Constant Energy Struggles is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Ces Cru. The album was released on March 26, 2013, by Strange Music.[1] The album features guest appearances from Tech N9ne, Liz Suwandi, JL B. Hood and Mac Lethal. The album debuted at number 98 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Background
In an August 2012, interview with
HipHopDX, Godemis spoke about the album saying: "We are in the very very early stages of making this [the LP]. We’re just getting beat submissions and doing some writing. I’ve been writing like a madman. The title is going to be
Constant Energy Struggle. Blaow! That’s my first time saying that. The title is going to be
Constant Energy Struggle and all that that implies. I think in that way, the album is going to be more well rounded. I think we’re going to try to take the opportunity to open up a little bit, if you will, and let the fans know exactly how we feel and exactly what’s been going on. I know that may not sound so cool sometimes, but we’re also gonna talk about all the cool shit that’s been happening to us. It’s going to be a well rounded album in that way. There will be a lot more substance than there is on
13."
[2]
Critical reception
Upon its release, Constant Energy Struggles was met with generally positive reviews. David Jeffries of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, saying "Tech N9ne's Strange Music label has some "true hip-hop" releases in its back catalog, for sure, but when Ces Cru puts down "We diversified the label/They called it 'Strange-hop'" within their first minute of their debut for the label, they're merely getting the issue out of the way. From then on, it's right to business, street business, that is, with a classic, Mobb Deep feel for the beats and the flow, topped with a Black Star-quality rhyme book."[3] David "Rek" Lee of HipHopDX gave the album three out of five stars, saying "Fans might compare them to mainstream so-and-so who can’t form proper sentences, but these are emcees who are striving for greatness and at times their rhymes just aren’t there yet. They’ve graduated from the school of rhyming “lyrical-spiritual-miracle,” but there are moments where it feels as if they’re still having ciphers in the parking lot. It’s a very solid first outing on a bigger stage."[4]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 98 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 5,400 copies in the United States.[5]
Track listing
| 1. |
"Lotus" | Seven |
2:32 |
| 2. |
"Juice" (featuring Tech N9ne) | Seven |
3:31 |
| 3. |
"When Worlds Collide" | Seven |
4:15 |
| 4. |
"Meditate" | Seven |
4:37 |
| 5. |
"Shake It Up" | Seven |
4:25 |
| 6. |
"Smoke" (featuring Liz Suwandi) | Seven |
3:47 |
| 7. |
"Skip" | Seven |
4:21 |
| 8. |
"Prefade (Skit)" | Ben Cybulsky |
0:55 |
| 9. |
"Wavy" (Godemis solo) | Seven |
2:42 |
| 10. |
"Radiate" | Info Gates |
3:52 |
| 11. |
"Perception" | Leonard Dstroy |
4:32 |
| 12. |
"Get That" (featuring JL B. Hood) | Seven |
3:50 |
| 13. |
"Confession" | Leonard Dstroy |
3:57 |
| 14. |
"Seven Chakras" | Matt Peters, Bobby Pulliam |
4:00 |
| 15. |
"Bread Break (Skit)" | Ben Cybulsky |
0:36 |
| 16. |
"Fuck Me On the Dough" | Leonard Dstroy |
4:01 |
| 17. |
"Wall E" | Info Gates |
4:30 |
| 18. |
"Daydream" (featuring Liz Suwandi) | Leonard Dstroy |
4:50 |
| 19. |
"Get Off" (featuring Mac Lethal) | |
4:27 |
| 20. |
"Witness" | |
2:55 |
| 21. |
"Breathe" | |
4:34 |
Charts
References
[3]