Savage Life

by David JeffriesWebbie places in the Top Ten cockiest Dirty South rappers of all time and in the Top 20 when it comes to filthiness, but his confidence is genuine and his verbal skills are quick and whimsical if not witty in an ashamed-to-admit-it way. He's love 'em or hate 'em, take it or leave it, and according to the man himself, "Full of Dat ****." If 50 Cent is Playboy, Webbie is Hustler and parents should dig through junior's closet and remove any of his material immediately. If you haven't figured it out already, Savage Life isn't the deepest album and Webbie's rhymes aren't cerebral, but rarely are such degenerate, horny roughhousers able to collect so many distasteful but catchy party tracks on one album. It's overstuffed for sure and best taken in halves, but the hooks are strong and if Webbie's style isn't offensive to you from the get-go, you'll be surprised at how well and how long he can hold your attention. Since "I can't say that I love you/but you ain't just another ho/I kinda got feelings for ya" is the highest accolade he can pay a woman, it's obvious this is this a male thug's album. It's this misogynist, hellbound-for-destruction thug's fiery combination of volatility and recklessness that makes the album tracks fascinating like a traffic accident, while the singles are sleazy party tunes straight from the gutter. The creeping "Gutta *****" being the exception, the highlights on the album display just how few new ideas Webbie has -- they're titled "Like That," "Give Me That," and "I Got That" -- but as with any 2 Live Crew album, you don't come here for innovation. The beats are simple and stark, which is a smart move since Webbie is wordy and always jabbering. Separating the "artist" from the "art" is going to be the main issue for anyone with a hint of moral fiber. If you can do that, Savage Life is entertaining and good for a lost weekend or two.