Being in a rap squad with four lyrically capable MCs can be tough on group chemistry, but let Slaughterhouse tell it and the quartet which features Royce Da 5’9”, Joe Budden, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz have it all figured out.
On Wednesday’s “RapFix Live” the foursome broke down their formula. It all starts with a beat, and as Crooked I told Sway, everything kind of just starts with an idea.
“I might get a beat from a dude like DJ Khalil— who did ‘The One.’ I might get a beat from him, lay a 16 on it, send it around, see if they’re feeling it,” he said. “Royce might get a couple of beats, put a couple of ideas on ‘em, send ‘em to us, see how we’re feelin’—if we are not in the same place.
“If we’re in the studio together, then we’re just gonna go through beats and whatever we’re feelin’. Whoever is the first in the booth is basically gonna lay foundation for the song.”
One might assume that with four lyrical assassins come four huge egos, but SH says no. “Nah, we never get into friction,” Joell explained. “We just talk about it and let it be. That’s it, if we ain’t feelin’ that, we scratch it and move on.”
Budden however is usually the quickest group member to shut things down, according to his bandmates. “Joey will definitely let you know if he ain't feelin’ your idea,” Royce said with a chuckle. “Joey will just straight up say ‘I ain’t getting’ on that, I aint feelin’ that, where the other beat at.’ He’ll be real blunt about it.”
Joe doesn’t deny that he is the group’s chief dissenter, but rather than dwell on tracks left on the cutting room floor, Budden points to the magic that makes Slaughterhouse click. “When the four of us are in agreeance, is normally when we know that we got something,” he said. “And that happens more so than not.”
