| Product: |
Good Times - Afroman |
| Date: |
01.03.08 (93 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Very funny
Disadvantages: One poor track
This is a the first greatest hit album from Afroman, entitled "The Good Times", the common misconception is that this is his debut album, but in fact he had released three LPs by this point, but they didn't raise his popularity until this came out. It was released in Summer of 2001, shortly before "Because I Got High" it reached the top of the UK charts as well as in Australia. This song first appeared on the album with the same title as this and it managed to get to #3 in his own country.
1. Because I Got High
Album From: "Because I Got High"
Year: 2000
Length: 5:10
This is Afroman's most notable song as it was his big debut song in 2000, impacting the world with his drug-taking tenancies. The message within it is quite good to hear as he does go into the negative aspects of carrying out such actions and the consequences to them, although some scenarios won't be as educational as others (when you hear it, you will understand).
If I were to look at this song in terms of its structure and lyrics, there are many things I could bring up, but this song is only for fun really, its a novelty tune.
This track is very slow, reflecting the effect of taking cannabis, very effectively. Afroman's voice adds to this feeling of worriless-ness as he seems to do this song very naturally, with little effort. The ending is fun as well, because it extends from what you will see in the music video or on the radio. He scats the beat and performs a freestyle to finish the song off, its quite humorous and you will enjoy it.
**Five Stars**
2. Crazy Rap
Album From: "My Fro-losophy"
Year: 1999
Length: 5:53
This is my favourite of all Afroman's songs, because of the lyrics. This is a song simply for the humour factor, something the performer is strong at. This is a story about him and how he lives his life, by having sex with any girl, anywhere, even getting beat by the father of a girl who was said to be the "Leader of the Ku Klux Klan", showing that he would do anything to get with one. The story is very humourous and I would strongly recommend it to you, even if you don't like the looks of the rest of the album.
In my opinion, this is Afroman at his best, cracking the best jokes he can on a strong funky beat, which anyone could get into. I can't see how anyone wouldn't see something they like in this track.
**Five Stars**
3. She Won't Let Me Fucc
Album From: "Because I Got High"
Year: 2000
Length: 6:01
This is another funny one from Afroman, and it really displays all of what this artist is about, it goes beyond the raps and the jokes, and it expands to his singing. You really wouldn't erxpect his to be able to blast out the notes, but he is decent at it and it adds to how funny the songs are because he adds sarcastic emotion to his stories.
Furthermore, his musical talent is extenuated by having him provide the rhythm of the track by playing the funky ukulele, making the track sound great. As you can imagine, this one is all about his unsuccessful attempts at getting with women.
**Four Stars**
4. Hush
Album From: "Because I Got High"
Year: 2000
Length: 4:39
Although I cannot confirm this, I believe that this is a remake of a gospel hymn by Afroman and it is a great adaptation to what sounds to be a nice song. Although I'm not religious at all, I can feel the passion in the artist, with his friends who aid in the vocal power of delivering this song.
I like how Afroamn talks us through the song while he sings it at the same time, he makes it just a little more funny by adapting the situations of when he would sing these individual verse, such as saying "Sounds like Jesus/ And somebody's callin my name", when he's in bed with a woman (his humour is really random and it works well).
**Four Stars**
5. Tumbleweed
Album From: "Because I Got High"
Year: 2000
Length: 5:21
Here, he uses another slang word for his favourite substance, cannabis, and write a whole song about how he loves it. Although I cannot relate, this one does get you into a strange mood when you are excited, but relaxed at the same time. I felt that this one requires a little time to get into, but when you get there, it sounds amazing.
Afroman shows a little more of his influences in rhyming by coming at a couple of lines with what sounds to be some Jamaican-styled speech patterns on top of a beat which is pure West Coast, big rhythm, and he also provides a good beatbox. An all-round good performance.
**Four Stars**
6. Let's All Get Drunk
Album From:
Year:
Length: 5:48
This track really annoyed me after a few listens, I really don't see much point in it, it's no funny at all and all he does is say how he wants to get drunk for fun and do things whilst you are in an intoxicated state, and I don't really find drink-driving funny at all so it was just weak throughout. The only few good points come from the good syllable arrangements which work very well to vary the sound of the rhythm.
**Two Stars**
7. Tall Cans
Album From: "My Fro-losophy"
Year: 1999
Length: 7:11
Yes, you read it correctly, this one is over seven minutes long and you would think that you would lose interest after it goes over about four minutes, but it doesn't, and I will explain later. What also makes it strange is that all the verses are repeated over and over again, so it doesn't make much sense and you think it will get annoying.
To start off with, there is a fast-paced beat which makes you feel as though you are in the back of a truck in Mississippi (I know it's a weird feeling) as the pace is hurried, but half-way through, it all slows right down and he takes it into some nice West Coast laid-back sounds and repeats the whole track again, and you hear a great improvement, and I don't think it would sound as god without the beginning half sounding like so much of a contrast.
**Four Stars**
8. Palmdale
Album From: "Sell Your Dope"
Year: 2000
Length: 6:40
This one is about the place where the rapper grew up, because he had to represent Palmdale, because it doesn't seem to have been put on the map yet for music, so any exposure is good for this small Californian county which raised the Afroman. Although this one is rather long, it is of consistent high quality, so you cannot complain about it at all.
**Five Stars**
9. Mississippi
Album From: "Because I Got High"
Year: 2000
Length: 5:22
Following straight on from his current home, Afroman, brings us back to his childhood, in which he was brought up in the Dirty South of America, in Mississippi.
We hear a nostalgic record of what it was like growing up in an environment like this where he did all the things we know him for: having sex, drink, and sell drugs (so nothings changed). However he does touch on a topic which is more serious when he talks about living amongst racists who at the time were likely to be Klansmen, but he just seems to make jokes about it, so I doubt he had any bad experieneces with them,.
**Four Stars**
10. The American Dream (skit)
In conclusion, this was a great compilation album by Afroman and it brings us with all the best music he had made up to that point in his career. I have to say that i was surprised that I liked the rest of the LP as much as I enjoyed listening to the singles, "Crazy Rap" and "Because I Got High", but he displayed that he is more intelligent than he comes across as and he is able to vary his style quite a lot to produce excellent results. Apart from one track, this album is pretty much flawless, and I enjoyed listening to each track quite a lot, and you can't say that for too many albums.
Summary: Afroman's greatest hits
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