Snak the Ripper

In the forward to the "Greatest 500 Albums of All Time" issue of Rolling Stone magazine, Elton John writes something along the lines of, "No great album has ever spanned more than 16 songs." Snak the Ripper's White Dynamite is 16 tracks long, falling firmly on the great side. The album is a compelling, honest and poignant reaction to everything that the digital record industry represents: haters, poverty, vice and low self-esteem. On "You Don't Know Me," featuring a melancholic guitar and keyboard medley, Snak laments the fact that he's embarked upon a career path that few of his friends will ever understand. Perhaps they didn't understand him in the first place? "Bombay Dreams" follows and is a relatively commonplace "look how far I've come" track that assumes transcendent appeal thanks to Snak's aggressively dogged flow. Before White Dynamite comes to a close (on "Famous And Broke"), Snak makes sure to remind us of the prevailing contradiction in life: that you can work your ass off, make a brutal, honest piece of art and still not get paid, all over triumphant horns and cowbells. Elton forgot to mention those bells.