MUSIC: Hacks

For you people...for YOU I endured the free CD listening of Kevin Federline and...why are you reading this? You know it sucked!

The production (beat-wise) was above par, but delivery and lyrics were like an act. Go figure. You'd think a white person acting like he grew up a couple shades darker in the middle of Compton or the South Bronx with a gang background would sound more authentic.

Like KFed, many artists feel the need to address the fact that they have something to prove and/or that they're going to have haters publicly bashing their skills. Lady Sovereign, a female British rapper, has the same weight on her shoulders. Like most rappers with complexes, she addresses her height and her bagginess in her lyrics, like in her first single "Love me or hate me" she says "It's officially the biggest midget in the game." If you've heard S.O.V. spit before, you'd know that she rhymes inaudibly in a British accent (that randomly sounds Jamaican). On her U.S-released, Jay-Z-backed LP, it's obvious the yanks told her to enunciate. She's known for her dialogue-based lyrics riddled with jokes and pop culture references of both U.S. and U.K. A lot of her beats sound like old 90s hip hop riffs. It seems like she has a higher respect for that decade of talent, than for the present generation, since in "Random" she makes fun of a couple of American rappers using their lyrics, like "everybody in the club getting tipsy" and Nelly's affinity for saying words like "chur" and "thur," instead of "chair" and "there." Although she does have similar skills to one present-day act in "Public Warning" where she proves she could battle Bone Thugs n Harmony to see which rapper can rap faster. But, fully aware that she is different from the rest of her competition, she points out the differences between the two nations and the difference between the American perception of the UK and the reality in "My England."

Unlike KFed, S.O.V.'s delivery is perfectly rhythmic and believable. Even if you don't understand what she's saying or can't believe how ridiculous the lyrics are, you'll still enjoy the music.