57th Street Rogue Dog Villains - "It's On Now" (Hogstyle)

Album review by Danny Alexander

Kansas City's premier MC, Tech N9ne, is currently blowing up with his own album out and cameos on big albums by the duo Sway and King Tech and Rapalot's Yukmouth. His his old crew, the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villains, is not to be left behind.

Their second release, "It's On Now" is a relentless barrage of thug poetry detailing the struggle of growing up and growing older in the neighborhood of 56th and Highland, Kansas City, Missouri. For the most part, this is, like all gangsta, war poetry. It is about fighting and surviving and trying to keep some kind of hope alive.

Though the fairly standard clatter of beats and synth noises doesn't distinguish this from most other hardcore releases, the Rogue Dog Villains do have an urgent, driving vocal attack that keeps the heat up from beginning to end. And the subtleties of what's going on here are also memorable. "Give Us What We Need" may sound like a tough front, but it carries all the nervousness of being caught in the middle when a deal's going down. "Gutter Living" gives a hundred reasons for hopelessness and still finds a glimmer of faith to hang onto. "Everyday Life," like a number of the jams here, cuts the gangsta melodrama with reflections on the importance of family, which, in turn only serves to heighten the tension.

A fairly standard genre record, yes, but the genre of struggle in the midst of the violence of poverty and oppression runs as deep as any genre goes, and it may be the genre that matters most. (Hogstyle: 816-363-7631)

--Danny Alexander