If there's one mecca for the Dirty South movement that swept the rap game by storm in the late '90s, it's probably Houston, TX. More rappers came out of Houston during the Dirty South's popular peak than any other city down South -- more than Memphis, more than Atlanta, more than New Orleans. So when you assign Mr. 3-2 the disparaging tag of "another Houston rapper," it's not so much a stab at the guy but simply a matter of fact. That's too bad, particularly because 3-2 really does showcase some obvious flair for MCing on The Governor, along with some charisma. But an appealing sense of character only goes so far -- especially when you have lo-fi, rudimentary beats to rhyme over. And because the Dirty South aesthetic is so reliant on its bass-heavy beats and tear-tha-club-up rhythms -- much more so than its admittedly shallow and predictable lyrical motifs -- The Governor ends up being, unfortunately, a bland album. 3-2's rhymes can carry the album for only so long, something that becomes overly apparent as this lengthy album crosses the halfway point. Still, lackluster beats or not, 3-2 surely proves himself to be a talented Houston rapper with potential here. You just wish he had better producers and a label like Rap-a-Lot with clout to help him out.
© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo