Cee Rock The Fury РBringin’ the Yowzah

“Everybody can’t be a thug, someone is lying.”-Spitfyre.

A quick glance over an album press release and bio elicits a peculiar description which catches my eye; apparently the rapper in question “specializes in the art of deep thought.” Judging from the latest cuts that have been shuffled through my iPod, I can’t say that I really got my hopes up for this one. I mean, the only thing that’s piqued my interest recently was a Classic (get my drift?). But it is about damn time that a real MC, not a rapper, drops some knowledge on me, and gives something to chew on and meditate about.

Cee-Rock claims to be that man on his latest album “Bringin the Yowzah!” The Jamaica, Queens-born, is a veteran to this game, flaunting a quick hit in Europe and a couple of cameos (check Nas/Puffy’s Hate Me Now) on his resume. He’s been building this credits under the radar like a good MC should. And he’s already ahead of Russell Simmons’ new-agenda to push foul language out of rap (note there is no cursing on this album); so I’ll try to bite my tongue on this review out of respect for that.

“Bringin the Yowzah” didn’t really hit me like I thought it would. The themes aren’t nuanced and the flow isn’t anything to write home about. However, there are some 2-bar lines on this album that remind of the California Gold Rush- golden nuggets of lyrical bliss, but you just gotta search for ‘em. And when they sparkle, they’re just too good to pass over. On Hip-Hop #5,The Fury proclaims that “some say I’m even more nuts than genital.” Honestly, I don’t know what the heck he’s taking about, but I like how he said it. “Watch out 4 My Meta” is one of my favorite tracks and has the European flavor that I expected from Cee-Rock, with Late and 10Shott killing their verses with a British flair. The meta-1,2,3,4 (get it) in these rhymes is going to require a little bit more thought to realize why this is hot.

The intros were among some of the best cuts on this album. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the rhyme on 16-bar appetizer, but this track is pretty dope-like a classic bump-from-ya-windows-in-the-hood type joint, on a real Fatman Scoop tip. The Fat Albert intro is classically comical (and a subtle homage to his father); while “Salutations and Dedications” is a brilliantly arranged and tranquil interlude into the title track.

Production-wise, this album is in a fairly consistent, circa 80’s hip-hop niche. Its got that aged, record spinning, cracked sound from the piano-driven melody in “Anderson iz Nice” to Computerized sounds of Dialect: Ridiculous. Even though Cee-Rock changes to a more international flavor on the last two tracks there remains a lot here to fill ya ears with.

All in all, this is a decent album. Other than “Watch out. .” nothing stuck with me. But I admire and respect Cee-Rock for putting out real content, instead of that other bull. . .