Hip Hop Album Review: Potluck – Straight Outta Humboldt by John ThugLifeArmy.com UK Representative

Hip Hop duo Potluck are back with their third album.

Humboldt County, California is best known for 3 things:
1.) Its world famous marijuana
2.) Its world famous marijuana
3.) The rap duo of 1 Ton and UnderRated who together are known as Potluck

For the last decade Potluck has built a well-deserved reputation as the premiere rap group in Humboldt County and one of the more promising young talents to emerge from Northern California’s legendary and organic independent hip-hop scene.

Combining an ‘average joe’ sensibility along with syrupy west coast hip hop beats, clever samples, and witty rap rhymes – Potluck’s weed inspired song topics include everything from life and love’s tribulations to neck-snapping battle raps.

Back in 1995, 1 Ton, who originally hails from San Diego, and UnderRated, who was born and raised in Humboldt, met at a dj trial.  “We were the two tightest dj’s there, so it was natural we hooked up,” remembers UnderRated about the first encounter.

Despite the fact that they were from different backgrounds—1 Ton is African-American and UnderRated is Jewish—the two formed a musical chemistry as Emcees, Producers, and Dj’s which translated into some of the best club and house parties Humboldt had ever seen.

In 2000, the group released their debut album Humboldt County High. They distributed the record themselves up and down the West Coast through a label they formed, called Lost Koast Productions.

“In Humboldt, we became so popular, we were selling more albums than Britney Spears,” smiles 1-Ton, about the group’s early days. Songs like the weed inspired “Humboldt County High” and the more serious “What’s Your Purpose” catapulted Potluck into the mix of up and coming West Coast rappers.

Potluck went on to release 2 more full length Cd’s: 

1. Potluck “Tha Lost Koast Kollective” (2002) a compilation album featuring Potluck with underground MC’s from Broklyn, NY. to Humboldt County, Ca. 
2. Potluck “Harvest Time” (2005) which features collaborations with Tech N9ne, E-40, The Mystik Journeymen, and Equpito.

Currently Lost Koast Productions and Suburban Noize Records have teamed up to bring you Potluck “Straight Outta Humboldt” which is primed to go down as a marijuana lovers classic.  It has appearances from Kottonmouth Kings, The Luniz (I got 5 on it), Tech N9ne, and a host of others. 

To date Potluck has toured the U.S. and performed with the likes of Too Short, E-40, Atmosphere, Tech N9ne, Lloyd Banks, Living Legends, Bone Thugs, J5, Andre Nickatina, Blackalicous, and Kottonmouth Kings.

Potluck takes the greatest high the earth has ever created “Marijuana” and combines it with their obvious lyrical and production skills, to create ground breaking music which will soon become LEGENDARY.
Listen for yourself… and understand.

Total rating for Straight Outta Humboldt is 8/10

1.)     Rock The World – A good opening to the album; a good mixture of Westcoast beats and Westcoast lyrics.  Showing some good skills along the way. 8/10

2.)     Get High – It’s what the album is all about.  Tales of getting high is what this track is all about.  Some great lyrical wordplay but I wasn’t feeling the beat.  I didn’t feel the beat mixing with the lyrics. 7/10

3.)     Fire – The beat is very similar to the last track.  But once again the lyrical content is up there.  But the same formula to the beat lets the track down. 6/10

4.)     The Magazine Interview (Skit) – I love skits and this is a funny skit and breaks the album up well.

5.)     Mary Jane – The title says it all.  Great beat on this track, great hook and great lyrics.  Really felt this track.  Turn the speakers up and puff along with Mary Jane. 9/10

6.)     Money Makes The World Go ‘Round – Another great track.  I immediately thought of Bone Thugs when I heard the beat.  Bumpin’ lyrics and a shout out to 2Pac.  You couldn’t ask for more.  9/10

7.)     Dank Alumni – Yea you have guessed it; another track about the weed.  But still it makes you want to listen to it and a different kind of beat on this track, which mixes up the album well.  I was really getting’ into the album at this point.  8/10

8.)     My Life – Sounded like a Kanye West track when it began.  But this track is better than any Kanye stuff.  The track shows a different side of Potluck.  A track you bump in the car riding late at night. 8/10

9.)     What Are We – I loved the beat on this track.  The Impala would be bouncing on the hydraulics on this track.  Some great fast rapping on this track which I am not a real fan of, but it works so well and a great hook too. 8/10

10.) U Ain’t That Fine – A track to the certain women out there.  Again some real Westcoast music going on in this track.  7/10

11.) Meeting With The Boss (Skit) – Another good skit and again is a good break in the album.

12.) Roll Big – Not one of the best trackz on the album but definitely worth a listen and as the title suggests, “Roll Big”. 7/10

13.) Doing Alright – Great beat and great scratching.  Another stand out track from the album. 8/10

14.) Welcome to Humboldt – The place where one half of Potluck are from.  A really felt this track; the beat is really cleverly put together and fits the lyrics well.  8/10

15.) Love Me – I loved this track.  One of my favourites from the album.  Straight from the heart.  It’s what hip hop is all about. 9/10

16.) Revolution – Another experimental sounding beat and it works.  Compliments the lyrics and some great lyrical content in there too.  Well worth a second listen. 8/10

17.) Phone Calls (Skit) – Another great skit.  You gotta love ‘em.

18.) Marijuana 101 – You guessed it; another track about the sticky stuff.  But still great Westcoast beat and lyrics to match. 8/10

19.) One Day – Loved this track again.  Sit back and chill with it.  Another stand out track from the Potluck crew. 9/10

20.) Our History – A kick back track again and tales of where Potluck came from.  Not a stand out track, but you will listen to it more than once. 7/10

21.) Funeral – A kool ending to the album.

I have read a couple of reviews about this album and as you know with me I like to take a few weeks to really listen to the album and get to know it. 

I guess it all depends on what you are looking for in a Hip Hop album, this album isn’t going to change the world, it doesn’t have metaphorical story lines that you might find on a Nas album, it doesn’t have single after single that you might find on a Dr. Dre album, but what it does have is good honest Hip Hop.

Potluck are making music for the people, rapping and representing what they have grown up with, and not being fake about it.  Granted this isn’t an album that will do well in the billboard charts, but is that a bad thing.  With the sense and question on everyone’s minds that “Is Hip Hop Dead?” you only need to cop this album to realise that it isn’t. My advice to you is buy the album and see for yourselves.

Please visit the official label of Potluck at: http://www.suburbannoizerecords.com/potluck.php

*The introduction of this review was taken from the above site and our thanks are given to them.

* John can be contacted for feedback This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by email.