MGF Reviews Big B – More to Hate

Reviews


Big B – More to Hate
Suburban Noize Records (8/28/07)
Rap / Hip-hop

The self-proclaimed “White Trash Renegade” is slowly, but surely building quite the following. Already an underground sensation in his hometown of Las Vegas, Big B’s tracks have been gaining semi-regular airplay on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Faction channel, while the rapper joined the cast of A&E’s popular Inked series last year.

On his first studio album in two years, Big B isn’t the least bit interested in expanding his audience. More specifically, his work here isn’t the least bit evolved from his earlier work, which will ultimately be satisfying to some and maddening to others.

“White Trash Life”, the first single and easily the most successful cut of Big B’s career, gets points for its unapologetic embrace of one’s trailer park aura, but lyrically it never gets out of first gear. Far and away, Big B’s biggest shortcoming is his mic work. While that might be akin to criticizing water for being “too wet”, it still must be mentioned in so much that he’s got to give listeners some reason to buy his music.

The first half of More to Hate seems to progressively deteriorate from the opening title track to the absurdly rudimentary “Looky Looky”. Then, out of nowhere, the album quality takes a 180 turn, beginning with “On the Road”. It’s infectiously (and intentionally) clunky in the same vein as some of Bubba Sparxxx’s best work.

“Miss Wonderful” is one of those “you think he’s rapping about a woman, but he’s really rapping about (fill-in-the-blank), which he reveals in the last verse” tracks. The payoff’s a little disappointing, but it’s fun getting there.

The production of “This Is Me” is strong enough to lift it above the trite “fuck the world” mantra that Eminem effectively retired for all other rappers by beating it into the ground. Labelmates The Kottonmouth Kings show up on “We Can Smoke” and riffs on an old Men at Work song. It actually works. Really!

And, for those of you who’ve been missing Sen Dog… he’s got a cameo on “Living on the Edge”. Big B rolls out the drum machine on a cut with a hint of Southern flavor lacing the West Coast scent that permeates this one.

His own anonymity notwithstanding, More to Hate actually has several pieces in place that could’ve made this a well above average release. Unfortunately, the first eight tracks or so bring the final score down substantially. It doesn’t help that Big B is just barely a passable lyricist even on his best efforts, but there’s more good stuff here than you probably think.

Rating: