Kerbloki

Poisonous Plants

Lucid Records 2005

Clocking in at a little over 20 minutes, Kerbloki’s Poisonous Plants resurrects the audacity and playfulness of Paul’s Boutique-era Beastie Boys. There are more elements in this record than the periodic table – from ambient William Orbit-style backgrounds and jazzy grooves to classic B-Boy funkiness.

MCs Kobra, The Chip and Urban Myth sound most like the Beasties in “Bass Tone” and “Boom-Clap,” where rhymes are sharp and the flows are smooth. The mid-song pauses on “Bass Tone” even takes one back to the days when three stripe jump suits flew off the shelves and break dancing ruled the streets.

There’s a tinge of ’90s white boy hip-hop in the bass heavy “Paradise,” although Kerbloki pull it off without sounding too much like stoner rap crew Kottonmouth Kings. But while that group preached on and on about artificial high times, Kerbloki’s raw energy and slick rapping sounds like music’s the only drug they ever really needed.

However Kerbloki still has a lot of maturing to do with its lyrics. They rhyme “Please don’t die in the ice,” in the song of the same title, but what does that mean? The song doesn’t answer that question, but it’s still fun to rap along with Kerbloki. Poisonous Plants is the kind of hip-hop dance party record that your cool older brother would’ve pummeled you for borrowing without asking first. But then again, it’s worth it.

– Marc Cuenco