Afroman
The Good Times
Universal
Though an unfortunate image one shouldn’t concentrate on for too long, what would happen if Too Short and Flava Flav were to have a child together? Well, Afroman, of course. A hyper-sexed hip-hop huckster with the obligatory marijuana addiction, Afroman respects nothing enough to even be considered an iconoclast.
The Good Times is a celebration of the silly. “Because I Got High,” the CD’s opener, lists all the great turns the Afro’s life would’ve taken if he’d just put down the cannabis. With comic irreverence of 2 Live Crew proportions and a Humpty Hump lilt to his strained singing, Afroman will have you laughing for hours on end – to the point that, when he is serious (like in the gospel “Hush” or “Palmdale,” where he talks of the pains of growing up young, gifted, black, and poor), it almost disarms the listener, not letting you know how to exactly judge the man. In fact, amongst the raunch there’s some serious commentary that, while never confusing Afroman for Chuck D., makes it hard to dismiss him as just another rap jester. While diving headlong into the usual rap stereotypes of wine, women, and weed, Afroman refuses the “Thug Life” violence all too common these days while delivering a peculiar mix of comedy and commentary. This clash makes The Good Times even better, making you chant, “love, peace, and afro grease” to Afroman’s Southern slang, chicken screeches, and Casio-sounding beats.
Universal Records: http://www.universalrecords.com • Afroman: http://www.afromanmusic.com
