Issue #17
Leroy Smokes - Love Hustle Theatre
by Christopher Matthew Jensen

Seven man hip-hop crew Leroy Smokes uses organic instrumentation and two MCs to crank out head bobbin' jams and silky smooth grooves. On "Love Hustle Theater," front men B Ruckus and Buss One both show fair range in delivery and lyrical content, spanning the gamut between Biggie Smalls and Andre 3000, and rapping about things like social injustice and loving relationships with equal emphasis. While the slow jams like "Inscent" and "Moving On" are sure to steam up some bedrooms, I'm in it for the flows and they don't disappoint.

Leroy Smokes has a wealth of talent to draw from, including guest appearances by Jordis Unga, I Self Devine, Serenity and Truth Maze, which helps fill the disc to where there's no need for the brief interludes which litter the album. Both the intro and outro are worthwhile cuts that seem snubbed by their dubious titles. "Intro" is a fully fleshed out and lyricized song based on a catchy ascending melody, while "Outro" has a hint of jam band style jazz fusion, not a style I usually want mingling with my hip-hop, but it develops nicely and has some nice guitar/trumpet interplay.

Falling somewhere between the cool organic grooves of Traditional Methods and the more fiery approach of I Self Devine, it appears Leroy Smokes has finally come into their own with "Love Hustle Theater."

All in all, "Love Hustle Theater" synchs up well with the hip-hop scene Minneapolis is quickly becoming nationally recognized for.