The Wash [PA]

Performer: Original Soundtrack
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: More than just another rap soundtrack, The Wash actually functions more as a Dr. Dre album. The West Coast don not only executive produces the album but also produces a few tracks and even raps on three. And the tracks that don't feature him no doubt reflect his influence -- most of the producers here clearly studied at the Dr. Dre school of beatmaking. It's perhaps not a surprise, then, that The Wash sounds an awful lot like Chronic 2001. Dre and Snoop Dogg anchor the album and perform on the album's best songs, including the title track, which consciously references "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" with not only its lyrics, but also its beats. Furthermore, like Chronic 2001, The Wash features a large cast of performers, most from the West Coast and several relatively unknown, big-name exceptions being D12, Bilal, Xzibit, Busta Rhymes, and Bubba Sparxxx. Of the unknowns, two singers/rappers in particular get the spotlight: Shaunta and Knoc-Turn'al, both signed to Dre's Aftermath label and both making their debuts here. The soundtrack's highlight comes on "Bad Intentions," one of Dre's most club-oriented songs ever. Overall, The Wash could use a few more standout moments. The D12 and Bubba Sparxxx songs are impressive but unfortunately out of place on such a West Coast-centric album. More than anything, though, it's worth giving this album a listen even if only to hear Dre's changing sound -- his trademark production sound is all over this soundtrack. ~ Jason Birchmeier THE WASH is a good-natured romp that showcases not only the musical talents of lauded West Coast rappers Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, but the pair's unexpected acting abilities as well. Centered around the action at a car wash, the film boasts a soundtrack that unsurprisingly features some of the best hip-hop you're likely to find in our outside the vicinity of the silver screen. Naturally, there are tracks from Dre and Snoop, including the pumping mission statement "On the Blvd.," but other high-end rappers such as Xzibit and Busta Rhymes are on hand as well, making this soundtrack a wealth of hip-hop riches. To keep things from getting too monochromatic, neo-soul crooner Bilal offers a tune as well; his "Bring 2" is a churning, funky number full of melodic twists and turns, effectively balancing off the work of his rapping peers.

NME (Magazine) (11/17/01, p.48) - 7 out of 10 - "...A smoggy heat-haze concoction of beats, electronic detritus and synthetic funk..."

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