This isn’t Eazy’s street

Boyz N Da Hood

“Boyz N Da Hood” (Bad Boy)

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Named after a classic Eazy-E song, this four-member Atlanta rap group bills itself as the “N.W.A of the South,” a reference to the groundbreaking, Compton-based gangster rap group that included Eazy-E and brought gangster rap to the mainstream in the late 1980s.

It’s a faulty comparison.

Sure, Jody Breeze, Young Jeezy, Big Gee “Edgehanger” and Duke are tough-talking rappers, just as N.W.A’s members were, but this new crew lacks the political edge that made N.W.A so remarkable. Instead, Boyz N Da Hood rely on generic drug and crime lyrics that are presented without much imagination. At times, it almost seems as if they’re reading from a script, and there is little rhyme or reason to their lyrics -- they seem to be rapping just to sound tough, not to express themselves.

The album’s strong point is its production, which often provides angst-fueled beats that overshadow the lyrics. When the group uses recycled vocals from a lesser Eazy-E track, it becomes clear that Boyz N Da Hood lack the distinctiveness, edge and originality of their predecessors.

-- Soren Baker