2002-03-12 - 3:41 p.m.

"ODB's new album is both sonically and lyrically the best album of his career"

Paul W. Arnold - Editor-in-Chief, The Elements Magazine

Still on my Wu-Tang kick. The above does not bode well for The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones. I was hoping for negative reviews. The worse the reviews, the better the album, I figured. Just like the last two. Vibe also called Unique's latest the best of his career. Ugh.

"Dirty & Stinkin'," the audio sample I found online, doesn't sound promising either. This reteams ODB with ICP -- the first time they traded rhymes was a horrible track called "Bitches," on one of Insane Clown Posse's albums. D3 Records, the independent label that's putting out this record, boasts that the new disc features all new ODB material. But the rhymes Dirty kicked in the verse I heard were recycled from some older non-album tracks from years ago. This, in itself, is fine -- ODB does this pretty often. But his voice sounds fucking tired. Almost no vibrato anywhere in sight. Usually the more times Dirty's recycled a rhyme, the more impressionistic it gets. Not here -- it's like he's stone-cold sober, reading off a scrawled note to himself that really moved him only in certain states of mind.

Of course, this criticism is based on a whole minute of music. Sunz of Man and Buddha Monk show up, so maybe it'll be just like old times. C-Murder also pops up on this guest list. This is Master P's brother or godcousin or something. Before that sends you into an apoplectic fit, just remember that C-Murder was recently charged with an eponymous crime. So he's in way hotter water than Unique has ever found himself, which might translate to a little something called chemistry.

Even if it sucks, though, I'm still going to buy it. Getting off the A train at 125 today, I saw the haunted visage of Russell Jones on a billboard across St. Nick's. He was begging, pleading me to buy his album so he could support his 12 seeds from prison and pay his enormous legal fees that have been piling up in several states. Seven more days and I will, Dirty. Seven more days.

Oh, and there's a track on the album called "Cute Devils," which you know will rule.