"The Professional 2" is not for haters of mainstream hip-hop. In fact, if you are likely to turn the CD off as soon as you hear the voice of Puff Daddy (a.k.a. the Defendant) talking about "keeping it real," this album is not for you. But if you are not a hater and want to see why artists like Jay-Z, Beanie Segal and Method Man are considered so talented, you need look no further than "The Professional 2." Though the album is lacking in terms of creative beats, it abounds with the grimy, vivid street poetics of New York City.
DJ Clue is a mixtape disc jockey, which means that you won't hear him mixing or scratching on the album (not that he's incapable). Neither is he a producer, so the majority of the cuts on this album are not his beats. The best way to think of him is as an editor. But if you think that means his influence is slight on this disc, think again.
Perhaps no other DJ has the commercial appeal of Clue, and his ability to bring together the biggest names in hip-hop music is apparent on this album. The album is a catalog of the hip-hop heavy-hitters of the New York area including Capone and Noreaga, Wu-tang, Jay-Z and just about all his label mates (DJ Clue is, after all, on Jay's imprint, Roc-A-Fella Records). In addition, he found a way to get Nas and Jay-Z, who have been engaged in a notorious feud, together on the same album.
From outside of the five boroughs he enlists a motley crew of hit makers from Miami's Trina and Trick Daddy to Snoop Dogg, Daz and Kurupt from the LBC. And who could forget that misfit turned Grammy balladeer, Eminem.
Speaking of the Real Slim Shady, the rapper's presence on this album is a little odd. Considering all the press he's gotten over violent and misogynistic lyrics, it would seem that the press has not heard many hip-hop records. Eminem seems like a tame sideshow juxtaposed with Mobb Deep's bleak "The Best of Queens." Not only do these artists' grim yet creative metaphors put most of his to shame, but the stuff they talk about (while exaggerated) is grounded in reality somewhere on a New York streetcorner. That's a much scarier proposition than Eminem's twisted fantasies.
Unfortunately, there is little in the way of music to back up the vivid lyrics. Clue employs various producers on the disc, all of which seem to take the same minimalist approach to melody and variation. And although this is a mixtape, constructed primarily as background music for showcasing rhyming talents, the production on some songs proves too weak for even that task.
But when the beat is good and the talent is right on "The Professional 2," the results are airtight. "What the Beat" features Method Man, Eminem and Royce the 5-9, and all three emcees come through with clever lyrics that crackle with wit and wickedness.
"Back 2 Life 2001" features Mary J. Blige singing the hook from the popular "Soul 2 Soul" sample while the Lox's Jadakiss proves why a solo album for him should definitely be on the burner. Redman's cut, simply titled "Red," showcases his usual twisted pop culture references while Lil' Kim and Trina have the antidote for hip-hop's misogynistic venom; their lyrics could bring most tough guys to their knees.
On "The Professional 2," DJ Clue rounds up some of the biggest emcees for a memorable mixtape. Though the album is not progressive in any sense of the word, it is an authentic artifact that preserves New York's battle rhyme culture in all its crude, gritty glory.
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