Rapper Scarface - yes, his name was inspired by the movie - has been around the block and back again in the rap world. Born Brad Jordan, Scarface hails from Houston, a renowned rapper's city with its own style and attitude. He came up in the rap game with the group the Geto Boys, an infamous posse known for violent lyrics and a peculiar appearance throughout the movie Office Space."" Scarface made his rap debut on the Geto Boys' popular album Grip It! On That Other Level and soon after started recording solo work.
Since the early '90s, Scarface has been pumping out albums and has garnered the respect of fellow rappers. MTV described him as ""your favorite rapper's favorite rapper."" He maintains a large fan base in the underground rap circuits across the country, but due to his low-tempo style and even rhymes, you won't see him plastered all over music videos with the likes of T-Pain and Kanye any time soon.
Scarface's new album, Emeritus, stays the course but is one-dimensional at best. The album is monotonous, it lacks diversity and can get downright boring at times. Emeritus is a title given to those who have retired in their field. If this is Scarface's final work, it leaves something to be desired.
If Scarface's name isn't obvious enough, the intro track on the album depicts his gangster status. The track paints a picture of Scarface sitting at the back of a dark, smoky, Italian restaurant with stereotypical gangster movie music humming in the background while we simply listen to him talk for more than three minutes. Frankly, the intro is silly and easy to skip. Once Scarface starts to rhyme we get to see him in his natural habitat. The first single of the album, ""High Powered,"" features a hard-hitting beat and the usual rap lyrics about struggles in the streets and problems with rivals.
A glimmer of star status shines with an appearance by Lil Wayne and Bun B on the track ""Forgot About Me,"" which shows Wayne's uncharacteristically normal side. The rest of the album is a conglomeration of formulaic rap songs with no notable collaborations, which is a credit to Scarface, proving he can do it by himself.
The album hits a low point after the first few songs. Tracks five through eight, ""Still Here,"" ""It's Not a Game,"" ""Who Are They"" and ""Soldier Story,"" are a forgettable mash up about the deaths of friends, hood struggles and Scarface's enemies. ""Redemption Song"" is a fitting title, as it is the saving-grace song of the album. Here, lyrically deft Scarface bursts out of his droning and delivers a linguistic left hook to Emeritus.
The final few songs of the album follow the more up-beat, hard-hitting style of ""Redemption Song,"" but lack its lyrical craftiness. Leaving all his emotion on the final track of his final album, the title track ""Emeritus"" is a climactic rant about Scarface's enemies. ""It's over when I leave this stage / I'm 'a turn the page / Say goodbye to Face / Wave,"" he promises.
Scarface has a reputation as a master lyricist - one of the best to ever hold a microphone. Shades of this are evident on Emeritus, but Scarface's final album lacks the diversity to hammer it home.
