Emaculent, 15 minutes to E. Languorous beats and infectious hooks start this set off well, but the swagger in its lyrics only reinforces the hip-hop stereotype.

Label: Brightlife Music
Time: 8 Tracks / 32 minutes

It may be short, but 15 minutes to E has enough in it to make sure that the listener doesn’t feel short-changed.

Most of the impact is at the start.  “Comin’ Up” – ostensibly about his success – has a Danielson-high chorus with such a laid-back languorous beat that I wondered whether his boasts (“I was broke, now I ain’t”, “I’ve got ladies throwin’ panties all the time”) were a parody.

The next two tracks keep the ambiguity: is “Centerfold” sexist or observation? Is the funky “Leavin’ You” a misogynistic hip-hop cliché or just memories of the man’s past? Whatever, its soulful “I can’t seem to leave you (alone)” hook is highly infectious.

As the collection nears the end, the tracks get a little denser, with some woofer-wobbling bottom end work. “Fool With It” takes a harder approach and along with that comes more bigging himself up.

The MC does his work well, but 15 minutes to E doesn’t feel particularly unique or essential.

3tocks


Derek Walker
http://walkerwords.wordpress.com

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