P Smoov and Rik Rude of Fresh Espresso are the guys you would most want to party with and the guys whom you would never trust around your girl. This social quagmire could certainly create some problems on a Saturday night, especially if your lady isn’t looking to be left home alone while you’re out carousing with the two guys who are quickly becoming the hottest hip-hop act in the city. Curiously, the social contradiction also mirrors my relationship with their debut album, Glamour: I simultaneously love and hate it. Read on to understand why…
The Hate Side
I think Fresh Espresso are a couple of posers. There, I said it. In their live shows, they own the stage like real rock stars, which (presumably) affords them the affinities of many women. And, while they may be taking said groupies out for a nice steak dinner after the show, their music would have you believe they can afford Filet Mignon at El Gaucho, when, in reality, it’s probably more like a nice sirloin at The Keg.
Which begs the question: Are they keeping it real?
The answer: Sometimes. Maybe. I think.
On one track, P Smoov isn’t ashamed to declare that he’s been homeless and had to resort to selling his mattress to pay the bills, yet on most others, he’s shooting off “Diamond Pistols” and riding in fast cars with topless women, presumably on his way down the California coast to a beach house somewhere in Malibu. These worlds are in direct contradiction to each other, yet this crew exists in both. I expected some tongue-in-cheek/nudge-nudge-type lyrical musings to offset all the Diamond Life talk, but there’s none of that. We’re allowed to believe they somehow have it both ways. Oh well, maybe there’s a simple explanation, like Rik Rude’s side hustle is investment banking or something.
The Love Side
These dudes are supremely talented, and they’ve created what might be, to date, the most mainstream-friendly rap album to emerge from Seattle. It’s an unapologetic slap in the face to the other section of 206 hip-hop that would prefer to remain progressive and conscious, a huge above-ground guilty-pleasure for a hip-hop fan like me who tends to spend most of his time underground.
Smoov’s production is incredibly glossy, the aural equivalent of what the lips on one of his groupie’s might look like. Some of the tracks are busy and over-produced (“The Lazerbeams,” “Vader Rap”) while others are just right (“Elegant,” “All Around The World”), but the majority of the album is top-shelf, high quality hip-pop, music you’d expect to hear on a rap album with mass-market appeal. On the boards, P Smoov is definitely not a faker or an amateur, he’s an absolute pro, and it shows.
Rap-wise, both Espresso boys have confidence and swagger for days, and both are competent on the mic. Rik Rude, who handles most of the rapping, is a seasoned emcee and his stream-of-conscious flow fits nicely over P’s slick beats. Sometimes, however, he sounds tongue-tied, like maybe he didn’t loosen-up his chops with enough Hey-Now-Brown-Cows before stepping into the booth. P Smoov actually holds his own alongside Rik. His high-pitched flow is natural and engaging, and often he’s more interesting to listen to than his partner.
Back To The Hate
Unfortunately, lyrically, there’s not much substance here. It’s mostly talk about women, sex, haters, women, coming up in the rap game, fast cars, and women. This crew will not be encouraging us to vote for a particular mayoral candidate and a lot of what comes out of their mouths is just hot air. But then, so is a lot of good party music.
And Back To The Love
My final analysis is, you need to own this album. If not for the quality of music, then for the “f*ck you, pay me” statement it makes to all other major urban centers across the country that produce the majority of popular hip-hop. This album proves that Seattle is more than backpacks and Birkenstocks, REI and snowboards. We can be cocky, too, see. Even if it takes a group like Fresh Espresso to blow some hot air up your ass to prove it.
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 
I think that a lot of people tend to get caught up with the whole “Keeping It Real” dilemma. Honestly, you don’t call out your favorite fiction author for making up things and if you look at other artists such as Prodigy of Mobb Deep, they are able to weave intracate street tales that are deep lyrically and we are able to appreciate regardless of whether or not they are based in reality. The same goes for most of Atmosphere’s last studio album and most rock groups (I swear, most of the Killers’ lyrics are pure rable).
As far as Seattle being defined by conscious rap, birkenstocks, REI, and snowboards, I feel as though it crippling to the hip hop scene to define 206 hip hop as this one form of rap (and as a born and bred Seattlelite and human being, I hate being stereotyped). I think that, though Seattle hip hop owes its resurgence to the conscious hip hop group Blue Scholars, it is a great thing for the local scene to see a diversification of hip hop music with groups like FE, The Physics, and Dyme Def.
Just my thoughts though. Interesting Article.
That’s just the thing — all great art is “based in reality”. Great works of fiction all contain an element of truth, even great science fiction, a genre that is just hyper-imaginative allegory for real life (a perfect example of that is Watchmen). If fiction literature didn’t contain seeds of truth, there would be no audience in which to take root because there would be nothing for its readers to relate to.
When it comes to both prose and song lyrics, there is a huge difference between “based in reality” and just “making things up”. Prodigy is able to tell a story about life in Queens better and more honestly than I would because he grew up there. Maybe he didn’t take part in the extreme violence that he talks about on his records, or maybe he did, it doesn’t really matter. The point is that I would truly have to “make things up” in order to write a song about life in the QB housing projects, but Prodigy doesn’t because his lyrics are “based in reality”.
You rightfully bring up a sensitive topic: the Keeping It Real Dilemma. And it certainly is a major dilemma. I suppose we all react differently to bullsh*t when we hear it on record. The reason I called Fresh Espresso out on their contradictory subject matter, is the same reason I find it funny whenever I listen to a newer Ice Cube song. Dude is not a gangster anymore, but he still raps about being one. Granted, Cube may be a poor example because he’s definitely earned the right to say whatever the hell he wants, but my point is that his late-career gangsterisms ring hollow now that he’s starring in movies like “Are We There Yet?” Same goes for P Smoov and Rik Rude. We all know they’re self-admitted starving artists, so why do they also rhyme about packing “Diamond Pistols” and living large.
I’m definitely not telling them what they can and can’t rap about, that would be unconstitutional and plain idiotic. I’m just saying that I think their lyrics (and resultant personas on their records) are often completely incongruous. But don’t get me wrong, that won’t stop me from bumping and promoting their sh*t! (Even if P Smoov has blocked me from his Twitter feeds!)
Thanks for your thoughts, BTW, I appreciate it!
– 206-UP!
I think it is clear and concise. How is it keeping it real, when they have a song about driving & having “fast cars” when they don’t even own one?! It’s a complete fabricated story. So they shouldn’t get butthurt when someone criticizes their music that they “take so seriously”. They would be better suited to keep it real by making a remix to Blue Scholar’s “Joe Metro” when they take the bus to work everyday. That’s real talk.