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Detroit City's Bad Mamajama

"I'm the illest fool/ Cooler than the water in a swimming pool"

Bob Ritchie -- mean anything to you? Probably not. But this man, Kid Rock to you, is one rich dichotomy.

He irks you. Maybe you even despise him. But this one thing remains -- Kid Rock's talented. At what, you ask? Well, he knows how to get attention. Swearing, bragging about drinking beer out of the can, dating plasticmobile and scruffy rockstar hanger-on Pam Anderson, and claiming that he's just an ol' boy from De-troit, doing his thang. Oh boy. He has gone into the realm of music fusion that has record execs tearing out their hair: What is it, hip-hop, country, pop? Does it matter? To some, but to music lovers and to a gossip-ridden culture, the Kid could be singing/rapping the Yellow Pages and it wouldn't matter.

Say what you want about the guy behind the music, but there is a definite feeling that Kid Rock is just a lot of posturing to sell a lot of records. As for the 'tude, you either have to ignore it or accept it, otherwise, you'll miss out on the Kid experience. And it's not as bad as you may think. As long as you can get past the MTV-filtered image of the bad boy. That's going to be tough. Especially when he looks like a white trash pimp. And says he's a pimp. Sigh. Just listen and see.

The album begins with "Whose in the house" being morosely droned over slow, military kick drums. Then the country/rock guitars kick in. Here comes the ol' boy. It sounds like Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Aerosmith. Then it's a Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker showdown. This is "Trucker Anthem". This is rock meets major attitude. Watch out.

The first single of the album, "Forever" is the Kid rockin' and rappin' a blue streak.

"I make southern rock and I mix it with a hip-hop".

The unusual mix of country twang coming off the guitars right next to a must-be-lifted rock riff is intriguing and if you just forget about the trash coming outta this boy's mouth, you might find yourself smiling and enjoying yourself. Maybe even stomping a foot to the beat.

The slower and tres country "Lay It On Me" is good, but it sounds like Aerosmith doing Run DMC's "Walk This Way" with a southern twist. This is what the Kid's detractors will cling to. His very Steven Tyler-esque way of rrrear-ing. Especially on "What I Learned Out on the Road". However, when he just sings without all the additional "Whaaaa"'s, heas a good enough voice. Really.

The slow, sweet beginning to "I'm Wrong But You Ain't Right" quickly turns into a Metallica-like rage-fest. He couldn't pull off a whole album of this, but he and his crew make this one work. The lyrics here are especially good. Kid Rock talks about the problems of today and while he ain't no saint, he's not the cause.

All of The Kid's slow country songs sound like someone else's. "Lonely Road of Faith" is no exception. However, with its finger snapping and Bad Company feel, it too is a good ol' song. And his own backing vocals are surprisingly gripping. His "I walk through the valley of darkness" digression is annoying, but then comes the boy rappin' and all is good again. If you like Run DMC and the Beasties, you'll feel right at home with this kid.

Talking about President Clinton, wasabi, and his life in Michigan, "You Never Met a Motherf**ker Quite Like This" has excellent guitar. Who cares whether you like the lyrics. This is the one thing that brings Kid Rock his fervent followers -- his ability to bring the country back into rock. Not what Shania Twain and Faith Hill have done. He does it ol' style and for that, he deserves praise. Now his lyrics are a whole other thing, but we'll get to that.

Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow? "Picture" features the two singing a sad, slow country song. However, instead of being quaint and heartwrenching, it's embarassing. Sheryl's singing is fine. The Kid's too. It just feels like they're trying too hard to be the next Kris Kristofferson and Dolly Parton of the Millennium. Ew.

The lovesick blues -- mmm. They can feel so good. "Baby Come Home" is so twangy, you'll come away with an accent. This boy can do more than rap.

More of the same brings in "Drink in the Morning". Song 13 -- it's already been a whole album of drinkin', pimpin', and scorin'. For his next album, he definitely needs a new theme.

The most offensive track is the last one, "WCSR". And it is the most fowl thing I've ever heard. It is bluer than blue. And Snoop Dogg adds his own diatribe about "black hos". Oh Lord. This is what gets him his bad name. And for this song he deserves all the criticism he's received. It's so offensive, you just won't believe.

The title track, "Cocky" is the reason that the Kid is liked by mainstream folk like you and I. He is bad here, but not soo bad that you can't handle it. And his rap-style in this song shows him at his best. There's a lot of 'tude comin' off this one, but it's all in fun here -- you will only smile and mouth the words.