Actually, the release date isn't quite that simple. As Dust mentions in this interview with Jesus Freak Hideout, Pro Pain was delayed by 533 days, because a sample wasn't cleared for the song "Wicked Ways." (One of the best songs on the record, I might add.) Based on the wording of the interview, Dust seems to guesstimate that the original release date was October 17, 2004.
Back to the 533-day delay. When I Googled "How many days were there between October 17, 2004 and May 2, 2006?", the answer it gave me was 562.
Wait, hold on a second. I just grabbed my copy of Hip Hope Hits 2005 (somewhat deceptively released in 2004), which contains the song "All Out," which was on the 2004 edition of Pro Pain, but not the 2006 one. (I've shared a video for the song at the end of the post.) In the compilation's booklet it says Pro Pain would be released on October 19, 2004. That wouldn't add up to 562 either.
So I guess either way, Dust's counting is a bit off here. Not trying to be nitpicky—just bringing some trivia and fact-checking into the mix.
There are a few differences between the 2004 and 2006 versions of Pro Pain. The 2004 version contains "All Out," "Moment," and "Loud!" The 2006 version, however, swaps out those songs for "Too Strong to Change" and "Glam Rap."
This album has been part of my life for a long time. I was only 12 when I bought (or rather, my parents bought) my first copy of the CD at Scott's Parable. The disc ended up getting lost and the case was dismantled over the years. But as the picture below shows, I currently own a brand-new copy of Pro Pain, which I bought from Sphere of Hip-Hop in late 2023.
I already wrote on album review in 2015 on one of my other blogs. (I have a lot of blogs lol!) But I'm going to write about it again here and see where things land anyway.
It's safe to say that just about everyone who's heard Pro Pain and knows their hip-hop would call it a classic. If the dramatic backstory weren't enough, the album contains some of Mars ILL's best songs. Pro Pain is more polished than Mars ILL's other material; Dust's production is a little more bright and upbeat, and Manchild doesn't pull out the battle rap/backpacker lyrics of projects like Raw Material or Blue Collar Sessions quite as often. Well, "Dog Eared Page" sort of contradicts that statement, but you catch my drift.
Songs like "Sound Off" and "More" come about as close to radio singles as underground hip-hop can get, all while being really good songs at that. "More" contains some of my favourite lyrics on the album, with lines like this:
I want more from the music I listen to on the FM
Less businessmen who pretend to be my best friend
More chances to take and more guts than glory
I want more experience to brighten up my story
More women to ignore me
With more wives than shorties
More time to appreciate those that came before me
More compassion, less promises, more action
More truth in the media so I really know what's happening
I want less violence and more moments of silence
There's more to this life and I pray to God you find it
Okay, I probably overquoted there, but these lyrics are just awesome! I'm not an activist by any stretch of the imagination, but this is the kind of song you could march in the streets with your fist raised in the air to.
The guest features on Pro Pain are quite impressive. Let's start by talking about the production. Most of the beats are by Dust, but T.E.C.K. and X:144 also contribute a couple on "Dog Eared Page" and "Effortless" respectively. There are also live instruments on several tracks, including bass, guitar, and congas, courtesy of Kenny Carter, Jason "The Recon" High, and Luke Sullivant.
Turning to guest vocals, between Cappadonna of Wu-Tang Clan, Ishues, Prince Po of Organized Konfusion, X:144, and Ben Hameen and J-Mil of Collective Efforts, it's hard to pick a favourite. Ahmed of 4th Avenue Jones contributes a good verse to "More," but I don't enjoy it as much as those of the previously mentioned artists. Anthony David's chorus on the same track is pretty simple, but it gets the job done.
Slow Flame
I'll just say it upfront: I don't think Slow Flame is anywhere near as good as Pro Pain. To me, Slow Flame feels more like Pro Pain as it exists in some alternate universe or dream. When I hear these remixes, I can't imagine most of the songs being the originals, and I don't think that's just because they're not the originals.
True, some of the remixes on Slow Flame might even surpass the originals, such as "Say So," "Too Strong to Change," and "Stand Back and Watch." There's a nice electric guitar in the chorus of "Dog Eared Page," and Elias of Scribbling Idiots contributes some excellent vocals to "When Heaven Scrapes the Pavement" as well. Having said that, there's just no way a song like "Sound Off" could be improved upon, and I would offer a similar evaluation of several of these tracks.
Slow Flame is different, if not jarring at times, but it's worth a listen. It even comes with a couple of bonus tracks, "Feelin' So High" and "Run Wonderland." You can stream the album on YouTube or download it for $6 from Dust's online store.