An experiment is a test of some new method in order to find new ideas, thoughts, processes, or conclusions. “KutMasta Kurt Presents Dopestyle 1231″ is an evil experiment performed by the duo Dopestyle 1231, consisting of rapper (MC Dopestyle) and producer (Tom C), who cooperate in performing one of the absolutely most bizarre tests in hip-hop today. Unfortunately, Dopestyle and Tom C seem to enter the project with two separate hypotheses, and the result of their test is a mix-mash of a dark-driven beat selection from Tom C paired with the too-quick, nonsense rhymes from Dopestyle that just never come into their own throughout any portion of their album.

     Tom C seems intent on dragging some elements of the god-awful “horrorcore” movement into the album, as he starts the album with an odd deep-voiced narration on the “Hidden Cauldron of Terror” introduction, which soon leads into the sick and sadistic beat of “I’m Grendel”. Here, Dopestyle first surfaces vocally with his deep, rasp-tinged voice that attempts to ride a beat that just simply cannot be tamed. “Who’s On Your Roster?” sounds no better as Tom lays a beat down that sounds straight out of the typical level bosses on any old Nintendo release and Dopestyle continues his noisy ramblings and gibberish. By the time Del The Funkee Homosapien joins with Dopestyle on “Size Double D,” Dopestyle’s voice has quickly worn out his welcome, and Tom C’s production simply has too many elements going on in the background. Del drops his verse in his patented vocal tone and seems to scram, as even he cannot save this album from dying early on.

     The album does mark several tolerable tracks, notably the percussion-driven “Granulated Sugar,” which sees Dopestyle squeeze everything from metamucil to Zima to smoking crack literally into a single verse, and “Sunz of Shazam,” as Vast Aire steals the entire album with a verse that actually flows quite methodically to Tom C’s choice of production. “Wedgie” (yes, wedgie) also adds a welcomed element of something not so dark and cryptic that does not come off nearly as interesting as it sounds but is a breath of fresh air (if a song called “Wedgie” can be considered that) hidden amongst a mortuary of dead tracks. Yet, these attempts cannot overshadow the terrible rock-influenced “Lone Ramblin’” or the off-beat “Rap Delite Delux III,” which features the lyrics, “Dreaming emcees as bloody meat, drink Bloody Mary’s with Satan, Get pointers from Walter Payton, How to keep the flows running, Dopestyle is always cunning,” and other odd-ball attempts from Dopestyle.

     The problem with Dopestyle 1231 and their experiment lies, ironically, in the chemistry between Tom C and Dopestyle. Dopestyle gives off the appearance of a cowboy-hat wearing emcee ready to drop some funky out of this world lyrics (a la Kool Keith), while Tom C serves as the DJ from hell (literally), dropping beats that would be relevant at the funerals of mass-murderers. Therefore, throughout “KutMasta Kurt Presents Dopestyle 1231″ neither really seizes a track nor uses the opportunity to display their talents. Instead, they are relegated to compromising their individual personalities and cohesively weaving two completely different styles into one song.

     Dopestyle 1231 is an experiment gone completely awry that should be locked up and kept out of the hands of hip-hop fans. Horrorcore hip-hop music died almost before it was born. As if an explanation of why was even necessary, Dopestyle 1231 provides one more glimpse into the world of musicians crazy enough to create something so deadly, morbid, and bizarre that it kills itself in the process….