Feels Like Hip Hop - Marco Polo

Marco Polo: Nostalgia feat. Masta Ace & Go Around feat. Buckshot
taken from Port Authority (Rawkus/Soulspazm, 2007)

So here it is. After building up a significant amount of expectation and wild hopes for what 'Port Authority' may deliver musically as well as what it may represent in terms of hip hop culture in wider terms, it is now in my hands, in heavy rotation and awaiting dissection. I purposefully resisted the temptation to download an advance copy of Marco Polo's much hyped solo debut in an attempt to recapture what I love about buying music in the first place: although 'previewing' records is a true joy of our digital age, there is nothing quite like buying something that you have been eagerly anticipating and are yet to hear, strolling home with a skip in your step (unfortunately this came directly from Amazon...) and unleashing it for that all important first listen where you begin to form your initial impressions and poise yourself for debate with like-minded friends in the near future. Ultimately, I was hoping that 'Port Authority' would give me that elusive buzz that is reluctantly fading in my memory as I grow older and increasingly cynical in my approach to music. So, has it managed it? Although this may not be a truly great album in musical terms alone, there is something special about this release that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and for that reason if nothing else, I'm rapidly falling in love with it: here's why.

Let's start with the music. 'Nostalgia' has been my tune of choice for well over a month now, and as one of the leading cuts from the album, it couldn't have come much better. I love everything about this song: the beat, Masta Ace's sensational vocal performance, the wonderfully crafted scratch chorus section that reeks of hip hop's boom bap era and the video all contribute towards making what I believe is one of the best single hip hop tracks since the dawn of the new millenium. Every time I listen to this cut it gets better, and at the moment I simply can't get enough of it (I've already killed it for my girlfriend). But let's not get carried away. This is only one small element on an eighteen track release, and it would be a fallacy to let the greatness of this song alone cloud a judgement of the album as a whole. Do, however, treat yourself to the video:



Fortunately, there are other standouts here to savour. The soulful horns and downtempo pace of 'Go Around' make it one of the album's most successful cuts, with Buckshot's lyrical delivery supplemented by Tek and Steele's chorus adlibs ('Bucktown!'): it's a banger that recalls the Boot Camp sound of the early to mid '90s with great success. It certainly helps that I'm a big fan of O.C., but 'Marquee' is also one of my initial favourites, with Omar Credle encouraging the listener to 'get lost in the moment [as] this is feel good music', a fitting description of the track and indeed of 'Port Authority' as a whole. I know that people front on Large Pro's mic skills, but I also really enjoy 'The Radar' which additionally features some incredible scratching by turntable veteran DJ Revolution and even comes complete with its own Pete Rock style beat skit as the track fades out to make way for the bouncy 'All My Love'. These sort of reminiscent touches litter the album, recapturing the boom bap spirit of old with style and serious flava.

Somewhat expectedly, there are some throwaway cuts as well. Tracks such as 'Low Budget' and 'Heat' aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they lack punch and are easily forgettable. Marco's cover of 'Electric Relaxation' also feels like a bit of a waste of time for me, and he even acknowledges in the liner notes the potential difficulties that lie in 're-making a classic'. Although it's an enjoyable rendition and continues to tie the album's music in with the latter stages of hip hop's golden era, you're left asking what we really gain from it: it's never going to be as good as the original, and doesn't deviate away from one of Tribe's finest moments enough to warrant its existence. Still, it's hard not to appreciate the sentiment, and although the track's success is limited, I'm not going to front on Marco for its inclusion on one of the most consistent releases of recent times.

So what does this album represent in terms of the culture as a whole? For me, there are three key issues that 'Port Authority' raises in relation to the genre's existence in 2007. Firstly, in a world that is now dominated by the presence of the MC, the album contributes to the shift back to producer-led efforts where overall consistency is distinctly more viable than on the fifteen track/five producer efforts that we have grown accustomed to over the last decade and a half or so. Don't get me wrong, Marco is by no means the first person to do this is recent memory (Dilla probably being the most prominent example), but this is a prime demonstration of a producer based effort that straddles the line between the underground and commercial viability, and which is also genuinely worthy of praise. The beatmaker is back firmly in the limelight: MCs out there, you'd best beware...

Secondly, 'Port Authority' recalls Rawkus' successes towards the end of the '90s, and although the label has a long way to go before it reaches its previous status as the number one choice for those artists who are keen to represent themselves as genuinely 'keeping it real', there is a hope generated by 'Port Authority' that Rawkus may yet recover from its demise around the turn of the century and deliver some material of serious quality in the future (last year's Kidz In The Hall joint wasn't too shabby either). Hip hop is in desperate need of a reliable and consistent label where the stamp on the back of new releases actually means something: perhaps Rawkus has got the ability to do so once again.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this album fits into a growing movement of 'throwback rap' that is beginning to gain real momentum, with artists drawing heavily on essential elements of the music from the past and updating it for a contemporary audience. Some may criticise 'Port Authority' for offering nothing new to the genre, labelling it a pastiche of hip hop from a forgotten era, but I find this attempted rejuvenation of the music encouraging and refreshing. In times of trauma, it is no surprise that we are looking back in an attempt to inform the future, and as a certified mid '90s head, I can only hope that this trend continues with increasing vigour.

Ultimately, I'm willing to forgive this album's shortcomings because it represents something sadly lacking from today's hip hop scene: passion. There is a sense with this release that it is made by someone who genuinely loves hip hop and who wants to stay true to an essence of days that are now sadly fading into obscurity. It is made by a fan, for the consumption of similarly like-minded individuals who miss the heady days of the early '90s. With its host of big name guest appearances and clear reliance on boom bap influences, there is a purity to 'Port Authority' that is infectious. I can only hope that we see more albums like this in the future: Marco Polo has managed to pay homage to the past in a fresh (cough) and engaging manner that hints towards a resurgence of the culture in the wake of its proclamation as 'dead'. Or perhaps I'm just getting carried away... get yourself a copy and decide for yourself: I believe that 'Port Authority' is the finest album of the year so far.

Links to check out:
Marco Polo interview
Marco Polo's website
Marco Polo's MySpace