Remember when it was okay to make fun music? Biz Markie and De La Soul defined their careers making music that put a smile on your face. When gun clapping became the status quo, fun hip-hop was forced into extinction. Thankfully, the last few years has seen a resurgence with groups like Ugly Duckling, People Under the Stairs and Lexicon.
What make Oak & Nick Fury so appealing is that they are just like people you probably know. Maybe even yourself. They smoke too much pot, drink too much booze, go to clubs in Nike’s, spend the night trying to pick up girls and never have enough dough to last the night. A collegiate experience of sorts.
Their up-tempo and energetic rhymes are met by beats of the same characteristics. Cheapshot gives them a similar vibe that partner’s Styles of Beyond had on their debut, and not all that different from their own debut for that matter. “Gotta Believe” and “Voodoo” set the pace early, packing great production and the L’s trademark deliveries. Oak and Fury are at their best when they get topical though. Game is spit to young ladies over some tremendous horns on “I Think That You Want To” only to be warned later that they will end up “Brokenhearted.” “Party Party People” requires little explanation, except that is classic collabo with Dizzy Dustin (of Ugly Duckling) that will make you wanna go out and get wasted. As you might guess, “Bar Night” is right up the same alley.
There are some cases that Cheapshot’s production outshines the rhymes, particularly on the latter half of the album on bangers such as “Rock” and “I’ll Be Alright If You Stay for the Night.” I suppose you could look at that as a negative, but who doesn’t love a smoking beat? There isn’t really much to complain about here actually, at just 41 minutes the album is a quick and enjoyable listen that will keep your head in constant motion. Lexicon continues to carve out their identity and took another step forward by improving on their debut LP “It’s The L.” Lexicon is a name you will continue hearing, believe that.
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6.5/10
