes the rules of hip hop, the way we listen to hip hop, what we expect and/or how albums are made. This album is not only complete, but it will change the way lyrical artist approach making an album and getting radio play, because if you cant get radio play you cant get sales or recognition in this current climate of hip hop. This album will force the lyrical artist to take a holistic approach to recording an album and should be studied, because although the beats are radio friendly, Slaughterhouse manages to stay true to hip hop, challenge themselves and show growth, be lyrical and make their type of music without compromising their integrity. This album will still be jamming 5-10 yrs from now, it will influence the way we listen to music, now lets hope and pray it sells, for the good of hip and putting lyrics back on top of the charts.