Kid Rock

Detroit-bred rocker/rapper Kid Rock has reason to be "cocky," as 1998's multiplatinum Devil Without a Cause established the multifaceted artist with the Southern rock influences as a generally likable braggart able to back up his boasts musically. Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker backup band also spawned a successful solo career for DJ Uncle Kracker, who wrote songs for--but whose turntables aren't on--Cocky. With a little help from fab friends, including actor David Spade, and musicians Sheryl Crow and Snoop Dogg, Cocky covers a mélange of styles, from rap to country, utilizing organ, pedal steel, and harp as well as metallic guitar solos. Ultimately, though, the 14 songs are schizophrenic and not always successful: on "Lonely Road of Faith," Kid Rock turns in a anthemic ballad nearly worthy of Lynyrd Skynrd, whose "Freebird" he samples in the laid-back R&B-flavored "You Never Met a Motherf ...

2001-11-20 - Lava