LiKWUiD – Gummy Bears & Champagne [ALBUM REVIEW]

File this under “better late than never,” as I promised a very nice person in LiKWUiD’s camp I would check this album out quite some time ago, and have taken my proverbial sweet-ass time in doing so. I assure her now, however, and all you reading, that it is not for lack of goodness, as Gummy Bears & Champagne should deliver a little something new and enjoyable for ears of many different tastes.

From it’s initial title track opener, Gummy Bears and Champagne, demonstrates that LiKWUiD (a.k.a. LiKWUiD Stylez) lives in a lane a little less traveled, and generally, this is a good thing. Rocking over an uptempo soulful 2HungryBros track, LiKWUiD spits with a flow, if one must make female comparisons, that might be described as a slightly Southern-twanged Rah Digga. LiKWUid does have her own aura however, and occasionally, quite a playful approach, evidenced by the skit at the end of the opener, and further exemplified by the even-more-festive track, “Go L,” a joint I remember watching LiKWUid perform live, and proverbially killing it. It’s a fun track, and my favorite on the CD.

LiKWUiD, a South Carolina transplant, tells a bit of a back story on the vaguely “Lollipop”-influenced “Who’s Down,” speaks on her Carolina roots on the drawling Southern hip hopish and fittingly titled “Carolina,” but brings it back to a sampled soul vibe with a humorous, raunchy twist on “Camel Toe.”

“All I$ Fare” pushes a high-energy, on-some-musical-other-shit button, a valiant attempt at owning a bit-out-in-left-field style, one that ultimately left me a bit unfulfilled, but admiring of the effort, wondering if those more inclined to this type of sound might receive it better than I.

Of the remainder of this project, “Soul Rebel,” a smoothly produced, Caribbean-flavored joint, and the hypnotically good “A Toast,” featuring Coole High, worked well.

So, a solid project, though we thought there were a couple of slight hiccups. In “Snap Shot,” we like what LikWUiD was saying, but thought the track didn’t compliment the message well while the jazzy “My Life” was loose but flighty, but ultimately might have missed it’s mark. Another 2HungryBros production, “Goodness Love —> Eternity” had a spacey/groovy vibe, matching LikWUiD’s more eclectic lyrics and flow, and could be a “grow on you” track while the Southern-flavored tracks might be skipped by those favoring a more typical East Coast sound.

This is a common result of an artist seeking to reach several audiences and cater to many sonic preferences on a single project, sometimes in an attempt at mass appeal, sometimes as a result of an artist trying to determine what their fanbase will favor, and sometimes as a result of an artist not knowing where they are in the general musical landscape. In LiKWUiD’s case, we think it is the former of the three, a purposeful attempt at variety and outside-of-the-box determination. For the most part, it works, though there are extremes here that will be considered downsides by those on the opposite ends of the respective stylistic spectrum.

That being said (written), LiKWUiD has a comfortable flow, a mix of confident spit and occasionally cocky humor, beat selection and song construction that works more than it doesn’t and an energetic stage presence. With those things, we expect LiKWUiD will be popping more champagne to go along with her gummy bears in the future.

For more information, to hear samples from, or to buy Gummy Bears & Champagne, visit www.iamlikwuid.com

LiKWUiD – Go L (What Recession?)
[audio:gol.mp3]