Danny Diablo, Thugcore 4 Life
With a pedigree steeped in hardcore history, Dan Singer, aka Danny Diablo, aka Lord Ezec, has probably made the full time jump from hardcore to rap with his latest solo project, Thugcore 4 Life. The man is on a mission to mix hip hop with that unbridled, aggressive edge that can only be found in hardcore. Featuring tracks produced by big names in both rap and metal (Rancid’s Tim Armstrong as well as Zeuss), Thugcore 4 Life is peppered with dark, violent tracks ranging in styles from true hardcore to raw, bass filled rap.
Now, I don’t typically get into rap or hip hop all that much. I do own some old Gravediggaz records from when they first came out, but with the history and background that Danny Diablo has, I felt it an appropriate enough reason to review his latest effort. Hell, even metal heads need a break from the chug chug chug riffs that are commonplace in much of today’s aggressive music. Diablo’s Thugcore 4 Life offers up a change of pace for those that are looking for a little something different, while still maintaining a violent and aggressive edge that should appeal to hardcore and metal fans alike.
We Dont Care
The opening track is the first of three produced by Tim Armstrong (Rancid, Transplants). It’s a nice chugging hardcore track that’ll get you siked for the rest of the album.
Get Down
A good bit of scratching gets this one moving along. It’s got a decent beat to it and is deliberately paced which works well with the dark lyrics and mood. Diablo has some pretty bleak lyrics through “Get Down.”
Banged Out
“Banged Out” has a bunch of hardcore elements through into its mix. Beefy breakdown like riffs dominate a song that also features gang vocals that’ll have the listener shouting along with Diablo. The chorus is pretty catchy and incorporates some nice guitar work.
Funky Rhyme
Featuring Daddy X of the Kottonmouth Kings and Stress and Havock of Subhoodz, “Funky Rhyme” has a bit brighter of a sound and is primed for more commercial acceptance than some of the material on the album. The lyrics are still pretty damned raw.
Jersey White Trash
This track definitely has that Tim Armstrong produced sound to it. “Jersey White Trash” is a catchy track that could have been on any of Armstrong’s previous recording efforts in the past years. A gruffly sung chorus is combined with Diablo’s raw rapping and a Rancid like guitar riff to make one of the better and catchier tracks on the album.
I’m a Shotblocker!!!
Bringing in a few of his comrades from another of his projects, Diablo and his fellow Shotblockers rap over a track that’s got a pretty good beat and an overall chill feel.
Livin’ By The Gun
This last Tim Armstrong produced track incorporates a bit of a ska/reggae riff flowing behind the vocals. Diablo’s gruff delivery makes for an interesting juxtaposition with the more relaxed guitar work — an interesting combination that seems to work well.
Satanic Shamrocks
I actually really enjoyed this track. The excessive bass on the track gives this song an aggressive edge that the other rap tracks on the album just don’t have. It’s easily the hardest hitting track on the disc. “Satanic Shamrocks” features Skinhead Rob (Transplants) and lyrics that are dark and threatening.
Unstoppable
After the pounding that your speakers will take after “Satanic Shamrocks,” it’s nice to have some big rock riffing flowing as a chance to catch your breathe. The beat and overall sound on “Unstoppable” makes it the most radio accessible track on the album. For some reason I want to start singing Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock N’ Roll” — and that’s a good thing.
Mechanix
Featuring Skinhead Rob, Prince Metropolitan and Necro, “Mechanix” starts off rather theatrical like many Mobb Deep albums that I have on disc somewhere in the house. It’s raw, abrasive track with plenty of aggression.
The Harsh Truth
Here’s another hardcore track. It’s a bit generic, but it’s simplicity makes it the perfect base for Diablo to deliver his harsh lyrics over. There’s a decent guitar solo at around the 1:30 mark that’s a nice surprise. Personally, I would have loved to have heard a few more tracks like this on the album.
Hardcore 4 Life
The final song on Thugcore 4 Life starts off with a bunch of crew shout outs before the beat kicks in. The sound on this one feels restrained when compared with the rest of the album. Both this and “The Harsh Truth” are Zeuss produced tracks — perhaps that explains the difference in sound.
~ ~ ~
I found myself enjoying this album more and more on each consecutive listen. It’s got enough hardcore elements to keep me interested, but the hip hop was dominate enough to make this one of those albums that I will continue to through into the rotation as a sometimes much needed change up.
Favorite Tracks:
We Dont Care
Jersey White Trash
Satanic Shamrocks
Unstoppable
Additional Notes:
N/A