June 26, 2003 @ 9:00 pm
KILLER MIKE - MONSTER (COLUMBIA)
Anything that comes out of the Dungeon Family starts off with a handicap, namely the temptation to compare it to Stankonia, Still Standing, and Aquemini.
Anything that comes out of the Dungeon Family starts off with a handicap, namely the temptation to compare it to Stankonia, Still Standing, and Aquemini. But that’s exactly the kind of uphill battle a hard-core soldier like Killer Mike relishes, one reason his debut album, Monster, runs over with rep-building bravado. The combination of Mike’s relentless, shrapnel-edged flow and the ever-inventive Dungeon production takes a sec to get used to (accustomed as we are to the more countrified flows of Boi, Dre, and Cee-Lo). But he’s not always combative: Mike rides tunes like the goofily catchy first single, “A.D.I.D.A.S.” and the brutal, waltz-time workout “Akshon (Yeah!)” with casual aplomb. Thematically, Killer Mike isn’t breaking any new ground—fellatio-giving groupies, hustlers, and Atlanta Falcons similes abound. “Scared Straight,” for example, is a cautionary tale straight out of the mid-’90s. But new topics are scarce in today’s rap world. Inventive styles and refreshing spins score the most points, and there are when Mike almost makes you believe he’s as bad as he says he is.
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http://www.vibe.com/music/revolutions/2003/06/killer_mike_monster_columbia/
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