Night Life EP: Outsidaz

Underground upstart Spontaneous is from Chicago, but with his smart-ass Southern drawl, futuristic West Coast sound, and bicoastal guest stars (Kurtis Blow, Bahamadia, Xzibit, Tash), he emits a winningly inclusive vibe throughout his aggressively loopy debut. Like his Cali peers in Lootpack, Spontaneous possesses a spastic, unpredictable, distinctive flow and a commitment to preserving the essence of hip-hop. Unfortunately, he also shares Lootpack's biggest weakness: a frustrating inability to rap about anything other than his own vocal prowess and the comparative inadequacy of his competitors. Which is fine when mixing it up with the dependable likes of Xzibit and Tash on mix-tape-worthy tracks like "Reprezen'n (Remix)" and "SRV1," respectively. But it grows tiresome over the course of Spur Of The Moment Musik, particularly considering that the album's production—all stuttering drums, spacey keyboards, and sound effects—tends to get a little monotonous. Another upstart underground act with connections to high-profile indie label Atomic Pop and significant industry buzz is the New Jersey supergroup (of sorts) Outsidaz. A collection of Lyricist Lounge tour veterans (including such semi-familiar figures as Pace Won and Young Zee) who share an abundance of energy, an irreverent sensibility, and an affinity for rough-hewn battle rhymes, Outsidaz delivers seven over-the-top, amped-up underground anthems on its debut EP. Ably holding their own alongside the high-wattage likes of Eminem and Rah Digga—on "Rush Ya Clique" and "F**k Y'all Niggaz," respectively—the members of Outsidaz boast enough demented energy to make Onyx sound like a group of sedate Young Republicans. Night Life isn't particularly concerned with anything other than demented energy, sloppy sing-along choruses, and incessant pop-culture references, but there's something enormously appealing, if a bit limited, about the group's sloppy, intense debut.