Ta'Raach and the Lovelution

It's good finally to hear an LP from Cali-via-Detroit hip-hop darling Ta'Raach, who has been stuck in "next to blow up" status for, well, the bulk of his life. While rapping under the name Lacks in the late '90s, he helped start a makeshift group called the Breakfast Club with...

By Jonathan Cunningham

February 1, 2007

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

It's good finally to hear an LP from Cali-via-Detroit hip-hop darling Ta'Raach, who has been stuck in "next to blow up" status for, well, the bulk of his life. While rapping under the name Lacks in the late '90s, he helped start a makeshift group called the Breakfast Club with soul singer Dwele, Big Tone, Elzhi of Slum Village, and Waajeed of Platinum Pied Pipers — all of whom had subsequently scored major record deals. While Ta'Raach waited for his own moment, he remixed, rhymed, or crafted beats for J Dilla, Carl Craig, and Amp Fiddler, to name a few. This week, Ta'Raach and the motley crew Lovelution released their long-awaited debut album, The Fevers, which is getting well-deserved love in scores of glossy music rags. Ta'Raach wastes no time on the record, spitting hot shit so that listeners know why he's the head Negro in charge. His deadpan cadence and blunt approach to MCing on tracks like "The Big Bang Theory" and "F#@kin' Round" help breathe life back into the dying genre of hip-hop. There are also neck-jarring drum patterns and practically cinematic production here that carries the album, even during the moments when some of the MCs stumble lyrically. The song "Hey!" is the album's finest moment, but the beat on "Merci Me Lord" is arguing against me right now.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, New Times Broward-Palm Beach has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.