Streets latest hard to crack

It's always nice to listen to something that isn't like everything else that is out there, which usually happens to be popular. British hip-hop, at least in the states, is one of those things that sounds silly at first, but it's damn addictive, let me tell you. The Streets broke out on the scene in 2002 with Original Pirate Material, and are back with a new album entitled The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living.\nThis album is a direct autobiography of the bloke in charge, musical mastermind behind the Streets, Mike Skinner. It is a tale of sex, drugs, and violence, and Skinner's fame; he writes about his current life, unlike some rappers who write about being hard when they are from the suburbs (cough, cough Kanye West). The UK's a rough place, ever seen "Lock Stock" or "Snatch?" The album opener, "Prangin' Out," is all about paranoia and panic from doing drugs, and reminds you (or introduces you to) why the Streets are great. The tempo is a little slower, but things pick up with tracks like "War Of The Sexes," which you can infer what the subject matter is. And this song also includes the cheesiest line on the entire disc: "And remember not to get hammered either. 'Cause people who get hammered don't get to nail…" Stunning… \nSkinner tries his hand at slow, R & B-esque jams, and falls on his face. "All Out The Window" is a love song, and it's just annoying, I'm sorry. "Never Went To Church" is Skinner lamenting over his dead father and about him finding God. While very personal and heartwarming, it didn't do anything for me. \nWhere Skinner shines though is when he's being clever, damn clever indeed. "Can't Con An Honest Jon" is reminiscent of his track "The Irony Of It All" on Original Pirate Material (where he played two men: a drunkard and a weed enthusiast, who battle it out, defending their respective addiction). It describes in detail how to pull off a con, in a story-telling sort of way: quite possibly the best song on this album. And it's catchy.\nCompared to the latter two albums, this outing is the weakest one, but it's not necessarily a load of Von Trappe (that's crap in cockney if you didn't catch it). The beats are kind of weak, and Skinner is a little more conceited then in his previous efforts, where he talks about the common man and everyday life.\nBottom line: The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living is an enjoyable outing, and even if it's a little weak in places, it's better than anything you'll hear on MTV (even if you hear this on MTV). My advice would be to check out Original Pirate Material first (or even Skinner's second album, A Grand Don't Come For Free, which is a concept album about Skinner's travels through everyday life in search of love). But if you're into hip-hop, or just like obscure music, pick this up, oi.