Handsome Boy Modeling School
Like the first outing, So...How's Your Girl? five years ago, White People is another eclectic what-the-fuck mash-up of guests: De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, Julee Cruise (of David Lynch fame), Linkin Park, QBert, Jazzy Jay, John Oates, The Mars Volta, Del (of course), etc. It's a music critic's dream if they have to meet a word count quota (not this one). "I've Been Thinking" features Cat Power at her sultriest; it's strange at first to hear her outside of her introspective indie rock world. "The World's Gone Mad" could vaguely pass as a sequel to the Gorillaz "Clint Eastwood" (which also features DTA and Del), though "Rock And Roll (Part 2)" virtually has no resemblance to the gangbusters original that opened the first album. Clearly, The Automator is into the sequel thing.
Like Prince Paul's last solo outing, White People also features skits and comedy bits: Father Guido Sarducci reprises his role as an HBMS alumnus, while newcomer Tim Meadows (apparently, in his "Ladies Man" guise) pops in here and there. The thing is, the comedy wears on you, distracts, and doesn't add to the experience--HBMS music is quirky enough on its own. In fact, the album peters out at the end, with back-to-back comedy tracks, and you feel like a party has just ended and it's time to go home and crash. Overall, White People is solid and similar to Girl, but not necessarily better.
The Automator's trademark thick hip-hop beats are brought front and center on the instrumental edition (his fourth such release, counting Dr Octagon, Deltron 3030, and Lovage), which actually seems to flow better than its counterpart, and--thankfully--devoid of all the skits as well. It also adds a follow-up to the first album's "The Runway Song" (another sequel!) with DJ Shadow and Kid Koala.
Oh, and what a year 2004 has been: two high-profile Asian producers (Chad Hugo) with their mugs on the covers of pet projects! If "The World's Gone Mad," so be it.
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