Crow's Nest (1999)

Jim Crow's debut album Crow's Nest is firmly within the Dirty South tradition, even if it has a cameo from Too $hort on the single "That Drama (Baby's Mama)." All that does is illustrate that basic, generic Southern rap isn't all that far removed from West Coast gangsta culture -- they not only have many of the same topics, they have a fondness for the mellow, synthesized funk of the early '80s, turning even their hardest songs into easy rolling groovers. Not a bad thing, of course, and moments of Crow's Nest are very good ... Read More

Jim Crow's debut album Crow's Nest is firmly within the Dirty South tradition, even if it has a cameo from Too $hort on the single "That Drama (Baby's Mama)." All that does is illustrate that basic, generic Southern rap isn't all that far removed from West Coast gangsta culture -- they not only have many of the same topics, they have a fondness for the mellow, synthesized funk of the early '80s, turning even their hardest songs into easy rolling groovers. Not a bad thing, of course, and moments of Crow's Nest are very good indeed, achieving a synthesis of fine performances and hooks. But too much of it is simply generic -- not a major crime, but enough to keep this debut from being fully engaging. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Read Less