YOUNG HOOTIE - Prince Of The Bity | Review By: Monotone


Release Date : October 2005

Label : Larceny Entertainment

Rating: 3/5

It wasn't long ago that Young Hootie was just another rapper out there trying to make a name for himself. After achieving unbelievable heights that not even he himself could have anticipated with his "Young Compton" mixtape including being featured as Unsigned hype in The Source magazine, a prestigious title that has seen many young mc's go on and reach huge success, Hootie returns with another dose of his inner city tales in attempt to set in stone his position as one to watch out for on the west coast hip hop scene.

In typical mixtape format the majority of the CD contains 1-2 minute teasers that almost leaves a feeling of dissatisfaction amongst the listener. While it lacks direction and sounds like random tracks thrown together, Young Hootie's undeniable mic presence and hard hitting lyrics save this mixtape from its poor production. The track that stands out the most is one you may already be familiar with "Stop, Cock, Pop & Roll" from DJ Whoo Kid's Westcoast Resurrection,

"My favourite colour is red but i love the green/ i got my business right, n-ggaz cant stop the team/ I got my bars up, n-ggaz cant stop the flow/ they trippin im'a stop, cock, pop and roll."

This track sums up the overall vibe of the CD, lyrically its a great piece of work but the production has let it down. There are certain points throughout the mixtape at which you will understand why exactly Hootie has attracted the attention of major labels, one being the 4th track titled "I'm Young Hootie", over a melodic beat the self-proclaimed prince of Compton delivers what can only be described as a diamond in the rough. You can't help but feel if this track was recorded, mixed and mastered in a professional studio, it would undoubtedly become a hit record!

"Chronic smoke in my lounges, hop off the 105 pass change to a bum/ lock me up, the only way im stayin sober, let me see 23 and a n-gga takin over/, thats real"

Along with a chorus that will stick in the back of your mind for many days to come; "Nobody raps pretty as mine/gimme 1 album n-gga and the city is mine/I'm young hootie", creates the perfect formula for a track that will remain on playlist's for a long time.

Keeping his composed laid back flow track after track, Hootie never really gets an opportunity to showcase his versatility. Another disappointing note is the lack of a west coast sound, as the g-funk is limited to only a handful of tracks, instead opting towards darker east coast production.

Features are kept to a minimum and include El Dorado, Jay Boy, Joe & Hooda John (Dropping an impressive verse on "Move It"), but as expected the spot light is on the young Compton native for the majority of the mixtape and while he does not let down, he never really excels either.

While "Prince Of The Bity" offers nothing that hasn't been done before, Young Hootie does however drop some great verses accompanied with some catchy hooks making this worth checking out. Don't expect to hear a ground breaking mixtape, but do expect to hear more from Hootie in the future. While he still needs some work polishing his skills, he is one to look out for and "Prince Of The Bity" has enough to keep you occupied until his debut album drops.







 

..........................................................................................