Tow Down

It was comedian Dave Chappelle who, in his last HBO special, explained the significance of young white men who spend most of their time hanging out with hardcore brothas. "Those white guys are the most dangerous muthafuckas in them groups," he said. "Ain't no telling what they've done to get them black dudes' respect!"

Tow Down: The brother from another planet.

Related Content

• Yelawolf
  February 16, 2012
• Last Night: Yelawolf At Warehouse Live
  February 17, 2012
• Syrupy Surprises: Random Selections From DJ Screw's Personal Vinyl Collection
  April 17, 2012
• 10 Things We Learned At The Awready! Houston Hip Hop Conference
  March 29, 2012
• The Best of SXSW Music: Friday 3/16/2012
  March 17, 2012

More About

• Dave Chappelle
• DJ Screw
• Kid Rock
• Hip-Hop and Rap
• Celebrity News

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

Like grade schoolers just itchin' to show how invincible and cool they are, today's white whippersnappers are always looking to their darker-toned, syrup-sipping, loan-denied contemporaries for validation. (Hey, who knows more about being cool than the muthafuckas who invented it?) Local rapper Tow Down is one of those pale faces who would most likely do anything to prove he's down, to the point of melding country twang to a rap song, which he does on the obviously named "Country Rap Tune."

Much like that catchy first single off his debut album, By Prescription Only, the alabaster-skinned MC has gone all out to impress the young playas and playettes out there. Tow Down certainly peppers his album with the best of the best. South Park Mexican once again drops by the studio to give his seal of approval, this time getting blunted with the callow rapper on "Slant Eyes." C-Note of the Botany Boys also shows up on the cutting opening track, "The Virus," while Tow Down and two Lil's -- Flip and Flash -- try to out-bling-bling each other on the flashy "We Shinin'." And DJ Screw manages to posthumously screw "Country Rap Tune" for the CD's finale.

As for his flow, you can't help but wonder if Tow Down is the rough and raw balla he claims to be, or just a kid who's using his "big" voice when sitting at the adults' table. On the tracks when it's just him, he invokes Kid Rock's guitar-riffing, white-trash pride more often than Eminem's button-pushing high jinks. He may also piss off a few hardcore rap purists by turning Eazy-E's "Boyz-N-The-Hood" into the pro-wigger anthem "Also Cool." ("Knowing nothing in life / but throwed rap and rock / White boys coming down / Make room on your block" -- well, there goes the neighborhood!)

But the boy does throw out an oddly intriguing tune here and there like "Emotions," on which he samples a Eurythmics song that isn't "Sweet Dreams" and creates a beguiling synth-rap song. While Euro-pop makes more sense ethnically, Tow Down would rather be down with the Afrocentric brothas. And isn't it always entertaining to watch white people act black? As long as they don't say "nigga," that is.