THE UNKNOWN: Ugly Duckling - Bang For The Buck

People are claiming to hear hip-hop's death rattle. I think their wrong. If they hear anything that might sound like a rattle, it's the fun-filled beats of our next artist. Meet Ugly Duckling. Three guys from Long Beach, who came together over ten years ago to form a group in the shadows of bands like Tribe Called Quest and de la Soul. But close to a decade later, a sound that was getting a little stale in the mid-90s is making a comeback like a mother...well you know what. One of the freshest and brightest hip-hop CDs of the year. And sure to make your weekend a bit more fun.

1. Bang For the Buck – Stand-up bass, toe-tapping beat, can a rap album start any better than this?
2. Yudee! – Think Beastie Boys covering Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt.
3. The Breakdown – I dare you to listen to this song while walking down the street and NOT bob your head. I don’t think you can do it. I don’t!
4. Left Behind – The vocal intensity brings out the Outkast in everyone. Andre Benjamin's rapid fire oratory skills was the road map for this one.
   
5. Smack – I can just see de la Soul and the Jungle Brothers listening to this song and getting their groove on.
6. Einstein’s On Stage – Jurassic 5 would be proud of this track.
7. Let It Out – Is that Ray Manzarek on the keyboards? If not, it should be.
8. Lower The Boom – A mid-90s beat provides the ride as the UD boys show they can be more than just dance hall maniacs.
9. Andy Vs. Dizzy – The only thing missing on this song is Q-Tip jumping in to shout…"I Left My Wallet In El Segundo.”
10. Slow The Flow – How good are these guys? They can make a dance floor smash out of 70s game show theme song.
11. Shoot Your Shot – The group seems stronger on the retro music, when they try to jump in with some more modern sounding beats it sounds like they’re trying to be something they’re not. Don’t agree? Listen to this song and see.
12. End of Time – If albums had credits, this song would be the song that was played over them.

How it compares:

1. Bang For The Buck - A-
2. Taste The Secret - B+
3. Fresh Mode - C

Listen to this...

1. The Breakdown

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Buy Now: Ugly Duckling - Bang For The Buck