People ask me all the time if I am a bro. No, not the Midwest or East Coast variety of douchebag, but the Southern California dirtbike riding, black sock wearing, SRH reppin' kind. My listening choices include the Kottonmouth Kings (and other Subnoize acts), I ride a dirtbike, I drive a Ranger prerunner wannabe truck, I'm an asshole, I have a collection of flat-bill hats...So I guess I am a bro. Or a brunk rocker. Yup, Up the Brunx! hahaha.
I love the Kottonmouth Kings. I do. You can research their history a little bit and find out that Brad Xavier was in the O.C. Hardcore band Doggy Style at one time, but most judge off face value. This is their latest record, "Sunrise Sessions", which is more or less, a substantially more mature output from the "smoke weed, drink, ride dirtbikes" sound of their previous records. This is a actually a laid back, mellow, reggae-tinged collection of stoner rhymes. It's quite fucking good. Here we find the crew stripping away most, if not all of the punk rock and club anthems for a more coherent and concise collection of tracks.
This is their second album with the Dirtball, who's speed rap style fits this style rather well. The Kottonmouth Kings' other experiments with a reggae style, namely select tracks off of "Royal Highness" were better and musically more reggae than hip-hop, but still, this is a style they should stick with. The club anthems have more or less been spun off into Kingspade and the punk rock is going on in the X-Pistols, two side projects that have their own individual merits and are worthy of a look.
If this is your thing, then check it out. Enjoy!
Kottonmouth Kings-Sunrise Sessions
2. Love Lost
3. Down 4 Life (Feat. Jared Of Hed P.E.)
4. Kalifornia
5. My Garden
6. Boom Clap Sound
7. Back Home
8. She's Dangerous
9. Ganja Daze
10. Stay Stoned
11. Stoned Silly
12. Closing Time
13. Cruzin'
14. Great To Be Alive
15. Be Alright
16. Said And Done
