102-MC CHRIS-Dungeon Master Of Ceremonies-A Review By Jim.

I am a very big mc chris(always lowercase) fan. It has been two years since the original release and over a year since the re-release of his last album "Eatings Not Cheating". Now finally his new album Dungeon Master of Ceremonies has been unleashed upon an unsuspecting public. Earlier in the year MC released a demo version of a song called "Party Without Me", and I had said that this album was going to be the surprise hit of the Summer, unfortunately delays prevented it from making it's original early August release, and it missed that driving around with the windows down summer release window. Honestly I think it hurts the album a little. This isn't a very dreary album, I don't listen to a lot of hip-hop/rap, but this just screams fun. It's definately something to throw on real loud at a party.

So let's talk about the actual content of the album, it's 13 tracks at just over 45 minutes, and the first thing you notice is that the quality of recording is definately better than ENC. Lyrically the album is also a split down the middle of geek culture and actual attempts at doing songs for a wider audience. The first track "FTW" stands out cause MC is backed by a band, there is no manufactured hip-hop beat or keyboards it's a rock and roll band providing the music. It's a bit of a shock, but after a couple of listens it's a great opening track to the album. Track 2 "Blastic" is one of the songs where the nerdiness is toned down. The rocking music is slowed down and replaced with a simple beat and some roller rinkesque keyboards, while MC raps about his lavish hip-hop lifestyle by using his credit cards to buy all the best cars and jewelry. "Kingdom Farts" is an ode to video games, but unfortunately is one of the weaker tracks on the album. MC raps real fast over a beat that seems to be made up of multiple video game music samples, which is clever, but doesn't work out on the album. Track 4 brings us the first skit of the album, which might actually be the downfall of the album. Each skit has a tiny bit of brilliance in it, but I would have rather taken new songs than two of the half assed skits. The first one however sets up the album to be a sort of sequel to MC's first album. ("Life's a Bitch, and I'm Her Pimp") It's the funniest of the four, but each one drags on forever, and this one eventually putters out and you wish it had finished 30 seconds earlier. Following that is another weak track "Check the Ring, Yo", which is about MC hitting on ladies who are either engaged or married. The high point to the track is the insanely catchy chorus. Next up is "Wiid" it's a decent super catchy track that finds Chris singing the praises of Marijuna, but swearing off everything else. Some might recall MC's bout with cocaine on his last tour(or mabye the tour before), and this song seems inspired by it. The next track is another skit, and it goes on forever, doesn't have any humor to it, and I bet you after listening to it once you will skip it every time you listen to the album. Track 9 is by far the biggest mistake of the entire album "Party Without Me". The early version was a dance tune with a fun beat and an awesome chorus. It could have been a radio hit. The album version finds the disco beats replaced with a backing band who are doing a generic pop-punk instrumental. Imagine if MC Chris was the singer for New Found Glory or any other run of the mill mall punk band. It's nowhere near the song it should have been. This is followed by another skit in which MC meets Jesus and is worth listening to for only one reason to hear why MC got into heaven. I wont ruin it for you, but it's definately one of the high points of the album. The next track is another highlight. "OMC" is a mid-tempo beat with MC doing some of the best rapping of his career, the rapping ends early in the song but it gives Chris' DJ, DJ John a chance to show off his off kilter beats as the song ends with about a minute of instrumental. The last proper song "Arulpragasm" is another highlight both musically and lyrically. As MC pines for a girl to share his life with the music and the lyrics both fit together nicely and make for a proper sounding ending to the album, however, it's not the last song as the final skit is what closes out the album. MC argues with a homeless man who wants to sing him a song called "Smackababy". Once again it's not that funny, but does contain one of the funnier lines across the four skits as he tries to convince the man he never released any of his music on cassette tapes.

MC and DJ John tried real hard to make something that would please both the hardcore fans, and maybe attract some new ones, but the album is bogged down in some continuity(the first two skits), and the music doesn't sound like it was made for a mainstream audience. His fans are going to eat this up, and it has it's moments, and those moments are better than anything they have done before, but there just aren't enough of them in these 45 minutes. If I had to give a star like rating I would give it 2 out of 4 stars.

P.S. I don't want it to sound like I want MC Chris to be huge or that, that's what they were trying to do with this album, but I imagine they were trying to rope in new fans as well as please old ones. Which is not to say that it affected the making of the album, but that vibe does hang over this CD slightly.