Gold teeth, bronze records: Gangsta wrap-up

The Paper Route, Mack 10; Priority Records

By David Edelman

For the Daily

Mack 10's album The Paper Route hit stores two weeks ago, but it is anything but new. Generic? Yes. His music can be summed up by the titles of the tracks. With songs like "From the Streetz," "Pimp or Die," "Tight to Def" and "Keep It Gangsta," rap doesn't get any more unintentionally satirical. Repetitive?

Yes. Nothing stands out from this album. Mack 10's lyrics are relatively simple and lack the passion found in most quality rap.

The Paper Route does feature some of the more popular names in the business. When Mack 10 is accompanied by Ice Cube, WC, the Youngbloodz, Big Gibb and his TLC newlywed T-Boz, the album kicks up a notch. One things for sure, he definitely needs all the support he can get.

His massive 'fro on the back cover is the only big thing he was able to carry on his own. Even with such esteemed artists behind him, this self-proclaimed "epitome of hip-hop hustler" is nothing special (despite the fact that one of his songs is called "I'm Special.") You can't dance to his music, you can't chill to his music, just about all you can do with The Paper Route is pop it in your computer and watch videos of songs that are found on the enhanced CD itself.

In an era of bi-coastal unity, it seems as though Mack 10 is having an identity crisis. He needs to rejoin his buddies in the Westside Connection before people give him worse reviews than this one. For Mack 10, The Paper Route is a mere Mack 3.

Grade: C-