Favorite Vegas hooligan Big B returns for his 8th LP. Starting out as the frontman for 187, he would join OPM after 187's demise and become a household name for infamous California powerhouse Suburban Noize Records just a few years later. His first 3 solo albums High class white trash, White Trash Renegade & More about Hate would become some of my favorite releases the label has ever put out. Last we heard from B was during the pandemic when he dropped his comeback album Welcome to the club and since reuniting with Michael Bradford Members only about 16 months ago, it's only right for one Wellness check.
After the title intro, first song “Time” is a fun boom bang opener for Vegas Hooligan's first full 4-track about life moving as fast as it is, while lead single “Sidecar” featuring G .Love, Peachole & Special Sauce goes reggae-pop embracing life's limitless journey and extends an invitation to like-minded souls to share in the joy and fulfillment. “Loser” goes the pop rap route explaining aesthetically that someone has to lose in order for someone else to win before the stripped back “Further” says he's not sure where he's going and can't be like last time.
“Broke AF” featuring Common Kings tackles pop punk territory by explaining that it's not such a crime to enjoy yourself every now and then leading into the electronic dance/hip hop hybrid “Fuck You” which revolves around a The breakup was with a woman who was not by his side and gave him nothing but broken promises. “Slow Down” featuring Aggrolites & The Debonaires assures that they don't have time for nobody's bullshit, just before rap rocker “F.2.TF (Foot 2 the Floor)” talks about making the best of the cards he's been dealt .
Peachole returns for the upbeat track “Shinjuku Hotel” that offers dedication to his people rather than his peers, while the summery “Drugs & Alcohol” reminds you exactly how he feels about both of those things. “2 Choices” featuring Merkules was a fun, party-starting choice of a second single, explaining that there's no time for excuses, as bullshit will be worthless in the end, while “Fallin'” deals with trap by acknowledging that he said that he will never make it change, but he might have to.
“Sparks” is coming to an end Wellness check mixing hip hop and reggae explaining that everything is going to be alright and he doesn't want to see this person running around tonight stuck to his side and he's trying as hard as possible to fix it, while his latest single “Pretend” featuring Killer Mike embraces rap rock once again telling people to live their lives as much as they can due to the fact that some people really don't know what happens when we're gone. “Simple Song” concludes B's first album in 4 years, bringing him back Welcome to the club having a broken heart with duct tape and a 5th whiskey when it collapses.
Surrounded by instrumental inspiration, Big B is giving the world that knows him as a recording artist that he is doing great and for those who wrote him off, he is here again to say a few things and celebrate where he is now. Not only does it serve as a multi-dimensional narrative about B's current station in life, intentionally creating a multitude of musical styles that dip into the realms of hip-hop, punk, acoustic songwriting, ska & harkens to a distinctive SoCal sound that simultaneously evokes a sense of ease , nostalgia & forward movement.
Rating: 7/10
