While updating my iTunes, I stumbled across a jewel from 2007 called Dream Merchant Vol 2, courtesy of Mr. 9th Wonder. That's when I remembered that I had written a review of it but archived it for some weird reason. Anyway, given 9th's output since Dream Merchant (namely his work with Murs, Jay-Z, etc.) I thought it be nice to look back and see how far the cat has come.
Enjoy.
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9th Wonder
Dream Merchant, Vol. 2
ABB (2007)
I’ve been conflicted about North Carolina’s favorite beat maven’s latest offering ever since his camp sent it to me a few days ago. First off, Dream Merchant Vol. 2 should cement 9th’s legacy as among the grimiest soul chefs cooking today.
Picking up where his Vol. 1 left off, DM:V2 serves up even more obscure but smooth flowing soul samples that glide effortlessly into completed pieces that stand their own. Still, Dream Merchant maintains a sinewy mixtape bounce to it thanks to plenty of hungry spitters including: Saigon, Joe Scudda, Sean Price, Royce the 5’9, and Buckshot (sounding stronger than ever on Backlash). There’s a nice conceptual nod to Pete Rock & CL’s Reminisce, this one featuring unheralded Big Remo the Great and Novej. The boys from Strange Fruit Project come thru to elevate “Special”. “Brooklyn on My Mind” shows Jean Grae, Mos Def and Bleek (yeah, that 'Bleek') in top form. Camp Lo goes crackerjacks on the LL-influenced “Milky Lowa”. And sonic siblings Phonte and Big Pooh reunite with 9th for the heat-rocker, “No Time to Chill”.
In other places, 9th slides into a more lush, long-form song format, hopefully a sign of things to come. There’s a lush track called “Sunday,” which is as smooth as anything this side of (the criminally snoozed-on) J. Rawls. (Sorry, ‘Ye heads).
But the reason I was conflicted about Dream Merchant 2 is that most of the 18 cuts are so nice you almost want to hear them lyric-free (a la RJD2); or perhaps in the context of non-emcees (think: more singers or paired-up with other instrumentalists, even). 9th Wonder just seems willing and able to evolve that much as a producer.
At its best, Dream Merchant Vol: 2 is a reminder of how much beat-miners like 9th are trying to push things forward while staying rooted. At its worst (which is few and far-between), Dream Merchant’s a reminder of how much more conceptual emcees need to get in order to keep up.
