Instead of wading into the deep regional battles (East Vs. West, North Vs. South) through which hip-hop has often suffered,
Badwayz unites east, west, north, and south with a funky threesome (
Murda One, Studd, and
Joe Riz) that balances the sound of classic soul and funk with fluid raps and on-point lyrics. From the expositional "How It Got So Bad" to the call-and-response of "Where You At,"
I'm the Bad Guy offers a change-of-pace from the brand-X flavor of late-'90s rap, and the production (led by
Too $hort) is solid throughout. ~ Keith Farley