Various

Call it the Reese's (as in peanut butter cup) rule of musical cross-breeding: just because chocolate and peanut butter taste great together doesn't mean that any two great musical genres can accomplish this synthesis. Take metal and rap, for instance. It's been tried a million times, both with rock and metal, it's made people millions but seldom has it worked, and it almost never succeeds when bands predisposed to one genre attack the other. However, hardcore and rap have always been closer than anyone would care to admit (and not just in baggy clothes and attitude), and while not a unanimous success, Too Legit... does have its moments. Stretch Armstrong comes off remarkably well with their version of NWA's "Express Yourself," despite the rapping - which underscores the inherent problem with these kinds of endeavours (screamers trying to rap and rappers trying to scream) Armstrong keep it upbeat and play to their strengths. Candiria and E-Town Concrete contribute strong versions of "Deep Cover," by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and "The World is Yours," by Nas, informed by their ability to incorporate rap and hip-hop into their music. While Hoods, Diehard Youth and F.O. the Smack Magnet stick to full-out hardcore and punk interpretations to various degrees of success. However, Throwdown's version of "Baby Got Back" is unbelievably (unintentionally?) hilarious, as down-tuned riffs, breakdowns and death-like choruses collide with rapping and beats. Whether it works or not isn't the issue, as its entertainment value is off the chart. However, that may be the biggest problem with Too Legit: while the bulk of it is entertaining, with good, funny and occasionally embarrassing contributions, far too much of it seems like a joke, albeit a good one, instead of a legitimate attempt to successfully fuse genres.