By Odeisel

Rap is like ziti, according to Dennis Coles. If that’s truly the case, there are some people in this business who live and breathe it and truly can’t get enough. 2 Hungry Bros., a producer duo from the Lower East Side of Manhattan devour grooves and beats from every genre of music in their search for the perfect ziti. Their latest album, No Room For Dessert, features some great sample driven beat construction and rhymes mainly delivered by rapper 8thW1.

There are no special effects or artificial gravity inducing intros and 8thW1 hops on each track as soon as he hears the word go. “Say My Name Right” opens the album and 8thW1 distinguishes himself from 8^th or 9^th Wonder. The 70’s deep soul rhythm of the bassline cedes way to fine brass horns on the breaks. DJ GETLIVE features on “Poppers,” a construction of old school breaks rife for popping, locking , uprocking and breaking.

The pounding keyboard repetition of “Can’t Win ‘Em All” competes with the strong drum for dominance but ends up pacing the track, setting the table for the soul sample at the end of the measure. P.so and Fresh Daily guest with 8thW1 dropping free form lyrics of mainly punchline structure. “Talkin’” features a deep bassline  that gives 8thW1 his best platform yet as he delivers early 90s flavored rhymes. His verses are sandwiched  by a horn heavy section that spaces the song perfectly.

“Short And Sweet” slows the rhythm down. The concept song casts sugar as the most potent drug, taking hold of its fiends from childhood and gripping them for life through sodas and cereals and it’s omnipresence. Obesity and diabetes plagues America on a much larger scale than crack heads and there is no war on that drug. The posse cut, “No Harm” is a fast paced track with differing rhyme schemes, multi layered samples and some solid verses from Von Pea, Reef The Lost Cauze, 8thW1 and Homeboy Sandman who demolishes the beat.

“Stupidface,” is an 8thW1 solo which rocks the same bassline as Kid N Play’s “Getting Funky” with a short dithering horn sample and a hard kick drum. 2 Hungry Bros reach their apex on the album with “Skywriter” with its light strings and hard drums. Rap group  Brok’n English overpower the beat and owns the track with change of pace flows and delivery that add flavor to 8thW1’s performance. “Everyday” is characterized by a 60’s do-da-do sample vocal sample that gives a Mary Tyler Moore feel appropriate to the song’s theme of common life and being yourself in a world that tries its hardest to take you down.

J.Renee  helps bring disco back with “More Go!” a track designed to burn the dancefloor down without the glowsticks and e pills. 8thW1’s Q-Tipian delivery bounces all over the track with agility and the muddying of the track at the tail end closes it out perfectly. The album closes with the angelic and dynamic “Be On You” which chronicles the cat and mouse game between men and women. The chorus is full of corny one liners that accentuate to lightheartedness of the track. C Rayz Walz, The Sleepwalkas and I Am Many all take turns with their tales. The hidden track, “Best In Show” features 8thW1’s best performance on the record and the best beat aside from “Skywriters.”

With their wide variety of beats, 2 Hungry Bros. prove the breadth of their production skills and the ability to address many different moods within the music. These all-purpose chefs never allow the groove to remain at the same speed, keeping the listener off balance. 8thW1’s delivery is a bit one note, but the infusion of guests livens up the album at just the right points. Consider No Room For Dessert comfort food at your neighborhood restaurant. Ziti indeed.

3.75 out of 5

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