The Albany, GA group Field Mob, consisting of Shawn Jay and Smoke aka Chevy P, were earlier easily
stereotyped as country rap from their inception in the late 90s. The duo have
since signed to Ludacris’, Disturbing
the Peace label; and have found themselves in a considerably
brighter limelight. After making a splash in 2000 with the single, “Project
Dreamz,” which focused on a country style beat and a battle with
the elements of small town Albany,
GA. In 2002, their single “Sick of
Being Lonely” made some noise but the group had been relatively
quiet after a few single releases, including working with the Ray Charles-era ”Georgia”featured on this album.
Shawn Jay and Chevy P are by no means accomplished
emcees, but they certainly do have their own distinct styles. The
complicated southern drawl may just be “how it is down there,” but its
nuances of pattern make their style of speech the very least,
entertaining. Their last album, From
the Roota to that Toota, was received well overall, but still
contained few shining moments.
The new LP, Light Poles and Pine Trees
marks a solid effort from the duo on many southern-fried songs, but the stand
out singles stick out among the rest of the relatively poorly produced tracks.
The Jazzy Pha-produced “So What”
featuring Ciara will no
doubt continue to spin for radios across the country while the Ray Charles-era tune “Georgia”
featuring Jamie Foxx and
their boss Ludacris is
a bright glimpse into the ability of this group. Too often on the album
the duo focuses their efforts on one-line attacks and generally uninspiring
rhymes.
On the way to strip clubs around the country, “Baby Bend Over”
leaves you wondering whether this is a spoof of Mr. Collipark , Ying
Yang and T-Pain or
if they are hoping for a club banger to bring them over the top. Shawn Jay vents on the Kelis inspired “I Hate
You,” based on a typical baby-mama type story, laid over a rock
laced backdrop. The Tupac
throwback “Blacker the Berry”
doesn’t inspire greatness either with the use of the late rappers vocal
snippet, but the inspiration is apparent.
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Field Mob has the
ability and has a chance in an industry that is suffering in an avalanche of
poor southern music. Their lyrical talent is evident throughout the
album, but once again they fail to deliver a full album in terms of
quality. Between the better cuts on the album, Shawn Jay and Smoke shine as best they can; the
production just doesn’t help them out in their quest.
