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| by kenn on 4/22/2005 04:41:00 PM |
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534:Update
Source:CM
 We’re going back. Back to the essence of what makes an artist who he is. Back to the source, back to Brooklyn, back to Marcy. Memphis Bleek is taking us back to building 534.Nice cover, lol.
The long-time Roc-A-Fella lieutenant returns with his fourth album, 534, named in honor of the place that formed him. Featuring production by Swizz Beats,  Just Blaze and underground hip-hop sensation, 9th Wonder, and appearances by Jay-Z and M.O.P., this album is the most crystal clear representation of Bleek that you’ll hear.
While the making of Bleek’s last album, M.A.D.E., was clouded by personal troubles concerning the health of his brother, 534 was produced with the kind of clarity that only a true artistic hunger can provide.
The recording of the album began at the home of Roc-A-Fella A&R (and engineer extraordinaire) Gimmel “Young Guru” Keaton. Before Keaton had even set up house, Bleek was, quite literally, in the building. According to Keaton, it was a bare bones studio set up and a few floor heaters. Keaton tapped his go to production sources, like Just Blaze and 9th Wonder, and Bleek recorded the blueprint for the album.
According to Bleek, the setup was key to defining the tone of the album, “I just wanted to get back to the place where I started. Go back to what I’m all about. It’s like when I first started rhyming. I had a friend who was a DJ and we’d make records at his place. We’d use the headphones as a microphone. We just wanted to be making music; we had to be doing it. We were that hungry.”
This unpretentious hunger is the theme of the album. From the stark black and white cover art, to the remarkably consistent dark soul sound, 534 is the kind of consistent statement that is all too rare in contemporary hip-hop.
After the album-opening, “Dear Summer,” by Jay-Z, in which the God MC passes the baton to his protégé, Bleek proceeds to give the album-long performance that believers always knew he had in him.
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