Devin the Dude
Wating to Inhale

Rap-A-Lot Records 2007

By Sven Barth

Taking this shit seriously just became impossible. Not to say that that has any impact whatsoever on whether or not it’s good. Police Academy 2 is as spectacular a failure as it is a masterpiece. That’s close to what I wanted to say, but I still missed the Jet-Ski. Devin, the oughts’ meld of Rudy Ray Moore, Blowfly and Erykah BaDUDE, is at it again. Within a minute’s time, blowjobs, penises, weed and sweet fuck techniques spread like Country Crock over 808-backed easy listening. Snoop makes an appearance and tries to pull off, “Stay open like 7-11, that’s 24-7.” No comment. Nah, I have to comment: that was the worst shit since Pitbull douched “I’ll burn you like gonorrhea!” on a TVT mix tape.

If I found this when I was about 12, I don’t think I’d listen to anything else. But kids are probably too jaded now, so their sludge-metabolism generation should be forced to smoke some reefer or PCP to this and get in an appreciation mode mentality. Every guest appearance is a floater bid to resemble what Devin does naturally. And what he does naturally has gotten a little odder each year. There are plenty of awkward moments here—go fetch “Just Because”—but that hasn’t slowed him down before, just look at the fucking cover of To the Extreme.

It’s hard to say rappin’ about fucking and drugs is original, but Devin’s charisma affords him a lot of leverage. After three albums of pretty much the same product, his is an original to the game. Not since the Geto Boys’ six year or so run of fresh takes on an antiquated idea, has anything this refreshingly pure come out of Houston. I wouldn’t complain if Devin made this kind of record forever. And he will.

This discourse of Devin the Dude 's Waiting to Inhale is written by Sven Barth for ignore Magazine, copyright 2007.

 
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