Rating: NNN
One of the recurring themes on the Skull Gang LP is self-aware ignorance. Lines like Richmond Rabb’s “I don’t know what’s bigger, my handgun or my damn chain” on Drama Fold help make this album a playful project rather than a serious one.
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Skull Gang plays out like an average Diplomat offering, even though only two of the members of the troupe – Juelz Santana and Unkasa – are present. The remaining roles are filled by Santana proteges Rabb, John Depp, Starr, Riq Rose and Deniro. Unfortunately, they all fall by the wayside, offering mostly forgettable verses not unlike Unkasa’s older material. Starr’s sweet R&B additions are functional but, again, not terribly memorable.
The best track on this album is probably the funk-dripping Birds Flyin In, which is a back-and-forth coke-referencing jam by Jim Jones and Juelz, framed by Rabb’s Southern drawl. (He’s from Virginia.) There’s not a skip-worthy track on this album, but no stylistic ground has been broken here either.
Top track: Birds Flyin In
