eMusic Review 0
On Lost, Queens, NY rapper Cool Calm Pete admits early on that he's "lost in the city / running out of choices / going nowhere fast / still hearing voices." But as his moniker suggests, he's in no rush to set things straight. Thus begins a strange journey into a world very different from the one presented by fellow borough inhabitants Nas and Mobb Deep. The vicious street blocks and inevitable up-north-trips have been replaced by a cross between Toon Town and a Charlie Kaufman bizarro world. This is one wacky album, filled to the brim with enough zany loops and one-liners to make your head spin. But in spite of itself, Lost never loses control. The track "Brush P.S.A.," literally about dental hygiene, serves as a great metaphor for Pete's ability to overcome potential over-sweetening. Even more surprising is that underneath its giddy surface are quite a few emotional punches.
Pete's most distinctive feature is his low timbre, which moves at a snail's pace. It's the same "charming slacker" appeal that made Atmosphere so popular and, like Atmosphere front man Slug, Pete's not afraid to occasionally let loose. Boasting cinematic strings taken from The Lost Generation's "The Sly, Slick &… read more »
