The tracks on YoYoYoYo are friggin’ sneaky. Rapper Naeem Juwan, known as Spank Rock, and the eclectic skills of Alex Epton, aka xxxchange, throw down some mad beats, sprinkled with all sorts of alien, space age tricks and tweaks.
Then, after a few listens, his lyrics “I tapped the ho” and “ooh that pussy gets damp” perks the ears, causing one to say, “x-squeeze me?” But if you listen closely, a call out (not sure whether it’s pro or con) to Denver appears on “IMC.”
While the words bite and may cause a bit-o-blushin’, Spank proclamation that their “beats will make you sweat like Russian roulette,” is an understatement. And the swiftness and click of his rhymes is more than impressive. A bit of Bassment Jaxx’s “Breakaway” robotic monologue style appears on “Rick Rubin,” sending the legendary music man a notice that Spank’s “putting stale MC’s out of commission.”
xxxchange, on the other hand, shows how every trick in the book can be pulled out and given new life — Hawaii 5-0 samples, jungle cat growls and late ‘70s to early ‘80s breaks – as he also takes a trip to the future for inspiration. Although the bumping bass of a car cruising by can be annoying, if Spank Rock was rolling in their car stereo, it would be understandable. Even with the bass at level 4, the volume has to go all the way up in order to pay this release its due, causing the stiffest soccer mom to throw her legs and hands in the air.
Ironically, this album’s title seems to poke fun at the tired ass “Yo, Yo, Yo, Yo, Yo” filler song intro that is STILL being used by way too many a rappers and hip-hop producers. Spank Rock is here to teach all those folks a lesson in innovation, proving there are many more roads for hip-hop to travel, as they venture in a futuristic capsule with a mirror tilted to the past.
