BeatTips MusicStudy: Royal Flush – “Ice Downed Medallion” Prod. by EZ Elpee
Hungry Beatwork and Rhyme; Appreciated More in Middle of a Storm
| By AMIR SAID (SA’ID) |
“Motion picture/analyze your world Flush’ll hit ya…” That’s the emphatic declaration that Royal Flush makes to open the New York hood classic, “Iced Downed Medallion” from his debut album, Ghetto Millionaire (1997). Speaking from the rapper/lyricist part of me, I’ve always considered Royal Flush to be one of the illest lyricists in rap. Cut from the same Queens lyricst bloodline that bled inside of areas like Corona, Queensbridge, Lefrack City, and Astoria Projects, Flush was a street-respected M.C., circa 1996-98. Unfortunately, however, Flush never rose to the level of notoriety that I felt he deserved.
Thing is, Royal Flush came on the scene—with the right skills—at the wrong time. It was 1997/98, right in the eye of Diddy’s (formerly known as Puff) storm. This was when Puff was throwin’ shit in the New York rap game with the shiny-suit, bubble gum-rap mystique. (Note. Puff’s reign would eventually help lead to the undermining of New York’s hip hop/rap structure—a near fatal blow that New York has yet to recover from.) The years in rap 1997/98 would also serve to mark the beginning of Jay-Z and Hot 97s (New York’s #1 hip hop/rap radio station) meteoric connection to the top. Had Royal Flush come on the scene just two or three years earlier, he would have missed what I like to call the New York Kill Zone of ’97/98, and in all likelihood, he would have gained as much (perhaps more) shine as Mobb Deep, AC, or O.C.
Speaking from the beatmaker (producer) part of me, “Iced Down Medallion” was one of the most aggressively programmed beats I’ve heard. Produced by EZ Elpee, the beat utilized a straight-forward, two-bar loop of a 70s music phrase (I don’t name sample sources that I’m not sure about their cleared status) with the bass frequency of the phrase filtered milk-smooth, and the high (mid/treble) levels left just as warm and even when let out. For the drum framework, Elpee went with a standard double-kick snare pattern. Wisely, he tucks the kick while exploding the snare with a handful of reverb. And the hat, which is truncated (no prolonged sustain), is a shaker that he politely sprinkles over all measures. It is further worth noting that because of how the bass frequency of the sample is filtered so fat and warmly, the kick—which is actually truncated short—sounds so much more rounder and booming every time it lands on the one, and as it sets up the two.
The music and videos below are presented here for the purpose of scholarship.
Royal Flush – “Iced Down Medallion”
Royal Flush – “Iced Down Medallion” (Official music video)
