Track listing: Winners Table, Make You Famous, Elephant, Exile, Judas, Interrogation, Thats Me, Born to Ball, Think You Know Me
There's a new Hip-Hop group in town and it's called The Elite Mercenaries. Following in the footsteps of Wu Tang Clan, The Elite Mercenaries is a super group of sorts bringing the talents of six rappers together to create something bigger, better, and badder than each of its members alone.
In the tradition of RZA running the show for Wu Tang Clan, The Elite Mercenaries has Jae Blacc. Forged from the styles of Jay Z, Drake, and J. Cole, Jae Blacc gets it done. Beats, studio, mixing, mastering, everything. The goal from the get-go was to put together a Wu-style collaborative effort and from it produce an album that captures a more raw, ol' school Hip-Hop vibe.
It's here: The Elite Mercenaries Volume 1. Nine formidable tracks bringing together all manner of combinations of the group's members. Only "Elephant" features every member on the same song. The rest of the album mixes and matches The Elite Mercenaries' members, combining their flow in a compelling fashion.
Each mercenary brings their own arsenal of Hip-Hop weaponry to the record.
Fred Stuy spits the truth and knowledge more of a KRS-One disciple. Jon Blaq tends toward the conscious stylings of Common, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, weaving tales packed with creativity. The streets brought us Montez, raw and direct as The Lox, with a rasp to his voice. Then you have the multi-faceted Seven Da Pantha, versatile, bringing to the group his lyrical gift, possessing the abilities to freestyle battle, write battle, and get political without missing a beat, rapping his rhymes classic-New York style with the panache of West Coast legends like NWA. Rounding out the group is lyrical wizard Unconcious Rascall, early 90s styled with DJ skills.
The Elite Mercenaries Volume 1 takes you on a musical journey, bringing out the best of The Elite Mercenaries' members varied backgrounds, influences, and styles. There haven't been many true Hip-Hop groups lately. It's been too long. The Elite Mercenaries Volume 1 reminds you how incredible it can be when strong solo artists combine their talents for a common cause. As a Hip-Hop fans we can just sit back, throw the record on and enjoy.