AMG Review of Smile Now, Die Later

Leo Stanley
All Music Guide

Between his first solo album, Hispanic Causing Panic, and his second record, Smile Now, Die Later, Frost dropped the "Kid" prefix from his name, which is only appropriate -- he matured quite a bit between the two records. Where Hispanic Causing Panic was a party record infused with the occasional self-aware/socially conscious vibe, Smile Now, Die Later is a politically charged album, a warning to all of his fellow Latino ghetto denizens to protect themselves. Since Frost's lyrical outlook has grown, it's only appropriate that his music has become richer -- now it draws from a variety of sources, from hardcore hip-hop and Latin beats, to deep funk and soul ballads. Like any mid-'90s hip-hop album, Smile Now, Die Later runs a bit too long, but if it's boiled down to its essential items, it is one fine listen.