Regionalism Is Not Dead is after all our motto…
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[4.43]
Crystal Leww: Regionalism is not dead, as evidenced by the steady stream of songs that sound like this made by veterans like Laroo and E-40 that never quite make it out of the West Coast. This is business as usual for TeeFLii, who contains his usual Annies, to deliver a hook that sticks. I’m mesmerized by the way that the beat pauses right after “hell yeah” and the hand claps kick in as he enthuses “clap that!” The way that E-40 plays with his flow, changing it up effortlessly over a beat, sometimes gliding over but sometimes barreling right through it, is unparalleled. That he’s been more of a regional staple rather than a national hitmaker is a failure of “real hip hop” fans everywhere. E-40’s the beautiful technician that never got out of Cali.
[6]
Brad Shoup: “No referee/No penalty/No law” — that’s pretty grim, Laroo. E-40 inserts himself for contrast, or maybe it’s more like a do-over. He doesn’t really nail the switches into triple-time, but caring is nice. Mostly, I’m focusing on the bass taps, imagining they’re triggering those fuzzy synth buzzes.
[5]
Megan Harrington: In some ways, “Let Me See You” is another side of “Bandz a Make Her Dance,” but in other ways, so much has changed. Even as recently as last year, slang like “ratchet” sanded down the finer points of rap radio for sanitized audiences. But lo, along comes Jon Caramanica and now ratchet pussy is spelled out, all caps: “She just break that back while she take that dick.” Other similarities are less tenuous; “beat the coochie like a drum” and “hit it from the side like a motherfuckin’ bass drum” are more than analogous, they’re the same line from the left and then the right. Every year sees its pole anthem — “Let Me See You” is more outwardly explicit but it lacks the fervent joy of its predecessor.
[7]
Anthony Easton: I just cannot get behind the line “beat that coochie like a drum”, which makes me feel like a prude.
[2]
Josh Langhoff: This is dime-a-dozen fodder for the stripclub of the mind until E-40 enters, bringing with him a gust of fresh air. Turns out he’s been carrying his gun to The Home Depot and advises getting into the medical marijuana game. Delivered at double-time, his spiel achieves a naturalism the rest of this cloistered track shuts out.
[4]
Micha Cavaseno: The problem with the Sic-Wid-It empire has always been that Uncle Earl Stevens has so big and vast a heart that if any of his relations want to rap, he lets them in. Sometimes, this has resulted in his cosigning the pioneer of goon rap B-Legit, or son and hyphy wunderkind producer Droop-E. Other times, we’re listening to Cousin Fik’s more lackluster attempts at songs. Worst of all times, it’s Laroo. Earl’s been phoning it in for a while, and while his phone-ins still excel past the average rapper’s Grade A performance, it’s noticeable. Beat is fairly average, and TeeFLii’s hook speaks to his own lack of concern for this record.
[3]
Patrick St. Michel: Save for E-40 zipping around, this is so sleepy.
[4]