Words by Shaun "Scheme" Redwood Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0
In a recent HBO special where top comedians and a studio audience honored the contributions Jerry Seinfeld has made to comedy, Larry Black referred to Chris Rock as "the great black hope." Random, we know, and indeed Chris seemed to be thrilled by the approval of the old white man (note: sarcasm). More relevant to this review, however, is what all of the comedians, as well as the audience, referred to as Seinfeld's greatest asset, which is his specificity.
Upon listening to Turf Talk's sophomore album, West Coast Vaccine, it's readily apparent that E-40's kinfolk has several things going for him, but one of the things that stands out immediately is how specific he is with his references, conveying an unbridled pride in his hometown and his region. It's this specificity on tracks like "Back In The Day" and "X" that make common subject matter (blunts, 40's and bitches) seem fresh and begrudgingly enjoyable, no matter the politics of the listener.
Some standout cuts on West Coast Vaccine include the first single "I Got Chips," which is dope in its own right and fortunately, it does not fall into the trap of being the best song on the album. While it's the kind of song title that would be enough to turn off anyone looking for fresh content, Turf's style combined with an undeniable, relentless production job from Rick Rock, pays adequate homage to some of the genre's oldest topics: I'm fly, I got more money than you, and so on, and so on. Turf Talk's voice and delivery are original, and although his vernacular isn't as dexterous as his cousin, lingo lexicon 40 Water a.k.a. E-40, his wordplay (somehow rhyming "man" and "bread" on "Super Star") as well as his slightly more deliberate delivery, enables him to come across as not only skilled, but humorous, and at times menacing, but most importantly, believable.
"That's That Turf Talk" finds the Vallejo resident rhyming over a bare, basic breakbeat with occasional synth stabs on the verses, which builds to an all out frenzy on the chorus. As far as negatives are concerned, have you ever heard too much of a good thing? Drawbacks are hard to come by on this record, but clocking in at a healthy 21 tracks and 72 minutes, Turf could have done well by being stingier with his doses of the West Coast Vaccine and cutting it down closer to the 50 minute/15 track range. Although, "Stop Snitchin" features a crisp, pulsating soundscape as well as catchy lyrics, it's still not enough to resuscitate what too many is a tired phrase and ideology. You almost wish Turf and E-40 broke out his infamous dictionary of verbals and found a fresher way to convey the topic, be it irresponsible or not.
In general, Turf Talk puts together a solid release in an age and culture where creating a well put together, full length albums is not much of a priority. The majority of the production work, which is handled by Lil' Jon and Rick Rock, is stellar and fits Turf's Talk (intentional misspell! how clever we are) like Scarlett Johansson in... well, just about anything. Whether you're new to hyphy or otherwise, take yourself to the local clinic, get on line and get yourself a shot of the Vaccine. It won't save your life with any deep musings per se, but the abundance of style and banging production will be enough to hold you over.
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