DICE & K9/MOBBSTARR : THA' JOURNEY (V3 Records)

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With hip-hop on a roll worldwide, it only seemed a matter of time before the Philippines had a sort of hip-hop reinvention. However, nobody at the time thought that it would come from Cebu courtesy of Dice & K9, but from one of the established hip-hop institutions in the capital.

While Cebuano rock acts continue to surge in popularity, Dice & K9/Mobbstarr (now in a period of transition between the old name and the collective Mobbstarr as K9 has now departed the group) is still the only hip-hop act from Cebu recognized nationwide. However, due to the intense popularity of their breakthrough hit single Itsumo from the album Mobbstarr, they're now part of the Filipino hip-hop elite, joining the ranks of Francis Magalona and Gloc-9 amongst others. However, this hasn't erased the idea from critic's minds that the group is merely a flash in the pan. After all, there have been many artists locally and worldwide, who have proved to be one-hit wonders.

On the Cebuano trio's latest album Tha' Journey, Dice, Hi-C and Trapp aim to dispell these fears once and for all by offering haters and critics a 67-minute album of 16 songs, with the intention of leaving these people gaping in amazement.

The album certainly starts off strongly, what with the lyrical gymnastics of Mike Swift and SVC on Neva Letting Go and the crunktastic first single 6 In Da Mornin', which is nothing like what Dice, Hi-C and Trapp have ever done before. While 6 In Da Mornin' doesn't have the same catchy chorus as Itsumo, the sheer energy provided by Dice's beats carries the whole song through to the end in the same way that Lil' Jon's random yet rebellious chants do on his best songs. It also helps that the song is one of Dice's best productions and most definitely his hardest hitting song, what with it's dirty and industrial groove that is reminiscent of The Prodigy.

However, things start to go downhill soon after this, apart from It's You, which is saved by K9's trademark synth-heavy and piano-laden beats and Hi-C's seductive crooning . Apart from that song, the album's downward trend continues until it reaches the trough that is Watchin' Me and DJ MOD's Borderline (which is a dull and unimaginative remake of Madonna's song of the same title). While these songs get rather tiring and just make you want to gnash your teeth in frustration, K9 appears once again like a knight of shining armour, saving the day with the Gloc-9 collaboration Can U Feel Me?. Like 6 In Da Mornin', it is one of the album's highlights, although the rather basic lyrics somewhat dim the song's propulsive beat, which has a hypnotic effect on your hips. While it can be ridiculed for its lyrics, Can U Feel Me?'s verses actually gel quite well with the song's heavy synths and Timbaland-esque stuttering percussion to create the sort of infectious club track that you'd expect from the likes of Scott Storch or The Neptunes.

Even if Can U Feel Me? is K9's strongest track beat-wise, he still has a trick up his sleeve in the album ender Tha' Beat featuring 6000 Goonz, which continues the futurisque stylings of songs like Come On and Stop. Look. Listen, though this time with sparse and mechanical beats influenced by the Neptunes and their minimalist approach on Snoop Dogg's Drop It Like It's Hot. Like Can U Feel Me?, it's a potential single, but with a stronger foundation in the lyrical department, even if Dice attempts to wreck the whole song by recycling his verses from previous songs on the album.

It's not only the the K9 produced songs at the tail end of the album, which make you once again enjoy the sonic brew that Tha' Journey is, as the closing tracks by Slick n' Sly Kane (Gangsta Flick) and Squid 9 (Shootin' Star) are also slick productions with strong and fiery contributions, especially from the gifted Mista Blaze, as well as from Slick n' Sly Kane and Menace on Gangsta Flick, and Syke, Loonie and Squid-9, who contributes a soulful chorus on Shootin' Star. These songs almost give you the feeling that Tha' Journey isn't over yet and is just only beginning for Dice & K9/Mobbstarr. This sentiment is emphasized in Dice's cover of Tracy Chapman's Fast Cars on Fast Life, which has the chorus wherein he sings that they don't know where they are going, but that it is time for the group and it's frontman's 6000 Goonz turn to shine.

Asking where one is going is a common question that everyone asks themselves, but like everyone else, we and Dice & K9/Mobbstarr don't know where they are heading. This might explain why there is a slightly confusing message being sent out by the album, because on one hand it has a has a host of futuristic productions which don't really work most of the time, and on the other hand, we have the group still dwelling on past themes and the stereotypical gangster posturing.

It might not be consistent throughout the course of 16 tracks and have too much filler, but Dice & K9/Mobbstarr's Tha Journey should be applauded for trying to be inventive in a genre which doesn't favour much in the way of change. Admittedly, Tha' Journey's themes don't stray far from the hip-hop stereotype, but at least you can hand it to Dice, his guest producers and emcees for trying to push the Filipino hip-hop envelope that little bit further towards a unique style that is capable of matching the best from around the world. And with that said, count me in as a passenger on the Cebuano group's journey to greatness that started way back in the Anthill Mobb 10 years ago.

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The Lolly Rating: 2.75/5

Verdict: Not as tight as Mobbstarr or it's indie predecessor Mobbmusic; perhaps due to number of guest producers and emcees on the record, which confuses the group as to what and who they want to be. However, it has a number of strong moments and in general, it is a hip-hop album that tries to showcase the skills and talents of the group, but also one that wants to be innovative and a watershed for other hip-hop albums to come.

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Track Listing:

1) Neva Lettin' Go (Ft. SVC & Mike Swift)

2) 6 In Da Mornin'

3) Down For You (Ft. Nathan J & J.O.L.O)

4) Slowly

5) Come On

6) It's You

7) Fast Life

8) Once Upon A Rhyme

9) Watchin' Me

10) Borderline

11) Oh No!

12) Stop. Look. Listen

13) Can U Feel Me? (Ft. Gloc-9)

14) Gangsta Flick (Ft. Slick n' Sly Kane, Menace & Mista Blaze)

15) Shootin' Star (Ft. Syke, Loonie & Squid 9)

16) Tha' Beat (Ft. 6000 Goonz)