Tracks:
01 - Nasty Ain't It? (Produced by J Dilla)
02 - Get It Started (Produced by Young RJ)
03 - My Old Label (Produced by J Dilla)
04 - Cold Steel feat. Elzhi (Produced by J Dilla)
05 - Danger feat T3 and Black Milk (Produced by Black Milk)
06 - Vessels feat. Truth Hurts (Produced by Nick Speed)
07 - Lovely feat. Melanie Rutherford (Produced by Young RJ)
08 - Cash Em Out feat. Loe Louis (Produced by Black Milk)
09 - Game Time (Produced by J Dilla)
10 - Survival Kit (Produced by Black Milk)
11 - Nightmare feat. Guilty Simpson (Produced by Nick Speed)
12 - Hard Enuff feat. Fat Ray (Produced by Black Milk)
13 - True Story Pt.2 (Produced by Young RJ)
14 - Don't Nobody Care About Us (Produced by J Dilla)
As one of Detroit's longest running and most respected emcees its a little surprising that Phat Kat, a.k.a. Ronnie Cash, hasn't had as much of an impact on a national level as some of his peers, but with the recent loss of J Dilla and Proof, and Eminem's so-called retirement, the mainstream Detroit hip-hop scene has suddenly became a lot less crowded. Already this year we have seen the emergence of upcoming stars like Black Milk and Guilty Simpson, but the Motor City has been crying out for someone with a wealth of experience in the game to take charge. So here we have it, Phat Kat's second solo album "Carte Blanche."
On "Carte Blanche" Phat Kat's lyrics are often as gritty and raw as his previous work (check "Cold Steel" and the album opener "Nasty Ain't It"), but from time to time Phat Kat shows his softer side too describing his love for curvy ladies and his international sexual conquests ("Lovely"), giving us an insight into his relationship with J Dilla ("True Story") and also offering us a journey into his own mind ("Nobody Care About Us"). Its clear Phat Kat knows how to vary an album. With hints of gangsta, conscious and even a hint of backpack there is something for everyone on this one.
Although he has never been afraid to criticize his home town, especially the local radio stations and industry insiders, Phat Kat has always been very passionate about Detroit and is dedicated to continuing the city's legacy, so its fitting that he uses the album as a platform for fellow Detroit artists and producers, something made easy by the full creative control he has over his projects over at Look Records. In fact, Phat Kat also blasts his former label on the superbly produced “My Old Label” (“My old label they don’t really want Kat to bubble/ Cuz they know me and my team plus green spells trouble/ Silver spoon suckas, y’all don’t want to meet in a struggle/ Cross my path, I’ll leave yo ass face-down in a puddle”).
Production on "Carte Blanche" is very strong thanks to stellar and original contributions from the late J Dilla and new comers Nick Speed, Young RJ and Black Milk. For the most part "Carte Blanche" sounds like it has come straight out of J Dilla's playbook, which isn't surprising as he did five of the tracks, with the rest mainly being notched up by his successors. Perhaps the most notable of these is Black Milk's killer production and sampling on "Cash 'Em Out." It's good to see producers like Black continuing Dilla’s legacy with new and innovative production rather than just imitating the formula. Fair enough there are a lot of snare drum beats, keyboard loops and sped up soul samples, but they all add something new without sounding like rehashes or cheap imitations. The remainder of the production from the likes Nick Speed also offers a little extra variety to the album too.
"Carte Blanche" is a shining example of what's good in hip-hop and is hopefully an indication of where Detroit Hip-Hop is going. We may have lost a few artists from the city in one way or another over the last year or two, but if artists like Black Milk and Phat Kat are going to step up and fill the void and we have this many talented producers coming through I’m sure few people will be losing sleep over the city's future in the grand scheme of Hip-Hop.
Hot Tracks:
"Nasty Ain't It?," "Cold Steel" feat Elzhi, "Lovely" feat. Melanie Rutherfood, "Cash Em Out" feat. Loe Louis
Verdict: 7/10
Artist: Phat Kat