AMG Review of Executive Decisions

Alex Henderson
All Music Guide

In the late '90s, Big Hutch, aka Cold 187um, had two careers in music: he was still a member of Above the Law, and with Executive Decisions, the L.A.-based gangsta rapper delivered his first album as a solo artist. Although not quite as violent as some of ATL's albums, this CD covers much of the same territory lyrically -- after ten years with ATL, Hutch was still rapping about the lives of pimps, players, hustlers, gangsters, and high rollers and reflecting on how rough life in South Central L.A. can be. So Hutch's solo debut isn't groundbreaking, but even so, the MC is clever and entertaining enough to hold your attention. Dark, twisted humor was always one of Hutch's strong points, and there's no shortage of it on Executive Decisions -- much like Martin Scorsese's #Goodfellas or Quentin Tarantino's #Pulp Fiction, this CD is amusing and disturbing at the same time. And musically, Executive Decisions is easy to admire. Hutch, Chill, DJ Silk, and others who help with the producing all take a cue from Dr. Dre and do their part to give this CD a clean, melodic, sleek type of sound.