“Everythang” is an odd but strong way to kick the album off. It is only odd because of the thick, pounding techno-type beat that even has wild bleeps and electronic handclaps. The hook comes in right at the beginning and has the potential to start a party, a riot, and/or a revolution. Boots chants along with a crowd: “Everybody throw your lighters up / Tell me y’all finna fight or what? / Everybody get your sh*t started / this is y’all motherf*cking party! (“Talk Your sh*t, baby” is scratched) Everybody throw your lighters up / Tell me y’all finna fight or what? / Everybody get your sh*t started / this is y’all motherf*cking party! (“Talk Your sh*t, baby” is scratched)..” It’s the anthem with a double meaning. Even though it’s dope and very easy to get into, I can’t help but ask “This is The Coup”? Then, I realize how much they change with every album. Still, some things never change. Boots’ lyrics are still just as clever and delivered with the same confidence and strength. Like “Fixation” where every line ended with the “-tion” ending, every line here begins with the word “every”. Boots delivers 2 incredible verses as usual: “Every death is an abrupt one / Every cop is a corrupt one / Without no cash in the trust fund, Every cat with a gat wanna bust one / Every guest want a plus one / Every tenement’s a penitent / Every tried man is innocent / Time served should be the sentence spend / Everybody wanna hit a lick / Every one o’y’all is getting pimped / Every time I spit, I’m finna rip / Every cancer is a homicide / Every boss better run and hide / Every human is some kin to black / Every Visa got a pin to crack / Every verse is from the cardiac / Every search is involuntary / Every inmate want commissary / Every bank note is promisary / Every broke muthaf*cka finna form a gang / And when we come we taking everything...” The message and spirit of the Coup is loud and clear even under the wit and astute humor. While “World Party” by Goodie Mob started off with an interpolation of Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” that one had the message of dancing, The Coup starts their album off with some intelligence and depth. Right from the start, The Coup kicks their Lp off with force, funk, and cleverness. Pam’s scratching at the end of the song is mind-blowing.. some of the best I have heard in a while. I love how The Coup can fuse the electro-funk, spirit of revolution and cleverness with the elements of hip-hop

“5 Million Ways To Kill A CEO” has a similar sound to the previous song but hits just as hard. The beat is a little slower but has a thick groove. It’s perfect for break-dancing. The disco/funk influence is strong and the backing vocals splash “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” Boots rocks the hook with a sing-songy vocal delivery: “5 millions ways to kill a CEO / Slap him up and shake him up / and then you know / Let him off the flo’ / then, bait him with the dough / You can do it funk or do it disco…” Boots is angry with the lyrics but has a very deep and clam vocal tone. Even though his delivery is very energetic, every word is clear and melodic. “I’m a white chalk stencil but I push a pencil / rolling dope fiend rentals through your residential / broke as f*ck, eating lentils with on utensil / Finna teach pimp class with a ho credential / They own sweat shops, pet crops, and fields of cola / Murder babies with they molars on the ariola / Control the Pope, Dali Lama, holler rollers, and the Ayatolla / Bump this rolling in your bucket or your new corolla /…./…You interviewed but they ain’t calling you back / And for the record I ain’t called it a gat / But tuck this in the small of your back / Wait in the bathroom stall till I come back…” The specific details come into the later verses. At first, Boots rhymes more about the evils of the CEO’s and the spirit of revolution. Then, the funny descriptions of the executions take form. The CEO is the symbol of the new oppression and Boots makes that very evident. The ways Boots describes are both humorous and interesting: “…Tell him it’s a boom in child prostitution / When he show up at the stroll, give him led restitution / tell him it’s a twenty in a vat of hot oil / when he jump I after it, watch him boil / Toss a dollar in the river and when he jump in / If you find he can swim, put led boots on him and do it again / You and a friend / Videotape and the party don’t end / Tell that boogers be selling like crack / He gone put the little baggies in his nose and suffocate like that / Tell him it’s a fifty in he barrel of a gun / When he try to suck it out, well, you know this one…. Make sure you ain’t got no priors / don’t tell em that we conspired / We could let him try to change a flat tire / Or we could all at once retire…” Lyrically, this is a typical Coup track. That’s a great thing because there is nothing typical about a Coup track... except maybe that there’s always a theme of revolution over a funky beat.

“Wear Clean Draws” is a very touching song devoted to teaching Boots’s daughter about life and becoming a woman in the revolution. It’s much more mellow and less electronic than the previous tracks. The acoustic guitar glides quickly through the handclaps and the funky bass line. Here is a perfect example of a song where a balance is found between the beat and the emcee. Both work well together to create a new Coup classic track. Boots kicks the verse off with intelligence and care: “You know you’re my cookie baby and you’re too smart / I can see it in the lines of your school art / True Heart, I mean courage expressed with care / Go on and draw them superheroes with your curly hair / You’re my daughter, my love, more than kin to me / This is for you and the woman that you fin to be / Tell that boy he’s wrong, girls are strong / Next time at show and tell, play him our song / Tell your teacher I said princesses are evil / How they got all they money was they killed people / If somebody hits you, hit them back / Then negotiate a peace contract / Life is a challenge and you gotta team up / If you play house, pretend that the man clean up / Too busy with the other thangs you gotta do / If you start something now, remember, follow through / Later on you gonna blossom like a lotus / You’ll get into boys and the boys gone notice / It don’t matter who you do it with / Just remember when I tell you baby, you the sh*t / Handshakes are promises, Lies can spoil it / World should be signed and sealed / Wash your hands after using the toilet and brush after every meal…” Then, the hook comes in which is sung by someone else : “Wear clean draws / Everyday / Things may fall / The wrong way / You’ll be lying there / Waiting for the ambulance / And your underwear got holes and sh*t…” It’s funny but also touching. It’s knowledge being passed down from father to daughter and Boots lets his personality and his views shine through. Pam The Funkstress also flexes her DJ skills with her using the turntables to answer Boots’ question “ Pam, can I get a little scratch right here?”… Then Pam scratches “Yeah!”. Throughout the song, Boots’s voice is low and his passion can be felt. These verses are from the heart and have the power to affect others. In the second verse, Boots enlightens us (and his daughter) about the log: “…That’s what I told you I be saying in my vocals / That’s why the woman has a gun on the logo / The star is the future that we gone create / Where nobody steal money from the things we make / Revolution takes time and space  / But you as a woman gotta know your place…” This could be a hit. It has the universal theme of teaching our children with the American symbol of clean underwear. As humorous as it sounds, this is one of the most touching hip-hop songs I have every heard. This is definitely another classic song by The Coup.

“Ghetto Manifesto” keeps the tempo slow and keeps the hands clapping. The music does sound like party music. The electric guitar has a strong soul music feel to it the wah-wah bass gives it a thick funk. Boots kicks the song off with another ghetto verse of revolution: “I write my lyrics on parking tickets and summons to the court / I scribbled this on an application for county support / I practice this like a sport / Met Donald Trump and he froze up / Standing on his Bentley yelling ‘Pimps down, hoes up!’ / Stop tryna front off  / Break our ass a clump off / We gone stop the world and make y’all muthaf*ckas jump off…” The thick grooves meld well with the verses. The hook is sung again by the same people: “…That’s what I’m talking about / Make me scream and show / East, west, north, and south / Gonna turn this party out / Hey-ey!…” At first, this sounds like just another party track with an incredible smooth and soulful beat, but Boots adds depth to the track: “…The trees we got lifted by made our feet dangle / so when I say burn one, I mean the star spangled / Let’s all get high from the income angle / Bump this at the party even if it ain’t the single / Here’s a slum serenade / On razorblades and grenades / By nannies and the maids / Who be polishing the suede / You could let the sess blow / But let’s make the sets grow / Into brigades / With the ghetto manifesto..” This is a perfect example of party music having a strong message. Hidden behind the soulful party beat and the sung party-influenced hook, Boots gives revolution a party song with verses that are both abstract and direct. This is an excellent track.

“Get Up” featuring Dead Prez was produced by Tahir of Hedrush (who produced some of the other stuff on “Let’s Get Free” by Dead Prez).  As Boots called for ghetto solidarity in the previous song, he now orders the ghetto to rise while giving them an anthem. The electric bass and thick beat sounds like something from “Let’s Get Free”. The hook is sung: “.. You gotta to get up right now! / Turn this system upside down / You supposed to be fed up right now / Turn the system upside down / Get up!..” Even though this sounds more like a Dead Prez song featuring The Coup, Boots is the one who steals the show with his verse: “This fella’s piss yella / Never been a snitch tella / One paystub from a homeless ditch dwella / Yelling ‘f*ck a Rockefeller!’ / My sh*t bump a capella / My lyrical quotes are nervous notes to bank tellers / Readin ‘call it off, we haulin off molotovs and bricks’ / Mister Bailiff, you can put that in the transcripts / I hope your motherf*cking paddy wagon van flips / Some saw it off, I prefer handgrips / Quote us / You know we stronger than a 3-day notice / Pay or quit / It’s more of us than the lies that your mayor spit….” Boots continues his incredible performance. Both Stic and M1 deliver their usual revolution-inspired verses of anger and frustration. Stic-man is very direct when he rhymes: “I don’t like this government / I don’t need to cover it up / That’s what I meant / I’m sick of paying bills / And I’m sick of paying rent / Seems like I work all the time / And don’t know where the money went / and the funny sh*t is we suppose to like this sh*t  / But y’all politicians could bite this d*ck!….” There’s no room for misinterpretation. As the first single for the album, some may dismiss it as a Dead Prez song featuring The Coup. Hopefully, since Dead Prez have gained a little more light, this could increase The Coup’s exposure. When it comes down to the song, this is another direct anthem for revolution. Dead Prez and The Coup should have made a song a while ago.

“Tight” is the DJ song dedicated to Pam The Funkstress. On “Kill My Landlord”, there was “Pam’s Song” and on “Genocide And Juice”, there was “This One’s A Girl”. Finally, hip-hop groups are bringing back the DJ cuts… but wait, this is not just a DJ cut. This is dedicated to Pam but is a short song that has singing all over it. The in-house Coup singer sings over an old school beat that is filled with the beautiful sound of records scratching and keyboard melodies. The singer sings :  “Pam the funkstress, You’re so tight! Just scratch me up and make it right. I’m caught up in your flow tonight so you can transform  my world…” This little gem acts as both a dedication to a wonderful female DJ but also as a little interlude of revolution and ghetto manifestos. Pam is an extremely talented DJ. She can beat the pants off of most male DJ’s I have seen.

“Ride The Fence” is an upbeat and wild funk track that has small cuts of a sampled vocorder. This reminds me of the old Erik Sermon EPMD funk tracks like “Crossover”. This song is about making up your mind and knowing what side you’re on. As Eldridge Cleaver said, “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” It is evident that Boots shares this thought. You know where he’s coming from : “I’m anti-Imperial / Anti-trust / Anti-gun if the sh*t won’t bust / Anti-corporate / They anti my essence / anti snorting them anti-depressants….Take a look around and be for or against / But you can’t do sh*t if you’re riding the fence…” The hook, sung by Boots, is funky as ever and accompanied by Pam’s scratching and vocorder effects, “Ride the fence / Now you don’t really wanna ride the fence…” These lines are repeated over and over again. This not only a very catchy hook but also an important one. While many Coup songs are very direct in their subject matter, this one is a little more abstract but direct in its sentiment. Boots urges the people to make up their mind because they cannot accomplish change unless they pick a side. Boots has no problem breaking it down and displaying what side he’s on: “…I’m anti-Republican and democratic / If they self destruct, that’s anti-climatic / Tired of being hunted like an antelope / Take the system by the throat, that’s the antidote…” Just like using the word “every” in the beginning of each line in “Everythang”, Boots uses the  prefix “anti-” before many words. He’s even clever enough to use rhymes like “antelope” and “antidote”. The music sounds like thick funk like from EPMD or George Clinton. Fast and furious, the beat glides into the hips of the party people while Boots sends his message with his lyrics. Pam also displays some incredible scratching and DJ skills. This is an amazing song with shows their intelligence as well as their deep funk roots.

“Nowalaters” is a thick and slow story telling track that has the same quality of previous Coup story telling tales (i.e. “Fat Cats, Bigga Fish” & “Me & Jesus The Pimp…”). The handclaps return along with thick sounding rim shots. There are also background verses singing “Oh baby!”. Boots recites his verses with the same tone and passion of “Me & Jesus The Pimp..” In his first verse, he sets the love story up: “Well if you thrust, eventually you gonna gush / And I’m implying I ain’t had no business crying cuz we used the rubber twice / and we knew that sh*t was dying to bust / Well, we was only seven teen / But you was older in between / and in my fresh adidas fits / I used to come more clean that Jeru jerking off in a can of chlorine…/…/…Dashboard for leverage / tall cans for beverage / The weed can make you courageous / Make a Honda Civic seem so spacious / Make five minutes seem like ages…” This is not only a tale of love and passion but also one of youth. The hook, sung by a woman with a beautiful voice, reflects the reminiscence of youthful days: “…You smelled like Care-Free Curl and now-a-laters baby / Said you liked high-top fades / And Jesse Johnson’s ‘crayzay’ / Seventeen, all on you / Like chicken and some gravy / Learned a lot, thank you much / today I’m still campaigning…”  The line about campaigning is the only real line about revolution. Boots knows how to stay on topic and all of his story-telling tracks display this. Teenage sex and teenage pregnancy have always been important topics in the world and rap music but it’s truly the first time The Coup approached this topic. As always, they do an excellent job with an extreme sympathy for the teenage mothers who carry and give birth to these babies. This is another classic Coup storytelling track to add to the list. The only unfortunate thing about it is that it’s the ONLY storytelling track on the LP. Still, it’s an excellent one with a surprise ending that I will not ruin for you. You have to listen to it and read along with the full lyrics sheet.

“Pork And Beef” featuring T-Kash, is the anti-cop song. Every Coup album has an “Anti-cop” song. On “Kill My Landlord”, the song was  “I Know” while on “Genocide And Juice”, the song was “Interrogation. Even “Steal This Album” had a song called “U.C.P.A.S.” which stood for “Undas, Cops, Pigs, and Sh*t”. The Coup uses an interpolation of “Got Beef” by Snoop Dogg’s The Eastsidaz. The same melody is used for the hook but the beat hits much harder. Once again the beat reminds me of the old, thick EPMD beats but very west-coast sounding. Using the same melody and some of the same words, the hook is sung: “If you got beef with  c-o-p’s / Throw a Molotov at the p-i-g’s / Cuz they be harassing you and me / You got to understand that we still not free…” The beat is hard and the verses by Boots and T-Kash are very energetic. T-Kash kicks the first verse: “Don’t trust the police / No justice, no peace / They got me face down in the middle of the street / Pistol whip me with the heat / Chicken shit sizzlean / Trying to serve me with all you can eat / Murder beef / I’m a young, black heterosexual male / Don’t drink drank / Don’t smoke, Don’t sell / That’s the real reason that they want me up in jail / they want me to fail / I resist and rebel…” This is just as energetic and in the same spirit a “U.C.P.A.S.” As usual, Boots does steal the show. (The only time he didn’t was in “The Repo Man Sings For You” w/ Del… and they tied.) Boots kicks the usual anti-cop energetic rhymes: “This is for them babies with them empty plates / For that raised rent you didn’t calculate / If you ever in your life been a ward of the state / On the corner with cake / If they sent a undercover and you took the bait / Next time I see ‘em with no hesitation / I’m peeling off like stolen registration / And leave a dart of smoke / See I’m that sort of folk / That they been hunting since my mama’s f*cking water broke…”  This is classic hip-hop against the boys in blue. The anti-cop song is a staple in every album by The Coup. Personally, I think they lose a point for creativity jacking the very new Eastsidaz’ track. I actually like this track better but it’s still odd to hear a blatant jack from a group as original as The Coup. Even though the jack is only in the melody of the hook, it’s still a jack. I can’t help but like the song for itself. The beat is dope and so are the verses. Still, I think it’s weaker than the other very strong tracks. 

“Heven Tonite” is a slow, melodic track  about organized religion. With guitar, handclaps, and live percussion, the beat is sexy and somewhat mystical for typical Coup tracks. It is a similar tempo of “Wear Clean Draws” and “Nowalaters” . The hook is sung with a true frustration about God, Heaven, Hell and infinity: “…Preacher man wanna save my soul / Don’t nobody wanna save my life / People we done lost control / Let’s make heaven tonight…” While most emcees have tracks about how much they love God or Jesus and how God has saved them, Boots does something different. He does not blindly accept faith and questions the facets of organized religion: “…I ain’t sitting in your pews unless you help me resist and refuse / Show me a list of your views / If you really love me, help me tear this motherf*cker up / Consider this my tithe for the offer cup…” This is an incredible track, which shows how brave Boots is. I think many emcees would be scared to write songs like this because so many hip-hop fans and emcees are deep rooted in religion. The lyrics display his personal anger, frustration and utter confusion with organized religion. I think many people feel the same way but dare not express it. “I used to think about infinity / and how my memory is finna be / Invisibly slim in that vicinity / And though the stars are magnificent, whiskey and the midnight sky can make you feel insignificant / The revolution is this tune and verse / Is a bid for my love to touch the universe….” Even though there is negativity in the questions, the true positive sentiments come forth when he says “Let’s make heaven right here.” Instead of dreaming of a heaven, why don’t we create one? Boots have made songs and song about the problems of racism, poverty, drugs, etc. and they all call for change. This one does too.  This is a beautiful, intellectual track.

“Thought About It 2” is an odd track with just singing. The slow, multiple poundings of the beat slowly glide along with live guitar instrumentation. The singing is multi-layered: “Have you thought about it too? / Because we are here for you / When you have nothing to lose, all the people feel it too / You do have a way out baby / and together, we can breath free air…/…/…When you feel so all alone, know you have a home...” As odd and out of place the song first appears, it does go with the soulful flow of the album. Many of the other songs have sung choruses and have similar sentiments of freedom and solidarity. Since it is all singing, it does seem slightly out of place and leaves me yearning to hear Boots on the microphone. Still, the song is short enough and not at all catchy so that it does not get boring.

“Lazy Muthaf*cka” is an angry funk-fest in the same spirit as “Interrogation” and “Piss On Your Grave”. It’s about how lazy the rich and powerful people are. Boots raps with a fury: “Now you don’t wash your ass / You got a personally bather / If you roll out of bed it’s like you doing a favor / You was born into paper and that behavior / For  a midnight snack, you have the bedroom catered / You ain’t never learned to drive or tie your shoe / I got my ear to the street and my eye on you / You got a secretary to write down your thoughts / On how to make us work hard and fatten up your vaults / TV say if you poor, you must be slow and shiftless / But you pay em’ to say that so we don’t want it different / Got a cook and a girl to bring the tray for you / You’re hearing this cuz somebody pushed play for you…./ ../… I don’t get no rest / It’s just a stay alive hustle / Making you stay rich without you moving a muscle / You think of people as your tool / So when your d*ck salute, you have a butler get the phone and call a prostitute / And say your sex drive’s stronger than the engine of a trucker / But she’ll have to be on top cuz you a lazy motherf*cker…” The hook is sung with passion but I can’t help snickering when I hear it: “…You’re a lazy motherf*cker! Lazy motherF*cker! You’re a lazy motherf*cker! Lazy motherF*cker!…” It’s hilarious.. Like “Piss On Your Grave”, the hook is silly but has an interesting and important meaning. The song has a wild electric guitar rambling through the snares of the drumbeats. In a way, it reminds me of some rock songs. This is an odd but great way to finish the album. It actually gives hope to the children of the revolution who are not lazy at all. If the enemy is lazy, they may overcome.

The BEATS on this album are different enough to distinguish this album from other Coup albums but share the deep-rooted funk we always loved about them. This time, the electro-funk that “Steal This Album” hinted on is much more evident on “Party Music”. Beat-wise, this is all party music. If this were an instrumental album, it could be mistaken for the thicker version of George Clinton. The bass is heavy and the use of electronics is very creative. The many snaps and handclaps on the album suggest a soulful quality along with timelessness. The influence of Marvin Gaye is also evident.  PRODUCTION-wise, Pam the Funkstress and Boots spared no expense. Boots is an exceptional producer and he should branch out and work with others more. Tahir of Hedrush, who produced “Get Up” f/ Dead Prez is an excellent song but I would have loved to hear the outcome of their collaboration if Boots produced the entire thing. Pam’s scratching truly brings the hip-hop into the LP. This woman is so talented on the wheels of steel that I would almost suggest that The Coup were the ”Gangstarr” of the West Coast…. Almost. Pam’s use of turntables brings the element of old school hip-hop back to West Coast rap. Many groups/emcees do not use scratching that much anymore. Sure, some do often, but there are many producers who do not. Del and Domino, of Hieroglyphics and Evidence of Dilated Peoples have been using scratching very well and representing the west but the G-funk aesthetic overshadows many West Coast artists. The Coup uses G-funk on this album (like they did with “Genocide And Juice”) but this hits harder and the electro-funk influence is especially strong. The claps and snaps elevate the funk too.  The hard funk of “Everythang” and “Ride The Fence” is complemented by the thick but softer grooves of “Wear Clean Draws” and “Nowalaters”.  There is diversity in the beats and production while an overall vibe is kept. This is some of the best West Coast production I have heard since Deltron 3030. (Yes, Deltron 3030 was made in California.) Still, the thickness of the electro funk is what separates The Coup from the more typical G-funk of their Cali comrades. Beat-wise, this is pure party music that is straight from the 70’s but tweaked for the millennium. Production-wise, this is pure dope hip-hop.

LYRICS have always been an important aspect of The Coup. Boots has always been a hardcore emcee who has used anger, humor and humility to make every kind of listener relate to his struggle. The human emotions of the absurd situations make Boots one of the best lyricists who also has an incredible flow and delivery. Boots can deliver his rhymes with ease and a passion while making many of the words come out crystal clear. He also stays on topic, which is something that many emcees have not mastered. Lyrically, the best tracks are “Wear Clean Draws” , “Nowalaters”, “Heven Tonite”, “Everythang”, and “Ride The Fence”. The use of the repetition of words in every line like “Every” in “Everything” and “Anti-“ in “Ride The Fence” are never redundant or boring. It is nothing but creativity. Boots uses rhymes as a way to get his message out and they never, ever seem forced. The human aspects of love and sensitivity are displayed in the wonderful songs “Wear Clean Draws” and “Nowalaters”. “Draws”, the song devoted to his daughter, is touching and intelligent. This is a heartfelt song of care and devotion. “Nowalaters” is the only storytelling track but an excellent one. The lyrics are so vivid that the listener can literally picture the scene in their mind. That’s an excellent storyteller!  Boots is an excellent lyricist!

In “Steal this Album”, one of the sisters singing at the end said, “Boots has weird ideas.” That is just as true for this album and his “weird” ideas make him a very creative and innovative emcee/producer. The most creative tracks have different types of creative aspects to them. “Ride The Fence” and “Everythang” are lyrically creative because there is a creative use of words. (“Fence” uses “anti” prefix in every line while “Everythang” uses the word “every” in every line).  As repetitious as this sounds, the songs never get boring. Boots has flair with the English language as well as East Oakland slang to give the tracks a wild personality and an intense energy. “5 Million Ways To Kill A CEO” is a creative track for the wild (and funny) ways he thinks to murder a CEO. The sheer concept of the song is creative and very original.  The more sensitive, heartfelt and touching songs are creative for their passion, human emotion, and the details of Boots’ lyrics. In “Wear Clean Draws”, clean underwear is a metaphor. A song about a father teaching and loving his daughter has a chorus about wearing clean underwear. It’s weird, it’s timeless and it’s very creative. “Nowalaters” uses the sense of smell and various images from his youth to paint a picture of the scene. Musically, the album is very creative for it’s use of electro-funk, incredible scratching, multi-layered vocals, and soulful vibe. Pam use of vocal samples and scratching in the best I have heard in a while. She truly is a tight DJ. There is not one sloppy moment and every scratch and vocal sample adds something to the already incredible song… bringing it to a higher level of quality.

The ALBUM FLOWS quickly for many reasons. First, it’s a short album with only 12 tracks and 2 of the tracks do not contain rapping. Second, the themes and subjects add variety to the album. Every song is about something and has a purpose. This makes the lyrical parts of the album not seem redundant in any way. Third, although every song can stand strong by itself, there is a consistent sound to the entire LP. Musically, every track has a thick, party beat that has a soulful feel along with electro-funk handclaps and turntable wizardry. People who are not fans of The Coup and do not closely follow the lyrics may think the songs all blend together and sound the same due to the thick electro-funk. After a couple of listens, the variety will sink in. There is variety in tempos, hook delivery, verse delivery and subject matter. The only 2 guest appearances with emcees (“Get Up” with Dead Prez and “Pork And Beef” with T-Kash) give the album a nice breath of fresh air without overstaying its welcome. The 2 songs without Boots create suspicion but only one song  slightly break up the albums flow. “Tight” is the excellent DJ song devoted to Pam. “Thought About It Too” is the four minute vamp out track of crooning. Musically, this song fits right in due to the sung hooks and the beats but lyrically, it’s a slight lull only because Boots does not rap on it. Still, the lyrics are deep and the singing is good. Overall, the album flows with a grace and after the 12 tracks, listeners will be yearning for more.

Without a doubt, The Coup is a HARDCORE hip-hop group. The debut album had a battle cry for the title “Kill My Landlord”. The logo (a Black woman holding a baby with a gun strapped and hanging from her back in front of a red star) has caused controversy and was taken off their front cover. Their 3rd LP “Steal This Album” had them wanting the people to literally STEAL the LP. Their message was more important than their money. This album “Party Music” cannot be mistaken as just a party record since the album cover has Boots hitting a detonator and blowing up the Twin Towers of  World Trade Center in the background as Pam uses conductor sticks to conduct the orchestra of the revolution. Visually, it’s their most hardcore looking cover ever. I think it’s more controversial that their logo. Their past songs were filled with anger and a variety of hardcore topics: killing policemen (“I Know You”), killing landlords (“Kill My Landlord”), beating up repo men (“The Repo Man Sings For You”), pick pocketing rich white men (“Fat Cats, Bigga Fish), killing your pimp father (“Me And Jesus The Pimp…”),  and urinating on the graves of Forefathers of America (“Piss On Your Grave”).  This album maintains the Coup tradition. “5 Million Ways To Kill A CEO” reminds me of the anger and revolutionary actions of “Takin’ These”. The anger towards policemen in “Pork And Beef” is just as hardcore as the lyrical fury on “I Know You” and “Interrogation”. The anthems of “Everythang”  and “Get Up” show the spirit of revolution is alive and increasing. Within these tracks, every line is hardcore and from the heart. There is nothing soft about The Coup in any way. They do not have to sell drugs, slap women, and shoot other Black men. Instead, they choose hardcore expression and turn their anger and revolutionary actions toward the government, the rich and other people in power.  This is true revolutionary hardcore hip-hop!

“Party Music” is an excellent album by The Coup. Although, I wish there were more story-telling tracks like “Nowalaters”, The Coup have made another solid album that will satisfy the hardcore Coup fans as well as earn the respect of other hip-hop heads. The collaboration with Dead Prez may open some doors for them even though I think Boots is underused in that song. Still, The Coup has evolved while maintaining their revolutionary spirit and staying true to themselves. They have made the perfect party album for the revolution. There is not one song that sounds hollow or made for radio. Every track is from the heart. Goodie Mob tried to make a party album with revolutionary qualities with “World Party” but failed with collaborations with TLC and a horrible interpolation of Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long”. There were some incredible socially conscience songs on the LP but it did not work as a whole. The Coup has succeeded where Goodie Mob failed. (Wouldn’t it be dope if Cee-Lo and Boots made a song together?!?!?). These are thick electro-funk party tracks with hardcore revolutionary expression in the lyrics. Boots does not bend for anyone and exhibits a strength both as an emcee and as a socially conscience intellectual. The Coup has the capacity to be political, revolutionary, funky, romantic, touching, angry and conscience while displaying a myriad of other emotions and traits. This album is the theme music for the party of the revolution. Get your invitation because, it’s one hell of a party!

Beats: 9/10.
Production: 9/10.
Lyrics: 9.5/10.
Creativity/Originality: 9.5/10.
Album Flow: 9/10.
Hardcore Rating: 9.5/10.
[ Overall Rating: 9.3/10 ]
 
 
 

check out their Official Bio: Official BIO for The Coup.

check out the Official Press Release: Official Press Release for "Party Music".

check out their record label: 75 ARK

check out the video for "Me A Jesus The Pimp.." from "Steal This Album" : VIDEO for "Me & Jesus The Pimp...".

check out the REVIEW for "Steal This Album" : REVIEW for "Steal This Album".