Review: Plies-Da Realist
Houston-based, Shea Serrano, is a columnist for the Houston Press and Houston Magazine. He’s also written for the Village Voice, Filter Magazine, URB Magazine, Mental Floss Magazine, Texas Observer, Dallas Observer, and others. Unlike much of the blogosophere, he does not believe that Plies “Da Realist” derives its chief inspiration from Di Sica.
Plies, Florida’s 32 year-old snarl with a rapper hidden underneath, is nothing if not a work horse. Over the last sixteen months he’s released three(!) full length albums: The Real Testament (”Shawty” feat T-Pain), Definition of Real (”Bust it Baby Pt. 2″), and, most recently, Da REAList. (That’s three more than Q-Tip released between 2000 and 2008, in case you’re curious.) The immediate concern, then, becomes obvious: With an abundance of content created, will his message not wane in substance? The answer is a resounding “no.” Because Plies, despite what Vibe would have you believe, is shit.
His is a brainless brand of rap, mostly devoid of relevancy or coherent thought. His mouthy sound, which accomplishes a perpetual howling of verse even in its most discreet form, is effective -that point is inarguable. But too often it’s marginalized by bumbling attempts at elicit description (”Take your time gettin’ undressed, while I take the diamonds off my neck, ’cause I’m finna get in yo chest” –”Spend the Night”) or redundant Goon rhetoric. (See: Every song)
His want for lyricism is an impediment no number of auto-tuned Billboard-toppers can supplement –you can only rhyme “wet” with “undressed” so many times, you know. But Nielsen SoundScan will argue otherwise. Nielsen SoundScan will tell you that since its release last month, Da REAList has moved 114,000+ units. That’s the equivalent of selling 475,000,000 units in 1994, I assume. So, solely out of respect for his large listenership, the remainder of this review will respond in a manner more in line with the succinctness his fanbase requires.
Plies? Ham-fisted lyricist. Superfluous. Inordinate. Unoriginal. Hackneyed. Clichéd. Corny. Songs? Passe’. Repurposed. Shallow. Done to death. Examples? “Make a Movie.” Horn-driven. Jeezy rip-off. Ugh. “Me & My Goons.” Goons? Again? We get it. “Fuck U Gon’ Do Bout It.” Bravado? Again? We get it. “I Chase Paper.” Chasing paper? Again? We get it. Do you get it? “All Black.” Lush first 0:13. Trash last 4:01. “Pant’s Hang Low.” Better than Jibs, at least. “Family Straight.” Best song on album. Still unaffecting. 4 out of 10. Maybe. In it’s totality? Awful. Terrible. Wack. Lame. You get it? Best use for physical CD? Break in half. Stab in own face for buying.
You Weren’t Really Expecting Plies MP3‘s Were you?
Stumble It!
January 27th, 2009 at 3:29 am
Dayum.
Mind, I’ve never had to listen to this guy’s music for more than 3 minutes in a row, a whole Cd might induce suicide.
January 27th, 2009 at 5:57 am
Thus more proving my point that “All Eyez on Me” was the end of decent main stream hip hop for all intents and purposes. It seems that the young hip hop fan base jumps all over the newest douchebag, from whatever the hot new city is. (T-Pain, Paul Wall, Plies, etc.)
January 27th, 2009 at 7:13 am
The only thought I give this dude is if his name is pronounced “please” or “plys”. And even that gives me a headache.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:01 am
i disagree only on one point: jibbs’ greatest contribution to rap is somehow landing the beat for “king kong,” which probably would have been given to a better rapper if not jibbs, but whatever.
plies, on the other hand, kind of sets hip-hop back at least three years for even existing.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:06 am
I’m not sure why this post was necessary, usually reviews of bad albums are at least halfway funny to read and shit. It is a terrible album though.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:41 am
This review? Superfluous. Inordinate. Unoriginal. Hackneyed. Clichéd. Corny.
January 27th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
@ Noz: Man, I sat here for, like, at least five minutes trying to think of something way clever to be all “Face!” to you with. Totally choked. Plus, I saw that you’re currently listening to Crack (by Z-Ro), which was the best album to come out of Houston last year, so I have to assume you are of sound judgment. You win this round, sir.
Shea
January 27th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
“All Eyez on Me?” nah…if you’re gonna pick an album from that era to try and make that argument, might as well be “Life After Death.”
not trying to provoke a BIG/Pac tangent, just saying.
January 27th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Plies’ real name is Algernod. Good times.
January 28th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Two good Plies songs: “All Black,” “Kept It Too Real.” The rest… I don’tgetit.
January 28th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
What’s a “Plies?”
January 29th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Life after Death and All Eyez On Me were perfect examples of double albums that should have been one. For every Shorty Wanna Be A Thug, there was a What’s Ya Phone Number.