Slipping Down the Ladder of Success

Aaron "Shwayze" Smith and Cisco Adler began climbing the ladder of success several rungs higher than most new artists thanks to MTV. Buzzin', a limited-run series on the network, brought the chilled-out hip-hop duo straight into the living rooms of their prime demographic, and their laid-back demeanor turned out to be likable and at least moderately entertaining. But while they earned decent airplay and okay sales for their self-titled album, the pair's music doesn't make much of an impression outside the context of the show. Worse, Smith has recently been quoted expressing doubts that a season two of Buzzin' will happen - meaning he and Adler won't be able to use MTV as a megaphone anymore. Taking that next step up the ladder just got a lot harder.
Sun., April 12, 3-10 p.m., 2009