Hailing from live from Pimp Palace East and a small planet called Bitch Please is the Tom Jones of rap, Captain Backslap…ladies and gentlemen, J-Zone. If you are reading this wondering what the hell Pimp Palace East is, then you obviously aren’t down with the Zone. I would suggest it is time to get caught up, because this is Zone’s fourth release and he is only getting better with each one. “$ick of Being Rich” is another hilarious venture into pimping Lucy Lui look-a-likes, driving beat up Mazda Proteges with no rims and rocking fake platinum links.
There are few emcee/producers who are equally appealing at both trades. Zone may not consider himself an emcee and he may not dazzle listeners with complex metaphors and intricate rhyme schemes, but his content is laugh out-loud hilarious. Meanwhile, his production is some of the best and most original in hip-hop.
“Hold up, turn around again. What the fuck, you been eatin’ corn bread or sumthin? You got a gang-a-ass.” The album kicks off with some funny shit and never looks back. “The Commandments” is Zone’s rules for interacting with him, “Thou salt not cock block at shows/give me pound and step if I’m creepin wit hoes.” The beat? Classic Zone that I couldn’t even attempt to explain. More warnings (even females tryin’ to battle me, dead/I showed her the meaning of coming off the head”)are laid out on the hard hitting “Fuck You, Pay Me.” Where only a few can relate to most rappers songs about Bentley’s on 20″s, something tells me most cats are gonna be able to relate to “5 Star Hooptie.” Truly hilarious shit.
Zone doesn’t go at it alone, scooping up some dope emcees to bless his zany instrumentals. Whether it be Masta Ace schoolin’ youngins on gold diggers (“Gimme Gimme Gimme”) or Copywrite going into battle mode (“Prima Donna”), the results are dope. Even the Likwit Crew gets down with Zone as King Tee and J Ro kill it on the insanely ill “Choir Practice.” Celph-Titled also comes through as abrasive as ever on the self-explanatory “Eatadicup.” “Ho Kung Fu” may be Zone’s finest work, if not for his custom fitting production work then for his perversely amusing tale his trip to China Town. I also have to mention “Whiplash (Pimpotent)” and “Bling Around The Collar (Fake Gold Chain)” just because both are so dope for so many reasons.
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“$ick of Being Rich” is undoubtedly the most amusing album of this year, and easily one of the best, period. If emcees aren’t kicking down Zone’s doors over the next six months, then they deserve a slap with his pimp cane. Actually, the slap from the pimp cane applies to anyone who fronts on this album and leaves it on the shelves. C’mon now, how else is Zone gonna get a pimped out caddy and a mouth full of platinum?
8/10
