Devin the Dude

Devin the Dude has made his reputation as a rapper's rapper—rather than, say, a million-selling rapper—by dipping repeatedly into a very small bag of themes. "Weed, wine, and women" is his lasting mantra, and it still sounds fun on his fifth official solo album, Landing Gear. "In My Draws" makes it clear right off the bat that the first two are apt to interfere with the third, as the track details Devin's slow and wasted progress to a girl's place. By the time he gets there, it's somehow not surprising, or disappointing, that he just passes out in her bed.

The production this time out is so luxuriant, deep and slow that the beats have the extra resonance of hitting just when your eyes are starting to drift back in your head. Rarely have hip-hop backing tracks more precisely recreated what seems to be going on in an MC's mind, as Devin goes on about his life in a supremely pleasurable daze that even the police are unable to penetrate—their periodic interference registering more as a subtle, eventually hilarious, running joke.

Devin's rhymes and flow embody the observational restraint of the stoner. Life is one big, predictable movie played around him as a conveyor belt pulls him through. As for women, it probably wasn't necessary for the Dude to remind us, "I Don't Chase 'Em." This guy wouldn't chase a lifetime supply of the finest government weed—mostly because he's already got it stashed in his basement. On behalf of hip-hop lovers everywhere, let me just say: thanks for sharing.

—Nate Cunningham
10.26.08

Beginning with the lyrics "Well hello again my weed smoking friends," Devin the Dude's fifth album -- and his first for the Razor & Tie label -- is more of the same; chilled out weed and women anthems with plenty of cool funk productions. Maybe that sounds like an everyday Afroman, but for the uninitiated, Devin's skills are light years ahead of the stoner-rap competition with much more clever rhymes, an irresistible slacker flow, plus a rock-solid commitment to quality control that makes every release desirable, even when it's been there, done that. As slight as they are, Landing Gear's identifying features are the softer, more polished productions along with the superstar guest appearance from Snoop Dogg who goes puff for puff with Devin on the pimp-walking highlight "I Don't Chase 'Em." The heartbroken and hazy "Thinkin' Boutchu" offers the killer "You've just to get out of my mind/As the old school cassette rewinds/Time will reveal if we can make it last forever/You stole my heart but made it tougher than leather," but most of Devin's dealings with women are much more like Snoop's and will drive away those easily offended (plug the title "El Grande Nalgas" into your Babel Fish for proof). Devin's target audience, on the other hand, embraces sleaze, porno, weed, and hip-hop with plenty of memorable stingers, and seeing as how Landing Gear delivers on all counts, fans of Texas' most blunted rapper will once again be pleased. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide