Nappy Roots: Wooden Leather : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

On their debut, 2002's "Watermelon, Chicken and Gritz," Kentucky's Nappy Roots practically carved out a new hip-hop niche: the humble South. Arrested Development might have gotten there first, but Nappy Roots upped the jubilation and cut out the heavy-handedness, creating what felt like an organic classic. Their follow-up, Wooden Leather, applies a coat of polish and smooths out the rough edges of their sound. Their music is both lush and quirky; songs such as "Lac Dogs and Hogs" and "Roll Again" match robust synths with crisp drums. The group is most potent when it finds nobility in everyday people, notably on "Leave This Morning," featuring Raphael Saadiq, and "Sick and Tired," with its clock-punching dads and stressed-out moms. Nappy capture the paradoxes of poverty with sharply observed lyrics: "How the fuck I'm supposed to save for my unplanned baby?" The best questions never have neat answers.

JON CARAMANICA
(RS 930, September 4, 2003)