Baby Bash

Mènage a Trois doesn't explain itself in the liner notes, the little "includes the hits..." sticker on the front, or anywhere else. It's a collection of Baby Bash's earlier works, all on the Dopehouse label and mostly under his Baby Beesh moniker. The recordings are rougher, more street, and way less produced than Tha Smokin' Nephew was, but Bash is a fantastic, charismatic rapper and always has been. Problem is these recordings flowed better in their original context rather than in this overly long, poorly paced compilation. A bunch of tracks from the Ultimate Cartel album are stuck up front, a good bit of On tha Cool takes up the middle, and 2001's Savage Dreams fills the last third. Going backward chronologically works sometimes for career overviews, but hearing the production get skimpier and Bash/Beesh's raps getting less fully formed as you go on isn't much fun without a liner note history lesson. There's plenty of highlights like the tougher remix of "Mènage a Trois," the thugging ode to drugs "Esquina," and the lustful "Crazy Love," but Bash plays a small role in the last tune and only shows up for a minute or so on other tracks. With Kid Frost, Shadow, South Park Mexican, and Latino Velvet all appearing, this is a great way to see the family Bash grew up in, but once again the text inside is no help. Great music in a bad context. The skilled Bash deserves better than that. [Mènage a Trois was initially packed with a bonus DVD including interviews and the "Mènage a Trois" video.] ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide