| Philly�s Most Wanted Get Down Or Lay Down Atlantic By Jon Caramanica Consider the debut album from Philly's Most Wanted an exercise in performance art. The artistes in question�Pharrell Williams (mostly) and Chad Hugo, the Virginia production duo known as the Neptunes, who've distinguished themselves as gentlemen capable of making Babyface, Ray-J, Noreaga, Mystikal and Jay-Z�all conform to the same fundamental beat patterns. The canvas: Mr. And Boo-Bonic, the pair of MCs who rap as Philly's Most Wanted. Keep in mind that Get Down or Lay Down was recorded mostly before the Neptunes were a killer commodity in and of themselves. It might be gimmicky, but it also demonstrates a fair amount of vision on the part of PMW to give the producers nearly free reign over the musical direction of their album. Neptunes tracks comprise approximately three-quarters of the album, and their sonic signature is clear. And doubtless Mr. and Boo-Bonic are thankful, because they are two of the most forgettable rappers currently populating the radio. Potent one-liners are few and far between, and coherent narrative is a wet dream. "I talk big s***/ I only f*** with big chicks/ With big t***, big hips and all that slick s***," one of them boasts on "Philly Celebrities" On "Ladies Choice," it's the amusing couplet, "Chicks can't tell me nothing. I got head/ Niggas can't tell me nothing. I got bread." It's the new G code, Cond� Nast style. "I love bitches, money and traveling." But there's no savoir faire in the duo's aspiration. So where's the art? It's in the fact that Get Down or Lay Down still knocks. The Neptunes have taken source material that, unlike Mystikal's honed howl or Jigga's easy confidence, is almost charmless, and still given it a sheen of excellence that's seamless to the listener. Like other great collagists, the Neptunes have transformed the ordinary into something more than that. With chefs like these at the burners, even the most inedible ingredients can become something at least palatable. http://www.galleryofsound.com/pages/reviews.asp?StoryID=295 |