The music industry is a cruel mistress; caring not about race, age, gender or talent. One minute you could be basking in the warm glow of mainstream adulation and the next you could be cast aside like yesterday’s newspaper.
Euphemisms aside, Grand Daddy IU was one of the fresh faces on the revered Warner Brothers distributed Cold Chillin’ label in the early 1990s. His witty battle rhymes and smooth operator persona left an impression on the industry following the release of the mostly entertaining Smooth Assassin in 1991, including the sizable hit Suga Free (later interpolated by Cam’Ron in 2004). Unfortunately by the time his 1994 follow-up Lead Pipe was released the industry landscape had changed considerably and didn’t appear as receptive to IU’s brand of Hip Hop as they were some three years earlier.
In his time away from the industry, Grand Daddy IU has earned an almost iconic folklore reputation with his past work being discovered by a new generation of listeners, while making occasional guest appearances on independent releases. Sixteen years on from his classic debut IU hits the scene once again with Stick To The Script.
Abandoning the somewhat violent Gangsta Rap-inspired musings of Lead Pipe, Grand Daddy IU returns to his boom-bap roots on cuts like the triumphant and suitably braggadocios Da Veteran, enlightening the current audience as to what era he came from, targeting rappers that “dress like hoes in colorful tight clothes”. The Beach Boys sampling beat from Marco Polo adds the required bump to Grand Daddy’s boasts.
Accompanied by fellow ‘Golden Era’ icon Large Professor on the production tip, the Smooth Assassin harks back to his debut and lives up to his nickname with the explanatory Mack Of Da Year. Grand Daddy IU’s verbal proficiency is displayed to best effect on the inspirational anthem Ghetto Blues. The Digital Underground-era 2Pac verse on the track, while being appropriate to the subject matter, comes off as a little random and out of place though.
Luckily, the Grand Daddy is able to deliver more sensitive material on Stick To The Script while still maintaining a straight-up Hip Hop core. This is best displayed on tracks like the personal Regrets, where he examines the ups and downs of his life. He explains: “I been broke, been locked up and lost/I live for today and let fate take its course”. IU also reminisces on his younger days on the beatbox-flavored Back In Da Dayz, along with the fantastically named DV Alias Khryst and Felicia Renee.
The album contains no real blunders, but at the same time it has its share of less than desirable moments, which hold the album back from reaching a wider audience and becoming a truly notable release. While it possesses a decent enough beat, Take Your Clothes Off ends up being nothing more than a half-baked pseudo ladies man anthem. Although the subject matter and lyrical content fare a little better on 1 In Da Morning, it still comes off as a mediocre track, which could have been left on the cutting room floor. The occasionally outdated flows and punchlines peppered throughout the album also don’t do IU any favors, most notably on East Coast Overdose.
After being away from the game for so long it would have been easy for Grand Daddy IU to falter. Luckily he has more than enough foresight and talent to persevere. It is always going to be an unenviable task when an artist with previous success attempts to make a comeback, trying to live up to their past work while still staying current. While it doesn’t reach the heights of Smooth Assassin or even Lead Pipe, Stick To The Script is an admirable effort. Next time around though, he may want to apply the old adage of keeping it short and sweet, excluding the unnecessary excess material.
Available Through Steady Flow Enterprises
