Slimm Calhoun: The Skinny

The first artist on OutKast's Aquemini label, 19-year-old Slimm Calhoun possesses a calm, authoritative, unmistakably Southern flow that belies his relative youth. But, then again, in the youth-obsessed world of hip-hop, 19 isn't especially young: Calhoun's mentors in OutKast were about that old when they began their rise to prominence. Nevertheless, Calhoun's debut reveals an impressive consistency of vision rooted in the spacey, progressive lyricism of OutKast and the soulful, organic sound of its heavily Organized Noize-influenced Earthtone III production team, who produce nearly every track. Following in the tradition of Dungeon Family members Cool Breeze, Goodie Mob, and OutKast, The Skinny offers a Southern-fried blend of unrepentant hedonism mixed with spirituality and social criticism, all rooted in a dynamic sonic base that blends soul, funk, hip-hop, and rock 'n' roll. The result is a full, organic, eclectic sound equally suited to downbeat meditations on street life and lascivious odes to unconventional sexual activities. Like many Southern artists, Calhoun is an incorrigible hedonist, but he's also introspective and serious, devoting a substantial portion of his debut to musically and lyrically downbeat material. A perfect example is the terrific "Time Lock," which begins with a slow, sad guitar and a mournful organ before kicking into a chorus that could double as Calhoun's bleak philosophy: "I'm in a time-lock / Locked in hell / The world is my cell / I feel I'm better off dead or in jail." As with OutKast's Stankonia, The Skinny contains at least one regressive gangsta-rap song ("All Da Hustlas"), seemingly included solely to prove that Dungeon Family members can be every bit as ignorant and violent as the least ambitious No Limit soldier. Thankfully, it's an anomaly, and while The Skinny seldom reaches OutKast's transcendent heights—"It's OK.," with its wonderfully spacey turn from Andre 3000, comes closest—it marks the arrival of another promising addition to one of hip-hop's most important and influential crews.