Review: SPM

SPM
““Time Is Money””
(Dope House Records / Universal)

SPM stands for South Park Mexican.  No, he didn’’t kill Kenny, and he’s not Cartman’’s dad.  The name comes from his neighborhood in Houston, Texas, where SPM has been building a strong local following.  Now signed to a major label, this album is SPM’’s chance to earn national recognition and respect.  Unfortunately, with “Time Is Money,” SPM brings nothing exceptional to the table.  For the most part, the album’s production is by-the-numbers Dirty South synthesizers and bass.  Even though he shows off a sharp wit, SPM’’s flow is only ordinary, and the album’s lyrical content is nothing new- SPM fills the album with the requisite tales of street life (“Burn Us Alive,” “Time is Money”) and the transition from the crack game to the rap game (“He’s A Bird, He’s A Plane”).  Most of these also feature R&B-style hooks which are really pretty bad.  SPM is at his best when putting clever rhymes to uptempo beats on tracks like “Oh My My,” “Somethin’ I Would Do,” and “My Feria,” a humorous rap about money personified as a woman.  There are places on “Time Is Money” where SPM shows promise, but as a whole, the album fails to live up to it.