Mix-a-lot swamps 'em

Seattle. . . The Dark Side (Rhyme Cartel)

Various Artists

By Kory Wilcoxson

Before I talk about the music, I have a beef with this title. This rap is supposed to represent Seattle's "Dark Side"? Does that mean Nirvana and Soundgarden make up Seattle's frisky, happy-go-lucky side? There's not much dark about Seattle's dark side if you're judging by this record. It does show that there's some decent rapping going down in the Emerald City, although that's where most of it is staying.

Let's name the famous rappers to come from Seatown. Well, there's Sir Mix-a-lot and. ... er. ... um. ... did I mention Sir Mix-a- lot? No one else has been able to catch a break, but that doesn't mean they're not doing good stuff.

That's proven here. Most notable is E- Dawg, who hits with two tracks, "Drop Top" and "Little Locs." Jay-Skee also slams with two songs.

On the flipside, there's a couple songs that are strictly lightweight rap and even one straight-up R&B tune. It's about as dark as Thunder over Louisville.

This album is a good microcosm of the Seattle rap scene: the other stuff is good, but Mix-a-lot is the dominator. His "Just the Pimpin' In Me" is as funky and fresh as "Baby Got Back" or anything else from Mack Daddy. By overshadowing his peers, he may be destroying his own mission to put Seattle rap on the map.