(Music) The Streets: "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living"

I was not a fan of The Streets. There's a good reason for everything, and I believe the reason for this is because I never really gave it a good listen. That all changed with "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living" because, quite simply, I can't stop listening! In my ADD-ridden life, it's tough for hip-hop to have any sort of lasting effect on me. Usually hip-hop albums get quite old, quite fast, at least for me. But I have been listening to this album for several weeks now and I plan to continue this for some time. Being a newcomer to The Streets, I am thoroughly amazed by how solid, clever, and brilliant this album is!

Solid: Song for song, this is a truly amazing album. It begins strongly with "Pranging Out," arguably the most accessible song on the album for casual listeners. This is how I was hooked in. The production values are top-notch and the lyrics are flawless. Honestly, my description for the opening track is really not all that different from the rest of the album. Each song, with the exception of 'Fake Street Hat' (maybe), is grade A quality. Forget about calling this a great hip-hop album. This is just a great album. Pure and simple.

Clever: Oh where do I begin on this? It starts pretty early with "War of the Sexes," a song about the differences between men and women and the difficulties for men in picking up women. He especially pays close attention to how womens' intellect is "higher," saying, "She's calculating all of the mad facts and figures/while you're pretending to listen, staring at her t**ts." See what I mean? Clever. In fact, the album can really be seen as an assortment of funny-because-it's-true lines. Take, for example, the line "If you never tell a lie to her, you don't have to remember anything!" Gosh! How true, how clever. In the song "Two Nations," the differences between England and the United States are compared in a serious, yet quasi-funny manner ("I'm proud we gave you people like John Lennon....even though you shot him as well"). Make no mistake about it, this album does not suffer in the lyrics department. It excels.

Brilliant: "Can't Con an Honest Jon" is a song about pulling off a con. To be more precise, it is a song describing, in detail, how to pull off a con. Again, it's clever, but it really is just an awesome idea for a song. What's more brilliant about this album, however, is just the sheer awesomeness that is exhibits. Despite its humorous moments and pervasive non-consequential moments, "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living" still has its moments of sorrow and regret. "Never Went to Church" is a song about the memory of Mike Skinner's father and his search for God. It's wihout question, the most touching song on the album. In all it's honesty, it still remains a good quality song and you'll find yourself singing along with the chorus in no time. Amazing....brilliant....

To Americans, the idea of someone with a British accent rapping is really just a ludicrous idea. It's unfortunate, because American's could really be exposed to some of the greatest hip-hop available. Dizzee Rascal, The Streets, and others could really put Mike Jones and Paul Wall to shame. I guess that's what Mike means when he says "That's why I've sold 3 million albums and you've never heard of me." It's a shame, but for those of us who have heard...well we can brag about it.

Recommended to fans of Dizzee Rascal and The Streets and anyone who is tired of hearing songs about grills, rims, b**ches, hoes, being in the club, getting crunk, or anything else that makes you feel dumb for listening to it.

Key Tracks:
1. "Pranging Out"
2. "War of the Sexes"
3. "All Goes Out the Window"
4. "When You Wasn't Famous'
5. "Never Went To Church"

4 out of 5 Stars.