With Can You Deal With It?, the seventy-two year old “Father of Rap” has returned with all the filthy sex, cocaine, and greasy rock n’ roll of his half century career. His latest backing band, the New Orleans Hellhounds, help “Mr. Rhythm” expound a healthy dose of raucous rock n’ roll, country and the blending of Detroit and Crescent City soul and R&B. But the wit and flame present on such classics as 1998’s Silky are for the most part absent. Instead of stylish descriptions like “pussy stank, but so does marijuana”, on Can You Deal With Its? title track opener, he transparently utters, “I like the way you care your pussy, it makes me think you'z a hussy”. Chauvinist lines such as the aforementioned only seem to serve the shallow purpose of crudity, whereas in the past Williams spat out comical lyrics that though were still loutish, had a bit of flavor.
Nevertheless, crudeness has always been apart of Williams’ bag, from his teenage days as the filthiest R&B act of the ‘Motor City’ to his senor citizen skuzz rocking on In The Red Records and Bloodshot. In fact Williams vulgar delivery is one of the reasons he’s been appointed the “Father of Rap”, that and his revolutionary talked-out vocals, which were originally adopted on “Bacon Fat” (1956), his third and biggest single for Detroit’s Fortune label. This smooth talking approach was later adopted by the likes of Bootsy Collins, Millie Jackson and the hip hop generation that ensued by the end of the 70’s.
Although there are plenty of recordings that better highlight Williams’ humorous and sharp vocal style, Can You Deal With It? excellently displays his diversity। With the New Orleans Hellhounds Williams is a rock n’ roll chameleon: morphing from Chicago electric blues to C&W and from garage-punk back to the blues with a harder rhythm and a grubby Detroit feel. On all of Williams’ recent releases he reveals that he has enough grime to fill another half-century full of rude and rough rock n’ roll.
Bardos Freedoom
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