''Skateboards 2 Scrapers'' is the debut EP by American hip hop group the Pack. It was released through Up All Nite, an imprint of

Jive Records Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...

, on December 19, 2006. The EP follows the Pack's breakout hit "

Vans Vans (originally called the Van Doren Rubber Company) is an American apparel, accessories, and skateboarding shoes brand, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and ...

" (2006). ''Skateboards 2 Scrapers'' was produced entirely by the Pack member Young L, who was the group's main producer. The EP received mixed reception from reviewers, who mostly criticized the lyrics.

Background and release

The Pack was formed in

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California *George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer to ...

, California in 2005, and consisted of four rappers:

Lil B Brandon Christopher McCartney (born August 17, 1989), known professionally as Lil B and Lil B The BasedGod, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of the Berkeley, California-based hip hop group the Pack in 2005, who signed wi ...

, Young L, Stunnaman, and Lil Uno. They released their breakout hit "

" in 2006, and subsequently signed to rapper

Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late ...

imprint Up All Nite. The Pack released ''Skateboards 2 Scrapers'', their debut EP, on December 19, 2006. A music video was later released for the song "I'm Shinin.

Composition

''Skateboards 2 Scrapers'' consists of six songs and one remix. It is a

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

album, with lyrics mostly about money and sex. Produced by the Pack's main producer Young L, the EP features slowed, sound-effect driven

hyphy The term hyphy ( ) is an Oakland, California, slang meaning "hyperactive". More specifically, it is an adjective describing the hip-hop music and the culture associated with the Oakland area. The term was first coined by rapper Keak da Snea ...

beats. ''Skateboards 2 Scrapers'' opens with "Vans", a song about the skateboarding shoe brand

. Its instrumental is a mix of

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...

hyphy and

Dem Franchize Boyz Dem Franchize Boyz was an American hip hop music, hip hop group from Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta, signed to E1 Music. The group had four members: Parlae (born Maurice Gleaton), Pimpin' (Jamal Willingham), Jizzal Man (Bernard Leverette), and Buddie ...

-inspired

snap Snap or SNAP may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Snap'' (film), the initial release title for the 2013 film ''Enter the Dangerous Mind'' * '' The Stanly News and Press'', a newspaper in Albemarle, North Carolina, US * "Snap" (''Duty Free'') ...

. The following song "I'm Shinin features exaggerated vocal deliveries, and lyrics about owning diamonds. The songs "Ride My Bike" and "Candy" contains bass-heavy production and simplistic lyrics. Steve "Flash" Juon of ''RapReviews'' wrote that "Oh Go" is "the most hyphy of any song on the album". Its beat incorporates heavy

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

hits combined with "a noise that can only be described as the

air horn An air horn is a pneumatic device designed to create an extremely loud noise for signaling purposes. It usually consists of a source which produces compressed air, which passes into a horn through a reed or diaphragm. The stream of air cau ...

from a hockey game when goals get scored", according to Juon.

Critical reception

''Skateboards 2 Scrapers'' received mixed reviews. Juon wrote that "none of the lyricism displayed by the group is excessively impressive."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Marisa Brown said the EP lacked the "quirkiness" of "Vans", and felt that its sexual themes were too predictable. ''

HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of Hip hop music, hip hop music criticism and news. ''HipHopDX'' has over 3.5M monthly readers, the website encompassing hip hop news, interviews, music, and reviews. The website's founder and CEO is Sharath C ...

'''s Dave Goodson considered the song "Oh Go" to be "a great example of what the group is capable of", but said the Pack failed to leave their comfort zone often enough to show their full potential. Goodson also criticized the group's lyricism, describing the lyrics on the songs "Candy" and "Ride My Bike" as "almost cringe worthy."

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Production * Todd Shaw –

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

* Young L – producer * Leslie Brathwaite – mixing (all tracks) * Brian Stanley – mixing (2) * Don "DJ Snake" Brown – mixing (7) * James Cruz – mastering Art * Daniel Hastings – art direction, design, photography * Jackie Murphy – creative direction * Andrea von Bujdoss – graphics

References

{{Lil B The Pack (group) albums 2006 debut EPs Jive Records EPs