INFO: Twiztid is a white hip-hop duo from Detroit, Michigan composed of members Jamie Madrox (real name Jamie Spaniolo) and the Monoxide Child (real name Paul Methric). Together the demented duo preform a style of hip-hop known as "Horrorcore" otherwise known as "the wicked shit" known for horror based themes such as murder and the supernatural.
The Chainsmoker LP is the first and currently only solo album by the Monoxide Child or simply put Monoxide. What you need to know prior to listening to this album is a little bit about its creator. In addition to his stage name "the Monoxide Child" Paul is nicknamed "the Chainsmoker" due to his excessive use of cigarettes, his preferred brand being Newport menthols, this is similar to that of the other half of Twiztid Jamie Madrox who in addition to his stagename is nicknamed "the Phatso" due to the fact he is known for being horribly overweight. In short both members are nicknamed after some bad quality they possess. Although both gentlemen have slowed down with time with Jamie losing an incredible amount of weight and Monoxide cutting down on his smoking. Monoxide is also a user of marijuana, preferring it to alcohol or anything else for that matter.
I'm not entirely sure why he is wearing overalls but that is for the most part what he looked like in those days.
CD Details:
Length- 41:33
Number of tracks- 14
Released- November 16, 2004
Label- Psychopathic Records
Review:
Track 1- The first track of the Chainsmoker LP is the intro entitled "Lite it up". It makes a point of this being an album for smokers of tobacco and marijuana alike, in addition making claims that the album will give you a glimpse of his life prior to his success as the duo Twiztid with his lifelong friend Jamie. I rather enjoy the section of the song in which he spells out his stage name while exclaiming "smoke something, fire it up".
"It's the M smoke something fire it up
And the O smoke something fire it up
With the N smoke something fire it up
Another O and this is how we like to get high what
I got the X smoke something fire it up
And that's I smoke something fire it up
From the D smoke something fire it up
With the E and this is how we like to get high what"
Track 2- The second track is a skit entitled "Drive Thru". In this segment we hear Monoxide in a car with a friend, smoking a cigarette while they wait in a drive thru. After waiting for what he proclaims to be a long time he pulls into the drive thru and begins to order, but is cut of by the man operating the drive thru. He is told that he must put out his cigarette as it is a smoke free zone. Confused Mono asks why he since he his outside must he put out his cigarette. The man in the drive thru is far from helpful and simply argues that he must put out the cigarette, a verbal conflict ensues so the man calls the police and tells Monoxide to have a nice day. Mono tries to flee but his car breaks just as the police arrive. He attempts to explain he was only smoking in the drive thru but is beaten, tazed, and finally shot ending the skit. This is undoubtedly a statement regarding the way smokers are treated in modern society but done in such a way that it is entertaining.
Track 3- "See Me" This song tells the story of Monoxide's youth, from witnessing the shooting of a man in the street at age 7 to later moving to the ghettos of 7 mile Detroit. Things were good until highschool where he fell in with the wrong crowd and would often end up in fights simply for being white until it got so bad he had to start bringing a pistol with him everywhere he went including school. He soon found himself addicted to women, looking for sex anyway he could get it. He ended up dropping out of high school due to lack of interest and being overall tired of the treatment he had to endure. Now almost twenty he does nothing but smoke weed and get with girls, no drive to do anything but knowing a change needed to be made, at twenty-two he is now paying child support. He ends by saying he is as human as us though we tend to forget although we can only know him by the music that he makes so he doesn't hold it against us but now he is showing his side of the fence.
Track 4- "Wut would you do" To me I hear a song purely about paranoia induced by cannabis. The chorus asks simply what would you do if you heard someone was coming after you. And he states that he would defend himself to the fullest by any means necessary. Details like leaving people looking like swiss cheese dangling from your loft leave images in your mind that most would consider "disturbing".
Track 5- "Blaze" This song is purely about smoking marijuana and how he prefer weed to anything else. Sure he could have a beer and get drunk but why do that when he can smoke some weed and relax. The chorus is primarily sung by another of Monoxide's lifelong friends Blaze Ya Dead Homie (real name Chris Rouleau) who is also a fan of cannabis.
Track 6- "Outta my way" This song makes one statement clear GET OUT OF THE WAY. This songs truly dates the album as it is featuring fellow Detroit rapper Esham who hasn't been on good terms with Psychopathic Records for a number of years.
Track 7- "Bring me down" This song has the supernatural sound and feel that Twiztid is known for bringing. The focus seems to be on hell and simply proclaims that you're not gonna bring him down.
Track 8- "I'm out" This is the second skit of the album that sets us up for the next song. Monoxide finds himself ready to leave as quickly as possible after a one night stand. The woman breaks off to shower and Mono quickly starts looking for his pants. He finds his pants but is soon visited by the cliche angel and devil on each shoulder. The angel argues that he should finally settle down instead of his risky lifestyle of one night stands that could leave him with an STD or another child. The devil of course counters with no way keep it up this is a fun way of living why should we care about the consequences. Monoxide sides with the devil but the angel uses a bit of information he was holding back to convince the devil and in turn convince Monoxide. The devil quickly changes his tune to "you gotta stay with this bitch" once the angel informs him of a particular "act" the girl preformed. (Trying very hard to keep this appropriate)
Track 9- "Slut" In a nutshell this is a sex rap...putting it in appropriate terms is beyond my capabilities. The chorus is primarily comprised of Monoxide's melodic claim of "I'm a slut".
Track 10- "Rite quick" I'm not completely sure what he is talking about in this track, but what's most prominate has something to do with a particular woman. It is also quite possible that this song is meant for a friend or even several in an awkward relationship status.
Track 11- "Shoe Fitz" This song is with associate ABK AnyBody Killa (real name James Lowery), and some other no name none Psychopathic Records artist that I couldn't care less about.
Track 12- "Change" Easily the best song on the album. He talks about the changes he's gone through over the years and becoming the man he is today, and how if not for those changes he most likely wouldn't even be here today. What hits me the most is the talk of his daughter and how his baby mama tried to keep her from him and make her think he just disappeared. This of course hurt him deeply and truly speaks to me as I try to gathom the pain he went through...it speaks to me on a deeper level due to my deep desire to have a daughter of my own. The album could've ended here and I would've been content that is how much I loved this song, so much so that I am posting a link.
Track 13- "Evil" This song has the strongest supernatural feeling of the entire album, it features the other half of Twiztid Jamie Madrox and ABK. The name speaks for itself, the song is about evil but almost spoken of as an entity instead of concept giving it a much more ominous feeling.
Track 14- "That's real" A fairly strong song to end on but not as powerful as "Change" in my own opinion. The song is meant at to be a plain statement of facts, that fact being this is the "realist" (thing) you've ever heard".
Well that is it and congrats to whoever decide to commit and read all of that...
Til next time
-(insert false alias)
An excellent first post. Very insightful and knowledgeable. In the future, though, I wonder if it would be beneficial to write about an album as a whole rather than a series of tracks. That way, you could explain if there are any themes or a story that binds the album together. Are there any lyrics that stand out above and beyond the rest of the album? Why this album? Is it the best or particularly important to their mythos? or is it just a random choice? Alternatively, you might also consider dedicating an entire post to one track and really delve into interpretation.
ReplyDelete-Mr. P
Well in this particular album there is no real story as a whole presented through the album itself but rather the individual stories of each track apart from the tracks that are just for fun and not trying to portray any specific message even though a message can be drawn from each one based on interpretation and so on. As far as lyrics that stand out that is another case of interpretation. When it comes to selecting an album I choose whatever I have been listening to most throughout the week or whatever strikes me as a good album to review. What dictates a good album to review is whatever album I think will be the funniset for me to have you read about, in a nutshell I like to picture you reading my review and imagine your reaction and if I think you'll react in a funny way then that's the one I chose. And to me writing a several hundred worded review on just one song seems like too much but doing it on the album as a whole seems like not enough so I like the way I do it where I tell you about each track individually. But if I see fit to write about just one song I intend to and in addition I would also do such with music videos. The only albums I can see myself speaking about as a whole is the Insane Clown Posse joker cards because those are concept albums with a very specific message from each album in addition to the messages of each song.
DeleteThat should be about everything
(Insert fake alias here)