CD Reviews

Izza Kizza

Kizzaland | Souldiggaz/Atmos

By SAM UBL | August 4, 2008

3.0 Stars

Maybe it’s my problem that I think the best song on this Nick Catchdubs–mixed mixtape is the clearly out-of-place bonus cut, “Georgie Porgie,” because the rest mostly knocks too. But “Porgie” breaks form in the best possible way, closing out 20 tracks of Izza Kizza’s gracefully spasmodic word gumbo with the collection’s only heavyweight hook. The Valdosta nonsense mumbler (and Timbaland guinea pig) betrays an aversion to the common crutches of choruses and catchphrases. Thing is, he’s good at both, as we learn in the occasional intermissions between his Chaplinesque lyrical balancing acts. Examples include a sarcastic interpolation of UB40’s “Red Red Wine” and oodles of catchy anti-catchphrases (best: “Nigga, I got wham”). But Kizzaland’s main draw? It’s Kizza’s elastic snake-charmer flow. “Freeze, you diseased rhinoceros pizzle!” he barks at one point, sounding like a voodoo-witch-doctor version of Cam’ron. Elsewhere, he spies his wallet doing sit-ups on the sofa. For someone so skeptical of the trappings of contemporary hip-hop, the consciously futuristic vibe — fostered in part by Souldiggaz’ sleek, booty-oriented beats — is an obnoxious conceit, especially with the spirit of Big Boi looming so large over the entire thing. But confusion and inconsistency constitute a big part of Kizza’s appeal. In a year of hip-hop Martians, he flows with the current despite himself.

Topics: CD Reviews , Timbaland, Entertainment, Hip-Hop and Rap, More

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