Chuckie Campbell

"More Die of Heartbreak is worth the experience not only for its lyrical depth but for each one of us who have been through something traumatic and prevailed." - The Examiner

Chuckie Campbell recently re-introduced himself to the world of Hip Hop. What kept him silent for awhile was an attack on him by none other than his best friend -- leaving Chuckie's jaw wired shut. Tragically, the incident would be followed by the suicide of his attacker, Ralph Prater, who was also a lover of rhyme. Now back in the loop with his new album, Campbell is re-living the heartbreak of what may have led to the demise of his friend.

What's different about this rapper compared to others? He is also a professor who teaches English at Bryant & Stratton College in Buffalo, NY. Hence, what he brings to the plate of hip-hop is his love for the intellect. The name given to this endeavor More Die of Heartbreak honors the literary work of Saul Bellow but doesn't impersonate any of the characters in the novel. Campbell's work, however, attempts to tap into the condition of the human heart with all its shades of darkness and promise of hope despite attacks by those we trust.

A peek at the cover art of this new effort prompts one to recall the Vitruvian Man -- Leonardo di Vinci's pen and ink translation of idyllic proportions. And one would expect that Chuckie Campbell's rhymes would build on the beauty of this theory. But here, the onus is on the audience as to whether Campbell achieved this or not. His listeners may find the lyrics too lengthy and possibly too convoluted with no clear objective except perhaps that the external world is not beautiful -- it's unkind.

Chuckie Campbell grew up in Buffalo, NY where city life became the archetype for issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse, racism, heartbreak and suicide. So, one may wonder, how did this rap artist get from the harshness of the city to the world of academia. His answer: hip hop, luck and athletic scholarships offered him an opportunity to enlarge his world views.

Like most rappers, Campbell speaks about his life's landscape, the dark and daunting, through a labyrinth of expressions. The album is not shrouded in hard beats, snares or claps; instead the sweet sound of strings or piano hovers in the background, soothing the pain in Campbell's spoken-words. The sweet and the real arrive poignantly on "Synesthesia" where Campbell spits a moral statement about the didactic role of color accompanied by an easy-on-the-ear piano. When varied beat arrangements do show-up in Campbell's music, the cadence is rather placid and not at all danceable. "Behind Her Eyes" is one of those songs on the album that plays with atmospheric arrangements by incorporating the flux of strings, piano and mellow beats.

But, there is no doubt that the undercurrent and perhaps the main catharsis for this album was the assault that left him voiceless, and the subsequent suicide of his best friend, Ralph Prater. The story is told on the eighth track entitled "Deus Ex Machina", where Campbell maps out the history of his friendship with Prater, the brutal assault on him and the uncanny suicide of his friend.

Faced with what seemed to Campbell an unforeseen event in his life, and to bring the tale to a happy ending, he hangs-on to what he knows best -- his rhymes. The problem is that Campbell lingers on too long with each track and is at risk of losing the attention of his audience. But who knows -- perhaps there is some beauty to be heard from a rapper who tells a long story. - The Huffington Post

"For a genre of music whose adopted code of honor is keeping it real, the current state of hip-hop caters more to posturing than anything offering real substance, but here is album that takes me back to the days when rappers had something to say and is packed full of honesty, which is something you can’t fake. Here Chuckie Campbell puts back the pieces to a life that was broken and creates an album of hip-hop that is dark enough for me. " - Soletron

"The album draws more appeal with its knock out line up. Campbell joined forces with established artists, Wu Tang Clan’s Cappadonna and Solomon Childs and underground rapper Block McCloud for the gritty rock Against the Gain. He also teamed up with Cole Jonique of Tate Music Group for the heartfelt, All I Meant (where he questions the meaning of love) and with Erin Breeding (from The Breedings) with More Die of Heartbreak. This track displays the unlikely combination of hip-hop and country music and It’s almost inconceivable (nope, scrap that) TOTALLY inconceivable to imagine the two genres in the same production. In fact, More Die of Heartbreak is simply a breathtakingly angelic number which is completed by Breeding’s classically pure folk vocals and Campbell faultless ‘what’s-the-meaning-of-life’ flow." - Vents Magazine

"Campbell’s album is a lyrical festival of deep thoughts and views delivered with a quasi-aggressive, machine gun flow and sincerity that exudes the pain and anguish no doubt felt from the experiences that influenced the project. His wordplay, puns and punchlines leave indelible images in your mind as long as you can keep up with his quick-fire distribution. This is hip-hop consciousness and storytelling at a level that aficionados of the genre have come to expect from the likes of The Roots, Nas, Yelawolf and Talib Kweli." - Music-News.com

"In a lot of ways, Campbell bears similarities to Kendrick Lamar and Nas"

"Still, leaving aside the guest features and the lush musical arrangements, the lovely production (courtesy of Will Breeding) and the melodic hooks, More Die of Heartbreak is at its best when Campbell finds moments to himself in the center of the storm. And it’s those moments that make this record arguably my favorite hip-hop release of the year – even if it’s arriving too late to make my year-end list." - AbsolutePunk.net

"Chuckie’s upcoming release More Die Of Heartbreak is intensely dark and super-charged with emotion."

"The record is hotly anticipated by Chuckie’s growing army of followers and promises to further augment his rising reputation on the New York hip hop scene. Look out for lead single ‘Synesthesia’, a diatribe on inequality and chaos in American society. ‘It’s us against us,’ Chuckie tells us as he paces the streets of his childhood, ‘not us against them’."

"So often, the problem with hip hop is it can be a slave to predictable, even vacuous, lyrical content. Guns, girls, gangsters. When Eminem burst onto the scene at the turn of the century, he brought visceral emotional heart to a genre which badly needed depth - and Chuckie Campbell is on that same trajectory." - Indie Music News

"Chuckie is very comparable to such lyricists as Nas, Dead Prez, Black Thought of The Roots, and Common (pre-movie star)."

"Opening up the project, Chuckie gives us an immediate dose of his lyrical superiority on the track, "Speak". The song is set to a laid back, rhodes driven production that reaches back to when Neo-Soul conscious rappers were at the helm of the hip-hop genre. Not to be mistaken as outdated though, because Chuckie Campbell is anything but that. It is nice to get a break from the monotony of "trap beats" and rhymes about most of today's rappers' fake lifestyles." - I am Entertainment Magazine

"More Die of Heartbreak more often than not strikes the perfect balance of raw vulnerability and grim determination, acknowledging the demons that lurk in the world and inside oneself, while summoning the inner resolve to rise above both." - The Truth About Music

"Chuckie Campbell put a lot of time and heart into this record, and with the help of a talented cast featuring everyone from Wu-Tang veteran Cappadonna to country vocalist Erin Breeding, More Die of Heartbreak is a stellar cathartic release." - URB Magazine

"Indie hip hop artist Chuckie Campbell, releases his debut full-length LP “More Die of Heartbreak.” The LP addresses various social issues including poverty, domestic violence and equality. The Southside Kentucky bred emcee (now residing in New York) whose intricate poetic lyricism and theatrical storytelling capability is comparable to Lupe Fiasco, Dead Prez or Talib Kweli, with strong metaphors and heavy-duty word play."

"Much like the rest of the album, listening to this track is like listening to a movie. Campbell excels at painting a vivid picture that makes his audience of listeners feel as if they are a part of the scenario without ceasing to keep them in suspense with his quick paced delivery."

"Overall, “More Die of Heartbreak,” is a deep, insightful, album that is laced with knowledge acquired from real life experiences that many can learn from and relate to. This LP receives an A!" - The Hot Zone

"Chuckie Campbell delivers a cool visual to his lead single “Synesthesia” that, I admit, is one of the more soulful hip-hop tracks I’ve heard in good time." - Dank Radio

"...these bleak vignettes are snaps shots of pain...I don't think I have heard a rap album that is this intimate...and this album is like a breath of fresh air for hip-hop and I hope it receives all the accolades it has earned from being so masterfully crafted and honest." - Hiplanta

"I’m pleasantly surprised with how good More Die Of Heartbreak sounds. It’s a challenge for any up-and-coming rapper to find quality production, engineering, mastering, etc. for a project, and all of that is completely independent of the actual material on the album. The production on More Die Of Heartbreak is on point, and Chuckie Campbell brings quality lyrics, a nice flow, and an ear for matching his raps with the instrumentals he spits on." - Highbrow Hip Hop

"We usually can only handle feel-good music without much depth in small doses lest our commute to work turn into a cry-fest. New York-based artist Chuckie Campbell has found a way to blend the two, so if you have been missing the thought-provoking aspect in the hip-hop scene, he’s your guy, and More Die of Heartbreak is your album." - Young Hollywood

"Coming from humble beginnings, he [Chuckie Campbell] seeks to use the power and imagery of his background as a means of illuminating man’s shared-humanity through art, and moreover, give back to hip hop what it initially gave to him: purpose and community." - Niji Magazine

"[Chuckie Campbell] is super lyrical, and his lyrics revolve around a wide variety of subjects."
- Esente Music Group

In the time it took for me to write this review, at least a dozen new mixtapes and albums have come out that fall under the Hip-Hop or Rap umbrella. Sorting through all of it to separate the wheat from the chaff can be a tricky endeavor; however, every so often, amidst the dozens of things we are sent on a daily basis, some stand out.

Chuckie Campbell

Chuckie Campbell's latest album, More Die of Heartbreak, is a well-crafted album, one which features both singles and a cohesive story throughout. Written as a reflection on the last seven years of his life, including the assault which left him with a broken jaw, as well as his friend Ralph B. Prater for whom the album is dedicated to after his suicide in March 2011.

Chuckie Campbell

The lead single of the album is the fifth track on the album, "Synesthesia," a poignant song only featuring himself. While more the rule than the exception, there are a number of guests on the album including a pair of extremely high-profile features.

Chuckie Campbell

On "Against the Grain," Campbell brought in Cappadonna of unofficial Wu-Tang Clan fame, as well as contributions from Block McCloud and Solomon Childs. Elsewhere, guest spots can be heard from both Willie and Erin Breeding as well as Cole Jonique.



Other tracks to check out are "Speak" and "Behind Her Eyes." Overall, this is a well-crafted album, which tastefully uses guests in order to complement the existing songs while showing a keen eye for production and aesthetics. - IX Daily