El Pus - Hoodlum Rock, Vol. 1 (CD)

All Music Guide

There's a lot of crunk slang and Southern fried spirit on El Pus' debut, but these rappers rock like Atlanta is the new Los Angeles. With its lyrics about tricked out bikes, crunk partying, and an OutKasty technopsychedelicbootyfunk stance, Hoodlum Rock, Vol. 1 has true Southern street cred. Put a beatbox and turntable behind these rhymes and you might think Big Boi and Andre are reminiscing about their teen years, but add the power chords and crystal clean production and you're talking L.A. smart goofiness like Sugar Ray with more of an edge, Fishbone when they really brought the funk, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers with a little less bravado but the same ambition. What keeps El Pus from being an over thought out and just clever combination of these influences are rappers/multiinstrumentalists/founding members Cufi and Cosmo. The duo can mispronounce and twist words like "Marlboro" and "Mozart" to their advantage, their songwriting is genuine and on point, and their cool delivery is ch...arismatic as they come. The band responds perfectly, chugging ahead like a Rock n' Roll train but able to turn on a dime and wring every last drop of funk out of the slow burners. Virgin chose "Suburb Thuggin'" as the kickoff single, and while the kids down the skate park and anyone who ever pumped a fist in the air are going to be feeling it, the track doesn't represent how unique El Pus can kick it. "Thing Thing" is a classic "do what'cha like" number with both hippy and hardcore baller appeal, "Girl" is a microtechno meeting of Bootsy Collins and Adam Sandler with a heartache, and "Days of the BK's" is a reflective, cheebapuffing masterpiece. Bummer that there's only 35 minutes of the quirky and delicious popmetalrap with a poet's heart and that's including the hidden track but at least Hoodlum Rock, Vol. 1 is as fat free as a whole as Cufi and Cosmo are with their songwriting. A kickass, concise debut and one of the most accomplished marriages of rock and rap ever. - David Jeffries, All Music Guide Read more Less