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Life & Arts

Rapper back from 9-to-5 lifestyle

Consequence's new project features help from Kanye West, crooner John Legend

by ELI JABBE 
The Daily Cougar 

Consequence's new album, Don't Quit Your Day Job, is one of 2007's must—haves, thanks to its witty, relatable lyrics about everyday life. 

Consequence first emerged on the music scene in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's Beats, Rhymes and Life. 

However, despite the great opportunity to be heard on an album from one of the music world's bigger names, things didn't go exactly as planned. 

He basically disappeared until appearing with Kanye West in The College Dropout's "Spaceship." 

Between the two, Consequence still had to pay the bills. The theme of dealing with a 9-to-5 vocation is prevalent in Don't Quit Your Day Job.

"The Job Song" speaks to the average person: "Put my pride to the side / Go get a 9-5, because living check-to-check is the only way that I survive." The song goes into more detail about how Consequence had to go back to a regular job after his music career seemed over.

One thing that anybody who has been following Consequence's career will notice is that some of the tracks on this album aren't new. "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" is a classic collaboration featuring West from 2003 that appeared on the advance of The College Dropout.

It wasn't featured on the album after the track listing had to be changed to prevent pre-release leaks.

On the song, Consequence refers to the saying "good guys finish last": "You know that old saying that they say about good guys / I guess that's why I went bad." West provides a nice beat that samples Al Green's "I Wish You Were Here." 

"Grammy Family" with West and John Legend was a hit during the summer and even had a music video. The inclusion of these songs isn't a problem -- it exposes these great songs to those who aren't familiar with the artist.

"Feel This Way" is a great collaboration with Legend. Legend strays from his usual style and speaks on some of his lines in a shared verse with Consequence.

The song discusses relationship problems. Quence wonders, "Now how are we really supposed to carry on as an item / When you have more baggage than a carry-on item?"

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