AMG Review of Shock of the Hour

Ron Wynn
All Music Guide

M.C. Ren's debut LP is uneven, but at least presents a lyrical vision when it's not spewing out familiar, tired, sexist cliches about women. Ren highlights American hyprocisy with a vengeance, and the title track foresees the nation's fiery end in an apocalyptic fury enabling black people to finally achieve justice. Both this tune and "Attack On Babylon" come closest to presenting a coherent, effective philosophy. Another provocative track is "Same Old S," a song that strips away any pretense of glamour around the gangsta lifestyle and outlines the brutality, paranoia and violence at its core. These tracks display M.C. Ren's potential as a hip-hop theorist; the others just fill out the CD.