In many ways, Classic is about returning hip-hop to its roots. Digga yearns for the days of yore when lyrics-driven hip-hop was the name of the game. It's telling that Classic only boasts 10 songs. Last I checked, short rap album format went out with acid washed jeans in the early 90s.
The best cut on Classic is "Straight Spittin' IV," an update of Rah Digga's braggart series. This time, she comically threatens to have her "daughter slap Doritos out ya hand." Anyone who can work a threat around Doritos with a straight face deserves laudation.
The beats also reflect Rah Digga's old school mentality, as Classic is driven by a boom bap sound. Notttz's production is occasionally stiff, but when he lets the beat breathe the outcome is usually fascinating. Check "Solidified," in which Digga's brash delivery brushes against hard-wired drums, for proof.
While the average femcee struggles to juggle her substance with industry expectations, Rah Digga is one of the few well-rounded rappers around. Already established as a lyrical force, she grabs every available opportunity to show off her other assets. She touts her street pedigree on "Straight Spittin' IV" ("I'm even nice with the aim") and flaunts her sex appeal on "Feel Good" ("I even got a little fatty for my sex tapers").
As you can tell, confidence isn't an issue for the the self-named Harriet Thugman. Digga is way too impressed with her rap resume to be bashful. It's an old habit she picked up as a young student of the game trading rhymes with the boys in Outsidaz and later Flipmode Squad. It's the only way she knows to rhyme and she's one of the best at it.
It's tempting to grade Digga's new work on a curve, given the lack of quality female rappers to compete against. With such limited options, Rah Digga wins the contest by default. But that's an unnecessary distinction. It's important to remember that, when Digga honed her craft in the 90s, she was also considered the lyrical superior of her commercially viable contemporaries -- male and female. Ultimately, none of that matters.
What's most intriguing about Classic is that Digga still exhibits a fervid approach to rhyming. Tight, trenchant and stunningly consistent, Classic gets Dirty Harriet's mojo working again.
Standout Tracks- "Solidified"
- "Straight Spittin' IV"
- "You Got It"
