Well-known before he even released his first album (because he's the younger brother of West Coast loudmouth
Kurupt),
Roscoe measures up to his inflated reputation as well as his presumable potential on his well-assembled debut album,
Young Roscoe Philaphornia. The relatively concise 13-track album brings together an assortment of wonderful producers -- most notably Organized Noize (the
Sleepy Brown-featuring lead single, "Head to Toe"),
Soopafly (the Latoiya Williams-featuring "It's That Time Again"),
Def Jef (the
Earth, Wind & Fire-sampling "Smooth Sailin'"), L.T. Hutton ("Shakedown"), and
DJ Quik ("Get Flipped") -- who bless
Roscoe with party-ready beats and catchy hooks galore. Sure, most any rapper would sound great on tracks like these, but
Roscoe doesn't slouch. He's nearly as exuberant as his older brother and just as mouthy, and his 17-year-old mentality makes for plenty of brash and fun-minded good-time fodder. After all, who better than a snotty teenage rapper with pizzazz aplenty to get the party started, especially over a swerving Organized Noize booty-shaker or the timeless hook from "Brazilian Rhyme (Interlude)"? Granted,
Young Roscoe Philaphornia isn't a sweeping artistic statement, nor is it a beginning-to-end classic; however, its multitude of highlights relative to its concise running time make it a very solid album, particularly for a debut. For sure,
Roscoe is off to a great start with
Young Roscoe Philaphornia. [The clean version edits moments of profanity.] ~ Jason Birchmeier