Growing Up Ugly

It should be no great revelation that Ugly Duckling has always been the black sheep of the hip-hop community. (In fact, even more so than Black Sheep.)

Formed in Southern California in 1993, the trio -- consisting of MCs Andy Cooper and Dizzy Dustin, and backed by virtuoso DJ/Producer Young Einstein -- made a name for itself rallying playfully against the macho posturing and gangland glorification being exported out of the fledging West Coast scene.

While Snoop and Dre lionized ghetto living with odes to dusting wack adversaries, bedding multiple harlots, and inhaling the virtues of potent tokeables, Ugly Duckling seemed to be living in Bizarro World. Though never coming across as overtly preachy or stuffy, the group stood out by stitching themes of morality, honour and individuality into its party jams.

Ugly Duckling's first few singles dealt mostly with nostalgic tales from a purer era of hip hop. Less G-Funk and more G-rated, they didn't exactly burn up the charts. Like the Native Tongues crew that came before them (Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, et al), UD's socially conscious, yet light-hearted foundation attempted to foil the high-stakes lifestyles being embraced by Master P's minions, and those of the impresario known then as Puff Daddy.

The obscure jazz and bossa-nova samples adeptly dug up by Young Einstein and cheeky raps from Andy and Dizzy were also seemingly lost on mainstream audiences craving excess and bombast over uniqueness and positivity.

This disconnect from mass appeal didn't vex Ugly Duckling, nor did the multiple label changes that the band endured over the following years (the trio has never stayed with the same record company for more than one album). But a sizeable European and Asian fan base has kept the group's spirits -- and bank accounts -- in good health, allowing them to remain relatively obscure but no less respected and admired.

But listening to Audacity, the group's fourth full-length album, you can't help but hear brewing frustration and despondence after years of being considered also-rans. Throughout the record, Dizzy and Andy relay narratives of recent spiritual weakness, personal conflicts and isolation, matched to dalliances with the nether regions of the soul. Doubters may want to check out "The Lonely Ones" or "Falling Again."

But where other moody and "mature" albums tend to veer into self-indulgent vanity projects, Audacity plays as an honest warts-and-all album from a group that usually prides itself on its casual self-assuredness.

The album could have quickly sunk under such sombre subject matter, if it wasn't for Young Einstein's impeccable production and turntable adroitness. True to form, the DJ digs deep in his crate for arcane jazz and samba cuts, illuminating even the drabbest yarn. The spirited interlude "Einstein Do It (Night on Scratch Mountain)" gives him four-and-a-half minutes on his own to showcase his expansive tastes while highlighting the heart and backbone of the band.

As Dizzy, Andy, and Einstein get comfortable in their 30s, Audacity could potentially be the band's swan song, providing a perfect balance of the group's indomitable positivity and fresh sense of humility. Deep tracks like "Right Now," with its Alan Hawkshaw-like accompaniment, and the brassy old-school jam "It Never Mattered" close the record with Ugly Duckling coming to terms with its underdog status. And just like every other moulting season the group has weathered, this round is no different -- UD shakes out the gravitas and comes out winning.

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