The word “mixtape” these days has as many different connotations as “hooking up.” There are the ones without original production, ones with concepts, ones with one artist, others with many – and who could forget the kind of mixtape you make someone when you’re just trying to hook up. For veteran Devin The Dude and his Coughee Brothaz, a mixtape simply seems to be a recorded afternoon of potent piff, quarts of Miller High Life and sex on the mind. Smoke Sessions Volume 1 falls far short of any of the Dude‘s four studio albums, but the effort packs a creative punch that reminds listeners that we haven’t even tipped the iceberg of Devin‘s abilities.
Like Prince Paul and Dr. Dre, Devin‘s interludes and alter-egos are memorable to the Hip Hop consciousness. A recurring theme, is “If I Did A Mixtape,” since Devin has shied away from the art in his 16 years at Rap-A-Lot Records, which has Devin doing Weird Al Yankovic covers of ’70s and ’80s R&B and Pop grooves. Not only can he make us laugh, as heard in twisting Rose Royce‘s “I Want To Get Next To You” to “I Want To Stick Dick To You,” but the man can sing. Besides Cee-Lo, few rappers could justify making entire albums of crooning than Devin, if only he could censor himself. These experiments, skits and asides would surely turn off the virgin Devin The Dude listener, but to familiar friends, these glimpses are welcomed and warranted as once. Another tangent is “Searching,” which could be Devin‘s answer to Lil’ Wayne‘s “I Feel Like Dying.” In what sounds to be a Folk-singer impersonation, Devin describes looking for hunter’s prey in the forest, underneath psychedelic guitar riffs and Radio Shack keyboard percussion. Weird? Certainly. But then again, for those who’ve gotten to know Devin‘s “Zeldar” alien persona or his redneck incarnations, we extend him the same grace Eddie Murphy gets with Norbit.
Although certain members of The Coughee Brothaz are better on a blunt than a microphone, the Odd Squad carryovers exhibit their vast talent. “Coughee Brothaz Freestyle” is everything that purist fans wanted from Devin, that the A&Rs at Rap-A-Lot weren’t permitting. The song plays like a blue-collar “Symphony” of various couch potatoes performing their skills with varying flows and dialects. Though these voices are new to most listeners, the song covers all of Houston’s sounds in one, and as they say, is “jammin’.” The jewel of the entire collection though is “Ain’t Nothin’ Like Old School Bitch.” Longtime producer Domo presents an N.W.A.-meets-U.T.F.O. beat collage that the group pays homage over, parallel to what Dr. Dre and co. deftly did on “Some L.A. Niggaz.” The cadences, the raunchy lyrics and the deliveries make this a throwback to tracks like The Geto Boys‘ “Bring It On,” where Devin was introduced.
Smoke Sessions is the demo we never got to hear from the Odd Squad – almost. Never before has an album or mixtape focused so much on “balls” as subject matter, but in doing so, found a way to keep it moving and musical. Captivating musical moments like “Doobie Ashtray” or “Anythang” aren’t anywhere to be found in these sessions, but it’s presumed these are the drawing-board grooves that Devin‘s greatness comes out of. Like Jay-Z said, even when Devin‘s at his worst, he’s at his best – to an audience that embraces his twisted brand of hangin’ out humor.
