Slam dunk gets rejected despite friend's help

 

By Wes Woods

On-Line Forty Niner

 

Despite a team packed with hip-hop all-stars, the movie soundtrack "Slam" ends up getting rim-checked. The lack of time put into many of the songs' production ends up to be the disc's downfall.

Even with Big Punisher, Noriega, Pras, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and others contributing to the album, it lacks style to go along with its substance.

The entire project has a rushed feel to it. Some songs feel like the production was completed in a matter of minutes. While none of the disc's songs are horrible, none of them particularly stand out either.

"Take A Walk In My Shoes," by the Flipmode Squad (featuring Busta), is a prime example. The beat is a laid-back sleeper with minimal musical arrangement. When Busta starts rhyming, it sounds as if he is having a hard time staying awake. His vocal tone remains low, matching the energy of the entire song.

The Ol' Dirty Bastard and Coolio duet, "The Park," is average at best. The beat, with mellow guitar licks and snyths with a DJ scratching, is mediocre. O'DB's out-of-control, shrieking hook is fine, but his lyrics are nothing to speak of. Coolio sadly spends the entire song emulating O'DB's voice and flow.

Q-Tip's short offering "Hey" is typical of the soundtrack. The bouncy drums and keyboard swirling track is decent, but there are hardly any rhymes to speak of. The hook takes up most of the song, leaving Tip with a paltry two verses.

Some artists do pull their own weight, however. Big Punisher, featuring Next, has a nice kick-back and relax track. On "Sex, Money and Drugs," Pun's rhymes confidently skate over the icy-smooth track with Next serenading the hook.

Dead Prez's perspective on the drug trade, "Sellin' D.O.P.E. (Drugs Oppress People Everyday)," has a bluesy, laid-back guitar lick. With lines like "... it's sadistic, statistics show it's sick how we livin,' the one thing bigger than dope gangs is prisons ..." the song is an eye opener.

The bouncing "Ain't No Stoppin'" with Most Wanted featuring Pras and The Production is extremely catchy, despite the radio-ready lyrics.

Despite these songs, however, "Slam" ends up getting cut from the squad because of its overall poor choice in production.