Slaughterhouse – Slaughterhouse: The EP

    As is the case with so-called “super groups,” much has been made of Slaughterhouse ever since the quartet of Royce Da 5’9, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I and Joe Budden joined forces in 2008. Following the release of the lyrical Molotov cocktail that was their self-titled debut, however, the group’s output came to a halt. There were hints of label politics as Shady Records tried for months to get the group out of their deal, putting the group’s musical future in some doubt. But all’s well that ends well, as Slaughterhouse finally made the successful move to the house that Eminem built. In the meantime, that doesn’t stop E1 from dropping a six-track EP to tide the fans over.


    “Back on the Scene” appropriately brings Black Sheep’s Dres along for the ride to set things off. M-Phazes appears to flip the same sample as The Neptunes did for Clipse’s “Dirty Money,” and ends up outdoing them with energetic claps and well-timed synths. Mr. Porter of D12 provides a simple backdrop with stabbing keys, allowing all four emcees to work their magic. Rhymes Royce: “Nickel ain’t the one at all / Snatch ya vocal chords out and plug ‘em in my wall / You a knife at a gun fight, our shit is raw / You a square, you silverware in a civil war / The Slaughterhouse wolf pack is right under the moon / The reason you itchin’ with your lighter under ya spoon… / No need to ride with nobody, I feel the heat can help me / Your jeans skinnier than Em when he’s eating healthy.”

    “Everybody Down” is a bit of a let-down, as the Black Milk production is surprisingly flat, as are the emcees rhymes. “Put Some Money on It (Remix)” is probably an underachiever as well, as anything less than face-melting from Slaughterhouse and The L.O.X. over a Sean C & LV cut is disappointing. That being said, although it doesn’t meet expectations, there’s an undeniable chemistry between the crews, which bodes well for future collaborations. Frequency helms the last two offerings on the EP – the remixes to “Fight Club” and “Move On” – and in doing so solidifies himself as one of the must-haves for Slaughterhouse’s second studio album. His dramatic keys and rich strings elicits the emotion from Crook and co., particularly on the latter track.

    The main criticism with Slaughterhouse’s debut, aside from generally spotty production, is that it felt like a collection of lyricists simply logging in verses on however many beats rather than a group construction with a unified goal. With The Slaughterhouse EP, it appears as though most of these concerns have been addressed. Some of the production could be more carefully vetted, and it would be advisable for the group to tap into emotionally-charged material more often, but there’s no doubt that this one will leave fans itching for their debut on Shady.

    66 thoughts on “Slaughterhouse – Slaughterhouse: The EP

    1. Good review, the EP is a nice cohesive peice of work although charging fans for 6 track (3 of which are remixes) seems very silly, nobody is gonna like that. Nevertheless it’s nice to have something new from them, 4 stars is a fair score.

      1. Yes I do, but that wasn’t my point, the point is that Slaughterhouse are expecting people to pay for this (When they really shouldn’t because no one will) Personally I download everything for free from Dopehood or Guttahiphop and if it’s good enough, I go out and buy it, seems fair enough to me.

    2. they need to come up with new names for their realeses. lol. Slaughterhouse: The Mixtape, Slaughterhouse, Slaughterhoues EP.

    3. Slaughterhouse, Lupe Fiasco, Wu Tang, Gang Starr, and 2Pac is all I listen to.

      Joe Budden is the core, he has the best lyrics of anyone alive with the exception of maybe Nas

      Joell Ortiz is the shell. He brings only hardcore fire. On my top 10 list no doubt.

      Crooked I is the truth of it all, his lyrics are incredible, he speaks out and is not afraid to speak against other’s beliefs- I could listen to him spit all day

      Royce Da 5’9”- This is the reason the group is here. His flow, lyrics, voice, and consistency are always on point. He never disappoints me.

      Lucky for hp-hop, not only will the group drop a full LP, but each member will each put out there own solo LP’s. I will bet all of my money that at least 2 are classics. NOBODY can be compared to Crooked I in this day, unless there names starts with an “N” and rhymes with ras.

      The EP was really good, even though I already was familiar with every song. These are all fire joints. Gonna rock to this and Free Agent until LASERS!

      1. royce can be amazing on one song and then average on the next, i think its because he keeps switching up his style to sound mainstream on some songs and that ruins it. and i agree joe budden is overrated

      1. haha that was a good one. Crooked I is the best lyricist alive. His lyrics are a movement. They all 4 of the best rappers EVER. And Joe Budden is a LEGEND. He is also an inspirational and REAL lyricist. How could you say such an ignorant statement? Go do some research and then cop Budden and Crooked’s albums that are dropping soon. Take a listen to the lyrics. You dont have to thank me.

    4. i’d give it a 3.5 but this only goes in stars so i’ll give it a…3 since everyone else will probably rate it higher anyway

    5. “Everybody Down” is a bit of a let-down.” That statement alone discredits this review. Nickel and Crooked went hard(as usual). Joey shut his verse down from start to finish. Joell’s wasn’t his best, but i wouldn’t ever use the words let down.

    6. Budden’s the dopest on solos, but I always feel like he gets overshadowed on posse cuts. His skills are in telling heartfelt stories throughout a song rather than sick lines that make you double take like the other three.

    7. smh. the 2 Frequency tracks are far and away the worst beats on this otherwise stellar project.

      reviewer has bizzaro ears.

    8. hilarious maximum are 5 stars and this EP has acctualy 8.64

      sick , according to points this is best album in history of music

    9. Not bad not great, 3,5. Expected a little more, hopefully the shady debut gonna have what their talent promise. 3 dope mcs and a emo rapper. pz.

    10. Really? Didnt even mention Sun Doobie? These was tracks recorded for there debut and since the hype from signing to shady, E1 released it to get a few bucks.

    11. Best EP I’ve heard… Everybody Down a let-down? Ok, put Flocka Lame on the same track and see what you get. *silence* Nobody f**kin wit Slaughterhouse… And look forward to the return of Bad Meets Evil. Em and Royce duo for those who never heard their s**t. look it up

    12. 1. Yaowa (Intro) (Produced by DJ Premier)
      2. What They Want (Produced by DJ Premier)
      3. Rain feat. Raekwon (Produced by Jake One)
      4. 20 Dollars (Produced by Havoc)
      5. Horror Movie feat. Royce da 5’9″, Crooked I & Joe Budden (Slaughterhouse) (Produced by The Alchemist)
      6. What’s the Word (Produced by Frank Dukes)
      7. Winded (Produced by Large Professor)
      8. Help feat. Faith Evans (Produced by Just Blaze)
      9. Rewind (Produced by The Alchemist)
      10. Winding on Me (Produced by Frank Dukes)
      11. Size ‘Em Up feat. Action Bronson (Produced by The Alchemist)
      12. Ride Out (Produced by Mr. Porter)
      13. Act Stupid (Produced by DJ Premier)
      14. Oh No (Produced by The Alchemist)
      15. No Happy Ending (Produced by S1)

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