Young Buck - Straight Outta Cashville: G Unit Collector's Edition (CD)

All Music Guide

Less than 2 months after the solo debut of his GUnit brother Lloyd Banks, Young Buck drops Straight Outta Cashville, another well crafted but uncompromising premiere that expands 50 Cent and crew's empire below the MasonDixon line. Lyrics are often the sameold, sameold GUnit topics weed, the game, Tony Yayo, guns, lots and lots of money talk but this crew has yet to present a rapper that doesn't attack these tired subjects with style and flair. Buck has been graced with 50's ability to bring streetlife to the CD player with that grotesque/flippant delivery. But with none of 50's smirk or Banks' city swagger, Buck is the one to relate to, still struggling, still hungry. The obligatory "how I got here" track, "Look at Me Now", is his best moment lyrically vivid and all that but you can drop the laser anywhere and hear more brain than boast. If that was all there was, Straight Outta Cashville would be a good record. What makes it great is excellent producer and guest rapper choices, a... tight tracklist with nearly perfect flow, and the fresh GUnit meets crunk and Lil Jon sound that dominates the album. He's often outrageously loud, but Lil Jon tones down his Southern beats to thug level on the excellent funkster "Shorty Wanna Ride", one of the deepest jams the producer has come up with. Red Spyda is at the helm for the sticky "Welcome to the South" with David Banner while the infectious "Let Me In" is proof frequent GUnit producer Needlz saved his best for Buck. "Bonafide Huster", "I'm A Soldier", and the Nancy Sinatra sampling "Bang Bang" are more singalong anthems to add to the GUnit mixtapes and nothing on the record out and out fails. If there's anything bad to be said about the album it's that the GUnit machine is way ahead of Buck when it comes to experience and he keeps his personality from coming through loud and clear at times. Adjusting to the fabulous life of the 50 Cent's clique has to be a whirlwind and you can't blame Buck for pulling his punches and coming into his own slowly. There's more to GUnit's most approachable rapper than Straight Outta Cashville gives up, one listen and you'll feel it. Then again, if his "finding himself" takes twenty more phatbottomed crowd pleasers like this to get there, who would mind? [Straight Outta Cashville was also made available in a G Unit Collector's Edition with a bonus DVD including the "Let Me In" video and interviews with Young Buck and GUnit associate Tony Yayo.] - David Jeffries, All Music Guide Read more Less