audio review : Snoop Cube 40 Short ( album ) … Mount Westmore

audio review : Snoop Cube 40 Short ( album ) ... Mount Westmore

Mount Westmore should be the album title. There’s no need for a group moniker. Stating each rapper’s name; Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E-40 and Too Short; doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it’s better than cramming them together for what ultimately makes for an awkwardly self-titled debut. That’s if you don’t count the obscure NFT version; Bad MFs; released a few months ago.

The songs are about what you’d expect. All four Californians are, as the farcical cover picture suggests, gods of the rap game. They’re also long past their creative slash stylistic primes, though E-40 remains the most unique and interesting character of the bunch. His verses and the beats are the best parts. The worst are the hooks, most of which are, despite claims to do their Best, half-assed.

my rating : 3 of 5

2022

video review : Notorious

video review : Notorious

“Biggie, give me one more chance,” to cash in on your death. This movie; based on the life of Chris Wallace, better known as The Notorious BIG; isn’t really about biographical art. Neither does it offer anything new about his life. It’s just a straight summary that goes from his hardships as a Brooklyn street kid to the Biggest name the “eastcoast” rap world has to offer without offering any unique insight or perspective of its own. That means, even if you never read Vibe or watched BET enough to know what’s going to happen, what does is never enough to warrant a Hollywood movie.

Aside from his “so-called beef with you-know-who” and the spectacular murders that follow, BIG’s life of rags-to-riches, worldwide fame and bitches; Naturi Naughton plays the role of Lil Kim; just isn’t that interesting when the words don’t rhyme over beats. The storytellers here; screenwriters Reggie Rock and Cheo Hodari, along with director George Tillman; simply lack the creative know-how to make up for that fact. What that results in is a movie any cinema-driven fan could’ve made with a big-enough budget and approval from $ean “Puffy” Combs as executive producer.

my rating : 3 of 5

2009