Its been seven years since the last Scarface album, the well received Emeritus, and whilst I've only become a big Face fan within the last few months, the knowledge that he was to release a new album this year filled me with anticipation. As always, Scarface does not disappoint, and whilst the days of a stone-cold classic like The Diary or The Fix are probably behind us, Face always delivers strong content, and Deeply Rooted is no exception.
The album is fundamentally split into two styles: one where the production and lyrical content is that of Scarface as an exaggerated character - drug-slinging, gang banging and trapped; combined with Face's threatening voice and faster, more violent production. The other is far more introspective, softer instrumental production broken up with melodic hooks, which in turn tonally reinforces Scarface's emotional side, exploring ideas of fatherhood, his religion and self-worth. It's a contrast that has never been too distant in Face's previous work, where albums like The Diary have presented lyrical contrast from the legendary, haunting "I Seen a Man Die" to "G's" near-bragadoccio story telling. Yet, with Deeply Rooted this contrast is far more forced in the production styles than ever before, lending an album that feels slightly less cohesive as a whole, for example in the placement of the last song. It's another strong song on the album (there isn't a bad one on here), but it offers such a sharp tonal contrast after "Voices" that it always feels jarring, even after several re-listens.
Elsewhere on the album, the first eight tracks present the aforementioned rapper character, with typical themes presented in the always enjoyable Scarface flow, yet the anger present on "The Hot Seat" at Face's own incarceration and the chaotic fear at the heart of "Steer" are standout tracks, alongside some excellent work from Papa Reu and Z-Ro. It's worth mentioning, the two big name features on the album (Nas and Rick Ross) frankly deliver disappointing verses, neither of which really warrant further discussion. The final seven tracks are where Scarface starts to open his heart up a little bit, "God" is a typically strong John Legend feature, but it's elevated by Scarface's hopeful and tragic exploration of his relationship with God. "Keep it Movin" looks at relationships and love, whilst "All Bad" and "Voices" delve into a melancholic look at life and Face's own valuation of his life. However, it's "You" that is the standout song on the album, with as-always excellent vocal work from Cee-Lo Green, Scarface goes in hard on his mistakes in life, opening up on his relationship with his mother and the fears that his mistakes in life will impact his own children. It's worth noting that "Anything" seems to advocate violence towards women, something that Scarface probably should have been mature enough to exclude, but it's far from anything worth spoiling the album as a whole.
Ultimately, whilst for many older fans of Scarface the wait has been long, it should not disappoint. The production is strong and always in cohesion with the lyrics, even if the album lacks a cohesive sense overall, and the hooks are all worthy of praise too. Lyrically, Scarface never lets you down, and as always his range of thematic depth after all this time is still impressive, the breadth of honesty that he writes with nearly always leads to an emotional, haunting project, and Deeply Rooted is another worthy addition to his discography.
8/10
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