Housing Authority Rap District, the hardcore super duo also known as HARD, consisting of Joell Ortiz and KXNG CROOKED, are back with their fourth and final LP. Both had notorious label issues at the beginning of their careers, but found success as members of the supergroup Slaughterhouse from the late 2000s to the mid-2010s, along with Royce da 5’9″ and Joe Budden. The quartet quietly disbanded in 2016 after Joe retired from the music industry, and although the news wasn’t confirmed until two years later, the other three members have been keeping busy ever since. A few months into the pandemic, HARD launched. An incredible self-titled debut EP and two full-length albums: The Rise and Fall of Slaughterhouse and Harbor City Their second EP JFKLAX and third LP Prosper received a tepid response, but were last seen on Tapestry. Reunion.
After the intro, the first song “Born” starts us off with an angelic sample talking about how they are all children of heaven, while the soulful trap joint “Rap Music” tells us that hip hop culture saved their lives. “Here I Am” speaks to them about life as death is on the tongue in this gospel flip, while “Holiday” blissfully explains how abundant harvests help their people avoid starvation.
“No Choice” seriously started playing game after game without any options, and they went into “parental counseling” talking full-on about doing it all so that their hometowns of Brooklyn and Long Beach could now eat. “How Y’all Feel” pushes forward with energy that wants to know exactly how the crowd outside is feeling, but “Fall Down” has an aggressive trap flare that gets them back on their feet when they’re down.
The sampling in “Thorazine” is absolutely elegant start to finish, creating something beautiful out of straight-up horror scenes, while “Minecraft” brings back the kick and snare drums, inviting everyone into their world. “Yachts” calmly discusses being left unable to feel the hardship because it’s all ocean, and the last song before the finale, “Broadwalk & Park Place,” pours their hearts out, describing the place where they’re stuck in the middle.
I sincerely think that if these guys stuck with one producer for the entirety of another project like The Heatmakerz, they would give us their best work since their self-titled EP or full-length debut album . Still: the material they gave us starting with Harbor City is still very accessible, and Tapestry happens to be a solid conclusion to HARD’s run. The production is a balance of Boom Bap and Trap, so both MCs represent East and West.
Score: 7/10
