With their first two singles bearing the titles “Buzzin” and “Corona and Lime,” it comes as no surprise that the Southern California hip-hop group Shwayze’s debut album, in its totality, represents the duo’s unparalleled infatuation with the party lifestyle.
The group is comprised of long-haired, borderline hippie Cisco, who provides the catchy, laid back chorus, and Shwayze, the enchanted, young Malibu rapper who spices up the tracks with his verses and rhymes.
Shwayze gave the billboard charts a one-two punch, first with their beach-side summer smash, “Buzzin,” followed by the equally catchy “Corona and Lime.”
Meanwhile, MTV gave Shwayze their very own reality show, aptly titled “Buzzin,” which takes a peak at the stressful yet exciting lives of the group, its manager, and its record label boss. It documents the process of producing the record, partying at hotels, and going on radio tours to promote the album.
This reality show allowed viewers to understand the concept behind the record and the thrill of being an up-and-coming artist. But the show also confirmed that the boys of Shwayze still like to party night after night. These parties are undoubtedly their biggest source of inspiration and become the essential problem with their music.
Their songs lack emotional depth and simply recount all of their latest and greatest crazy nights in Los Angeles.
Instrumentally, the only weapons in Shwayze’s arsenal are a shaker, a drum machine, and an acoustic guitar. As loose as their vibe sounds, they stick to a strict formula, beginning every song with a feel-good chorus, filled with references to women, followed by a verse or two from Shwayze, who expands on the theme of party life in Malibu.
But in their defense, the calm and cool of their tracks is undeniably refreshing, and strictly in a rap sense, Shwayze has his share of clever rhymes. But from a strictly rock and roll sense, Cisco’s choruses all sound the same and lack ambition.
Although the fusion of their rap and lite acoustic rock sounds good on paper, it’s rapper Shwayze who captures the mood of the songs, while Cisco simply fills in the gaps with a soft chorus.
My suggestion: Buy a couple of the songs for a summer party, but don’t waste your time sitting through the entire thing.
