Kinda like: 50 Cent (without the wit),Eminem, D-12
Obie Trice is an Oompa Loompa, Eminem is Willy Wonka, ShadyRecords is a Chocolate Factory and they seem to be looking for theAugustus Gloops of hip-hop. Don’t be that fat boy.
Cheers, the debut album from Obie Trice, is nothing but a gimmick.Sticking in tune with the Willy Wonka theme, tucked inside one of thenew albums is a golden ticket. The lucky consumer who buys it willget the opportunity to hang with Eminem for a day while he produceshis next CD.
Why don’t you get to hang with Obie for the day? Honestly, whowould want to?
Trice’s first album, besides the sticky marketing, is full of weakrhymes and unoriginal style. Obie has more beef than Farmer John, heshares the same hate for women as Eminem and his attempts at comedy,like on “Got Some Teeth,” fall short of even 50 Cent’s wit.
Trice says he is a soldier and kills someone in just about all hissongs on this album. On the track “Average Man,” Obie lays out hismantra: “Obie ain’t playin’, Obie got a plan. And the plan is not tobe layin’ in earth land. I will pop before you can, in earth land,you get shot for playin’ me less than a man, motherf**ker.”
That is a great plan, especially for someone who associateshimself to be a man of God on his album’s pullout and says his babydaughter is his biggest inspiration.
On the track “Cheers,” Trice gives a shout out to all his homieswho have died. This is a noble gesture to recognize the importance ofindividual life; however, it is hypocritical to his mantra. For justa second you might think that Obie has slipped and hit his head,knocking him conscious: “Crack Solicitation on the avenue is not newto you listeners, but this is true, listen up. I got a spew at it andkeep it all truth, or else I might as well give this up. Feel me now,from rocks to pow-pows, glocks to pow-duh I dun did it all so Iclutch my balls. And notice they still here, so Obie is still here.So Kobe, here’s to you and daddy’s new career.”
Luckily – and when I say luckily, I mean it apathetically- Eminem, Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Timbaland and D-12all make guest appearances on the album. This lineup might sell a fewmore copies of the album and make it slightly better, but all thatsupport still cannot disguise the fact that Obie Trice is justanother MC that hip-hop would be fine without.
– Robby Balogh
