Street Cinema
Let's face it: You're buying this for the bonus track "No Pigeons," the craftily clever reply toTLC's "No Scrubs."On "No Pigeons" the Thievz invert TLC's insult, taking disingenuous women to task. In an odd twist, though, the trio prove themselves more than one-hit wonders. Criminally underappreciated on its initial release in 1998,Street Cinemais a highly engaging collection of generally somber tales of the hustler's life. But, rather than glamorize the game and luxuriate in its supposed splendor, the Thievz play the drones. "Hitmen" tells a story of the underworld's least forgiving profession. In "Fedz," the Thievz get caught on a drug rap, while on "Angel," pain and loss supersede glitz.Street Cinemaisn't wholly without humor--"Cheapskate" treads on pigeons before TLC ever got into the studio, while the "Freeks" will make you blush from their sexual impropriety. Though the Thievz tell the freaky tales well, it's their underdog demeanor that invests this album with truth, danger, and just a bit of humanity.--Jon Caramanica