The singing, odd, boo booīn man
from Texas is back. Devin the Dude ladies and gentleman. So letīs get down to the album,
first off thereīs the intro then the Dr. Dre produced “Itīs A Shame” featuring
Pooh Bear. Now we all dirty south heads up in here but we need to give props where props
is due playas, Dre is one of the greatest producers ever - not rappers - but among
producers he ranks as one of greatest. He deserves his status in the game. He provided
Devin with a lovely beat that fit his strange voice and flow excellent.
“R&B” is real soul full but itīs not a love song is about smoking
and spending money. “Lacville 79” is of course an ode to his favorite ride.
“I-Hi” got the first kind of up-tempo beat on the album.
Devinīs story telling way of rhyming mixed with his singing style blend perfect!
“Some Of Em” features Xzibit and
Nas and the outcome you ask? Perfection! South/West/East combined is always cool to hear
South/West and West/East is heard often but the three coasts combined are not everyday
material!
"Go Somewhere” must have been recorded while Devin was drunk, at least he
sounds hella drunk, fun and real at the same time!
“Would Ya?” have Devin ask his
woman what she would do for him. Kind of funky beat, if somebody told me the beat was from
87 I wouldnīt doubt them it has that old school element.
“Doobie Ashtray” is a personal
favorite, one of the best smoking songs heard in such a long time. Too often dedications
to the blunt can be too strange and the outcome is that the track donīt fit in on the
album cause it differs too damn much from the rest of the songs but here it works so well!
“Just a Man” features Raphael Saadiq, a nice combination that surprised
me a lot. When I come to think about it Devin and Saadiq ainīt that different, it struck
me when I heard this song!
“Fa Sho” brings back the Odd Squad
hope we hear an album from them soon again cause this sure is promising. However the song
is more Odd Squad then Devin, he is two different emmceeīs solo and when heīs a Squad
member.
“WXYZ” is very different but really
cool, I would liked to have another west act on this song – Suga Free – he would
fit here perfectly, heīs the Devin of the West anyway to me!
The title track is lovely, it also features Odd Squad but this time the track is
more Devin then Odd. A nice preview of whatīs to come in the future! “Breezy
Again” and “Cumin Back” ends a really cool, different and original album
from Devin the Dude.
I think this is one of the most original albums to come out of Rap-A-Lot –
better yet The South in a long time. Maybe not the greatest but original it is, and
thatīs odd to find these days. People that already know Devin probably already got this
and if you just know starting to pick up, what way better to do that then with this album!
Two words; satisfaction guaranteed!
Check out our interview with
Devin The Dude! |
