S.M.A.C.K (or Streets Music Arts Culture & Knowledge) is the group behind perhaps the most successful DVD magazine series in hip-hop, as well as independent label Koch Records. Here they have turned there attentions to making their first album, bringing along some of the game’s current heavy hitters to help.

It makes sense that an album from a DVD magazine comes with a bonus DVD, and I just want to touch on this briefly first. It features film clips for each of the album’s tracks, and these are some of the most ghetto clips I have ever seen. Basically each clip is the artist on a street with their crew in the background. It’s kind of amusing but it’s also a cool bonus to have, and it’s interspersed with several insightful interviews from featured artists as well as stars like Paul Wall and Funkmaster Flex. The horrible production values are just nice kitsch inclusion.

Onto the album, I think I knew this wasn’t going to be for me by the time I reached track three. I just don’t feel the slow beats and drawling lyrics that come out of Houston and Southern America. When B.G. drawls out his lines to Real N****, or PNC & Juvenile deliver Early Bird, even Mddl Fngaz & Bun B half slurring Ain’t Nothin Fucking Wit Texas, all I can do is toss up between going to bed or hitting the skip button. I understand the concept behind the movement and that it’s huge in the US, but to me it’s just repetitive boring beats and MCs one after the other. It isn’t all bad though, Red Café’s ode to strip clubs featuring Mack 10 & Fat Joe is tight, and Lord Tariq returns from the wilderness to prove he is still as tight as the next man on It Won’t Stop. It’s always dope to hear the Def Squad together again. In fact, the Keith Murray, Redman & Erick Sermons closer Don’t Make No Sense is both the album’s best track and a puzzling reminder that, for all their talent, they still cannot make a dope Def Squad album.

Three tight tracks and a bonus DVD do not make this a ‘must purchase’. However, fans of southern hip-hop will lap this up and call for my head on a platter. The choice is yours.