Search - Ugly Duckling :: Journey To Anywhere (Bonus CD)

Light-hearted fun the old school hip-hop way

sooblime | California | 09/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As the cover of their EP implies, Ugly Duckling really is a cartoonish hip-hop group. In much the same way as the Pharcyde before them, these guys serve up funny, upbeat, not-so-heavy material in such a straightforward and unapologetic way that it quickly endears itself to you. As a forewarning, not everyone is going to like these guys - they're far from being "hard-core" and I don't even think there's a cuss word present on the whole LP. As annoyingly goodie-goodie as that sounds, it really works for Ugly Duckling, as they weave their own dorkiness into bouncy hip-hop tales as earnest as they are quirky. The first bit of excellence on this CD is the production. Brought to you courtesy of DJ and group member Einstein, the music is refreshingly simple and head-nodding in much the same way as Jurassic 5 and all the old-school groups they emulate. Most of the tracks possess an almost dream-like quality with bubbling synths and laid-back beats, highlights being "Journey to Anywhere", "If You Wanna Know", and "Down the Road", to name a few. The horn stabs and Latin beat of "Samba" provide a nice change of pace, though it's about as far as Ugly Duckling strays from its proven formula. Lyrically, these guys are really unique in an off-beat sort of way that will probably intrigue as many people as it will rub the wrong way because of its quirkiness (I know I've already used that word, but it really does fit the description here). You won't find any tales of drug-dealing or thug posturing here, as Andycat and Dizzy Dustin are more interesting in jokingly poking fun at that side of the rap image. For instance, in the aforementioned "Samba", the two MCs trade increasingly unbelievable stories about how nice they are, only to have the other respond, "Well if that's true then why ya livin with ya mama?" The song "Friday Night" also flips around the standard rap story of violent encounters by making the MCs out to be the scared victims rather than the aggressors. Here, they wonder how best to escape the grips of a bigger man by asking, "Should I give him a knuckle sandwich or play possum and stop breathing?" The title track takes their cartoonish image to the max as they name-check everything from Freckle Juice to the Mystery Machine to Sesame Street on a song about their own personal dream-lands. Don't let the childishness fool you, though - they may not be the best MCs in all the land, but they more than hold their own. More than a couple times I found myself going "wow" in much the same way as I do with more traditionally talented rappers. Still, the biggest asset of their lyrics is their ability to make you smile and think, "I never thought I'd hear THAT in a rap song." Overall this is an excellent album. I had never heard of Ugly Duckling until a friend gave me a copy of this LP and it was one of those gifts that makes you really value your friends, if you know what I mean. Please, give these guys a chance and hopefully, with an open mind, you can be as impressed with them as I was."

Classic

D. Shapiro | Los Angeles, California United States | 04/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ugly Duckling's Journey to Anywhere is a classic, overflowing with energy, fun, and entertainment. Any fan of happy hip hop (Pharcyde, Del, UMCs) will enjoy this. They don't claim to be hardcore or gangsters, so don't expect any of that. Just expect a great album that's awesome to listen to over and over and over again."