Eat at Whitey's

1	Whitey 1:35
2	Black Jesus 4:40
3	I Can't Move 3:25
4	Black Coffee 2:59
5	Babylon Feeling / Carlos Santana 5:11
6	Deadly Assassins / B Real 2:44
7	Children's Story / Rahzel 3:22
8	Love for Real / N'Dea Davenport 4:21
9	One and the Same 5:08
10	We're All Gonna Die / C-Lo 2:20
11	Mercy on My Soul / Warren Haynes 3:24
12	One, Two / Kurupt 3:28
13	Graves to Dig 3:24

Barnes & Noble

When we last heard from Everlast, the rap trendsetter-turned-post-punk bluesman was waxing introspective and defying expectations on the Grammy-winning Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. On this stellar follow-up, the unpredictable MC switches gears once again by revisiting his hip-hop roots -- most surprisingly on a brawny cover of Slick Rick's "Children's Story" -- and delving into old-school classic rock on the heavy-lidded "Babylon Feeling," which features spicy guitar licks by Carlos Santana. On Eat at Whitey's, the former House of Pain ringleader wastes no time setting the tone -- slamming into the harsh, yet elegant, opening track "Whitey," which melds a gangsta flow with avant-classical strings and segues into the gritty, Delta-flavored "Black Jesus." To his credit, Everlast assembles a startling array of guest talent, although he refuses to relinquish control, even when the collaborators are as forceful as longtime comrade B-Real on "Deadly Assassins." Taking full advantage of his raspy pipes, Everlast huskily rhymes through such darkly hued tales as "Graves to Dig" and "We're All Gonna Die," which carry far more weight than the cartoonish boasts made by most hip-hop tough guys. Brightening the mood a bit, Everlast calls on angelic singers Merry Clayton on "Black Coffee" and former Brand New Heavies vocalist N'Dea Davenport on "One and the Same." With Eat at Whitey's, Everlast offers a smorgasbord of rap and rock styles that's both appealing and thought-provoking. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Nobody ever would have guessed that the leader of House of Pain would come back after a bout of obscurity and a serious heart attack to reinvent himself as a hip-hop troubadour, rasping out bluesy folk-rock to a steady-rolling beat. The fact that Everlast had the vision to change his tune was surprising enough, but the fact that it worked and found a wide audience was stunning. When it came time to deliver Eat at Whitey's, the follow-up to Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, in 2000, Everlast was smart enough to expand on a good thing, turning out a sequel that built on the folk-rap-rock that rejuvenated his career, while adding slight new twists. The problem is, the new twists, particularly in the guise of cameos from rockers like Carlos Santana and Warren Haynes, don't work particularly well. Also, whenever he veers toward straight rap, such as on the B-Real duet "Deadly Assassins," the music falls a little flat -- just like it did on the predecessor. Still, these not-quite successful moments don't detract from an album that delivers on the promise of Whitey Ford. Whenever Everlast lays back and spins stories and tall tales on his own, his blend of folk, rock, blues, rap, and pop culture clicks. It can be a little silly -- his rhymes are occasionally goofy, his growl a little too raspy -- but at its best, it's evocative, catchy, and ingratiating. If he can't sustain the quality of the first three songs throughout the record, at least it connects several more times, enough to make Eat at Whitey's satisfying for listeners that want a little more of "What It's Like." Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Entertainment Weekly

...you have an eclectic, intermittently rewarding album of first-rate re-creations. David Browne