From the opening moments of Frozen Tundra's debut disc, "Repin' Midwest," listeners are urged to prepare to war, and a war is what follows, the four members of Frozen Tundra running a relay race like they were going for a gold medal. "Rizzoll Call," the first track on the disc, rides an old school, trumpet and flute-sampling beat, and singer M-Dubbz adds a bit of variety to the joint, singing the hook in a style reminiscent of of 1980s Nate Dogg. Amazingly, the song is over 5 minutes long, yet does not get old, due to each group member adding their own style rather than trying to compromise. A bridge from M-Dubbz breaks up the standard flows as well, giving the track extended shelf life. A drawback, however, is Mr. Pizzy's set of "rhymes." Though they are energetic and delivered with his usual intensity, his lyrics seem erratic, unrehearsed, and slightly too freestyle-like for a professionally produced disc. M-Dubbz himself makes the second track, "Ay Pappi," worth listening to all by himself, floating over the Spanish-influenced track like a 10-year veteran - even managing to throw in some Latin-American references - and seems infinitely more comfortable here than on the other songs. The other verses in the song pale in contrast to M-Dubbz' custom rhymes and hook, however, and puts the other two emceess to shame. The second verse, rife with sexual references, including, an admission that the rapper spitting doesn't "have a huge penis" but will "fill your womb with a fetus" is a little too blunt, and strays from what M-Dubbz seemed to be trying to convey. The rhymes from guest female emcee Alicious are so strained and callous that they seem canned, either written by someone else or done in a few takes with no concern for how fluid they sounded. In the end, Pizzy's sexual innuendo seems to relate directly to Alicious, and inadvertently reduced her to an object of sexual desire in the song, even if this was not his intention. In any event, it takes away from the talent that obviously lies beneath her exterior. Track 4, "No He Didn't," showcases the incredible talents of Tundra member Wordsmith, as he handles the hook and all three verses by his lonesome. Darkness and atmosphere surround the track long before the beat even hits, and by the time Wordsmith's vocals emerge out of the haze you're ready for the lyrical assault, but not for the sheer talent that's about to erupt. The lyrics, flawlessly combining philosophy with hip-hop battle references, ride the dark and brooding beat perfectly, and you'll find yourself anticipating each new verse as the chorus hits, and wishing the entire album was this polished. If nothing else, Wordsmith proves on this track that he is capable of carrying a solo record, without help from his team. "Unique Geniuses" features a piano-laced beat reminiscent of the stuff Tupac Shakur rapped over in his heyday, and the track flows nicely, each emcee blending their style to meet the requirements of the project. M-Dubbz' vocals are almost liquid on the track, and Wordsmith is glorious two minutes in, revitalizing the track with rap-rock rage. Overall, this track is one of the best, and would not sound out of place on a mainstream hip-hop station. "Keep It On a Poppin'" again showcases the seemingly limitless talents of Wordsmith, with Mr. Pizzy in tow. Wordsmith threatens and intimidates the competition as he simultaneously cements his superiority to them. Mr. Pizzy, for his part, is much improved on this track, causing some to wonder why his flow is so devoid of rhymes on other tracks. This track proves he has the creativity and ability to be on the same level as the rest, and he gets the freedom to prove it here. Track 7, "Freedom," features Knowda Fame and M-Dubbz exclusively. M-Dubbz channels a combination of classic hip-hop and soul in the hook, then rolls into the first verse with a percussive style comparable only to currently signed artist Akon. That's not a bad thing. Knowda Fame, for once, seems at home on this track, floating like a cloud over the somber backing track, and the strength of his voice lends a new dimension to it. M-Dubbz is without a doubt the showstopper here, however, claiming a majority of the track as his own, and he assumes this responsibility with great pleasure it seems. His melodic patterns are never quite the same, and he seems at ease sharing the booth with Fame. As the last vocal-based track on the record comes to a close, listeners may be left in awe, appreciating the production and vocal capabilities of the various members of this group. Overall, the record is good, but suffers from the lackluster performances of a few members at times. Mr. Pizzy cannot compete with Wordsmith, often paling in comparison, and sounds as if he needs to do a solo record to perfect his style before jumping into another group record. Knowda Fame does not get the airtime he deserves here, and is often in the shadow of the other members, but shouldn't be. M-Dubbz' vocals are smooth and definitely in tune with his hip-hop roots, but he can be inconsistent at times, and could use some live show experience to fine tune his style as well. These are not necessarily negatives, however, because there is obviously a lot of talent here just waiting to be perfected. Good luck in the future to this group.
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