Afroman: Jobe Bells : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Afroman's holiday album, Jobe Bells, captures the spirit of Christmas, releases it on bail, re-arrests it on an outstanding warrant and incarcerates it on larceny and possession charges. Known for his Internet crossover hit, "Because I Got High," the rapper carries on the venerable schoolboy tradition of singing rude lyrics to familiar songs. The tone is set from the first lines of the first track, "Lick my balls with lots of saliva" to the tune of "Deck the Hall." Sung over an urban-lite backing beat what follows are variations on Christmas standards such as "Violent Night," "12 Js of Christmas" and "O Chronic Tree." Unfortunately, Afroman and his back-up group, Po Boy and the 2Zigg Zaggs, run out of ideas half-way through the thirty minute album, as there are three instrumental filler tracks and they are flogging a dead or reindeer with two versions of "A Strainj Poem," loosely based on "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Strictly for the family that smokes together.