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Their are certain things that Canada are famous for such as hockey, great beer, and lenient marijuana laws, unfortunately rapping isn’t one of them. In fact the last Canadian rapper that happened to make it big, was MC Snow who rose to fame as a one hit wonder with his single, Informer, back in 1993. However, one group is trying to change all that, they are Dead Celebrity Status. Formed from the remnants of another semi-famous Canadian music outfit named Project Wyze, Yas Taalat and Bobby McIntosh teamed with the world famous Dj Dopey to create their debut album, Blood Music. Originally released independently back in 2004, the group joined up with Bodog Music to re-release the album in June of 2006.

Consisting of thirteen tracks, Blood Music is centrifuge of a wordplay, rap/rock, politics and social issues. Unknowingly you may have already heard The first single from the album We Fall, We Fall, which has accompanied a commercial for the BODOG Fight/mma campaign currently infesting your airwaves. Or you may have heard the sixth track “Messiah” which is prominently featured on the “XXX:State of the Union” film soundtrack. For those of you thinking back and finally clicking the songs in your head, yes…this is that group

One of the great characteristics that accompany the group is their ability to be diverse, and talk about many different subjects without sounding like they are trying to be diverse.

The first song on the album is the aforementioned We Fall, We Fall, the song details the mantra that music has become nothing more than conveyor belt rap. The ideology which preaches the fact that, your music is not important, it is your look and conforming to the latest trend that the Record company wants to put out. If you want to be famous, do this. This thinking can be clearly seen in The opening lyrics from “You wanna be a star, here’s a gimmick and a style, to mimic and free clothes to help redesign your image.” The added effect of children chanting the chorus, “We Fall, We Fall” helps highlight the message that is delivered lyrically by Bobby and Yas. Solid lyrically, and made more profound merely by incredible production, the track also happens to feature a guitar solo from former Janes Addiction rocker, Dave Navarro.

Highlighting the always emphasized issue of diversity amongst ‘the next’ track, you need not look further than the next song on the album “This Day and Age” which talks sternly about prejudice and stereotypes Yas (a Muslim) receives either personally or hatred experienced by Muslims on a Global plane. Appearing on the chorus is former HRM Recordings label mate Bif Naked. Only two tracks into the album, the heaviness of the group and their overall message is starting to appear vividly to me. The music is an open outlet for everything Dead Celebrity Status feels needs to be dealt with. The music may sound like Limp Bizkit, however the lyrical content screams John Lennon. Issues with government, stereotypes, and conforming are all familiar topics to the deceased music legend.

Songs such as “Walls Could Talk,” “Messiah,” all tell their own stories, and are all in their own right great songs, made better by a common usage (in some cases overusage) of wordplay, often consisting of using other Bands names, famous lines from famous songs, and album titles; examples include: “I’d rather have my pumpkin smashed by Billy Corgan” featured in Walls Could Talk, and “I’m the messiah, I’m anti-celebrity, I’m anti-war like John Lennon in the seventies. Dead celebs the movement, you’re the students. It’s time to change the world kids. Here’s the blueprint. Something smells like teen spirit, like the ghost of Kurt Kobain wrote these lyrics,” contained in the first few lines of “Messiah.”

The biggest turn off and turn on on the album are actually the same thing, there is certain times where you find yourself questioning, Do they even write anything of their own, or is it all about saying other bands names in a nifty way? However you answer that question, it is undeniable that in some cases it works, such as the entire content of the track, “In My Backyard” which contains lines such as: “I’m like a Bat Out of Hell, being pulled by Black Stallions. Waiting for Metallica to make another Black Album. Created a stone age cage, I’m fenced in. Watching doves cry in this purple rain that I’m drenched in. I’m having a green day, when I clash with the sounds. Now I’m a basketcase, until you come around. This world’s like a vortex trying to suck me in, I’m lucky to play the role of a drowning Jeff Buckley. I’m an OutKast in the state of Atliens, Now throw your hands in the air and do the Humpty!” Yeah we get it guys, you not only have a great ability in wordplay, but you also know the names and album titles of every band in the history of music, What no shout out to Mozart?

The Bottom Line: Dead Celebrity Status, is one of the most promising commodities to come out of Canada since Sidney Crosby (Hockey Reference). The characteristics that you will love them for, are the things that certain people will ultimately hate them for. It is undeniable that the music and production is great, and that the social, mental, and musical issues that the group talks about with such passion are also a highlight. However, the wordplay is ridiculous and yet amazing at the same time. If you are a fan of groups with a sound similar to Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, yet the lyrical content of a musical encyclopedia, DCS is a group you do not want to miss out on. Make sure you pick up the album, and check them out as they tour the country with FLH’s album of the year winner, Tech N9ne.

Tracklisting

1. Intro
2. We Fall We Fall
3. This Day and Age
4. Turn The Lights Off
5. Erica
6. Messiah
7. Walls Could Talk
8. While U Were Asleep
9. 5 Deadly Fingers
10. Back to 88
11. Someone I Once Knew
12. Back Yard
13. Blood Music

Websites

MySpace.com/DeadCelebrityStatus
MySpace.com/BodogMusic

Record Label:

• Bodog Music

Release Date:

• 06/27/2006

Reviewer:

• Kevin Dank