Ras Kass - Institutionalized Vol.2

For years I've regarded Ras Kass as the west coast version of Nas. To some folks the inferences I draw between the two are miniscule, but to others I seem to make a good bit of sense. The main reason I draw comparisons between them isn't because they sound similar or because they both used to rock the same kind of part on the left side of they fades or whatever....lol, I make the comparisons because they are/were both artists who at the beginning and the climax of their career's pushed the lyrical and artistic envelope within hip-hop, but are now a bit stale to me because they've started to bend a lil' bit. There was a time when These bruthas made some of the most poignant, riveting, socially aware, complex and relevant songs that hip-hop will ever see, and for short periods they still can. One of them rose to huge national stardom and is regarded as a protector of the culture, while the other began to straddle the fence of right and wrong within society more often, landing himself in prison and on the run repeatedly throughout most of the late 90's and the 2K. It was unfortunate that the Carson, CA native's debut was so nearly flawless; that would eventually become his ever-present mountain to try and ascend up once again with his new projects. I know that for me personally, after he dropped "Soul On Ice" his decline would almost certainly begin from then on. That album was damn near perfect and a true west coast classic. I dubbed it the "Illmatic" of L.A.. Still over the years it was tough to watch my prophecy about Ras's career unfold. He struggled at re-creating the magic from "Soul On Ice", and then he stopped trying to reach it all together, selling out in spots, doing songs over southern bounce tracks, slacking off on his writing duties and engaging some serious clowns in battles. That pitfall of having a classic first album combined with his legal troubles and lack of direction musically seemed to keep him out of the loop most times when people spoke about talented hip-hop artists who were entertaining but also had something to say. Fast Forward to about 05', 06'....Ras Kass is still somewhat in the same place as he was for most of the 90's....he's still duckin the law, Still not holding his tongue about those within the game or industry that he loathes, still as braggadocio as he is intelligent and still crafting intensely witty line after intensely witty line. Despite a few more legal setbacks, Razzy has managed to re-create a pretty decent buzz for the 07' and the 08'. Due to a slew of mixtape releases like "Return Of The Spit", "Eat or Die", "Institutionalized Vol.1" and a bunch of great guest spots he has his fans clamoring for his new solo project "Institutionalized Vol.2", as well as a new full length LP possibly sometime in the future. So here we are... Ras Kass has a major release on a big time underground label (Babygrande) that seems pretty apt at letting their artist's put out their music the way they would like to. Something that Ras always has been so adament to point out that he needs. So Institutionalized is sort of a retail mixtape project that is supposed to showcase Razzy's new material to a much broader audience than just the underground and net heads. So what's the verdict on this new material you ask? Well, I first wanna just say I've always been a huge Ras Kass fan and I'm really happy that he's managed to somewhat keep his legal troubles at bay for now. As far as Institutionalized Vol.2 goes.....I mean, it's a very precise effort. I heard that right off the bat when I bumped it. Ras was definitely aiming to reach a multitude of different hip-hop fans. Through the first 8 tracks your on a lil' bit of a roller coaster ride; Ras throws a very ill, very strong intro at you that lets you know he still has all his talents intact, but then strolls into more uncharted territory. The up beat and bass heavy tracks aimed at all the west coast club heads like "We Go In" and "I'm All That" don't resonate well with me. I felt that Razzy included those joints more so for mass appeal and in turn they proved to be the biggest mis-steps on Institutionalized Vol.2. Within the whole thing, there's only one track that I felt really captures all of Ras's potential and that's the intricate and densely written "Behind The Music", that finds Ras delving into the reality, the fantasy and the constant pitfalls that lie ahead in any artist's way in the music industry. All in all shit doesen't really get going until like track 9. From then on Ras really hits you in the head with a thick, meaty selection of lyrics and beats. "John Is Real" meshes Ras's perfectly timed flow with an infectious, Horn fueled Domingo production. From there Ras hits you with something different, yet ill in the beautifully produced "B.I.B.L.E.", where he explores the hypocrisy and the fallacies within' Catholicism and all religion as a whole in the most contemptuous of manner. "Ups and Downs" finds Ras pairing up with the late Proof of D12 for an up-tempo jaunt, that is sadly, pretty forgettable. "Elevate" is where all the hardcore fans get their wishes answered when Ras Kass teams up with the guy who arguably stepped in and took his place as the illest lyricist in L.A.; Crooked I. Newcomer Odious contributes as well, but his verse is really robotic and unless your a fan of battle rap I'm not sure your really gonna dig his chorus or his voice truthfully, lol. Ras steps up his game considerably for this verse but still gets out shined by a focused and menacing 16 from Crooked. I like the lyrical content and the direction of the track "Try Me", but it's easilly the weakest produced track of the second half of the album. A simplistic synth with a sloppy clap isn't how you wanna come back if your Ras Kass, nor is it how your fans from the days of Soul On Ice expect you to. The story is pretty much the same for "What It Is", Ras really skipped out on these tracks and they just aren't good in any way to me. They're filled with a bunch of no name, semi- talented cats that Ras is trying to do a favor for, but ultimately is just sacrificing quality to do so. Thankfully Ras finishes up strong with the last two tracks "I Just" and "M.V.P.", that both I think would've served him better to be in the middle of the tape somewhere, but go figure. It's a lil' puzzling as well, but the last track isn't Ras Kass at all. Not sure who the kid is rhyming, he's aaight, but still I don't wanna hear a full track by someone else on the new Ras Kass project. I don't think that Ras did enough this time out to change the opinions of all the critics out there that have been saying his best work is behind him. While there are some flashes of really ill material on here, it's in the crucial moments that Ras falls short or commits credibility suicide by conforming to the mainstream hip-hop status quo. I enjoyed a few of the songs on here a lot, but Ras really needed to show that he was more than just a hired gun and a skilled veteran on this. Unfortunately I think Institutionalized Vol.2 leaves the listeners with more questions about Rass Kass's future than answers.

-BIG D O



01 02:37 Victory (We Shall Overcome)
02 03:09 Eyes Don't Lie
03 02:49 I'm All That
04 00:30 Capital
05 04:48 Behind The Musick
06 03:47 We Go In
07 02:32 Ironman Thug
08 00:26 The Call
09 04:36 John Is Real
10 05:22 B.I.B.L.E.
11 03:52 Ups And Downs Ft. Proof (D12)
12 04:40 Elevate Ft. Crooked I & Odious
13 05:26 Try Me
14 03:10 What It Might Be Ft. Wais B
15 04:39 I Just
16 03:37 M.V.P.


http://www.mediafire.com/?nouxh12tbbm