Buck 65
Situation
3/5

Who It’s For: Serious hip hop fans, not for the average user.
Sounds Like: Artistic hip hop

Apparently in the past Buck 65 has gotten grief from fans for leaving behind his hip-hop roots for something more indie rock. Well, he has definitely turned back to rap now. Although you can still hear that rock influence in the way he puts his songs together, there is no question that this is hip-hop.

It starts you off with an intro that has you salivating for the first song to come but with 15 tracks, Situation is a long album and it feels long. It leaves the question that is he making up for leaving hip hop for a while by releasing a heavy rap record now. It’s too bad that the length hurts this disc because listening to each song on it’s own it’s clear that he put a lot into it. The way the beats are put together, this is a complex disc that you’ll want to take apart. “The Outskirts” has the beat of a slow old Spanish song, while “Cop Shades” is hard hitting and forceful; Buck 65 never leaves you tired.

The problem is that there is so much going on it is kind of tiring. It’s hard to separate one track from the next after so long. The intensity of his raspy deep voice loses its heat after a while. If this disc was listened to in two sittings I think a person could handle it, but right now unfortunately society has a shorter attention span. Situation is a great album to put on while you are busy for some background noise. The artistic value of it is obvious, but average listeners probably won’t get into it.

Track Listing: 

1. Intro
2. 1957
3. Ho-Boys
4. Lipstick
5. Shutter Buggin’
6. Spread ‘Em
7. The Rebel
8. Way Back When
9. Cop Shades
10. The Beatific
11. Mr. Nobody
12. Benz
13. Heatwave
14. The Outskirts
15. White Bread

- Stephanie Joudrey