Respecta.is - The Ultimate Hip Hop Portal

Rude, crude, and lewd, the Outsidaz's rhymes on The Bricks should give those who find Eminem unpalatable something to think about. Violence, drugs, armed robbery, sexual depravity, and shooting the president are all topics primed to make their debut album the subject of moral-majority placards. That the East Coast rappers' caricature exploits, bravado, and taunts--aimed at wack rappers, cheating girlfriends, and anyone that's not them--are exaggerated for maximum effect and come with party beats, suggests more bad-boy misbehavior than a corrupting influence. "State to State," for one, with its comedy samba and explicit message to sexually demanding ladies--that the Outsidaz's wouldn't entertain with someone else's barge poll--is pure comedy. And with Kelis & Rah Digga getting their own back on "I'm Leaving," The Bricks isn't all one-sided. They even offer a blunt warning against the evils of drugs on "Rehab," albeit to something approximating a demented Disney ditty. If these redeeming features, plus addictive beats and playful rhymes, aren't enough to convince detractors that the Outsidaz are a valuable addition to society, then the fact that they set up on an ice-cream stand on a corner of their neighborhood known as the Bricks (previously frequented by drug dealers) should hint that they're not all bad.