A review of Jim Crow's self-titled album (by Patrice Sulton)

Hip Hop is a genre of music that truly belongs to the youth, forever growing, forever changing, forever new. Despite the similarities in the artists that dominate the mainstream from one point in time to the next, there has always been room for distinctions to be drawn…and blurred, be it a matter of the artist, the production, or the location.

As preferences within the genre arise, it is especially disappointing to see how groups from the Deep South (generally categorized together) tend to encourage consumers to buy into negative portrayals of Black culture, presenting the public with a glamorized, ghettoized, version of reality. Just as many East and West-coast artists tend to glorify poverty in their videos, southern rappers praise the adversity inherent to country life. Food and animals have become representative of life below the Mason-Dixie, as close-ups of fried chicken and goats are prevalent, from Nappy Roots to Lil' Jon and the Eastside Boys.

However, Jim Crow's latest album differs in that it is much too sophisticated for the manner in which it is marketed. The stereotypical southern Hip Hop illustration falls short of accurately representing the kind of attention their unique sound deserves. The diversity of their album is not limited to all bounce beats nor to extensive sampling or R&B hooks. With collaborations ranging from Baby (of the Cash Money Millionaires) to Bubba Sparxxx, an array of production styles are experimented with, never straying from recognizable sound that could be from nowhere other than Atlanta.

Despite the undeniable talent of the group (made just as clear on their new self-titled album as it is on the first), a true critic cannot help but pause and raise an eyebrow after looking at the group while listening to their music. The outstanding lyrical content simply does not parallel the blaxploitation observable in their videos or the glorification of negativity inherent to the group's name, Jim Crow. One can only hope that those who appreciate the culture will eventually reach a point where they do not reward artists for falling into the flow of the mainstream without regard to values. Perhaps if Goodie Mobb was as successful on the charts as Lil' Jon has been, criticism of the Confederate flag (which Lil' Jon frequently wears) would not be questioned by those outside of Hip Hop culture who do not yet understand it.

Nevertheless, a strong album is simply that, whether masqueraded by ideas that should have been exhausted long ago or not.