When i heard Skee-Lo's "I Wish" single on youtube i instantly liked the song, it was a simple straight forward radio friendly hip hop song with good production and decent rapping, i didn't seek out the album straight away as the vibe of the single gave me the impression that Skee-Lo was in a record deal to push a radio friendly record for sales. When i finally got around to getting the album and giving it a listen i was more than presently surprised, Skee-Lo is a talented rapper with a very warm and likeable flow. His lyrical content is decent but his honesty in tracks like "Never Crossed My Mind" & "Top Of The Stairs" is a really nice break from the more common image oriented "boasting" found in rap.
What makes this record a hit for me is the production. Behind Skee-Lo's likeable sound is some tight and approachable production from Walter Kahn who does every track on the album. The vibe overall is more 90s west coast, with ghetto whistles and sequenced beats, but there is a welcomed variety of hip hop sounds everywhere in this album, even an east coast track "Waiting For You" & a jazz-hop track "This Is How It Sounds". The sampling choices are great, i especially enjoyed hearing some Isley Brothers in the mix.
Skee-Lo & Walter together have made a really approachable and enjoyable record here with no filler. A recommend for any hip hop fan.
Favorite Tracks: Superman, Come Back To Me, Crenshaw
Rating: 7/10