Cloud Nine
Let’s be honest for a minute here. If you’re holding Cloud Nine by the Kottonmouth Kings in your hands, it’s most likely because you are already a fan of them. You know what they are all about, have listened to past albums and know exactly what you’re getting into. For that reason alone, that’s what makes Cloud Nine a success for the group, because I’m willing to bet they haven’t deviated too much from their usual ways. Most of the songs have to deal with getting high, it’s all rap and on occasion you’ll hear some instruments in some of the songs. So, it’s pretty much a win-win for the typical fan.
There is a flaw here, though, whether you are a fan of theirs or not. That flaw is that the album is 22 tracks long. When you put out 22 tracks worth of music, even if some don’t end up being actual songs, you are asking a lot from your audience. You’re banking on the hope that even your most hardcore fan will happily sit through 22 songs without wondering if the album has overstayed its welcome or not. It’s not to say that it can’t be pulled off, though. The Eminem Show was 20 tracks long, but a few of them were skits. Still, even Eminem was gambling by having that many songs on one CD. When I see that there are 22 songs on the back of the cover, I wonder if the 22 were absolutely necessary.
I’ll be honest. I don’t like Cloud Nine, but I can’t trash it. I don’t like the album because I’m not a Kottonmouth Kings fan. If you’re not a fan of theirs, then chances are you’re not going to dig the album. There was nothing here that made me say, “Holy shit, they’ve won me over!” But, you have to ask yourself is that even their intent? To win new people over? I wouldn’t say so. I’d say these guys are doing exactly what they’re comfortable with, and they are putting out music they know their fans are going to love. They could really care less if you like them or not, seeing that they do have a pretty good and loyal following. Love them or hate them, you have to respect them for that.
There were two songs on Cloud Nine that I did actually kind of like. Those would be “No Escape” and “One Day.” “No Escape” I like because it’s more of a rocking tune, though they still rap. It’s fast paced, and I have to admit it’s rather catchy. “One Day” is more of a thoughtful song as it asks the question why do we have to die in the end and is there a chance that one day things will be better?
To sum it all up, Cloud Nine will end up being perfect for those who are already familiar with the Kottonmouth Kings, and have been long time followers and fans. If you like them, then I would recommend checking it out. I didn’t personally care for it, but then again that’s because I’m not the biggest fan of that type of music. That’s ten times better than hating an album because it legitimately sucks a big fat one.
