Reading Time: 5 min read

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Lonely Island, The Wack Album © RepublicComic rap trio The Lonely Island both allure and offend on their third studio album, ‘The Wack Album.’  Andy Samberg and company are both unapologetically stupid and incredibly hilarious.

‘Being on a boat’ is kinda cool, but it gains more appeal when some comical, parodied rap-swagger is thrown in (“I’m on a boat, motherfucker!”).  Youth everywhere were captivated by proclamatory statement, not to mention countless others regarding Incredibad, the debut album from   comedy-rap trio, The Lonely Island.  The trio continuec their infectious, hilarious stupidity on their 2011 sophomore album, Turtleneck & Chain,  where they “just had sex, and it felt so good.” 2013 effort, The Wack Album, continues in the dualilty of being alluring and utterly offensive.  It is unapologetically stupid, yet funny.


“Go Kindergarten”

“Go stupid, go moron

We goin’ kindergarten.”

“After an experience like this, God only knows what they will create…” is the final line uttered in “Dramatic Intro.”  The sentiment is not far-fetched, as the intro foreshadows ‘quite an experience.’  On “Go Kindergarten,” The Lonely Island “go stupid, get stupid, because we said do it…”, seemingly parodying Big Sean.  That said, the particular line is the least brash lyric.  Beyond the aforementioned, the troupe encourage “ladies shake that ass, work it, twerk it, drop it fast,” “Fellas, whip your dick out,” and “Have a motherfucking baby on the floor / Raise it in the club / Homeschool it by the door.” Robyn handles the hooks, most notably throwing in the obligatory line about mollies.

Hugs” proceeds, featuring Pharrell Williams handling vocals hooks, playing right into the hands of The Lonely Island.

“And if you wanna settle down, you know you got us all wrong

So we move on to the next one, no disrespect, hon

But you can’t hug a rolling stone.”

Pharrell doesn’t usurp the trio as they deliver their own ridiculousness:

“Cause I get more hugs than a batch of puppy pugs

Sitting on a fluffy rug, getting tickled, touched, and rubbed.”

Throw in some truly great production work (Tommy Hittz), and “Hugs” is something.


“Diaper Money”

“I got that diaper money

I got that wife pussy

I got that grave plot

I’m a grown a$$ man!”

“Diaper Money” is absurd, crude, and inappropriate – at least it makes you chuckle.  From aggressive intro (“Lonely Island / We been here for a minute now / This is some grown man shit”), “Diaper Money” is on autopilot – sort of.

“Wobble-dee-wobble-dee-drop

Into my grave plot

You afraid of death

Well I’m afraid not.”

The Lonley Island raps crucially, as if life depended on it.


“YOLO”

Drake becomes the object of scrutinization on popular single “YOLO,” which Andy Samberg portrays as “the battle cry of a generation.” It features a vocal hook from a soulful Adam Levine, as well as an expected brainy verse from Kendrick Lamar.  The first line of the first verse, sets up the entire track:

“Ugh, you only live once

That’s the motto

So take a chill pill

Ease off the throttle.”

Samberg literally “Spells It Out,” a testament or a knock on the maturity of TLI’s humor.  He does it classily at least, over funky old-school hip-hop production.

“…And I’m the motherfucking monster: cookie.”

On “Semicolon,” the boys confuse punctuation marks, a revelation revealed at the end of the cut if one missed it during the song itself.

“Your dick is little like Wayne: Gretsky

but Gretsky’s got a big dick: clarification.”

Solange capably collaborates, summing it up:

“When it comes to punctuation

You know we’re number one

And to the people of every nation

Feel the power of the semicolon.”

You’ve Got the Look” could be called shameful, enlisting the help of Hugh Jackman and later Kristen Wiig.  If the original hook was bad enough (“Girl, you got the look…you’re rolling up to the party with one titty out…”), Kristen Wiig takes it a lower level (“Boy, you got the look rolling up in the party with one ball out…”).  The Lonely Island as hustlers on “I’m A Hustler”… let’s just say they laugh at themselves at the end of the ‘sketch’.


Spring Break Anthem

There’s always an ‘anthem’ in rap, and so the over-the-top Spring Break Anthem fills the void.  Throw in every rebellious, frat boy-esque action, and “Spring Break Anthem” becomes of the most irresponsible cuts ever.  “Down here it’s our time! Spring Breakers, let’s get fucked up! Then find Mr. Right and get monogamous…” Really? That’s not as bad as,

“Kings of the pussy, pounding on brewskies

Banging chicks right there in the sands

Bros before hos and chicks with no clothes and

Slammin’ shots and marry a man!”

Some kind of spring break.  They have better ‘intentions’ on “I Run NY” featuring Billie Joe Armstrong, where they pose as the mayor of the illustrious city:

“Yo, I run New York – it’s a pain in the ass

The city’s crowded as fuck, and it’s covered in trash…”

Quite an ode.


“3-Way (The Golden Rule)”

“It’s okay when it’s in a 3-way

It’s not gay when it’s in a 3-way

With a honey in the middle

There’s some leeway

The area’s grey in a 1-2-3 way.”

After being exhibiting such ‘clean mouths’ throughout The Wack Album, “I Don’t Give A Honk” pays ode to refraining from curse words.  Lyric “But people throw em away like they were Donkey Konks / And the honks are the barrels…” is among the most ridiculous of a pretty ‘wack’ album.  Early single “3-Way (The Golden Rule)” finds it home, with the help of Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga.  With an knack for hamming it up, Timberlake steals the show, much like he did on “Dick in a Box” or “Motherlover.” Lady Gaga is not too shabby herself, proclaiming,

“Hey boys, I want you both

I hope that you think that’s cool

I know most guys won’t freak together.”

They follow up with the dry-personas of the ‘crew’ on “Meet the Crew.”

“Damn, I fucked my aunt / I can’t believe I fucked my aunt..” is some kind of an opening line… that’s an understatement.  Then again, the song is entitled “I Fucked My Aunt,” and it features T-Pain.  It’s the follow-up to “I’m On A Boat” without quite the same magic.  Sure it’s good for a smirk, but the concept is just so dumb.

“She rode her bike over cause the streets was closed

My aunt standing there in soaking wet clothes

We opened some whine and laughed like kids.”

We Are A Crowd” is simple and self-explanatory.


“The Compliments”

“The Compliments” is one of the best, and it arrives in the nick of time, sort of a follow-up of sorts to “No Homo,” featuring Too $hort.  The guys basically pay ode to each other, with Too $hort stating his doubts in regards to the guy’s sexuality.

“I’m starting to suspect that these dudes are gay

It’s none of my business, they just born this way

I mean how many times you gon’ mention your homie’s dick

but still trying to act like this song is for chicks?”

The best compliment is paid by Jorma towards Andy:

“Plus caramel eyes that are hella disarming

He ain’t no fucking prince, my man is King charming.”

Penultimate cut “We Need To Love” is hilariously dry, where The Lonely Island proclaim,  “We need love, not meaningless sex / You’ve got a round butt? / We’re not impressed.” “Perfect Saturday” benefits from a west-coast themed production and makes fart jokes.  Akiva closes with a bang:

“Yeah motherfuckers

You already think you were gonna get out of this without a fart joke did you?

You wack motherfuckers.”

Sounds like a perfect Ghostface Killah emulation to me.

Final Thoughts

So… The Wack Album isn’t really wack, but it is pretty dumb, regardless of whether that’s a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ dumbness.  Maybe the better summation of the album is lacks profundity.  If ‘dumb’ is not your cup of tea, this album won’t tickle your fancy.  Also if you are easily offended by countless, often clumsy sexual references, freely flying f-bombs, and whatnot, well this album is not for you.  It’s simple, yet cleverly so, just like their previous two albums.  True, Incredibad is the ‘torch bearer’, but The Wack Album still accomplishes The Lonely Island’s ‘ambitious’ goals – how many ‘honking’ people can I ‘honking’ offend and get away with it?  The answer is,  quite a few.

Gems: “Go Kindergarten,” “Diaper Money,” “YOLO,” “Spring Break Anthem,” “3-Way (The Golden Rule)” & “The Compliments”


The Lonely Island • The Wack Album • Republic • Release: 6.13.13
Photo Credit: Republic

 

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