Industry Shakedown

by Nick PfeifferBumpy Knuckles has been doing cameos in the hip-hop game for years; finally, with his debut album, Industry Shakedown, he truly gets to shine. The title of the album conjures up the notion of music business deconstruction and many of the songs are dedicated to or touch upon this very subject. Bumpy Knuckles (aka Freddie Foxxx) has a blunt delivery, to say the least, and this album is replete with vulgarities and slurs, but don't let that turn you away, roughness is inherent of a "Bumpy" style. That's how the self-proclaimed "thug" gets his point across. In fact, if there were a "clean" version of the album, more than half the lyrics would be edited out. Industry Shakedown stands above many contemporary hip-hop albums in the production arena. The album features the production of the one and only DJ Premier, the ever-consistent Pete Rock, the slept-on Diamond D, and the up-and-coming beat smith, the Alchemist. Check the sure-shot tracks, "Bumpy Knuckles Baby," "Stock in the Game," and "Part of My Life." Bumpy himself even tries his hand at production, but his exploits tend to be the weakest tracks on the album; they are avoidable. All in all, the beats elevate Industry Shakedown to the upper echelons of turn of the century hip-hop.