Casual - Fear Itself

posted on Sep 19, 2005 Casual - I Didn't Mean To (Link Expired)
Casual - That's How It Is (Link Expired)

Casual - Fear Itself

Casual
Fear Itself
Jive, 1994

Released only a few months after 93 ‘til Infinity and No Need For Alarm, Casual’s debut seems doomed to linger in the shadow of its older brothers. It’s a shame, since Fear Itself deserves to be judged on its own merits. Despite the depth of the Heiro crew, guest appearances here are few and far between, putting Casual himself squarely in the spotlight. For a focused 50 minutes, he’s in top form, monkey flipping syllables like few others can with his playful, highly inflected delivery and mercurial, cypher-honed flow. On production, Domino also excels, using chunky breaks and rolling basslines to craft beats that match Casual’s own style – relaxed but never sloppy. Despite the imperative “peep what I wrote,” Cas’ tendency to switch rhyme schemes on a dime and his utter disregard for the boundaries of bars make for verses that defy transcription. It’s doubtful that many would want to read Casual’s raps in any case, since he spends most of the time (save for a pair of storytelling joints near the album’s end) “kicking shit to make MCs back down.” Listening, however, is another matter; his sheer skill at spitting works as alchemy between the page and the mic. “Even if it don’t mean shit, I’ma convince you,” Casual claims early on in the album. By the end of Fear Itself, he is successful.

Back to reviews

Comments for "Casual - Fear Itself"

  1. Hip Hop used to be ruled by individuality, and your shelf should have a place for this LP. A very essential journey.
    — Bergs    Oct 27, 10:07 AM   
  2. it’s better than 93 til infinity. one of the best individual performances throught an entire album by any mc.
    — reason    Nov 6, 12:43 PM   
  3. on the realz, i liked a few joints on there, but a few songs missed the boat. honestly, until deltron 3030, the zeinith of the heiro movement was 93 til… that is if you don’t count the unreleased, but incredible, “future development.” (thanks sylvia rhone, you industry whore)
    — chuckie chill    Dec 25, 10:59 AM   

  4. I hope you’re not suggesting that Deltron is better than ‘93 ‘til?


    — mike    Feb 5, 03:05 PM   

  5. I hope he’s not suggesting that any Hiero record tops “Fear Itself.”


    — R.H.S.    Feb 5, 03:26 PM   

  6. I’m listening to it (That’s How It Is) right now as I type. Found this page by typing ‘Casual “Fear Itself”’ in at google. Type it exactly like that (Casual “Fear Itself”) in at google and you’ll come about 41,000 or so sites that actually have info on this album. I miss old hiero. Old rap in general. Fuck this new shit.


    — icqpimp    Apr 11, 09:40 PM   

  7. This is the best, most slept-on, underrated, 5 star, 10 out of 10 rap album of all time. Pure gold. Fear itself is perfection itself.


    — Dug    May 26, 02:52 AM