Lil Jon & East Side Boyz

Kings of Crunk

D List Rhymes And A List Beats (3.5 Stars)

Review Score:

(6/10)
Let's be real. If you're heavy into southern rap, you're going to love this. If you're not into southern rap, then it's quite obvious that this CD isn't for you. With that being said, you'll notice that all of the 5 star reviews come from southern residents. This isn't a coincidence, nor is it quite true. In fact, this album is not even in the same hemisphere as most 5 star albums. It's an average CD. The chanting on this album can make it VERY annoying after a while, but that isn't the strength of the album.....the beats are. If you want some crunk beats, this album is for you. It can easily be said that a lot of his beats sound the same (Freek A Leek, Yeah, and Goodies ARE the exact same beat), but when he does manage to make a standout beat, it REALLY stands out. I don't care what kind of rap you're into, it's hard to keep your cool when songs like "B*tch" or "I Don't Give A F*ck" come on in the club. I tend to lose my mind in the club when Lil' Jon tracks come on, so I can't say that I don't like it. But there are aspects of this album that are lacking. Lyricism seems to have been shoved to the side in favor of novelty and appeal. Aside from suspect lyricism, the only real failures on the album come when Jon ventures out into R&B. "Ooh Na Na Naa Naa" is just plain ol' wack and "Nothins Free" is actually on their previous album (Throw Yo Hood Up). There are some suspect tracks on the album as well. "Push That N*gga, Push That H*e" is kinda wack and an altered but similar version of "Diamonds" is actually featured on someone elses album (I think it's on T.I.'s album, but don't quote me on that). Tracks like "The Weedman" and "Pitbull's Cuban Rideout" aren't bad tracks, but they could've been left off of the album and I don't think anyone would've even noticed because they are skippable joints. The positives about this album far outweigh the negatives though. It's hard to ignore the appeal of tracks like "Play No Games", "I Don't Give A F*ck", "Nothin' On" and "B*tch". Tracks like "Keep Yo Chullin Out The Street", "Knockin' Heads Off", "BME Click", and "Rep Yo City" are just plain sick. And "Get Low" is the hit single that thrust this album into the spotlight and almost made this group a household name (though the south knew about them for years). It's a very strong album, but their albums will always be average albums if they continue to be so predictable. Aside from a few extra guests, there is no real difference between this album and "Put Yo Hood Up". Overall, if you have a bias against southern rap, then you won't like this for obvious reasons. But this album is very strong. The lyricism on the album from the actual group members is "D List" at best. But if you're not looking for too much depth and you just want to lose it and throw them 'bows (also known as "Gettting Crunk"), who better to get crunk beats from than the kings themselves? This album is a must have for crunk enthusiasts.

Standout Tracks: B*tch (My Favorite), Get Low, Knockin' Heads Off, I Don't Give A F*ck, Play No Games, and Rep Yo City

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