Thugcore 4 Life
Danny Diablo’s roots are firmly planted in the New York hardcore scene, having fronted Crown of Thornz and Skarhead. He makes mention of his dedication to hardcore numerous times throughout Thugcore 4 Life, but the funny part is that this album is nothing more than a mix of generic, outdated rap metal and straight-up hip hop that leaves you unfulfilled. You know a rapper is in trouble when the best lines on his album are from his guests, and not from him. The album alternates from the rock-ish songs and hip hop songs repeatedly, opening with “We Don’t Care”, complete with nu-metal mediocrity, into “Get Down”, a hip hop song with drums and this warning, “I came to get down, Blast my hammer, That’s my sound”. “Banged Out” has a weak riff, and this Big Bad Wolf and Three Little Pigs-sounding threat, “1, 2, I’m coming for you, 3, 4, Knock down the door”.
And having a song called “Funky Rhyme”? Is this a Will Smith record? And in case the title of “Funky Rhyme” didn’t clue you in to this song’s funkiness, the chorus will remind you kindly with “I got a funky rhyme, a funky funky rhyme, I got a funky rhyme, a funky funky rhyme”. Awesome. The only song where I’ll give credit is “Mechanix” where Danny and his guest rappers Necro, Prince Metropolitan, and Skinhead Rob work in the names of classic hardcore and punk bands into the lyrics (Sample: “Your girl gave me terrible head/ She gives Bad Brains”). Sick of It All and 7 Seconds are also mentioned in the song. It’s genuinely clever.
“The Harsh Truth” is the only song that sounds like it can fit on a hardcore record, but the pounding rhythm gets very repetitive since it’s repeated throughout the entire f’ing song. “Hardcore 4 Life” closes out the album, and without exaggeration, the chorus sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks are singing; “Who the hell do you think you are? Who the fuck do you think I be?” If Alvin and his douche-y sidekicks really said stuff like that in their new movie, I would definitely line up to see it. Because really, what’s more hardcore than that?
