Musical Massacre, A

Vibe - "...A MUSICAL MASSACRE is a departure of sorts from the diabolical duo's modus operandi....audibly more in-it-to-win-it than ever, our beloved Beatnuts are still creating unconventional music composed of eclectic sounds..." The Source - 4 mics (out of 5) - "...The Beatnuts remain the paragons of paradox: They're cool enough to get crazy and crazy enough to be cool....A MUSICAL MASSACRE is so potent, they should only sell it on bars." Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...raunchy as ever....With all the references to sex and weed, the only things getting massacred here may be sperm counts and brain cells. But the Beatnuts sure do know how to make self-destruction sound funky." Rap Pages - "...MUSICAL MASSACRE is razor sharp from beginning to end and is arguably the best work the Beatnuts have assembled....[It] is sure to quench any Hip-Hopper's thirst." - Rating: B

The fourth offering from the rambunctious hip-hop junkies the Beatnuts is an all-out assault on the eardrums. This is crack-open-a-party music, with beats that have been chiseled with a Latin feel. Lyrics are rough, rugged, and raunchy. Songs like "Watch Out Now" and "Turn It Out" (featuring Greg Nice) are just plain fun, as close to feel-good music as hardcore hip-hop gets. Other tracks that will satisfy include "Puffin' on a Cloud," "You're a Clown" (featuring Biz Markie), "Buddah in the Air," and the Spanglish headsplitter "Se Acabo." Even the thematic "Look Around," a departure from the Beatnuts' usual hedonistic content, is a pleasant surprise. The true core of the Beatnuts' sound is their fleshy, textured beats, which are dense and dipped in cannabis -- flutes, synthesizers, and various percussion instruments seem to float over and around deep drum machine kicks and snares. Swelling with an eclectic assortment of hypnotic sounds, A Musical Massacre is among 1999's most entertaining hip-hop albums. ~ M.F. DiBella|