Hustlin' Pays

If you don't live in the Midwest, you've probably never heard of Mr. Nitro. But this ambitious MC-turned-producer is trying to build a reputation as an A&R for his hometown of Oklahoma City, a place not often considered for its rap music. The fruits of his ambitions can be found on his 2000 CD called Hustlin' Pays (Columbia Records), an infomercial for Mr. Nitro's budding empire: Nitro Entertainment. The disc features up-and-coming artists like Young fool, Lady Ace, Boy Dogg, Buccet Loc, MOB Playas, Z Real, C.A.P., NFamous, Pypa, and Mista Mase.

What's surprising about this CD is that it doesn't sound contemporary. After 1999, the year we saw Master P, Juvenile, and Lil' Wayne rule hip-hop with their uptempo electro-funk sound, Mr. Nitro seems content with rehashing old soundscapes like whining synthesizers, 808 drum beats, and bad sexual politics. As the music gets more into gangsta rap redux, the lyrics get more predictable. For example, Mr. Nitro and his crew decide to do an eight-minute remake of N.W.A.'s mid-'80s classic "Boyz-N-The Hood," which embodies much of the gangsta rap motif. It's a huge stretch, and four minutes too long, but Nitro pulls it off by staying faithful to the gangsta rap classic.

Funky tracks like the posse-cut "Millionaires" "Boy Damn," "Hennessey," and "Do the Damn Thang!" are recyclable dance tracks that will hype any house party. "Hustlin' Pays" has an infectious P-funk shuffle and whining synthesizers. Mr. Nitro even tries his hand at R&B in "Tangueray" (with Nfamous).

Time must be standing still in Oklahoma City because every track here sounds like mid-'80s proto-gangsta rap. Nevertheless, it's not a bad introduction to the Midwest's burgeoning talent. [Hustlin' Pays was also released in a "clean" edition, containing no profanities or vulgarities.]