Rating: 3/5

Ever wonder what it would be like if old school hip-hop mixed it up with the classic western? High Noon, Jonah Hex, and Kid Vengeance have the answer. The trio, dubbed the Sunset Park Riders, just released their take on the classic Spaghetti Western infused with their modern rap with "Showdown at the BK Corral."

Proving that there is not much difference between the outlaws of the Wild West and the gangsters of the rough east, the seemingly different musical styles influenced by each actually work quite well when put together. Combined with clips that sound as though they were pulled straight from an old western film plus Spaghetti Western style instrumentation, this rap album is clearly more interested in jumping on their horses than jumping in their Escalades.

This nine-track album takes us on a musical journey through the Wild East, Brooklyn. Our heroes’ main focus is money and doing whatever it takes to steal and collect their fortune. We learn through the track “Introducing” that each of the three Sunset Park Riders have reason for their constant quest for gold and gun-slinging. However, once they arrive in a new town they have a new goal of defending the town and we ride to the climax of any good western, the final showdown. Who is left standing? What happens to the town? And most importantly, what rhymes with spurs?

I love it when different styles are fused together to create something new and fresh and the Sunset Park Riders have succeeded in doing just that. The rap phrases flow, but when listening to what the rhymes are saying, they take it one step further to tell an actual story rather than just the usual loop of girls, booze, girls, drugs, girls, the club, and girls. If you are a fan of either the Spaghetti Western or hip-hop, this new take on both should grab your interest and maybe even turn you on to a new style of music you never considered listening to before.

This album is available for download or free steaming through the Sunset Park Riders' website.

1. “Watch Out (Renegade Intro)”
2. "Pistol Grip”
3. “Introducing”
4. “The Ambush”
5. “Old West Action”
6. "The Proposition”
7. “Gully Gulch Gwan Fire”
8. “Belltower”
9. “Showdown at the BK Corral”