Rewind << Review: R.A. the Rugged Man - Die, Rugged Man, Die

 

I first listened to R.A. the Rugged Man on the Soundbombing Vol. 2 compilation from Rawkus records. He appeared on the disc with the solo cut “Stanley Kubrick” which was a highlight. This same song’s beat he later accused producer The Alchemist of stealing from him for the Royce da 5’9” underground hit “I’m the King”, as heard on album opener “Lessons”. I haven’t checked much for R.A. ever since, but recently came across his debut album “Die, Rugged Man, Die” in a sale and decided to pick it up. Here’s my Rewind << Review for this 2004 release.

The album kicks off with the aforementioned “Lessons” on which R.A. basically uses stories of his long career prior to the release of this debut album to reintroduce himself to listeners. The beat is pure hip hop and the verses are full of gems. I had no idea R.A. had been around so long and the song is the perfect way to start the album. The following track “Casanova (Fly Guy)” has R.A. talking about his white trash, loser ways being the reason for his charm with women. It’s an ok song, fun, but forgettable. The concept of “A Star Is Born” which comes immediately after is a really cool one and the beat is another highlight for me. The song starts with commentary from radio hosts and listeners talking of his potential for stardom before R.A. proceeds to tell how he messed up every opportunity on his career so far, eventually turning him into a nobody and hated rapper (the song ends with sound bites of people telling how much they hate him). The next couple of songs - the Killah Priest and Masta Killa assisted “Chains” and the song “Dumb” - conclude the first 3rd of the album’s playing time and are both equally good.

The following 5 songs are a mixed bag. “On the Block” feels quite repetitive with its sample on the chorus and sounds overall too amateurish for my taste. In contrast “How Low” hits hard and R.A. shows great versatility switching his flows multiple times marking a departure from what you would have heard so far on the album. Speaking of departures, the following track “Midnight Thud” has R.A. speak about his trials and tribulations on a much more serious tone, over a darker beat and instrumentation with a sadder hook to match. Timbo King joins for “Black and White” which is an interesting concept but I tire of hearing both words “Black” and “White” ever other bar. I think it could have been handled a lot better. “Brawl” is also skippable, as is the title track which feels like a rehash of the earlier “A Star Is Born” cut. The album comes to an end with a trashy and funny take on Jay-Z’s “Girls, Girls, Girls” with “Da’Girlz, They Luv Me”. And, after an outro, a hidden and untitled short  track rolls in where unfortunately some of the lyrics have been censored.

Verdict: I quite enjoyed this album even though as you get closer to the end, the quality starts to diminish as R.A.’s voice and flows become repetitive. The humor and quality of the bars are something enjoyed very much as well as the old school beats. R.A. the Rugged Man remains a bit of an acquired taste so I’m not sure this album will please everyone, but it is still worth a listen!