Bad Season (Mixed By DJ Whoo Kid)

Album review

They may seem like a hip-hop version of the Odd Couple, but rapper Tech N9ne and DJ Whoo Kid mix well on the Bad Season mixtape. Both fans and skeptics get to hear Tech in a more traditional setting as the Kid provides the rapper a prime set of street productions, a handful of which come from the Whoo Kid/Red Spyda project, the Haitian Superheroes. The big name here is Dr. Dre, but the interesting thing about his cut, “Hard Liquor,” is that the beat comes from an old Game track of the same name. Tech and special guest Travis Barker have their way with the Game cut, adding live drumming and spazzed out rapping, giving listeners a prime example of how they pop bottles on the fringes of rap-rock. Party people can choose between the singalong bangers “Ego Trippin” and “All Day All Night” while those who like it freaky get the depraved “Lick Your Teeth” because Tech is a molar man rather than boob or butt. Anyone who has followed the suburban hero/weirdo and his outsider label Strange Music will find it odd to hear those Whoo Kid gunshots during the interludes, but what’s good for the G-Unit is equally good for the Tech9cian. If you’ve ever doubted the rapper’s chances on the streets, Bad Season proves he can keep them listening when he decides to keep it hood.

© David Jeffries /TiVo