“SOUL SLINGERS: THE
RIC RUDE MIX”
MIXED BY DJ TIM TONES
“Soul Slingers: The Ric Rude Mix” is a representative piece
of the verbal talents of Ric Rude, and also showcases the mixing and cutting
skills of Dj Tim Tones. It is a blend of true school roots, confessional
songwriting, and streetwise poetics. Production-wise, the album has some of the
best beats Rochester has to offer. Producing the lion’s share of the beats on
the album is Jon “Woody” Woodring, a member of the local Goonies production
crew. Woody’s atmospheric jazz samples and heavy crisp drums found a true
partner with Ric’s gritty writing style. Woody has been steadily producing gems
since the early 2000s, and continues today as a premier beatmaker in the local
scene. One of the most notable collaborations between the two is “Overachieve”,
a geniusly chopped Barry White sample punctuated by Ric’s tales of overcoming
personal doubt and nay sayers. Optix of the Mellodrumaddix is another producer
on the album and lends his hand to two tracks, “Sun Shines Through”, and the
Rochester flag waver, “Native of the City”.
The intro horns to “Native” simulate a warning call: Anyone within earshot
will feel the heat that only a upbringing in the city of Rochester can produce.
Ops’ heavy boom bap style steamrolls a clear path for Ric to inform people
about the middle city in the upstate.
Another Goonies collaboration
happens with Husky, the founder of the Goonies. With myths that reach legend
status, Husky has made hundreds of beats, and is currently working on a new
project with Reece Quotable. He lends Ric a heavy Jazz flavored track here
called “Out to Get the Props”, and it is about the title statement: getting
props, and how you get them. After meeting Portland based producer 5th
Sequence through Optix, Ric found two gems. One of them is the mid nineties
flavored cut called “Love Like This”. This is the quintessential hip hop love
song, and it balances between being faithful and truthful without coming off
too “conscious”, a plight that many underground emcees fall into when
addressing the topic. Last but not least is Tim Tones himself. He laces the
intro song to the cd, and also produces the first track, “Soul Slinger Anthem”
which features another great local talent, M Dot Coop, as they go back and
forth with a chemistry that makes you wonder, “that is the first time they
rapped together?” This cut kicks off the mix. There is only one thing to say
about Ric Rude’s rhyme style. It’s from the heart. Everything has to be spit
with a passion, or it can’t be done. There is no halfway.
DOWNLOAD THE MIX HERE!---->CLICK HERE FOR THE MIX!