E-Life
Eleven

It took fifteen years before we finally had ‘Eleven’

'Peep This': "It’s so funny how things can change, while using your talent. That is why I want to grab this chance"… "to give thanks and be thankful for what I've got. I know it ain’t much but it is mine. I got it."… "This is why you should be thankful for the shit we've been doing. Bringing the culture to the masses. So we’re thankful for your life. Cause this is Committee Guns kid, we came to shoot the shit up… Kankerlijer." E-Life

The most anticipated album in the Dutch HipHop history finally arrived at ART12: Eleven from E-Life. The record company Zomba Records had the wrong address so it took more days to come to us. I still cherish the memories of the first time I saw him perform with Dope Syndicate. It was in Eindhoven’s Effenaar venue as a support act for one of the two famous Ice Cube ‘Amerikkka Most Wanted Tour’ concerts in the Fatlands. He had a big ass Afro which turned out to be a wig. He had a contract with DJAX for two years but "Time was not ready" it took more then 15 years before we finally could catch him on vinyl. ‘Stacked With Honors’, in this song E-Life crowns himself as emperor of the Dutch HipHop scene according to the bio. Emperor? Well, there will be a lot of peeps who don’t want to recognize but who is going to take the title from him? "Got your demo tape as evidence". From all the many talented men and women who rocked back in the days to get themselves a name, E is the only one who took part and went through the whole Rotterdam versus Amsterdam wars and who is still rocking as a solo artist on vinyl. He is still on top of the game holding it down for the docks. It makes me glad to hear and see him and sad at the same time. Sad about all those who did not make it.

"I Thought you knew/HipHop ain’t a thing that you do, kid/ You're breathing, living and discuss it with your crew/ Those who know I salute. Spill some Heineken brew for Aita Crush and the Charming Crew"

RollaRocka: "Nigger made it!"

"Everything I did yesterday/ I do today/ only difference is this time I’m getting paid". In 1999 after fifteen years brothers can say, like Rollarocka in the track ‘In Doubt ‘99’: "Nigger made it!" Although the struggle continues. On the day I thought that it would be a good idea if some acts get together to join powers like the Wu did. That was the day when I saw for the first time ‘Gunman Committee’. It surprised me and I could feel a breeze coming up as the end of the silence before the storm. A storm which ART12 predicted. ‘Eleven’ starts of with 'It’s Been A Long Time'. E-Life brings an original sound, which reflects all that feelings from the wars fought in the many streets and all the moves danced on all the parties. "To all my niggers in the house who are making that loot/to all my bitches in the house who be taking that loot/ to all my brothers in the place who making ends meet/ to all my ladies in the place who support their own needs"

DJ Grasshopper cuts on a very short track: Grasshoppin’. DJ Grasshopper was one of the DJ’s E Grand performed with. His first DJ was DJ Raw Deal who moved to the States. For a long time he had a criminal scratching: DJ DCS and now it’s DJ Precise backing him up. For all the singles who came before the album you have to check the reviews, they're all there.

'Depression' is not a self-pity, having-the-blues type of song but a brag and boast to the most. If you're not used to the power of a battle rhyme you can get quite depressed. "They are trying to play on your ass/but they failed to realize that you're built to last". In general E drops tight lyrics. But dropping the line "I’m ultra like magnetic"? Nah mate, that is wack without a doubt. Also E-Life sometimes, uses a rhyme sound too long with makes the power of his flow less.

Swing your dingeling

Wooohaa, what moves your ass around is ‘The Game’ a top classy club track. If they choose to release this one as a single it would became a number one hit. The groove is moving and Manushka’s voice and flow have to turn you on in a split second. If ya don’t like it you never had talked that dirty shit and did hear a horny voice whispering in your ear. A pumping swing for the pumping thing. When I played the song to two other rappers, they both were not so pleased. They both had songs in the pipeline based on the same idea and style.

From the game ladies to daddies little girls: ‘TaMiSha’ is an ode to the little girls of E-Life, Sonny D and Anonymous Mis (Postmen). Hopefully these fathers break through the vicious circle of kids growing up in broken families with no fathers around. A devils tool terrorizing black families for too long.

'Life' is the last song on the album. A tight production in which you can hear a piano loop and guitar play taken/inspired from ‘Talking Heads’. With the piano loop you could even make the track more powerful, but than they would probably get sued the hell out of them.

One, two, three… nine, ten, eleven.

The title track puts down eleven bullets. "Politicians get the number one bullet/they see me as a second class citizen/ the mismanagement". And the second is a cop killer, no need for explanation. So on, till number eleven. "This rap game is dead serious/responsible for wars between rap lords/ eleven is the one that I keep for myself / The last bullet in my clip for when I’m crying for help. You can’t save me…"

AQ

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