In October of 2001, Hip Hop music was changing fast. Labels were chasing that shiny suit template that had gained popularity, and the music was turning into big business. Brooklyn’s own Masta Ace, tired of record label politics, was ready to hang up his jersey. But before doing so, he decided to drop one last album as a farewell note to Hip Hop and his fans.
He named the album “Disposable Arts”, a sarcastic shot at what the music industry had been creating at the time. Labels were trying to extract as much cash from music and then move on to whatever the next trend was. The irony is that “Disposable Arts” has become one of the most durable, respected, and timeless albums in Hip Hop history. What made this album different was the genius storyline. Rather than just a random sequence of songs, Ace created a screenplay for our ears. The plot follows Ace’s character after he gets out of prison. To stay out, he has to join the made-up trade school, the Institute of Disposable Arts, or I.D.A.
Ace used skits in between tracks to advance the storyline; most albums back then had skits with shootouts or skippable comedy bits. Ace took a different lane by writing movie-like interludes where he has conversations with his P.O., making phone calls, and hanging out with classmates. Every skit kept the same theme as the song that followed it.
The production on this album, with Ace’s unforgettable songwriting take us on a journey. “Block Episode” discusses a neighborhood shooting through the lens of three different people on the block. Who could forget the Boogie Man/High & Mighty diss? That Guru sample! Come on now. He proved that storytelling and battle raps can exist on the same project.
“And I heard your album, this must be somethin’ you’re new at’Cause I’d rather hear a Lil Wayne/Lil Zane duet “ – Masta Ace
One of my favorite tracks represents Ace’s lyrical gridiron mindset. Being a football player/coach, that knowledge was evident on “Unfriendly Game”. On this track, he uses football as a metaphor for street survival. (Even though Ace is from BK, he reps the Philadelphia Eagles….GO BIRDS!) Like Ace, the Eagles represent a hardworking underdog mentality. Ace brought that same grit with this project. The hard work definitely paid off on this one.
The impact of “Disposable Arts” echoed far beyond 2001. He dropped the project on Yosumi Records and showed Hip Hop artists that they didn’t need corporate backing to survive. Decades later, artists like K Dot would use similar cinematic structure for classics like good kid, m.A.A.d city. “Disposable Arts” also created fresh partnerships with Punchline, Wordsword, and Strickland. This laid the foundation for their group EMC.
Ultimately, “Disposable Arts” gave Masta Ace new life, and we are all happy he decided not to retire. It stands as a powerful reminder that true art stands the test of time. Art can not be disposed of or replaced. Masta Ace created a Hip Hop classic that will be celebrated for a lifetime.
