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2 Skinnee J's: Supermercado
04/10/10 || InquisitorGeneralis
Back in the wonder years known as the 1990’s a band came along that managed to accomplish the near impossible task of fusing funk, metal, R&B, and hip-hop into something actually listenable. This is not nu-metal bullshit where a band full of braided fuckholes play bland riffs without leads and rapping about how pissed they are at their parents; all while crouching down and trying to suck their own dicks. I talking about creative, groovy, up-beat music that was actually fun to listen to and even more fun to see live. 2 Skinnee J’s were that band and 1998’s “Supermercado” was their hybrid masterpiece.
Let’s address the main issue I am sure you are thinking about: the hip-hop aspect. There is nothing on here about fucking bitches or cutting up crack. Except for vocalist J Guevera, the whole band is white and clearly do not take themselves too seriously. You get some rapping vocals, other than that “Supermercado” is a superior funk/metal/rock record. When the band gets heavy, the songs are excellent. “Riot NRRRD” got some radio and MTV airplay back in the day and features a catchy chorus, driving pace, and rocking ending that may be the album’s most metal moment. “Mind trick” is another heavier track with some great Star Wars themed puns and lyrics. “The good, the bad, and the skinnee” takes things in a more western direction and in a nod to the classic film “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” the band shouts “Badges, we don’t need no stinkin’ badges!” during the song’s big rock-out section. “(718)” deals with the eternal battles between New York City’s two zip codes. Oh, and it is another enjoyable heavy song.
When the J’s slow things down and move closer to R&B things don’t necessarily go straight to hell. “In the clutches of the diabolical Sgt. Stiletto” features a great bass line and some interesting lyrics about serial killers and government agents. “Ball point man”, “The whammy”, and “Organic machine” take things in a more funk, jazz direction and while I listen to them a bit less than the more metal songs – they don’t suck. My favorite song is the opener “Pluto” which starts out slow and funky but ends on an up-tempo, kick-ass note.
I know many of you don’t listen to technical black powergroove all the fucken time so if you need a break from blastbeats and satanic slaughter you might want to give “Supermercado” a try. 2 Skinnee J’s were unlike any other bands at the time and really were able to combine several styles and genres into something fun, interesting, and enjoyable. The J’s were one of my favorable bands to see in concert back in the high-school (pre-metal) days for me and I guess there is a lot of nostalgia behind this review. Still, I stand by “Supermercado” as a solid record. Ok, it’s back to Krisiun and Zyklon for me. Hasta luego!
- Information
- Released: 1998
- Label: Capricorn
- Website: www.2sj.com
- Band
- Special J: vocals
- J Guevara: vocals
- Lance Rockworthy: guitars
- Eddie Eyeball: bass
- Stevie Spice: horns, keyboards
- Andy Action: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Pluto
- 02. Wild Kingdom
- 03. The Best
- 04. Ball Point Man
- 05. In The Clutches Of The Diabolical Sgt. Stiletto
- 06. The Whammy
- 07. You’re a Champion
- 08. (718)
- 09. The Good, The Bad, & The Skinnee
- 10. Riot Nrrrd
- 11. Organic Machine
- 12. Mindtrick
