Prolyphic & Reanimator - The Ugly Truth (2008)

Prolyphic & Reanimator - The Ugly Truth (2008)

What do rappers like Dalek, Sage Francis, and Sole have in common? Chances are, if you've heard an album by either of those artists, then you've pretty much heard everything that The Ugly Truth has to offer. This album has trouble escaping mediocrity, though it's probably not so much the fault of Prolyphic's rhyme skills or Reanimator's beats. Well...on second thought, perhaps it is. Don't get me wrong, they're talented dudes. Reanimator really shines with the production; it's well done, consistently interesting, and sets the mood effectively, giving the album a really gritty, almost futuristic street feel. Prolyphic's rhymes take a backseat, but are still solid. I was at first a little turned off by how his nasally voice sometimes resembles Eminem, until I reminded myself that, even though Eminem is a lot of bad things, he is not a bad rapper, so resembling him in this aspect isn't necessarily terrible.

The major beef I have with The Ugly Truth is that I'm just personally so sick of this apocalyptic, dystopian rap shit. I can tolerate commonly revisited topics in hip hop at times, but Prolyphic just doesn't do enough to make me care what he has to say about those topics. I'm more interested in rappers who have a little bit of fun with the music. Not the mainstream party rap, make up a new dance and talk about women and bling kind of fun, but more in the way that they can find other topics to speak about other than the things in the world that suck. There are a few light moments; "Dick & Jane" comes to mind...if you don't pay much attention to the lyrics of course, but that's about it. In hindsight, I suppose the title of the album should've tipped me off.

Other artists have done this style better, and listening to those other artists reveals that the role The Ugly Truth wants to play has already been filled several times over. I personally don't feel there's enough about this album that's different or interesting. But hell, if in 2008 you're still looking for that perfect rap album that offers a bleak view of the world and the state of hip hop, and you've somehow missed out on the tons of albums of that nature that came before this, then by all means, buy this. You won't be disappointed.

Score: 5/10


"Ugly Truth"


"On The Side"