Release Date: September 27, 2011
Baltimore native Naeem Juwan was born in the wrong decade. This is not to say that his music doesn’t translate on iPods the same way it would have on cassette; it’s just to say that he would have fit seamlessly into the 1980s. After working with artists as diverse as Mos Def, Theophilus London, Santigold, Kylie Minogue and The Chemical Brothers during the years, Juwan and producer Alex “XXXchange” Epton have come up with the most conflicted, beautiful work of art from 1987—in 2011. Everything Is Boring and Everyone Is a Fucking Liar is the best kind of guilty pleasure. It’s an album that can move swiftly from the club to the car stereo and find an appreciative fan in even the most non-hip-hop head.
Spank Rock spurns from the bass movement of Baltimore and focuses every bit of that influence in most every track. The exceptional blend of 808s, claps and horns that most hip-hop artists take for granted make the perfect backdrop for Juwan’s surprisingly aggressive rhymes.
“Ta Da” opens the record by adding a heavy guitar riff to those aforementioned claps. Juwan does his best to entice beef from other MCs by calmly cautioning them to write their own bars and get their hustle on, while the chorus asks them to shine a light on themselves. “Nasty” follows it up by hyping up the beat and letting Juwan share what’s really on his mind: ladies’ private parts. It’s the record 2 Live Crew would’ve made today if they were still making music and not funding the U’s football team.
“I took New York like Cloverfield,” he announces on “Car Song,” which features an electronic landscape with the Santigold-aided chorus that somehow works. This track almost seems like it belongs in the 1990s, an escape of sorts for the group. “Birfday” is a vindictive shot at an ex-lover disguised as a celebratory anthem mixed with a dance floor version of Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day.” “The Dance” is not a Garth Brooks cover, for those wondering. It’s Nintendo/Beastie Boys-infused two-minute alarm.
“#1 Hit” is the song LMFAO would make if they had artistic integrity and more talent. That and if they used a lot of fart noises in their songs. “Turn It Off” is Spank Rock’s attempt at a march song where Juwan proclaims that he’s “too black for B.E.T.” and follows it up with saying he’s going to “shake it ’til my dick turns racist” in “Race Riot.”
The standout track might be “Baby,” where Juwan does his best Prince impression that doesn’t turn out half-bad. Spy For Hire’s Ryan Rulon would approve. Before they end it by jacking LL Cool J’s swag on “Cool Shit” and channeling Hendrix on “Engergy,” Spank Rock turns out an album fit for another decade that should make waves in this one.
Spank Rock – Everything Is Boring and Everyone Is a Fucking Liar tracklist:
- “Ta Da”
- “Nasty” (featuring Big Freedia)
- “Car Song” (featuring Santigold)
- “Birfday”
- “The Dance”
- “#1 Hit”
- “Turn It Off”
- “Hennessey Youngman” (Skit)
- “Race Riot”
- “Baby”
- “Hot Potato”
- “Cool Shit”
- “DTF DADT”
- “Energy”
