Like his previous releases, Ras Kass' third album, Van Gogh, showcases both his talents and his pretensions. He's surely one of the West Coast's most literate and thoughtful MCs, favoring creative wordplay and witty humor rather than the gangsta clichés that so often characterize West Coast rap... Show More [+]

Like his previous releases, Ras Kass' third album, Van Gogh, showcases both his talents and his pretensions. He's surely one of the West Coast's most literate and thoughtful MCs, favoring creative wordplay and witty humor rather than the gangsta clichés that so often characterize West Coast rap music. However, though his talent is highly evident, so is Kass' pretensions. Take, for example, this album's title, a vain allusion to popular painter Vincent Van Gogh, an undeniable master of his craft who — perhaps like Kass — wasn't appreciated during his years of activity. How much you appreciate this album depends, first of all, on whether you savor Kass' literate approach to rhyming and, second of all, on whether you can either accept or overlook his pretensions.

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