11:11

Forecast For Today: Sun Storms:
11:11 comes off as the Kurt Vonnegut of hiphop music. If Kurt Vonnegut were outside right now, sitting on some porch steps with his acquaintance Kilgor Trout and a boombox, 11:11 by Mac Lethal would be playing obstreperously. (I mean loudly.) Get the album, get some alcohol, get drunk, call ex-girlfriends, hate people, love people, and love them some more because you are not them. I rate this album 11 out of 5 stars. place holder is where your mom is. calm down baby.

Disappointing:
Mac Lethal sounds like a weak Slug clone for junior high kids on this album. I tried listening to this album a few times trying to like it but I couldn't get into it. I saw Mac Lethal on a Scribble Jam video and while he didn't have great freestyles he did have decent flows. He got clowned by a 15 year old kid. Most of his rhymes sounded written so I figured he could probably put out a decent album. Maybe if the beats were better. There are just too many other albums that are better this year to bother with this. Sounds harsh but if you think this album is great hip-hop only gets better so there's the upside.

Ha:
Mac Lethal does NOT sound like Slug. I have been to countless shows by him. He is so misunderstood. This record is for people who aren't afraid of letting go and relaxing. The lyrics are nothing but sharp wit and hilarious observations. The beats blow your trunk apart with sinister drums, cinematic sample layers, and gorgeous choruses. In my top 10 of 2007.

Just because it's underground doesn't mean it's a classic:
I'm sure that when some people look at Mac Lethal, they'll just write him off as another Eminem imitator simply because of the color of his skin. I don't think that's what he's trying to be, but the thing is, by listening to his album 11:11, he really DOES come off as a poor man's Eminem. The thing about that is, Mac sounds more like Em did during the Slim Shady LP days; you know, back when he was more of a "silly" rapper. And that in itself has an acquired taste, especially since Mac's tales are so bizarre that it's hard to tell if the songs are parodies or serious stuff, especially evidenced by "Calm Down Baby". "Crazy" is just that while "Make Out Bandit" sounds like a twelve-year-old wrote it. And the ridiculous "Pound That Beer" features the announcement, "This is one of those ignorant anthems." Can't argue with THAT. When Mac tries to change the subject, it isn't much better, as shown by "Die Slow". "Know It All" is a storyteller that really doesn't go anywhere; and although I realize religion is a touchy subject, "Jihad" proves that trying to humorize atheism doesn't work. In fact, it seems that Mac isn't even sure if rap is really what he wants to do (I mean, come on; Northern State has more character than this). Maybe he should get his mind right and then try for another album. Anthony Rupert

It is what it is, like it or hate it.:
The first time I heard this cd, I was sampling songs while DJing for a radio station. As soon as I head the 2nd song, I decided I was going to play it next. I let the second song play through because I liked the first so much. The next day, I went to my local record shop and bought this cd! His older cds are more depressing talking about heroin addiction and so on, but still good. This one is upbeat, in your face, and proud about the fact that it doesn't go anywhere. That being said, he still has some things to say about politics, life and love. Especially if you are a college student I would think you will like this cd. It is definatly not commercial, so I don't see the relation to Eminem. It is also fresh for an underground hip hop cd, because it seems to be more comedic then most. Highly suggested. 4 stars because maybe 2 or 3 of the songs seem like filler.