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Kidd Russell :: Paradise

Indie

Reviewed by Jason Parham

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Kid Russell isn’t your average white boy. Sure, he’s the “outspoken white token from the burbs,” but his clever wordplay alone would prove otherwise. He straddles a fine line between suburban satirist and street griot—with catchy one-liners (“This is 40 ouncing, this is booty bouncing”) and emotionally meditative tracks like “Dear Shooter,” which pays homage to families who have lost loved ones to gun violence. The success of his debut album, 2006’s United, featuring songs like “After Work Drinks” and “Paradise” allowed him to open for elder statesmen like Common, The Roots, Mickey Avalon, Mr. Lif and GLC, among others. His sophomore effort, slated for 2009—titled The Dash, looks to be even more promising. Kidd Russell says The Dash, symbolic for the space between life and death on a tombstone, is a metaphor for how we choose to live our lives. “What are you going to do with your dash,” Kidd Russell wonders. Well?

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