Sticking to his guns,
Let It Beat finds brat-hop rapper
Shwayze revisiting the stoned-on-Malibu-sunshine feel of his debut, while co-conspirator/producer
Cisco Adler adds the influences of the 2009 electro-revolution brought on by acts like
Chromeo and
3OH!3. Bright synths and busy drum machines help reinforce the cover art's '80s vision of the future, but the raps remain the same as his first time out, as titles like "Livin' It Up'" and "Dirty Little Girl" give away their stories. A couple numbers with acoustic guitars and a heavy
Sublime influence round out the album while guest shots from
Snoop Dogg and the
Knux help justify any copies that land in the local "rap" section. Skip it and you'll be missing the great summer number "Crazy for You" which is "rocking flip-flops" with a
Ric Ocasek production and -- hold onto your hats -- guitar from
Darryl Jenifer of the
Bad Brains. ~ David Jeffries