2XL

There's something about brothers Bennett "Laze" and Justin "Royal" Talmage Armstrong that will frustrate folks out of their teens. Regular Right On! or Word Up! readers who have become familiar with the duo through locker posters and "what's your favorite color?" style interviews probably won't notice, but the teen-targeted 2XL seem like they're on their second album when they're really on their first. Minus the very personal and very believable "Mama of Mine," their debut album, Neighborhood Rapstar, is too concerned with swagger, style, and what's poppin' to be considered approachable, and does little to explain where 2XL are coming from. The reason it's worth complaining about is because this is a charismatic, talented duo, able to convincingly cover all the currently popular urban flavors. Since they aren't bringing their own voices to the game, they live and die by their material. Fortunately, Neighborhood Rapstar has more than its fair share of hooks along with plenty of slick productions, a handful by 2XL themselves and one by superstar producer Scott Storch. "Magic City" is classic thick and dramatic Storch and it would come in first place if it weren't for "The Hustle's Gone," which has such a gloriously bright OutKast-type funk to it that it makes heads immediately bob, hips instantly bump. Plus, slang king E-40 is on this and re-appears on the track "Kitty Kat" which could be passed off as a Ying Yang Twins cut, no problem. Rounding out the highlights is "Kissing Game," an update and interpolation of the irresistible Hi-Five hit "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)." That's a lot of prime material, more than enough to ignore the album's faults, and more than you'd expect from a release where a selling point for the physical CD is a bonus sheet of 2XL stickers. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide