Album Review: Crown City Rockers – Kiss EP (2009)
Rating: 3 out of 5 Potholes
Crown City Rockers have definitely evolved a ton since their debut album as the group Mission. When the track “Disturbing Behavior” came through the airwaves, we felt we had someone who was finally confronting the keeping it real aspects of mainstream hip-hop. Since their evolution into Crown City Rockers, Rashaan Ahmed and crew have taken it to a live band aspect and have given us enjoyable releases since. However on this new effort the Kiss EP, surely it’s a similar route by going a little more on the electro-funk side, however this six-song EP (three of which are instrumentals) operates more like a vinyl A/B side than it does a proper EP.
It’s not that the songs are not dope. “Kiss” operates with a fun yet romantic tone, and the chorus is what makes it all the more catchy. However, it is the remix of the song “Break”, which operates with a stuttering drum break reminiscent of old school breakbeats while Rashaan raps with intensity and structure that makes it a thrill ride. Meanwhile “Clap Your Hands”, the only other lone new track on this effort, is a nice zone-out crowd rocker, where Rashaan acts as the crowd-controller. It’s definitely a song you can see working well in a live setting.
Again, as said before, it is not that this particular effort is bad, its the effort that it is masked as an EP. While the Kiss EP operates well, it leaves the listener yearning to hear more. But at the same it would have been nice to hear three more new jams that sparked with the same intensity and fun as the Kiss EP does. It’s a nice snack, but a full meal would be just as pleasurable.
