Scaring the Hoes

Fortunately that art is unbelievably fucking dope, and that's mostly because of the significant drawcard of this production: the production. ... There is a level of hip-hop reflexivity here that I haven't heard since RTJ4.

It's crowded, confusing, ridiculous music, but despite its scary intentions, the album's renegade production and impressive performances make it more exciting than frightening.

For 36 minutes, the listener is submerged in the LP's chaos, but when the album finishes and you come up for air, there's a feeling of obligation to go back and listen through again. It's a celebration of the singular stylings of these two hip-hop heretics, one that rejects any semblance of conformity, leaving it free to be exactly what they want it to be, whatever that is.

Scaring often feels more like a mixtape showcasing Peggy's inimitable skills as a producer, but its the addition of Brown's frenetic flow that elevates the patchwork quilt. It's his spiky wit and tonation which delivers a cargo-load of personality needed to spark the frenzy.

A nerve-jangling experience, it could well rank as their masterpiece.

I also really like the album, and I would give it 4 bags of popcorn.

On Scaring The Hoes, Brown and Peggy sound great together while offering few artistic revelations. [May 2023, p.52]

Like deciphering an ancient cassette tape, distorted right up to the point of destruction, Scaring the Hoes is, in fact, a little scary. And that's what makes it so compelling. The chaos makes way for clarity.

Smart but chaotic, funny but disturbing – Scaring the Hoes is a confounding victory.

It’s fun and inventive; a mashup of experimental Hip Hop that harnesses a truly demented collection of sounds and influences from 80s commercials to gospel chorus. That combination might not make sense to everyone, but it’ll be a long revisited cult classic for those who get it.

Brown meets JPEG’s tempos with alacrity, flashing a singsong flow on “Orange Juice Jones” and mirroring the jittery horn fanfare of “Burfict!” The short bursts don’t provide space for Brown to stretch his limbs, yet he remains a virtuoso in miniature.