AMG Review of Let It Beat

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

Sticking to his guns, Let It Beat finds brat-hop rapper Shwayze revisiting the stoned-on-Malibu-sunshine feel of his debut, while co-conspirator/producer Cisco Adler adds the influences of the 2009 electro-revolution brought on by acts like Chromeo and 3OH!3. Bright synths and busy drum machines help reinforce the cover art's '80s vision of the future, but the raps remain the same as his first time out, as titles like "Livin' It Up'" and "Dirty Little Girl" give away their stories. A couple numbers with acoustic guitars and a heavy Sublime influence round out the album while guest shots from Snoop Dogg and the Knux help justify any copies that land in the local "rap" section. Skip it and you'll be missing the great summer number "Crazy for You" which is "rocking flip-flops" with a Ric Ocasek production and -- hold onto your hats -- guitar from Darryl Jenifer of the Bad Brains.