Love & A Bullet Love And A Bullet Soundtrack CD

Acting as the soundtrack to rapper Treach's (Naughty by Nature) acting vehicle, Love and a Bullet is a high-energy release that offers some harsh and unique hip-hop from the underground. Many of the artists included aren't necessary lyrical pioneers, but what makes their songs stand out is the powerful production that backs many of the tracks. Techinec's "Payback" offers a symphonic mesh that brings to mind classic blaxploitation scores, while Sixx John's use of a manic accordion sample provides a bizarre backbeat for the Jay-Z-style rap over the top of it. Many of the producers utilize classic-sounding instruments to drive the various songs along, which makes it seem much more like a uniform film score than a simple collection of songs. Sadly enough, one of the weakest entries is Naughty by Nature's "Rah Rah," which is put to shame by the intensely creative offerings from the other inclusions here. Where most of the younger groups featured offer a distinct twist on their tracks, Naughty by Nature is stuck playing catch-up with their dated and unoriginal street anthem. It isn't like Love and a Bullet is strikingly different, but it contains several underground hip-hop acts that offer something more than the played-out thug anthems of their mainstream peers. The future of hip-hop has always belonged to the young, and several potential candidates for this honor get some well-deserved exposure here. ~ Bradley Torreano

Original score composed by Tyler Bates.

Naughty By Nature/Mr.Cheeks Tanto Metro/Lil Jon