Words by Francesca Djerejian Rating: 2.5 out of 5.0
Like any aspiring rapper who has done a lengthy bid in the clink, Red Cafe has had to make up for lost time -- 5 years in his case. And since his release in '97, he has had double that time to pursue a rap career. But as countless examples have shown, the code for entry into the mainstream can take a long time to crack. While Cafe's grind has led to a string of affiliations that competitors would thirst for, perhaps none seem as promising as his recent signing to Akon's Konvict Music label. With his name now rotating beyond the mixtape circuit, Cafe teams up with Hot 97's DJ Envy to release The Co-Op, a buzz-enhancing project.
Brooklyn's choice DNA can be heard in Red's absorbing flow, but what's missing on this "album" is distinguishing wordplay. Drawing from the obligatory hustler-come-rapper's vocabulary, Red Cafe's imagery suffers from Arm & Hammer redundancies. On the flip side, Cafe's gruff voice is a great match for his gun-banging content.
There are some highpoints on the album, and the production is solid throughout. Menacing synths hook listeners in on "What It Be Like," but Cafe falls short of the beat's greatness as an uninspired hood chef: "Don't get blast, I get cash / One brick, two brick- Look, I did math / Let it be known, Cafe got the hookup / Cook my own sh--, don't get cook-up."
The Co-Op product benefits most when cut up with work from two of New York's hardest, Styles P and Uncle Murda, who both come correct on the J Cardim-produced "Move Like a G." Another worthy contender for the gully crown, Remy Ma, outdoes Cafe's thug in the courtship dialogue of "What It Do." For the more syrupy ladies songs, the Nina Sky and Black Buddafly duos bring just the right sweetness.
Ironically, Cafe describes the album well with his own rhetorical refrains -- "What Else?" and "That All?" While the feature-laden album has head-nodding potential, it leaves listeners hungry for substance.
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