“Mediocre is a part of our culture,” Rafael Casal riffs on the title song for his solo project, Mean Ones. But one listen to the LP and it’s clear that the Bay Area raised, Los Angeles based MC’s tracks are far from pedestrian. The Bay Boy enlisted The Olympicks, Chukwudi Hodge, DJ Playuhh, and Stargate Ent for production, picked Sir to assist on a hook, and had fellow Get Backer Daveed Diggs do a couple of guest spots. The result is a musical memoir with glimpses of guarded vulnerability and a little something for everyone — without appearing inauthentic.
While “Skitzo” is the second song on the album, it does a good job of prepping listeners for the many faces of Casal. “I got what they wantin’ because I change it up so often, Skitzo,” he sings on the hook. The song notes the carrying of pistols while promoting peace and mean mugging dudes while helping a mother with groceries. The dichotomy may seem a bit much, but as Daveed recalls the duality of Big and Pac, you realize that the layers are part of what make our favorite MCs our favorite MCs.
Throughout Mean Ones Casal tells a bit about his life trying to make it as an artist, the cities that raised him and reactions from women as he gained a bit of status. There’s a three-song block we’ll call the relationship section. In it he tells the chick bringing drama to “Fall Back,” and then thanks his number one for all of her main chick, ride-or-die tendencies in “Bottom Bitch.” Sidenote: If he wore the Bottom Bitch Theory t-shirt during this video… Anywho, of the tracks in this section “Delilah” offers the most insight into loving damaged goods: “I want you here but it’s hard ’cause it’s pushing daisies /Taught by all our mothers not to pick ‘em if they’re crazy,” he sings without whining or setting himself up for Drake-type criticism.
“Work it Out,” almost sounds like it was made for radio. You can picture a traditional club scene, but the production and flow aren’t simple enough to give you that “this is where my label said to insert a radio hit/club banger” feel. But if we had to continue on that industry train of thought and pick “a song for the ladies,” it’d be “Runway.” Try playing this and not getting a slow grind or smooth two-step going. By the second verse, you may even know who you want on the remix.
Wrapping it all up is “Mean Ones,” the autobiographical track that needs no hook, but it does have a read along:
Download the album, see how many Dr. Seuss references you can find, peep the video for the first single, and hit and tell him what you think of the album.
BONUS:
Just a couple days ago DJ Dion Decibel and local clothing institution Oaklandish released a 2012 mix that takes you on a journey through Oakland’s musical history. At the very end there is a brand new hidden track from Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs that is absolutely ridiculous! So here we have liberated “The Trip Remix” for those of you who need the perfect Oakland anthem to ride to beneath the Bay’s winter sun.
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Download: “The Trip Remix” by The Getback
