Federation "It's Whateva" (Reprise Records) Sounds like: A step above a homemade CD you would regret buying on the street for $6, except with guest appearances by Snoop Dogg and E-40.
The new album from Bay Area rap group Federation couldn't have a more fitting title. "It's Whateva" is a joyless, completely forgettable procession of songs, not one of which is likely to get stuck in your head.
Before the first beat drops, a "Slim Shady LP"-style PSA says this album is all about gettin' hyphy and goin' dumb, i.e. goin' ape-shit. But it's a false premise: The album never reaches a sustainable level of party-hard insanity. "It's Whateva" is loaded with would-be bangers, songs that suggest fun but are tiresome before the first verse is over.
Like Houston's chopped and screwed style, Bay Area Hyphy is meant to be enjoyed along with an esoteric combination of illicit purple substances, and while this must be for gangbusters, it leaves everybody else scratching their heads over what these guys are so excited about.
The one passable crowd motivator is the bouncy "Get Naked You Beezy," but emcees Doonie Baby, Goldie and Stresmatic fail to fully take command of the beat.
"College Girl" is a lazy club snapper in the vein of "The Whisper Song" which, with its refrain, "She's a college girl ... she's nasty," has the potential to become a party staple among the "Girls Gone Wild" set.
The boys in Federation sound best on mandatory R&B-infused tracks "Happy I Met You" and "She Go" when their goofiness becomes kind of endearing. Check out "Happy I Met You," featuring Snoop Dogg, if you're into love songs with phrases like "pussy fiend" in them.
Despite a few moments of inspired silliness, "It's Whateva" is a thin, unsatisfying presentation lacking energy and infectiousness. It also doesn't help that these guys just aren't very good rappers.
-CHRIS NYE
