First things first: Go to a Spank Rock show! Right now. He brings more energy to the stage than anyone I’ve ever seen as he spits fast rhymes and bounces around like an old school MC. Almost every song mentions sex in the least discreet way possible, and you just kind of have to stand there and watch in a fascinated disbelief.
When Bangers & Cash came out a few weeks ago, I was excited to see that Spank Rock (real name: Naeem Juwan) is continuing to produce new material and is on his way to garnering a bigger audience. This EP introduces audiences to Benny Blanco, a talented 19-year-old DJ who teams with Juwan to make this five song tribute to the nasty and infamous 2 Live Crew—as if comparisons weren't already being made. Spank Rock, unlike his predecessors, is becoming more and more of an underground phenomenon, and EPs like Bangers & Cash are only going to help spread his name.
The real gem on this album comes in the form of an addicting three-and-a-half minute ode to the Crew classic "Hoochie Mama," called "Loose." Spank Rock’s rhymes flow off his tongue at a rapid pace, as Benny Blanco loops a candy pop beat. Amanda Bank comes in at about the two-minute mark, and says some things that aren’t quite G-Rated. Her presence on this track almost makes it acceptable to the P.C. police, as both sexes are represented.
On the last track of the EP, "Bitch," we see a side of Spank Rock that is not reflected on most of his other tracks. It slows the tempo down and is a self-reflexive track about Juwan’s hometown, Baltimore. Being the only song on the EP that isn’t completely about the human reproductive process, "Bitch" stands out a bit from the rest of the songs on the album, save for Spank Rock’s lighting fast lyrical delivery.
In 2006, Spank Rock caused some serious noise in the industry with the release of Yoyoyoyoyo. Yet his work on Bangers & Cash shows his versatility as a rapper, as the beats laid down by Benny Blanco are a departure from the sounds of his normal DJ partners. In the long run, this EP may go further to enhance Blanco’s career, but Spank Rock’s impressive performance cannot be denied.
For more information, visit myspace.com/spankrock
