------------2000 was one of the best years for the Darkroom crew, and this cd is a fine example of it. With all three of the original members (Dyno, Duke, and Crooked) releasing cds this year, Duke started things off with his sophomore release, “Kill Them Slowly.” Following the basic structure of his previous (and future) releases, it is a short cd that is laced with violent and sexual themes. Uninspiring, yes, but Duke proves that this basic formula is quite effective.
___“Northern Cali” is the lead-in song for the cd, and is a great choice as it draws the listener in with a tight beat and solid lyrics from Duke. “Hustlers Mobbin’” features Nasty Nate along with Duke and is another excellent song. Both give a good performance as Duke brags about his car, proclaiming that it will smoke any rice rocket (import) on the road. When Duke teams up with J-Loc and Mr.Sinatra on “Retaliation In Tha Worst Degree” you get another "my boys got shot/revenge" track. Nothing new to the genre of gangsta rap, but with a simple, yet tight beat, it turns out to be one of the best tracks. If you have heard “Kill Them Slowly” from the Connected cd, then “Kill Them Slower” should sound very familiar as it uses the same beat and chorus. And just like the previous version, Duke raps about the people who he wants to get revenge on. Duke joins up with J-Loc and Crooked and they all have a common enemy on this one, ex-label Dogday records. All three give a verbal assault on their old label, and they make it known that they didn’t leave on the best of terms. “Pay Your Duez First” has Duke reminding people just how long he has been in the business and all the trouble he has faced throughout the years with haters, police, bootleggers, and record labels. Very tight song and great way to finish off the cd.
___Of course with every Duke cd, there are always a few songs that deal with his favorite subject, sex. “Bitchez Be Scandalous” is probably my favorite track on the cd, as Duke also has a little help from his friends Sapo and J-Loc, as they all join in the fun of rapping about explicit sexual situations. As perverted as this track is, “We Like It Shaved” takes the top honors of going above and beyond your normal sex track. If you are asking who likes what shaved, then this track is not for you. This track is sure to turn heads from some, disgust others, and have everyone else pissing their pants. This one is sure to get a reaction from everyone. One of Duke’s other favorite subjects has to be his hate for the police, and “Racial Profiling” gives Duke the chance to vent his anger out on police. Duke goes a little overboard on this one. What first seems to be a “fuck the cops” song soon turns into a story of Duke getting pulled over and then proceeding to torture and kill a cop. Not to say that Duke is actually proclaiming to be a cop killer, this is more of way to express his feelings about the miss-treatment of minorities by cops.
___Not all of this cd is about sex and violence as Duke gets sentimental on a few tracks. “County Time” has Duke rapping about his experiences in and out of jail and the hardships that come with living on the edge. “My Fucking Life” has Duke looking back on his life and what he once was, and what he has now become. It basically deals with his troubles from a young age, dealing with high school, and the pressures to break the trend of living at the bottom. I really like this song as it is a relief to hear Duke break away from his standard fare and try something new. Both songs are fine examples that Duke isn’t as one minded as many may think.
___If you are looking for a cd that is different than you typical DRF cd, then look else where. But if songs about ultra violence, extreme sex, and smoking rice rockets appeals to you, then this is right down your alley. Not to say that Duke doesn’t try to do something new, but this cd follows the same pattern his other cds did. Which is not a bad thing, as this is his best solo cd, out doing both “To Live and Die in the Bay” & “A Gift Before I’m Gone”. Having the distinction of being his best solo, this is also the most solid Darkroom to be released. Not to say it is the best Darkroom release, but rather it is the most consistent in terms of song quality. Whether you love’em or hate’em, there is no denying this is a great cd and should not be passed up by even the most casual gangsta rap fan.
Rating: 9.4/10
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bruce Wayne
