Patrick Taylor“Rebirth,” Lil Wayne’s rock album, still hasn’t seen the light of day. The April 7th release date came and went with no album. It’s now slated for August, but I’m hoping that is just a stall. My theory is that Weezy’s people finally talked some sense it to him and made him realize that no one wants to hear him abuse a guitar and warble in Auto-tune, and the plan is to bury the album. Have you heard “Prom Queen?” It’s unlistenable. It’s sub-high school emo band. It’s the type of thing that should never have been captured on tape, much less released upon the masses. If Weezy’s people are smart, they will bury all copies of the CD in the same desert where all of the unbought copies of 1982’s Atari 2600-killer “E.T.” ended up (the worst video game in history – google it).
Those of you eagerly awaiting the arrival of “Rebirth” should check out Shinobi Ninja. This Brooklyn group combines funk, reggae, hip hop, and hard rock, mixing them in a pot like gumbo in an attempt to create the ultimate party music. The good news is, unlike Lil Wayne, they can actually play their instruments and sing.This isn’t drunken fucking around masked with studio tricks; Shinobi Ninja are talented musicians. Unfortunately, talent and good intentions don’t necessarily make for great music. At best, they sound a little like 311, and that’s not exactly high ground to shoot for. More often than not they churn out generic alternarock with a hip hop edge, and they even manage one track that sounds like Aerosmith. If that sounds awesome to you, you can download their EP for free at their Myspace page. I guarantee that “Brooklyn to Babylon” is better than Lil Wayne’s “Rebirth,” but I’m staying clear of them both.