this one

everything but vision

Slaughtahouse (Delicious Vinyl)
Masta Ace Incorporated

By Kory Wilcoxson

This is music to cruise by. Boom-boom bass, rat-a-tat beats and slick rhymes. But good songs do not a good album make.

And that's the problem with Slaughtahouse from Masta Ace and his posse. The album is populated by strong raps but there's no overall cohesion. Taken one at a time they are fresh and slammin', but trying to listen to the whole album at once will wear you out; the ear wasn't made to digest such varied styles.

But that doesn't mean you should avoid hearing tracks like "Jack B. Nimble" or "Jeep Ass Nigah," which contains the instantly classic line: "I wonder if I blasted a little Elvis Presley, would they pull me over and attempt to arrest me? I really dou-doubt it, they'd probably start dancing." That's the dope stuff.

Masta Ace should borrow one of Flavor Flav's clocks and check the time, because some of the tracks seem endless. A little pacing and continuity would have made Slaughtahouse and even better album.