Bone Crusher - AttenChun!
Reviewed By: ULTIMATECDLINK
Album Rate: 3.75 out of 5 Stars
Although Bone Crusher has been grindin on the ATL underground scene for years, the rest of the nation is just now getting exposed to this high energy MC. As a member of the rap group Lyrical Giants, Bone Crusher was signed to Erick Sermon's Def Squad Records only to see that deal dissolve. So he put out his independent album "Bone Crusher & His Industry Friends" which managed to find it's way to Jermaine Dupri who decided to launch it nationwide under the title "Attenchun!" on his So So Def label. The album features David Banner, Killer Mike, T.I., JD, Lil Jon, Chyna White, Goodie Mob, & more.
1. Lock & Load-- this track starts off with Bone Crusher talkin and basically saying "Fuck This Intro shit" before the booming basslines kick in. Bone Crusher just raps about the South taking over this rap shit and he even name checks friend Pastor Troy, David Banner, etc.
2. Never Scared (intro)-- just Jermaine Dupri talkin
3. Never Scared (f/ Killer Mike & T.I.)-- this is the first single from the album and if you haven't heard it yet, you've probably been living under a rock for the past few months. Bone Crusher doens't do a great job on the mic on this one and is easily outshined by both Killer Mike & T.I. The catchy hook has Bone Crusher singing "So I'm outside of the club & you think I'm a punk/so I go to my loaded tech-9 and open the trunk/I told that muthafucka/I ain't never scared/I ain't never scared/I ain't never scared". It's a tight song that has become the Southern anthem for the summer of 2003.
4. Back Up (f/ Dru)-- this one has a darker sinister fell on the beats. The hook that goes "Yeah hoe back up/yeah hoe back up/yeah hoe back up/back up off me" is similar to the hook from the 504 Boyz album although the latter was more of a club type track while Bone Crusher is rappin about fuckin people up who try to get up on him. It's still probably a track you could play up in the clubs and throw bows to.
5. Grippin Grain (f/ Lady Ice)-- this track has a slower beat over killer basslines. Bone Crusher sings the chorus in his familiar baritone voice "Grippin the graaaaiinn". Lady Ice is another ATL native who made noise last year on her single with Pastor Troy "Undeniable" and she does a nice job on her verse. But overall, the beat is probably tighter than any actual rappin on this one.
6. Transaction (f/ Shawty)-- interlude
7. Puttin In Work (f/ David Banner & Lady Ice)-- this is the same song that was on David Banner's underground album released last year. David Banner does a nice job on his verse while Bone Crusher really doesn't contribute much lyrically to the song about the working man--the hustlers out there. Lady Ice spits her fury on a verse as well.
8. Break Em Off For Life (interlude)-- the track starts with some talkin before Bone Crusher and Jack Frost spit a short verse. Not really sure what the point of this one was.
9. Gettin It (Get Dat Money)(f/ Jack Frost)-- this track has good tempo beat with a lot of brass in it. Bone Crusher starts it off and talks about making that chedda. It's a good track that will have ya ready to wreck shit up in the hood.
10. It's Me (Lane To Lane) (f/ Lil Jon & Chyna White)-- this track has a darker sinister beat. The ATL "King of Crunk" Lil Jon pops up for a guest appearance on this track designed to get ya all hyped up with his yelling on the track. Chyna White calms you back down with her laid back flow. Bone Crusher even calls himself the worldwide version of crunk on this one.
11. For The Streets-- this one has a more laid back simple beat with more pounding basslines. I don't know what Bone Crusher was thinking on this one but picture a 300 lb Ja Rule doing a Southern crunk track and you have this song. Not feelin it at all.
12. Sound The Horn (f/ Bizzare)-- this track has a get ya hands up in the air, crunk club type beat. The track starts off OK but after a while it simply gets annoying with Bone Crusher imitation of the sound that a horn makes. It's probably nice to listen to if you're up in the club drunk as a muthafucka but skip it if you're just chillin at the crib.
13. Hate Ourselves (f/ Goodie Mob)-- this track starts off with slower beat with a political message about how the struggle starts now. Although this track seems overly out of place on this album, it is still one of my favorites. Goodie Mob comes through once again with a nice effort on the mic. You almost forget Bone Crusher is on the song.
14. Vainglorious (interlude)-- Bone Crusher talkin about believing in yourself and not lettin other people tell you that you can't make it
15. Ghetto Song (f/ Lil Pete)-- this track has a R&B feel as evidenced by the hook. It's a laid back song and even Bone Crusher comes with considerbly less energy on his verse. Lil Pete of DSGB comes with a tight flow about the hood he calls home. But again, the song feels out of place on the album.
16. Peaches & Cream-- this track has another R&B feel on the beats. Bone Crusher raps in a laid back style about pickin girls up at the mall and stackin his paper. The hook is sung and goes "smoking the herb/cruisin the scene/it's the American dream/peaches & cream/alalalala/hustle". It's an all right track that has radio single written all over it.
17. The Wall (f/ Chris Hardnett & Baby B)-- this track has a guitar laced beat. Bone Crusher raps about the struggle and the need to get somthing. It's one of those never give up song encouraging the black man out there. Another song that has radio single written all over it.
Overall, the production on the album is on point although begins to feel repetitive as the tracks move along. Bone Crusher doesn't come across as a lyrical giant as he is constantly outshined by his guest artists, but this album is not meant to be taken too seriously. He's more at home making crunk music that's more popular in the Dirty South and more likely to be ridiculed on the west and east coasts. I didn't like the way that the album was sequenced either. I thought that the album felt like 2 different halves (pre track 12 and after track 12) when Bone Crusher's style of rap totally changed. I felt that they should have blended the slower, more mellow tracks with his uptempo songs instead of splitting them up. All in all, an album worth looking into if you're looking for a good southern album to get you hyped up and crunk in the clubs. Other than that, you're better off checking something else out.
Bone Crusher - AttenChun!