This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
You snooze, you lose. It’s as true in rap as anywhere else. And it’s a lesson Everlast might have to learn the hard way.
Half a dozen years ago, the gravel-throated House Of Pain escapee helped pioneer hick-hop — or roots-rap, or rappalachia, or whatever you call country licks set to hip-hop beats. Since then, though, he’s watched guys like Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker and Bubba Sparxxx steal his thunder. Now, on his murky ’n’ moody CD White Trash Beautiful — his first since the 2000 dud Eat At Whitey’s — Erik Shrody is basically a guy who slept through his own party. Granted, all the right pieces are here: The bumpy, low-wattage grooves, the dusty textures, the choppy acoustic guitars and, most importantly, Everlast’s growling vocals and trailer-park tales. Still, it’s tough to shake the feeling you’ve heard it all done before, better — and with far more energy. Somebody wake up Everlast — and me — when the South rises again.
