Kurupt

Following his career-establishing debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992, Kurupt quickly proved that he wasn't your standard West Coast gangsta rapper. No, Kurupt is much more than that -- he has brash charisma and more than enough attitude. He doesn't shy away from drama and isn't afraid to speak his mind. Yet character only goes so far -- even in rap. On Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey, however, Kurupt finally brings some substantial creativity to that sense of character. This was what prevented Streetz Is a Mutha from being a great album -- he had rhymes and beats but couldn't bring it all together into a satisfying album. He does that here, for the most part. Yes, Kurupt finally manages to bring a sense of songcraft to his rhymes on Space Boogie. Every song here seems to capture a different motif: Some take a feel-good Cali-sunshine approach, others capture a theatrical gangsta approach. In addition, Kurupt employs a number of talented West Coast guests (Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Nate Dogg), which brings a sense of variety, and employs primarily one top West Coast producer (Fredwreck), which brings a sense of cohesion. So when you break the album down to its elements, Space Boogie has all the makings of a perfect rap album. But it ultimately falls a bit short, unfortunately. More than anything, Kurupt's songcraft goes a little too far as he seems willing to try everything from hardcore rap ("The Hardest...") to pop-rap ("It's Over"). And by sadly inviting along Fred Durst and DJ Lethal from Limp Bizkit, in addition to Everlast, Kurupt's ill-fated crossover ambitions seem a little too overt. Still, even if Space Boogie doesn't quite realize its ambitions by overreaching, it shows that Kurupt's on the path to superstardom. He certainly has the charisma. He just needs to continue refining his songcraft if he wants to create his definitive album. [Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey was also released in a "clean" edition, containing no profanities or vulgarities.] ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide