(Hed) P.E.
Broke

Warning: if you're allergic to words like "fuck," "bitch," or "pussy," listening to this album is absolutely discouraged. However, if you're young, angry, but also (and especially) in need of excitement and fun, the advice is not to waste time and turn up the stereo full blast on the notes of "Broke."

The creators of one of the most inspired nu-metal works of all time are the Californians (H?d) P.E., who in 2000 managed like few others to connect two seemingly very distant worlds: that of hip hop and hard rock. Despite a unique style and a discography that would provide many other high-level performances, they never managed to reach popularity heights comparable to their peers Korn, Slipknot, and Limp Bizkit. Mainly due to the politically incorrect and explicit verses on the subject of sex conceived by the Jack Daniel's and pussy-drunk frontman, Jahred "M.C.U.D." Shane. His lifestyle is highlighted right from the opening verses of "Killing Time," the track that kicks off the album:

"Baby, I am a survivor
Baby, I'm on fire
Baby, I'm bout to creep up inside ya
Getting high all day, drinking whiskey all night
Flipping of the police when them tricks pass by
I'm that fool next door, always late with his rent
I'm that loser on the couch, watching Springer and getting head
Dreaming about a better time, better place, better life
Looking for that quick fix, and tweeking all night"

It couldn't be clearer. The abrasive guitars of Weestyle officiate the marriage between the two musical styles, perfectly accompanying the unrestrained rap that erupts from Jahred's gravelly throat. Imagine now a crossing between Ludacris and the "his majesty" Iggy Pop. I don't know if this gives you the idea, but in essence, that's the singer of Hed: an authentic force of nature. In "Waiting to die," M.C.U.D.'s quirky vocals skilfully navigate between heavy, immediate riffs and broader melodic solutions.

A masterpiece within a masterpiece is "Feel good," in which the (hed) earthquake involves "none other than" Serj Tankian, vocalist of System of a Down. His singing, halfway between epic anthem and delirium, invents tense, disturbing, and majestic backdrops that act as a communication bridge between the hip hop universe and that of hard, damaging rock. The lyrics take up the end-of-the-world references already hinted at in the first track with a verse entirely dedicated to the Mayan prophecy of 2012. A metaphor used here, once again, to emphasize indifference and absolute self-interest in the face of a world that, on the other hand, is slowly dying.

"The sky is falling, I don't care
(I just want to feel good)
Her train's leaving, she don't care
(She just wants to feel good)
The World is dying, we don't care
(We just want to feel good)
It's all over, we don't care
(We just want to feel good)"

Images dense with meaning and figurative power follow one another relentlessly and arrive straight at the listener's consciousness. One of the most significant is undoubtedly that of Satan laughing, making himself a new platinum necklace, the Rolex, and the Benz, while another mother cries for her child every day.

"No- we can't compromise like that
No- we can't conform like that
I'm saying fuck you and fuck the norm like that
Revolt and transform like that
Make a difference
Have a motherfuckin impact" - Jahred sings, while in his DNA, there are chromosomes akin to those of Rage Against The Machine.

In the name of fun and more or less explicit sexual allusions, we find "Bartender," the fourth episode of the album. The collision between the two musical genres is supreme in this case and reaches its zenith in an explosive outro where hip hop and hard rock finally get it on without a condom.

These four initial tracks are enough to accomplish the mission of (H?d) P.E.

The rest is a bonus. From the sick atmospheres of "Pac Bell" to the incursions into reggae of "Swan Dive." From the references to the king of hip hop, Notorius B.I.G. to the quotes from "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses. From the romantic roughness of "Crazy Legs" to the repeated invitation to screw the system in "I Got You." All without ever showing the slightest sign of decline in a little less than an hour of music-spectacle.

Finally, we arrive at "The Meadow," the last track of which, now schizophrenic, we expect only a final outburst. Nothing at all. At this point in the album, the first time I listened to it, I was as usual ready to wreak havoc in my living room (if my mom reads this, she'll kill me). Instead, I stood on the sofa, still as a codfish. Surprisingly, Jahred allows himself a note of melancholy and truly captivating. Accompanied by acoustic guitar and hip hop scansions, the leader of Hed surrenders to confessions, regrets, and sincere feelings for that HER who seems so unreachable, and without whom, identifying with his words, we feel like cosmic nothings ("if I had somewhere else to go, then I could be a star like you, special like you"). It's easy to think of it as one of those perfect songs to play with guitar and voice, sitting on the rock of a deserted beach, staring at the sky, while the face of HER, who makes our lungs burn so much, expands against the backdrop of a summer sunset. Sure, Jahred isn't exactly the type I'd let my sister go out with on a Saturday night, but damn, he has a heart too!

What more can be said about this "Broke"? Simply a superb album from a band that, fortunately for us (and unfortunately for them), will never be "tainted" by the enormous commercial success that other well-known names in the nu-metal movement benefited from.

It is truly a sacrilege for all lovers of the genre not to own it and keep it very, very jealously.