Happy 10th Anniversary to Guilty Simpson’s second studio album OJ Simpson, originally released May 18, 2010.
OJ Simpson is an overlooked creation by two top-notch artists in their respective fields. It’s a partnership between emcee Byron “Guilty” Simpson and Otis “Madlib” Jackson, Jr., and a surprisingly unusual one at that. When it was released 10 years ago, many didn’t know what to make of it.
Guilty Simpson first made himself known with an appearance on Jaylib’s Champion Sound (2003) and then on his debut album Ode to the Ghetto (2008), both released through the beloved Stones Throw Records. The Detroit born and bred artist elbowed his way into the game as a gruff-voiced verbal assassin, armed with rugged flows and street bona fides.
Madlib is, well, Madlib, an at times reclusive producer known for his innovative techniques and a career that spans nearly 30 years. The Oxnard, California native made his mark as a member of The Lootpack and through his partnerships with like-minded creative artists, such as the legendary J Dilla (for the aforementioned Jaylib project) and teamed with MF DOOM as Madvillain.
Though Madlib recorded his share of way-to-the-left musical projects that spanned many genres, he continued to record seemingly straightforward hip-hop releases as well. He produced the entirety of Strong Arm Steady’s In Search of Stoney Jackson, which was released early in 2010. Months later, he followed it up with OJ Simpson. It meshes both of Guilty and Madlib’s sensibilities, and the result feels like a Blaxploitation-fueled fever dream. As a whole, the album is in some ways a stranger concoction than either Quasimoto album.
You can’t really talk about OJ Simpson without addressing one of the prominent criticisms of the project, specifically the copious number of skits. Slightly under half of the album’s approximately 58-minute runtime is made up of these interludes.
And the result is…a lot. They’re all expertly constructed, as Madlib cobbles together many different samples from comedy albums, film dialogue, movie previews, and other commercials. But it can often feel like overkill, especially in cases where a three-minute “Prelude” is followed up by another introduction, or there are back-to-back “intermissions,” each running four and a half minutes and three minutes respectively.
However, the number of skits does not hamper the overall quality of the album. Madlib’s production is an integral part of setting the mood for the project and results in some of the best entries in Guilty’s discography.
As a lyricist, Guilty was beginning to hit his stride on OJ Simpson, continuing to prove that he was an indisputable talent. Artists like Roc Marciano and Ka are often given credit for influencing this latest flock of emcees focused on delivering no frills, rugged street shit, but Guilty Simpson is every bit as good. On this album, he’s in rare form and hitting with the power of “Black acid when I drop on paper.”
Guilty sets things off perfectly with the title track, where he attacks the mic over a propulsive keyboard sample with ferocity, rapping “OJ Simpson, pimpin’, I’m like Pippen / I left the Bull shit to rock it (Rocket) / Hall of fame slang is the topic.”
This is the general formula that much of OJ Simpson follows: Guilty drops two verses over mind-bending Madlib production. The songs themselves are all relatively short, few exceeding three minutes. “Hood Sentence” is a standout, as the sped-up jazz loop perfectly complements Guilty’s no nonsense flow. “Listen, do your research, my name rings bells on heavy block,” he raps. “You’re lame, your splash in the game was a belly-flop.”
“Coroner’s Music” is one my favorite songs released in the 2010s. There’s nothing particularly “different” about it—it’s just peak battle rap. Guilty “kick[s] that licorice flavor” type nastiness with Madlib looping a gothic keyboard sample that enhances the verbal slaughter. While Guilty “red dots the chests of these so-called hot prospects,” the utmost disdain for wack emcees courses through his voice. “Solar eclipses couldn't stop my shine,” he raps. “Trying to sabotage when I jot my rhymes / On a stone tablet, I use hammer and nails / Popping aspirin, the rap game is bamma as hell.”
Though Guilty is among the best at kicking underground raw shit, he’s equally skilled at chronicling hood life. On “Karma of a Kingpin,” he depicts the lives of hard rocks that he idolized during his younger years. He describes being infatuated with the material wealth flaunted by street hustlers in the streets of Detroit, without fully appreciating where it came from, and eventually understanding the consequences that came from living through extra-legal means.
On “Back On the Road Again,” he details the daily grind that’s required for achieving success as a blue-collar artist “struggling to get a few pennies,” especially the endless touring and weeks away from loved ones. “Chasing that dream,” he reflects. “I tell my lady it ain’t as fun as it seems.”
“Cali Hills” is a dedication to the legendary James Yancey a.k.a. J Dilla, a Detroit icon and one of the most talented producers to ever work behind the boards. Madlib crafts a beat that emulates Dilla’s unique production style, chopping sections from a Brazilian funk track. Guilty recounts his experiences with Jay Dee over the years, from the time that they first met to the final time that they saw each other. The song also serves as an oral history of Guilty’s breakthrough, culminating in him signing a deal with Stones Throw and “another win for the grimy.”
Guilty is joined by Strong Arm Steady’s Krondon and Phil Da Agony on “Outside,” the musical equivalent to a pier-six brawl. Madlib is at his gritty best, combining ominous strings with samples of fight scenes from various films. “What you going to do? Let’s see?” Guilty raps. “I turn your little house party into UFC / I turn your little house party into Beirut / And leave you in the arms of Jay-Seuss.” The song always makes me want to throw a brick through a window.
OJ Simpson ends with a string of pure lyrical exhibitions by Guilty, demonstrating his dexterity. As am emcee “Mic Check 313” is a standout, with Guilty dropping two potent verses over two unique Madlib compositions. On the first section of the song, Guilty professes that “over beats I’m cocoa leaf / I stand out yet remain so discreet” on a funk-laden guitar loop backed by subtle chimes. For the second half, Guilty comes “back for seconds with a Mac-11” over a more sinister groove, punctuated by threatening horns and pulsing keys.
OJ Simpson was the final release by Madlib on Stones Throw. Soon after, he migrated to his own label, Madlib Invazion, and began releasing the 13-part Madlib Medicine Show series. For Guilty Simpson, OJ Simpson was the end of his beginning as an artist, and the template for his future releases. Nearly all of his subsequent projects have been collaborations with one producer creating the beats. Guilty has excelled using this format and became one of the best artists of the 2010s.
A few years ago, Guilty spoke about the possibility of recording OJ Simpson II, but it’s never come to fruition. These days Madlib focuses on creating music with another member of the grimy brotherhood, Freddie Gibbs. Though, knowing Madlib, it’s always a possibility that he recorded the follow-up with Guilty years ago and he’s just sitting on it until he decides the time is right.
Fans of either artist should really appreciate OJ Simpson. Guilty has rarely sounded as good as he does laying down his blistering flows over Madlib’s surreal soundscapes. The album can be a challenging listen, but it’s well worth the effort.
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