HiphopRnbSoul.com

Hip-hop fans often complain that they miss the golden era of rap – the old school. Ugly Duckling must have overheard those complaints because the Long Beach, California crew consistently attempts to re-produce the fun of 80's rap on their latest entry, Bang for The Buck. By incorporating boom bap sounds into some intricate programming that weren't possible two decades ago, U.D. has managed to combine old school flavor with a new school perspective.

Sometimes the formula works - like the urgent "Left Behind" where the CA collective deliver their spiel with Arrested Development steez. The levitating opener and title track "Bang for The Buck" and the nostalgic "Slow the Flow" both reveal U.D.'s obsession with retro rap. 

hiphoprnbsoul rating:

Download this album

Sometimes the formula works - like the urgent "Left Behind" where the CA collective deliver their spiel with Arrested Development steez. The levitating opener and title track "Bang for The Buck" and the nostalgic "Slow the Flow" both reveal U.D.'s obsession with retro rap.
 
At other times, the recipe flirts with redundancy. For instance, the self-congratulating "Yudee" is just as funky as "Smack," which only resides ten sequencing minutes away from "Yudee." The urgent keys on "Left Behind" are aptly recaptured on the People Under The Stairs-assisted "Shoot Your Shot." The only difference being that the former relies on infectious horn riffs and a catchy hook. "The Breakdown," the only song allowed to advance beyond the 80's on Bang for The Buck best describes Ugly Duckling's quest for uniqueness: "It's not easy being ugly, coming up hoping that people would love me."

While it's indeed tedious to recreate a sound that's been long lost in a shuffle, it's equally stifling to restrict hip-hop to sonic re-enactment.

Download:  "Left Behind"  "The Breakdown" "Shoot Your Shot"

  To purchase CDs, click on the cover art or title link. To legally download, click on the iTunes logo. If you do not have iTunes, you can download it here by clicking the "download iTunes" logo above.