"Theme Music: Every Good Hero Should Have Some" by 99
(Read original Review at DC Brand 99)

Black Rock Star Superhero Music Street Tape showcases Head-Roc’s extraordinary ability to reach beyond traditional hip hop audiences, using his gift of lyricism, go-go style voice instrumentation, and love of DC funk to bring forth a project that would do a whole city proud.

This is hip hop for adults, stylish and mature; even through the f-words, you can hear the messages loud and clear, and as it spins for the second time, you feel that the prognosis is good for Black people everywhere. The song “Mayor 4 Life” (Tribute to Marion Barry), an instant classic, is a demonstration of the attitude on this project, of which music lovers will enjoy their fill. Just when you were about to snatch a young’un and tell him to pull his pants up, grown men are showing their entire ass, including where you can kiss it, to an establishment of gentrification, wack rap music, and other forms of disenfranchisement proven ripe for this pimped-out protest of sorts. Sit back and let it play as Head-Roc supplies what can best be described as Black DC’s Theme Music: it is boastful, it has grandiose visions of a city filled with loving Black people, and, true to DC, it does its own thing.

One understudied element that the best hip hop albums share is a sense of humor, and Head-Roc effortlessly delivers the punch line amidst the braggadocio, making it clear that the founding generation of DC hip hop artists is fully enjoying its manhood stage. It’s not “rappity-rap-rap”… it’s good music that will ‘syce’ you, as DC area slang signifies, from a popular son of the city.

DC music geeks: The anthem “Chocolate City Rocks!” is a perfect example of a song that would become a radio hit if DC radio stations played it a lot (like how radio works). The bonus is that the funk rock band GODISHEUS recorded a version of the song that is also worthy of bumpin’ this spring and summer.