Hannicap Circus (Parental Advisory) [PA]

The shower cap-wearing freak from D12 won't change the world with his first proper solo album, but Hannicap Circus is solid, filthy, fun, and everything else that you'd want from a less nimble Kool Keith. Bizarre shares Keith's love of sleaze and weirdness, but Bizarre is more earthbound and ghetto enough that you'd never confuse the two. His trashy attitude makes him more Insane Clown Posse than any other Shadyville artist, but his street clout is real and ICP never had beats so good. Eminem himself is behind the album's party highlight, "Rockstar," an equally infectious and herky-jerky sequel to D12's "My Band." Cool production tricks sweeten Bizarre's cool rambling on "Let the Record Skip," and Devin the Dude's appearance on "Porno Bitches" should put the Stevie Wonder-feelin' track on that "feelin' freaky good" mixtape you're gonna make. With an artist like Bizarre, skits are half the fun. There are plenty of them, almost as many as there are Detroit references, and every Eminem/Shadyville fanboy appreciates these shout-outs from the yard. In that world, Bizarre's debut places above a solo album from the member of G-Unit you don't care about, and slightly below the best Green Lantern mixtapes. Much higher if you consider proudly fat, very funny, and freakishly offensive rappers lovable, which in this case, you should. ~ David Jeffries