Review Summary: Another solid mixtape from the Connecticut internet sensation
I can hear the moaning and groaning already before I even start this review. "Oh my gosh, another stupid-ass suburban white frat boy rapper, like Asher Roth and Mac Miller weren't enough!", screams the Sputnik community who haven't listened to Mr. Christian Weber, a.k.a. Chris Webby. On the exterior, Webby is very similar to fellow subarban colleagues such as Sam Adams and Asher Roth. He raps about what he knows, so don't expect left-wing political rants ala Immortal Technique or gritty street narratives. Webby enjoys his daily dose of weed, partying, liquor, and bitches just as much as Asher Roth and company. The similiarities end here though. Unlike Roth or Mac Miller, Webby's lyricism is top-notch, and he has some of the cleverest wordplay I've heard in a while. And most importantly, he sounds like he's having way more fun than his "I Love College" counterparts. Webby's biggest claim to fame may have been being responsible for crashing mixtape website Datpiff's server due to the huge demand for his last mixtape Best in the Burbs. While not his best mixtape, Webster's Laboratory is yet another fine collection of Webby's signature lyricism and wordplay.
Webby's personality is quite interesting and it can be easily seen in his raps; he combines a love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, weed, women, and an impressive amount of pop culture references with clever wordplay and multi-syllabic rhymes to create a style that is uniquely Webby. On the internet and in my town, the hype for Webster's Laboratory was absolutely huge. I guess living in the suburbs helps you catch onto artists like Webby sooner than the rest of the music world. Upon its release I was satisfied to find yet another collection of typical Webby lyricism and humor. Webby doesn't rap over too many original beats on this one, sticking more to remixes of songs ranging from "Opposite of Adults" by Chiddy Bang and Young Money's "Roger That". Overall, they're okay, but the main draw obviously isn't the beats but rather Webby's rhymes. "Webster's Revenge", Webby's remix of Nicki Minaj's "Roman's Revenge", is the standout track here, with Webby pulling out all the stops and dropping some of the most memorable lines I've heard in months:
I am not Simba, I am Mufasa
Roar so loud that it shakes the casa
Blowin’ more lines than Vinny Chase and Sasha Grey
A lot to say with penne a la vodka
Woof, woof
On my plate to eat it then I
Woof, woof
Spit like a bulimic
Raw bile on a track bitch you better believe it
Webby half robot call me General Grievous
Honestly, I could quote this entire track, Webby's wordplay is so good here. Within the confines of one song, Webby manages to drop references to everyone and everything including Tom Brady, Lord of the Rings, Jersey Shore, Philly cheese steaks, Weird Al, Eminem, the list goes on. There are couple of other standouts, including "The Way", probably the best out of the original tracks produced for the mixtape, and a couple of duds, such as "WDGAF", a clumsy-sounding foray into electrohop which I pray to God Webby doesn't pursue when the time comes to release a proper album. Reviewing a mixtape is like reviewing a restaurant based on their appetizers on their appetizers solely: a mixtpae like an appetizer is just a sampler, something to fill you up while you're waiting for the main dish (in the case of music the album). And just like an appetizer, a mixtape may not offer the most quality food you can get. While Webby's mixtapes so far have been the equivalent to a small, delicious plate of potato skins that gets your stomach growling for more, we can only hope that Webby hooks up with the right producers and delivers a delicious main course. Download Webster's Laboratory and the rest of Webby's mixtapes for free on Datpiff.com, you've got nothing to lose and along the way you might just find your next favorite white rapper.
