:: Caustic Wreckords
There haven't been that many female duos that have left a mark on rap music. Apart from the all eclipsing Salt-n-Pepa, the only other somewhat notable acts you would have to mention when talking about female duos are Boss, The Conscious Daughters, Infamous Syndicate and Finesse & Synquis. The Atlanta-based Caustic Dames would surely like to add their name to that list, but still have a long way to go to reach the notoriety of the aforementioned. Yes, even after having won the 2003 'Atlanta Undergrammy's'...
Their "Estrogen" EP, a precursor to their soon-to-be-dropping "Estrogen Glitta" full-length, presents six cuts of solid but dated wordplay and production. Consisting of Baby Spliph, originally hailing from Houston, and the Bronx-bred Puss n' Boots, the Caustic Dames are in dire need of substantial subject matter and songwriting expertise. Trying to figure out what "Conspiracy" is about, you might come to the conclusion this could be a song about women in hip-hop, but you'll still be left wondering who exactly conspires on what. Even worse, the only explanation that is offered for "Tony Soprano" is "It's Tony Soprano, nigga, like the show on TV." And...? Must have been the first thing to come to their minds when they tried to find a title for their verbal gunplay.
Clearly, the Caustic Dames' strength lies in just straight mic-wrecking. Some of their best lines evoke comparisons to the Lady of Rage ("ballsy as fuck with more gall than your bladder"), others cleverly provide battle posturing with a female touch: "You on some dry-clean only, I'm wash- and wearable / (...) / I damage the amateur or the so-called professional / Nuts like testicles / flows I spit like infants spit out the vegetables / Niggas respectin' those, chickens be checkin' those." On tracks like "Burnin' Hot" and "Werdplay" the Caustic Dames display interaction, references, and a knack for wordplay your average TV rapper lacks:
"Blazin' hot, burn your spot like Salem's lot
Bust these shots on your block, lyrical guns I got
Unorthodox, hip-hop, Glocks and drop-tops
We smoke cess crops while flippin' fingers at the cops
(They eavesdrop) and tempt to plot my movement
(They got more gadgets than that herb from _Home Improvement_)
but it's useless, I remain rugged, raw, ruff and ruthless
mentally cutted like Confucius"
Obviously, the Caustic Dames aren't your typical Southern outfit, as the Dirty is most present in the frequent guest appearances by fellow female rapper Bigg Kee-Kee. Unfortunately, the alternative they have to offer relies too much on an albeit different, yet ultimately dated formula. While the Caustic Dames should be respected for not going the Khia/Trina route and succumb to the sex-sells rule, it's also evident that their act hasn't quite left the '90s yet. They also have our sympathy for having to deal with the loss of their producer (and Puss n' Boots' husband) Trubble Phunk, who died in a car accident in 2002, but it's clear that his beats add to the home recording appeal of "Estrogen", rather than professionalizing it. That's not to say that there's nothing interesting to be found here, its melodic bassline makes "Caustic Thang (Ain't No)" surprisingly enjoyable, but too often the lacking production savvy results in clubfooted grooves. Maybe Puss n' Boots should work even closer with her mother, jazz singer Joan Cartwright, with whom she already teamed up for a project called 'Jazz Meets Hip-Hop'. If only to mix some creative juices up in that estrogen. Because at this point, the Caustic Dames are far from a burning sensation.
Music Vibes: 4 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 4.5 of 10
Originally posted: August 17, 2004
source: www.RapReviews.com