Don't come to
Bludshot looking for the future of hip-hop. And you probably shouldn't check him for the past either. But if the now sound of hip-hop circa 2004 turns you on, then
Bludshot has plenty more where that came from. Opener "Beautiful Day" has a light G-funk vibe with
Bludshot's getting high and pulling hoes lyrics in full effect. "How I Like" has a growly analog bass and a faux-silken chorus that just screams
Neptunes, and the sentiments behind "You Don't Know Me" could have come straight from the army of Slim Shady imitators predicted by the man
Eminem himself. And that's the first three songs. But is this a bad thing? Not really. When you consider the eight billion hip-hop joints that hit each year, you can't expect all to be stunning moments of individual genius. In fact, the quest for being different has caused more than a few MCs to go off the deep end or up their own backsides. So what if "Shake It" lifts a painfully obvious sample from "Secret Agent Man," or "Let's Rock" imagines
Eminem's wily flow paired with
Timbaland's click-step beats. Both cuts would rock the club. And as if a warning, the drudging slow soul-funk of instrumental "The Smoke Out" shows the trip-hop lows
Bludshot and producer Dragonfly Pympwell can reach when they spread their wings too far. Just enjoy the middle-of-the-road hip-hop served up here. More songs than not will leave you smiling.