Where's the Love?

They Still Don't Love Me (Mobstyle Music)

Bukshot

By Kory Wilcoxson

Although Louisville is on the geographical fringes of the Dirty South, Mobstyle music workhorse Bukshot is hoping to exert some gravitational pull to bring "the Ville" more squarely into the center of the Southern rap scene with They Still Don't Love Me - The Collector's Edition.

This is actually a re-release of Bukshot's 2002 album, with an additional enhanced CD. The extra CD contains four remixes (which are strong improvements on the originals), as well as some computer fodder like a revealing interview and a largely uninteresting video clip.

They Still Don't Love Me is Bukshot's third album, which to his credit is two albums more than most rappers make. Bukshot delivers his rhymes like a pit bull (although a little more finesse at times would give his sound more dimension), slinging the requisite gun-and-violence references over weighty bass beats on tracks like "Lawbreaker" and "Tear the Roof Off." It's no surprise that some of the strongest tracks are collaborative songs like "The Virus," that allow other rappers to balance Bukshot's one-gear intensity.

For all the bravado, the best track is "What's on My Mind," a surprisingly vulnerable peek under Bukshot's gruff exterior. The song features the type of meaty hook that's missing on most of the other tracks. If Bukshot's popularity continues to grow (and more songs like "What's on My Mind" will certainly help), he may finally find the love he's looking for.