Luc Duc

For all the acrimony and backbiting The Iconz’s demise caused, the once-ascendant conglomerate continues to yield prospects. Luc Duc was the first, debuting with In My Own World back in 2002. That album didn’t perform up to expectations, though, so he’s back on the grind, issuing mixtapes and building up anticipation for a new full-length, Smoke Affair, set to hit stores sometime this spring.

By the time this review of Smoke Affair I: The Mixtape hits the streets, its sequel, Vol. 2, may have already supplanted it. Such is the fast-moving nature of the mixtape game. Those looking for a rock-crit assessment of its contents, a blend of legitimate bangers, freestyles, skits, and guest appearances, won’t find comfort here. After all, Smoke Affair I: The Mixtape is pure thug entertainment to ride to, rough-hewn and hopped up with bass, bounce, and ice-grill impressions. It is what it is. “It’s the city for everything,” raps Screw Face on “Drama.” “You either love it or hate it.”

There are a few tracks worth checking for, though. “Pass da Dutch” is a nice smoker’s track, while “Problems” is a strong collabo between Cognac Slim and Screw Face that issues the ubiquitous “problem” everybody wants to deliver his friends/enemies nowadays. “Where I Been” is the highlight on which Luc Duc raps about his rise to the self-proclaimed mayor of Opa-locka: “Rent bills backed up/Child support backed up/Migraine pain hitting me like a Mack truck/Get get crunked/Streets got crushed up/Fresh out of Dade had the whole world jumpin’.”