In the never-ending rap game to prove who’s harder, Fatlip straight up surrenders. You might have seen him in Ludacris’ video for “Get Back,” basically getting crushed for being so annoying. He’s spent the last 10 years (after being kicked out of ’90s success the Pharcyde) living in his mom’s house with writer’s block.
So the guy’s a wreck. But somehow he’s managed to put out his first solo album, and aside from a few boring interludes, it’s surprisingly captivating. He drools, growls and spits in the throaty style of his East Coast heroes over distinctly West Coast production (“Beats that OD’d the Bastard,”) about nothing other than his own pathetic life.
Sometimes the shameless exhibition of self-doubt goes a little overboard, like on “What’s Up Fatlip” (which was the album’s first single, released — cringe — five years ago). “I make myself sick, get on my own nerves/ Immature, insecure grown up nerd,” he laments over a tinkling carousel loop. But after an album’s worth of cheesy hooks and comical pokes at himself, it becomes apparent that he’s not taking the whole thing very seriously, and we shouldn’t either.
Squeak E. Clean and former Pharcyde partner J-Swift lend their talents to the catchy, bass-heavy beats, but much of Fatlip’s album is admirably self-produced. There’s nothing very experimental or advanced about his delivery, yet therein lies most of its charm. He’s just an old guy choking on his own spit and making our heads bob — the charismatic loser is irresistible.
