Something Wikid This Way Comes

With hip-hop's inexorable spread into every nook and cranny of the fruited plain, rappers like Midwikid continue to get flushed from small-town obscurity and into the limelight. This duo sounds ready for that type of success, which is the best thing about their debut; their hunger to escape the drab Midwestern landscape of their songs can lend their verses a visceral kick. Just check out the first proper cut, "We Live," which finds M.A.G. (who sounds like a very raw Scarface) and B12 circling a lean, ping-ponging beat like caged lions in need of meat. That tune should have provided the blueprint for the rest of Something Wikid, but instead the pair try on a variety of other styles, from incongrously mellow R&B on "Balled" to squiggly synth funk on "Get It Off in the Club." Most are skillfully produced by the group's associate, X-Rated, yet the diversity robs Midwikid of developing a sound and lingo to truly call their own -- a dirtier Midwestern counterpart to the fun and games of Nelly, perhaps. Coupled with occasional lapses into Gangsta 101 boilerplate, the overall impression is less than it could have been, given the obvious potential displayed. But tighter focus on the best parts of this album could make Midwikid wikid good.