Handsome Boy Modeling School - So How's Your Girl?

remembering the B.R.O. scale (from early editions of BLAZE)
B.eats--score of 1-10 based on samples/rhythm/boom/quality/etc.
R.hymes--score of 1-10 based on styles/concepts/storytelling/etc.
O.riginality--score of 1-10 based on innovation/ingenuity/uniqueness

HANDSOME BOY MODELING SCHOOL/So...How's Your Girl? B.||||||||8
R.|||||||7
O.|||||||||9

If you're looking for some crazy-ass new hip-hop material that will keep your head nodding while you scratch it in uncertainty, run out and purchase this new conceptual album by DAN THE AUTOMATOR and PRINCE PAUL.

Right from the beginning, the album will have you hooked with "Rock n' Roll," a hip-hop anthem of sorts that, although it has no emcee present, combines layers of vocal samples including "that rock-n-roll could never ever hip-hop like this!" mixed with beat breaks galore that can only psyche you up for what else is coming. The guest lyricists include DEL THA FUNKEE HOMOSAPIEN, GRAND PUBA and SADAT X, J-LIVE, DAVE of DE LA SOUL, and EL-P of COMPANY FLOW. Other newcomers to the center stage of nationally syndicated hip-hop are MIHO HATORI, ENCORE, ROISIN, SEAN LENNON, MONEY MARK, JOSH HAYDEN, PAULA FRAZER, and SENSATIONAL. Producers DJ SHADOW, DJ QUEST and DJ KID KOALA also make guest appearances through their hands.

This star studded cast flips one of the most innovative and original creations of the year, and what works most toward the listener's ear, is simply put, the formula. PAUL and DAN's combination of euphoric beats with unusual lyrics and topics set new precidents in the definition of "great hip-hop." DEL rips shit for around six minutes over a hard piano bass line with spine tingling percussion in "Magnetizing." MIHO HATORI introduces us to her own poetic style recited rap over a mesmeric track with a hook that makes you want to smile. "Waterworld" uses erie bass and piano over waterdrops as a tight quasi-highhat, with ENCORE as the mic brutalizer telling emcees "...i'm on a crusade to rain on your parade/see CORE is more than three-quarters of what this rap world secure/so this is chinese water torture for emcees to endure." J-LIVE gives a cameo appearance as "judge, jury and prosecuting d.a." in "The Truth," which has a PORTISHEADesque feel to it, with ROISIN's laid-back style of song in the forefront. Amidst all this, PAUL and DAN also keep the role of the deejay outweighing emcees with more musical mayhem in between these songs. Instrumentals like "Look at this Face" and "Modeling Sucks" are brilliantly produced with classical music samples that many would recognize. DAN THE AUTOMATOR is best known for his work as main producer of "Dr. Octagon" with KOOL KEITH and DJ Q-BERT, and PRINCE PAUL's work with DE LA SOUL will always be classic as well. With these two guys, anything is possible, and most likely to be great.

Go To Page: 1 2