Casual's 1994 debut,
Fear Itself, was the Oakland, CA, rhyme crew
Hieroglyphics' third attempt to seize the listening public's attention with their unique brand of hip-hop. Whereas fellow
Hieroglyphic Del tha Funkee Homosapien plays the part of the sly ghetto-wise guy sliding in and out of trouble,
Casual is the burly troublemaker. He'll punch you in the face, sex your girl up, and generally flout good manners. The deep-voiced MC produces an unending and seemingly unstoppable flow of boasts and taunts, mercilessly skewering the wack rappers and fools he sees about him. The simplicity of his message belies the complexity of his vicious wordplay. The beats mirror
Casual's rhyme flow with break after break filling each song. The production doesn't differ much from the organic funk on the other
Hieroglyphics albums of the same period (
No Need for Alarm and 93 'Til Infinity), except perhaps that the aggressiveness is turned up a notch. The tracks gallop along with a brutal funkiness to match the muscle of
Casual's rhymes. Like other
Hieroglyphics releases,
Fear Itself is a family affair with
Souls of Mischief,
Extra Prolific, and
Del making guest appearances. The album will already be part of the collections of
Hieroglyphics fans, but others will find much here to like as well. ~ Chris Witt