With names like Lil’ B, Lil’ Uno, Young L, and Stunna, you’d think that The Pack was as cookie cutter as it gets, but the Skateboards To Scrapers EP proves otherwise. As part of the next generation of the Bay Area’s Hyphy Movement, this quartet is more about being cool than going dumb, as each of teenaged members deliver their rhymes with a kind of laid back delivery over Young L’s low end, bass heavy beats.

      What first got the crew attention was the EP’s lead single, “Vans”, an original anthem that finds the guys going against the grain as far as hip-hop sneakers are concerned, pushing Nikes and Adidas aside for “a punk rock shoe”.  Much of the EP carries a similar sound to “Vans”, thanks to Young L’s unique, in-house production, which in itself, sells the record. It’s a total guilty pleasure – because when it really comes down to it, The Pack are pretty awful emcees – even from a dumb, commercial standpoint. But that’s a part of it’s charm – where else can you find a club song that shameless interpolates Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” - off key, even? Young L comes off like a junior Rick Rock with his beats, but have a distinguishable style and sound all their own. Even if you aren’t a fan of the much ballyhooed Hyphy Movement, you can’t help but dig what The Pack is doing, especially on infectious grooves like “Ride My Bike” and “Oh Go”. The booty shakin’ “Candy” almost takes it a step too far, interpolating Miami bass styles, but at this point you are so into the EP that you accept it. 

      The Pack themselves are nothing special – the real star here is producer Young L. Like Rick Rock before him, all he needs is bigger artists to co-sign him, and he could easily be the next hot club producer. At the end of the day, in all of its ignorance, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had out of Skateboards To Scrapers, despite it’s flaws.