G. Love - The Hustle

G. Love has lost his Special Sauce in the last couple of years. With his sixth release, he returns to the roots of astro-glide funk that made this cat a well-known commodity that the ladies lusted after in the mid-nineties. G Love brings back some of the key Sauce players for The Hustle. The addition of Money Mark and the surf fun lovin’ of Jack Johnson round out a solid supporting cast for Mr. Love. Hustle arguably has the best flow of any album G. has dropped. The infectious grooves drop from the get go on “Astronaut,” a gritty ass shaker, into the shameless “Booty Call,” which G doesn’t have any issue with. The ragga infested “Give it to You” takes a different direction but is a fine add to the smooth ride. The title track, “The Hustle,” is a molasses slow bass funk rap that is trademark of G Love. “Back of the Bus” takes a step back into the slippery slap raps of yore. With The Hustle, G. Love has re-discovered what made the Special Sauce work, and released what, to date, could be his most complete album. [www.philadelphonic.com]