Smoke Sessions Vol. 1

iTunes Review

Forever true to his Houston Roots, the whimsical Devin The Dude has followed the underground success of his recent Waiting to Inhale by giving some much deserved exposure to his posse with the collaborative, mixtape-like The Smoke Sessions Volume One. As the title implies, The Smoke Sessions is a relaxed affair that sounds as though it was cobbled together during rainy afternoons and congenial Sunday evening smoke sessions. The members of Devin’s posse, the Coughee Brothers, contribute to most of the tracks here, and though MCs Blind Rob Quest and Jugg Mugg may not be as well known as Devin, they’ve been rapping with him since the Odd Squad’s superlative 1994 debut Fadanuf Fa Everybody and are every bit as engaging and talented as their mentor. Though The Smoke Sessions can come off as scattershot, it’s lazy day charms, inside jokes and syrupy, southern fried soundscapes more than make up for any shortcomings.