There's a ying/yang thing to the cover of
Bizarre's
Blue Cheese 'N' Coney Island, one that seems to say, "I may be the shower cap-wearing weird sicko of the overall humorous crew
D12, but I also have my serious side." The album itself isn't so half-and-half, but with
Bizarre delivering successful, meaningful tracks like "So Hard" along with his usual gross-out material, the rapper demands and deserves reconsideration, even if he hasn't gone through a total reinvention. Since 2005's
Hannicap Circus,
Bizarre starred in the reality television series Celebrity Fit Club and lost his
D12 brother
Proof to a senseless shooting. Neither of these two extremes have changed what
Bizarre will put into a rhyme, and for better or worse,
Blue Cheese has heaping helpings of cocaine talk, gunplay, and ideas so sick and disgusting, they make big bossman
Eminem look rather pleasant. Still, if you can stomach it, the payoff is some hilarious pining for a homeless girlfriend ("She's Homeless"), a funky weed song of which
George Clinton would approve ("G-14"), and a truly great club track that tops
D12's "Purple Pills" ("Fat Boy"). The track list may be long, but the filler is minimal, something helped along by the big guest list including
Kuniva,
Tech N9ne, and most importantly
King Gordy. The chemistry between
Bizarre and
Gordy benefits from years together on the Detroit grind, and everything else benefits from
Bizarre's maturing skills. While any form of the word "mature" probably shouldn't come in close contact with the rapper,
Blue Cheese shows significant growth and big-league talent. ~ David Jeffries