Knoc-Turn'al - Way I Am [Clean] (CD)

All Music Guide

During the early 2000s the West Coast rap scene had long fallen off, relative to the early'90s golden age of Gfunk at least. There was occasional hope for renewed brighter days though. One of the West Coast's brightest hopes was KnocTurn'al, an inimitable Los Angeles rapper with strong ties to Cali elite such as Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, the latter of whom Knoc had songwritten for, most notably the summer 2001 anthem "Bad Intentions." Beyond doubt Knoc is a jack of most rap trades he can not only rap, and do so with striking wit, but he can also croon his own hooks, write fullfledged songs, and resemble Snoop's more colorful characteristics better than most. His wellcrafted debut album, The Way I Am, showcases these talents at length. Clearly Knoc knows the rules of the game: he reps Cali and its attendant laidback lifestyle to no end; showcases well his ties to the Sunshine State's finest (note especially "What We Do," a standout posse track); and includes an excellent lead single, "The Way I Am," that does what an ideal rap lead single should do it (re)introduces him and all he stands for to listeners with aplomb, in this case aided greatly by a powerful Scott Storch production, a supercool Snoop accreditation, and a funinthesun video to boot. It's a great single. It really is, which makes it somewhat frustrating that the rest of the album isn't quite on par. As aforementioned, The Way I Am is indeed well crafted and Knoc is indeed a talent, but many of the songs here just don't come across like they should. In fact, the album is too well crafted, to the point that it often feels overlabored. Knoc's relentless wit can sometimes seem hamhanded, especially after repeated listens, and his more thoughtful moments (like the first song, "War" a roundabout political musing) seem at odds with his oftmisogynistic formalisms (he is a West Coast rapper, after all). If you can over (or underlook) these minor issues of character, there's plenty to savor here on The Way I Am, chiefly the title track as well as the Timbalandproduced "Have Fun." This is easily one of the most interesting and accomplished West Coast albums in years. It's no fourstar effort, but still, it shows much promise and bodes well, not only for Knoc's future but the entire West Coast's. [The clean version does away with the profane dirtiness.]

- Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide