Home of the Brave

Although Bushwick Bill changed his name before the release of Phantom of the Rapra (to the absurd Dr. Wolfgang Von Bushwickin The Barbarian Mother-Funky Stay High Dollar Billstir), he hasn't changed his musical style at all for his second solo album. Throughout the record, Bushwick runs through his standard lyrical targets over his standard musical backdrops. That doesn't mean Phantom of the Rapra is a tedious listen. By now, Bushwick Bill is a skilled, accomplished professional, and he knows how to entertain. And that's what the record is, even if he does bring politics into the fray every once in a while. Bushwick's taste for comic book violence and horror films overshadows his social commentary, as well as his latent misogynist tendencies. But that affection for the theatrical and the bizarre is what makes Phantom of the Rapra such enjoyable, volatile entertainment. Unlike his imitators, Bushwick knows exactly how to satisfy fans of ridiculously violent hardcore rap.