Posted on 08/27/2008
Despite the increasing globalization of hip-hop culture, American audiences have been slow to embrace artists from outside our borders. Romance Ain’t Dead, the latest from Sheffield, England’s Kid Acne is the latest addition to the international hip-hop canon, and while it delivers enough cheeky energy to rock a frat party, if not a block party, it will probably go largely ignored stateside for the same reasons as many of its predecessors.

An impish jokester by nature, Acne wastes little time in distinguishing himself from the monotone MC dominating US airwaves, by simply not taking himself too seriously. “Dr. Zhivago, full of bravado/breath like a wino.../take chicks from petite to wide load,” he rhymes with Beastie-esque gusto on “Eddy Fresh,” the tongue in cheek opener sure to make even the most jaded listener chuckle a few times. “Oh No You Didn’t” is a reckless punk rock excursion that fits Acne’s animated delivery like a crisp pair of Dickies, and has the tempo and aggression to rock mosh-pits from Brixton to Rutgers. Acne slows things down on “2,3 Break It,” spitting socially awkward game to a special lady like a slightly drunken Slick Rick.

While Romance Ain’t Dead provides some undoubtedly original and entertaining moments, it may have a hard time making it off of the novelty shelf. Acne’s monosyllabic rhyme schemes and high octain delivery can be refreshing in small doses, but over the course of the entire record, feel extremely dated. Moreover, unfair as it maybe, the American ear simply is not trained to hear rhymes delivered in a cockney accent, and the affect is jarring, making it hard to completely settle into the record.

The production from Ross Orton and Req One tends to be hit and miss. When they go big, with live drums, whaling guitars and funky horns, the tracks are dynamic and original. However, when they attempt to mimic the minimalism of ‘80s hip-hop, the results tend to sound like cheap derivatives of the source material.

Kid Acne brings enough enthusiasm and humor to the table to keep his UK audience pop locking for many fortnights to come, and even pull a few US hipsters into the fold. Yet, he isn’t likely to spark a British Hip-Hop Invasion just yet.

- Jeff Harvey