Welcome to: Our house (LEAKED LINK INSIDE)

[Burnshen]

yes! every time i hear 'our house' i can imagine a movie-like music video. it would be so awesome if they did that

It's Shady Records. They won't

"YOU CANT BLAME ME FOR DREAMING, IM A DREAMER. AND IF IM COMING OFF BRASH PLEASE FORGIVE ME, BUT ITS ALL I WANT!"

"I JUST WANT A FUCKING OUR HOUSE MOVIE (THAT'S ALL I WANT)
AT THE SAME TIME I DOUBT THAT'D BE HAPP-EN-ING"

[Amaranthine]

yes! every time i hear 'our house' i can imagine a movie-like music video. it would be so awesome if they did that

It's Shady Records. They won't

Growing Up in The Gutter?

[ImANoob]

random question: i know slaughterhouse as a group is signed to shady but what about as individuals? for example, if crooked were to release a solo album, what label would it be on?

[Man1x]

yes! every time i hear 'our house' i can imagine a movie-like music video. it would be so awesome if they did that

It's Shady Records. They won't

Growing Up in The Gutter?

That was Yelawolf going rogue, not Shady.

Edit: I wonder if there'll be an iTunes bonus track? Also, when are the iTunes pre-orders going up? I'll buy a digital copy to show support, but it's not good enough for me to want a physical copy. I won't miss anything now that albums come with digital booklets.

[ImANoob]

thanks for the answers guys. just a random question that popped in my head.

[EminemBase]

After listening through the entire album many times, I'm thoroughly disappointed with the lack of Budden. Even though he was practically on every song, I feel as if his role was sacrificed a lot. He had a lot of split verses, which annoys me because when he was given the chance to do a full verse, he shut shit the fuck down.

I feel the same.

Budden is my favourite SH member and yet when I think back to the album (overall it's pretty meh to me), I can scarcely hear Budden's voice

He should have had a much better presence on the album.

They also should have all listened to what Budden was saying here, very closely. Watched this yesterday; major respect to Joe Budden, exactly what I've been trying to say for years and what I wish Em would think like: there is no formula! no rules. The canvas is blank!

[EminemBase]

After listening through the entire album many times, I'm thoroughly disappointed with the lack of Budden. Even though he was practically on every song, I feel as if his role was sacrificed a lot. He had a lot of split verses, which annoys me because when he was given the chance to do a full verse, he shut shit the fuck down.

I feel the same.

Budden is my favourite SH member and yet when I think back to the album (overall it's pretty meh to me), I can scarcely hear Budden's voice

He should have had a much better presence on the album.

They also should have all listened to what Budden was saying here, very closely. Watched this yesterday; major respect to Joe Budden, exactly what I've been trying to say for years and what I wish Em would think like: there is no formula! no rules. The canvas is blank!

Definitely. Big respects to Budden in that video, that's what we fuckin' need! I feel like Em was like that with Hell: The Sequel, when him and Royce were both like "Fuck it".

But damn...I do feel a bit starved of Budden on his album, maybe that's why he has seemed a bit...disappointed with this album, from what I've heard, at least. His verse on "Die" makes me wanna beat the shit out of someone.

Joe actually sounds like a great mentor.

Budden has seemed disappointed with it?

[Amaranthine]

https://twitter.com/JoeBudden

You can check for yourself, Menzo.

It won't let me load his timeline past 16 hours ago for some reason, or I'd check myself. I don't remember seing anything like that though, just him saying how WT:OH has crazy bars and he teared up during one of the songs.

[Willy]

After listening through the entire album many times, I'm thoroughly disappointed with the lack of Budden. Even though he was practically on every song, I feel as if his role was sacrificed a lot. He had a lot of split verses, which annoys me because when he was given the chance to do a full verse, he shut shit the fuck down.

I feel the same.

Budden is my favourite SH member and yet when I think back to the album (overall it's pretty meh to me), I can scarcely hear Budden's voice

He should have had a much better presence on the album.

They also should have all listened to what Budden was saying here, very closely. Watched this yesterday; major respect to Joe Budden, exactly what I've been trying to say for years and what I wish Em would think like: there is no formula! no rules. The canvas is blank!

Oh wow. Awesome. I wish I had friends that I could debate with about hip hop like that.. they are all into hard rock tho. Fuck! Anyways, Joell seems like a great dude, but he has a completely fucked view on rap. It's not about who is putting in more work on a song, sticking to a set formula, or catering to an audience.. it's about creating fucking art. Joe seems to completely get it.

Do whatever YOU want to do because YOU are the artist. There are no limits to a song except the limits YOU create. You are going to compromise lyrics every single time you write a track and force yourself to hit an arbitrary standard of 16 bars if you have more or less to say, it's so stupid. Determine what you want to get across with your lyrics, and write until you feel like you have achieved that. No more, no less. If you don't have a point, you are probably writing really shallow stupid shit, so it doesn't really matter because I won't be fuckin' with your shit anyways.

Really interesting video though. Joey is definitely my favorite from Slaughterhouse and I wonder how he feels about the album.

[master360]

random question: i know slaughterhouse as a group is signed to shady but what about as individuals? for example, if crooked were to release a solo album, what label would it be on?

also Royce.

[Amaranthine]

Another review. This one gave it 4.5/5.

To say that die hard hip hop heads have been anticipating the release of Slaughterhouse’s Shady Records debut, Welcome to: Our House, for a while now would be a gross understatement. It would be even more ridiculous to say that all the hype it’s generated since their January 2011 announcement to sign with Eminem’s label was underserved. While their official group catalog is extremely limited (consisting of only one album, which saw little retail success, a promo mix tape earlier this month, and some assorted singles and freestyles), each member of the collective has a well-established track record of – for lack of a better word – “slaughtering” any beat they hopped on.

As a group of four of the most accomplished, respected, and traditional lyricists in the industry today (Royce Da 5’9”, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, and Joe Budden), many have predicted that the release of the long awaited, big budget Slaughterhouse album would be a breath of fresh air in the current rap climate – focused more on brutal wordplay and verbal dexterity than the now standard flashy production and lazy, yet passable punch lines. Some of the group’s more vocal fans have put the project on an even greater pedestal, seemingly stating that it might even help return hip hop to what some consider the “glory days” of the art form – complete with chyphers, legitimate freestyles, and a noticeable lack of skinny jeans.

Well…with the album’s impending Tuesday release, it’s definitely tough to say those fans, at least the more closed minded ones, are going to be happy at all. In fact, this writer is willing to bet that some will be very loudly disappointed. They’ll probably say that this one was obviously meant for the “mainstream”, the group “sold out”, and that Em ruined Slaughterhouse. While they’d be right to right to say that this project’s sound is far removed from a lot of each group member’s musical past, they’d definitely be wrong to dismiss their present or future.

Make no mistake. This album is not the gritty street-themed pure lyrical display that Slaughterhouse’s members have become known for. It isn’t the “throwback” that a lot hoped for. There were definitely some concessions made in order to give this one some broader fan appeal on the modern musical landscape. But, don’t for a second think that it isn’t a great album either.

Lyrically, this is without a doubt one of the most impressive raw hip hop projects of the year so far. Outside of some of “underground” (El-P, Aesop Rock, Ab-Soul, Etc.) work and Nas’s new album, it’s hard to think of any major commercially released album this year that is as potent lyrically as Welcome to: Our House. We definitely get each rapper’s now signature technical style throughout – Royce’s tenacious double time rhyming, Joe Budden’s blunt but undeniable flow, Joell Ortiz’s versatile and deceptively deep lyricism, and Crooked I’s wild and unpredictable obvious West Coast influence. I’d list a few lines here to prove that each of these guys brings their A-game, at least technically, but the project is literally so dense with impressive rhymes that it’d be criminal to single them out.

However, where I’m sure many of the group’s older fans will find an issue, is with the overall lyrical substance and approach. While there are definitely a few of the hard-nosed “street” inspired exchanges that a lot of the group’s previous work has included, there is an obvious difference in the content on this album, and most of their older stuff. Some of that change involves a more positive message (which has been present at times with Joell Ortiz in the past), like on “The Other Side” or “Goodbye”. It’s going to be hard to understand anyone who will criticize these types of changes.

But, on the other side of the coin, some of the “new look” Slaughterhouse is taking on seems like it’s going to receive a far from pleasant reaction from certain fans. On tracks like “Throw That”, “Frat House”, and “Asylum” (two of which feature Eminem) the group comes with a slapstick, almost comedic, approach – which is probably the last thing that any one except the most cynical hip hop heads would have expected. Delivery aside, if the style had to be compared to anything out already, it would be the often-criticized Relapse- era Eminem (or not so criticized Kool Keith before him, but that’s another story completely…).

While the masses will probably enjoy the more upbeat, light hearted, and party-centric vibe the group brings, Slaughterhouse’s existing fan base is more than likely going to be alienated by it. As a reviewer who does his best to see the music from every possible angle, I have to say that the more “wacky” moments on this one are a ton of fun, and in comparison to a lot of modern hip hop, great listens. But, it’s definitely understandable if some of the group’s die hard fans are less than happy with some of the stylistic choices.

Production wise, this album is one of the most varied and impressive experiences the year has to offer so far – hands down, no questions asked. With producer credits that boast names like J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Boi-1nda, No I.D., T-Minus, Hit-Boy, AraabMuzik, and Kane Beatz, that should be expected though. However, again, a lot of what’s offered here is far from what the die-hards probably expected, or wanted to hear.

It’s obviously much more radio-friendly and “flashy” than 99% of what we’re used to hearing these guys spit over, especially (and maybe not surprisingly) on the poppish “My Life (feat. Cee-Lo)” and B.o.B dominated “Place to Be”. The result is an album that focuses much less on the pure lyricism that many hip hop heads have come to these artists to for years now, than could be considered ideal. That is a problem that’s hard to defend though. It definitely puts the MCs in the “background” of tracks at times, which isn’t an easy-to-defend decision, at all, when you’re talking about these guys.

However, based on the strengths of the instrumentals alone, and ignoring the fact that they take away from the tenacious lyricism many wanted, there are more than a few bona-fide “bangers” here. “Flip a Bird” and “Walk of Shame” are definitely a bit outside of the traditional hip hop box, but both of them might be among the ten best beats to come out this year. Luckily, there are some more subdued, and well put-together tracks that allow the lyricism to shine through 100% too, like “Our Way” and “Our House“

Overall, Welcome to: Our House, will easily fall somewhere in the top ten hip hop releases of the year, even with a healthy amount of contenders still to drop. Each MC comes as advertised, and it’s great to hear so much of what could be reasonably called the “lost art” of traditional lyricism, especially in such a commercially driven project.

However, with all the praise and success it’s about to earn, it’s probably going to cause just as much controversy among hip hop’s diehard fans, and understandably so. It admittedly isn’t “Old Slaugherhouse”, or Joe Budden, Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, or Royce – and some are going to find fault with it purely because of that. But, what is here is probably going to be embraced by the average music fan in a big way, and it should (key word – should) be by all but the most close-minded percentage of their old fan base too.

Source

[EminemBase]

^ 4.5/5? man, they have very low standards IMO. I realize that makes me sound a bit arrogant and ignorant to subjective interpretation but 4.5/5? given the amount of generic compromise and formatting of many of these songs; and the lack of any really worthwhile concepts or ideas... I'm just amazed somebody can give THIS album a near perfect rating.

It's not a bad album but, NEAR PERFECT? No way.

Personally I'd give the album 3/5. It's not bad, it's not great; it's average. And yes I know calling it average might seem a little provocative given the caliber of lyricism as some may argue but to be honest; I'd like people to show me the caliber of lyricism here as beyond a handful of lines from either of them.. most of the verses are forgettable; and I've heard better from all of them.

None of the verses truly stood out for me, neither did any of the concepts or song directions; some of the verses are even potentially interchangeable and there's a lot of weak lines and lazy writing (especially Royce). I'm just amazed they had all this time and it's all they come up with.

The two major highlights of the album for me are "Flip a Bird" and "Frat House" (which, omfg should have been the FIRST single; with an amazing video) - the singles blend surprisingly well, especially "Throw It Away" which I initially hated, but it now seems to at least fit the album; "Hammer Dance" sounds a little out of place sonically for me though. Probably because the beat is so clear and defined and the rest is often a lot of loud, clashy, noisy shit.

Even those two songs I mentioned though, they're interesting, and they're good; but they're 'just songs'. I mean, on a classic or even a GREAT (which this album is not to me, and certainly not what some are pretending it is) album has at least one or a few STONE-COLD-AMAZING songs which glue the album together, and this album doesn't have any. The songs range from average to good/great, but the content of the songs and (presentation of...) the ideas is very generic; there's nothing truly noteworthy or new here. So yeah, for me, 3/5. 4.5/5 aka near perfect... I think that's crazy.

Also, I read that review; and the rating isn't even consistent with the editor's words. That review is more a justification of the problems (or perceived problems) with the album, and a justification for SH broadening every aspect about themselves to try and shift units. That review looks paid for lmao; it's like he knows people will dislike the album for x reasons, and he almost agrees, but is trying to pretend to himself it's good because SH have made it. I keep seeing SH fans do that too - just because you want SH to succeed, and they want to succeed; doesn't mean that subpar, generic material (aimed at a mass demographic) is excused or suddenly good just because they weren't creative enough to succeed with something groundbreaking.

I keep seeing rap fans justify generic material by way of "oh / they have to make a few hits man!" / well you know what the legends did? they didn't make their songs sound like current hits, they created their own sound, and their sound became the hit. The reason the SH singles flopped is because people can smell foul, it's an obvious ploy, it's fake. How about doing something mind-blowing, where is the ambition to create classic, never-before-thought-of material now instead of just conforming or conforming with a 'slight change' and justifying it as 'hustling'. Lame.

[Eedee]

This album got me through a 6 hour car ride to my college.

Thank you Slaughterhouse (and Em). Thank you.

[Blu]

Just made this out of boredom.

[Shady-Yo]

But damn...I do feel a bit starved of Budden on his album, maybe that's why he has seemed a bit...disappointed with this album, from what I've heard, at least

What? Budden in one of the interviews said that it wouldn't be a problem for him to call this album 'one of the best ever' in hip-hop.