The Red and Black

"Generation EFX" Das EFX Grade: C-

One word of caution: though the name on this CD says Das EFX, it's a decidedly different act from the one that put out "Dead Serious" a few years ago. Whereas that group sounded fun-loving and even a little goofy - belying the name of its album - the new EFX has taken a turn that is dead serious. Suffice it to say that the duo was a lot more successful when it was goofing around.

Although their mile-a-minute vocal style has survived (in spurts), everything else about the music of Skoob and Drayz sounds like every other rap group out there, which is a shame. Every song on the album has a beat that seems to be a variation on the same basic thump-thump-whack that rap listeners can't get away from these days. Similarly, Skoob and Drayz carry the exact same vocal tone into every song, as well. It's a loud, bring-it-on bellow that sounds suspiciously similar to 2Pac, and gets old quickly. On some tracks (like the downhearted "Change," spoken to an inner-city female who's destroying her life) it's downright inappropriate.

The monotonous delivery means people probably won't be paying attention to the lyrics after a while, but it's just as well, considering that nothing here is as funny or ingenuous as "Dead Serious" was. The only tracks that really work are songs like "Raw Breed," "Shine" and "Rap Scholar" (featuring Redman), where Das EFX at least sounds as if it's enjoying itself.

That is more than you can say about the rest of "Generation EFX." Everything about the album is put into perspective on "Somebody Told Me," in which Das EFX as much as admits rap isn't as much fun as everyone says, and the members are mainly in it for the money. Well, if they're not having any fun, how can they expect it for the rest of us?

– Doug Gillett

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