The Cool Kids open up shop, Bun B keeps it Trill, Shaya has sleeping problems, Myself disguises his dissent, and Verve//Remixed drops volume 4, all in the latest installment of RH's new review column, Front To Back...

How many times has an artist, regardless of genre, age, and skill said something that resembles, ‘man, you can just listen to this album front to back.’ We’ve all heard it, and here at Ruby Hornet, we don’t trust anyone. So, instead of taking these artists at their word, we’ve come up with a way to measure an album’s front-to-back ability. We went out and got a new stereo system with a multi-disc changer, and loaded it up with the new arrivals to see which can actually be enjoyed throughout, and which ones were better off as EPs.

The rating system is as follows.
Let It Ride: Just press play and relax…A near perfect LP
Breathe & Stop: A couple joints here, a couple joints there…But overall a solid LP
One & Done: There maybe a hit single here, but not much else…

Artist: The Cool Kids
Album: The Bake Sale EP –Chocolate Industries
Rating: Breathe & Stop
Synopsis: Throats were getting sore screaming for an album from The Cool Kids. After much waiting, and stalled releases, Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks released The Bake Sale EP a couple weeks ago. Most of the tracks on the half hour EP have been circulating the web for quite some time, making The Bake Sale somewhat like a compilation album neatly putting all your leaked Cool Kids joints into one folder. The Cool Kids emphatically burst on the scene, and love them or hate them, everyone has been watching them since as they took part in ushering in a new stage of Hip Hop music by heavily flaunting their old school influences. The Bake Sale showcases the Cool Kids style at its best on songs such as “A Little Bit Cooler” and “What It Is” as well as perhaps their most popular song, “88”. The Cool Kids are onto something, but The Bake Sale lacks a tremendous amount of variability, and we could only take so many rhymes about mopeds, sneakers, and pagers…plus, we don’t feel like there is anything wrong with still playing Sega. Anyway, it’s great to see The Cool Kids finally get this release out, and out of the way. It will be interesting to see how The Cool Kids grow as they move forward. RH Favorites: “What It Is,” “A Little Bit Cooler”, “Mikey Rocks.”

Artist: Bun B
Album: II Trill – Rap-A-Lot Records
Rating: Let It Ride
Synopsis: Bun B released a near perfect album in his sophomore set, II Trill. Bun’s album contains a versatility that many emcees strive for, but few accomplish. Bun pulls it off by tackling a wide range of subjects, and including an impressive and diverse collection of guest features that boasts Lupe Fiasco, Lil’ Wayne, and Junior Reid to name a few. The album maintains a hard edge throughout, but still witnesses Bun take his lyrical content off the block and into schools, churches, and state houses, showing that it’s Trill to be smart. It’s fair to say that Bun is at the top of his game, showing the maturity and skill late in his career similar to what fellow Texan Roger Clemens has done on the diamond…And Bun’s never taken a steroid in his life. RH Favorites: “Get Cha Issue”, “If It Was Up To Me”, “That’s Gangsta”, “Another Soldier.”

Artist: Various
Album: Verve//Remixed 4 – Verve
Rating: Let It Ride
Synopsis: Verve//Remixed 4 is a smooth collection of classic songs remixed and remastered by some of today’s top producers including 9th Wonder, Kenny Dope, and Diplo. Even Afro-Funk'ers Antibalas got in on the action. The album takes plays out like a summer Saturday. The first handful of songs raise the curtains and welcome in the sunshine. Up-tempo remixes such as Diplo's reworking of Marlena Shaw's "California Love" and Pilooski's Edit of Nina Simone's "Take Care of Business" get things moving, while the middle of the album reminds us that's its the weekend and we don't have anything to do. Antibalas, Mocky, and Karriem Riggins smoothly take us through midday with sounds that match perfectly with just sitting outside on a beautiful day, before the sunsets with 9th Wonder's loving the sunshine with Roy Ayers and Ella Fitzgerald getting no kicks with the Cinematic Orchestra. The album stretches generations, as older folks will love hearing a new twist to their old favorites, while younger fans can get familiar with some seminal releases they may not otherwise know. Verve//Remixed 4 is an eclectic mix, featuring elements of jazz, electro, Hip Hop, funk, and Afro-beat to present a distinct listening experience, and at only 12 tracks deep, Verve//Remixed has no room for fillers. RH Favorites: “California Love” (Diplo Remix), “Take Care of Business” (Pilooski Edit), “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” (9th Wonder Remix).

Artist: Shaya
Album: Fallen Awake -Interdependent Media
Rating: One And Done
Synopsis: Here is what we got from listening to Shaya’s album, Fallen Awake. Shaya is an emcee from the West Coast. He is very passionate about music, and emceeing, has a couple kids, and has a turbulent relationship with his mother. Shaya makes those points early and often, creating an album that contains high quality production, but songs that do more to make listeners fall asleep than stay awake. The album can best be related to an introductory paragraph that doesn’t end. Shaya continues to tell listeners that he’s about to go off, but fails to really leave the starting line. There are moments of brightness though, and a couple joints worth checking out, and Shaya gets major points for utilizing a Dilated Peoples’ line on “Industry Life.” There just wasn’t enough here to make us keep this one in the player. RH Favorites: “Intro”, “Industry Life”, “Fall Back.”

Artist: Myself
Album: Protest In Disguise – Courture Music Wear
Rating: Breathe & Stop
Synopsis: I’m glad that there are artists like Myself, who is releasing Protest In Disguise almost completely on his own. Myself fuses Jazzy rhythms and Hip Hop beats to prove that he can “bust a dope rhyme without Busta.” There is also no pulling punches, as the protest is not very much disguised on this LP that reeks of politically progressive couplets and calls for reform and change. The album also channels the best of Hip Hop’s Afro-Centric period, sampling A Tribe Called Quest, and making references that will make true Hip Hop heads press rewind. Myself’s downfall here was perhaps remaining too self-contained, as we found ourselves wanting a guest appearance or two or something to change the pace. The album lagged at times, as Myself keeps things rather mellow, making us think more Souls of Mischief than Public Enemy. Very solid nonetheless. RH Favorites: “Easy Come,” “Where We Going”, “A Woman Named Nina.”

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