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by
11 June, 2003@12:00 am
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Ugly Ducking’s Taste The Secret, in a nutshell, is perhaps the most consistent indy release of the year – a concept album that doesn’t stray off course, packs incredible production, laugh-out-loud lyrics, and quality throughout just about every track. But while giving Ugly Duckling 4.5 @’s in today’s industry probably isn’t quite a hip-hop fashion statement, we stick to our guns (er…squirt guns).  

    So how about some disclaimers? If you missed hip-hop in the late 80′s, forget about it. If your hip-hop experience began with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die, or Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The 36 Chambers, forget about it. If De La Soul, Leaders Of The New School, Jungle Brothers, and The Pharcyde’s early works aren’t embedded in your consciousness, forget about it. If 50 Cent is god to you, forget about it. If a rapper’s “realness” matters to you, forget about it. If the fact that these guys are goofy and two-third’s white bothers you, forget about it. If you don’t like “happy rap”, forget about it.  Well, that narrows down the current hip-hop population down to about 25 percent. Now if you are in that other 75%, there’s nothing wrong with that (this critic loves Jay-Z and M.O.P. just as much as the next guy) however, if you are in the 25 percent, congratulations, you are part of the elite, and you will definitely enjoy the Ugly Duckling album. With all of that out of the way, let’s get into what makes the meat shake taste so good.

     Starting with the production, beatsmith Young Einstein could make Prince Paul, Cut Chemist, or Egon jealous with his incredibly deep crates and concepts, probably averaging about 10 to 15 records sampled per song. The sound conveyed with Taste The Secret is definitely “throwback” (see also Jurassic 5′s Quality Control or Edan’s Primitive Plus), as it conjures up that same good feeling caught when listening to De La’s 3 Feet High and Rising. The tracks are up-tempo, catchy-as-hell, and innocent in nature. There’s no cussing on this record, and while the songs are somewhat corny, it’s not Will Smith-corny. It’s smarter than your average rap record, as each song follows a concept, following the UD’s as employees of the imaginary fast-food franchise, Meat Shake – the restaurant where “it all has meat”. The skit tracks will throw newer fans off base, such as on “Meat Shake”, where Andy Cooper breaks down the concept of the restaurant in a hilarious rap-jingle that actually works. But the fun doesn’t stop there, as the beating of a dead…cow continues throughout the entire album, on tracks like “The Drive-Thru”, where Andy breaks down the tasty menu to some customers over a ridiculous funk loop; or “The Confrontation”, where Andy battles competitor Brianna, who works at “Veggie Hut” across the way. While on paper this sounds about as funny as a 2 Live Jews record (read: nil), it actually really and truly works. Einstein’s beats are incredibly funky, which automatically gets the listener’s attention, and Andy’s lyrics are overflowing with brilliance, subtly rhyming entire sentences with humorous lyrics (yes, it’s actually funny). What at surface value seems like a goofy idea that would never work, works incredibly well.          

    While the skits cohesively sew this album together, it’s not all about the meaty goodness of Meat Shake. “Opening Act” is an excellent self-parody where the crew humorously introduces themselves over a catchy piano loop, as the group opening for some big-name hip-hop act, only to be booed or not even paid attention to as club-goers aren’t even aware they’re on stage (just like in real life). There are plain old hip-hop jams in the spirt of yesteryear, such as “Turn It Up” and “Energy Drink” which conjure up images of the Ugly Duckling back-up dancers. And there’s also a few underlying messages about the current state of hip-hop, in which they surprisingly don’t come off as obnoxious as most rap preachers or as those with average skills obsessed with killing wack emcees. On “Dumb It Down”, the UD’s question why hip-hop has become so ignorant, poking fun at the whole scene with a hook that goes “Duh, duh, duh?”. Meanwhile, “Mr. Toughguy” calls out all the middle-finger ice grill rappers, while “Potty Mouth” sports a soul brother vocal sample warning – “you said a bad a word! I’ma tell yo mama on you!”, as they chant “ooh, ooh shame on you / tell you what I’m gonna do / you better watch your mouth!” during the hook. There’s even a lullaby at the end (“Goodright Now”), that any aging b-boy could proudly play for his sleepy son or daughter – and it actually works.

    Besides the fact that this is leaps and bounds ahead of their debut, Journey To Anywhere, its the return to innocence is what makes Ugly Duckling’s Taste The Secret such an incredible piece of work. It’s weeded out all of the current “rap essentials”, such as sex, drugs, and guns; and while that’s really no feat considering that this can be said for a number of underground hip-hop acts, the difference here is that it’s actually done with originality and a smart sense of humor. This is actually, perhaps for the first time in years (not forgetting DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince’s Rock The House), a hip-hop album that is clean enough to be given to a five-year old, dope enough to be rocked by a sixteen year old, and smart enough to be enjoyed by a thirty year old. But don’t take our word for it, Taste The Secret.

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