Ed O.G.: The Truth Hurts

Ed O.G. helped put Boston on the hip-hop map in the early '90s, with a successful debut album, 1990's Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto, and a string of hits that included the infectious "I Got To Have It" and the seminal message song "Be A Father To Your Child." But his success was short-lived, and after an unsuccessful 1994 follow-up, Ed O.G. disappeared, only to return after seven years (a lengthy hiatus for any artist, but an eternity in rap) with The Truth Hurts. A surprisingly solid comeback album that combines pop sensibilities with conceptual ambition, The Truth Hurts gets off to a terrific start with "Sayin' Something," in which O.G. condenses a decade's worth of struggle and hardship into a few potent verses over a melancholy DJ Premier beat. "Just Because" follows in a similarly downbeat vein, examining the frustration and complexity of estrangement and single parenthood through the sober and unsparing give-and-take between a separated couple trying to do what's best for their child. The Truth Hurts gets off to a strong start, yet doesn't take long to reveal a crucial flaw: For all his thoughtfulness, smarts, and ambition, O.G. simply isn't a very good rapper, and his awkward flow has a tendency to sabotage the album just when it approaches greatness. A good example is the pulsating "Nothing Gained," which soars on the strengths of wicked production and a note-perfect turn from Black Thought, only to be hamstrung by a typically clumsy vocal. Nevertheless, The Truth Hurts often works in spite of O.G.'s shortcomings, thanks to its refreshingly ambiguous worldview and nice production touches like the otherworldly harp on "Bitch Up Off Me" and the agreeably shameless pop-rap beat of "Understand," a song that thankfully recalls Nice & Smooth rather than Puff Daddy. As an independently released album from a rapper a decade past his commercial heyday, O.G.'s latest will likely reach a limited audience. But for those willing to overlook his less-than-breathtaking skills, The Truth Hurts provides its share of modest rewards.