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Kaleber as a hip-hop savior on 'The Anomaly'
Rafer Guzmán

WITH THE BAND

November 22, 2007

No rapper ever succeeded by being modest, as Chad Mohammed, aka Kaleber, clearly knows.

On "The Anomaly" (Mutiny Music Group), the Wyandanch rapper depicts himself as the savior of hip-hop, fighting the good fight against the fake gangstas, major-label caricatures and bling-blinded knuckleheads who have turned rap into self-parody.

Throughout the 18-track disc, Kaleber keeps the violence mostly metaphorical, shuns drug-dealing and generally aims for higher ground. He also manages, amazingly, to spell "Wyandanch" in rhyme.

Kaleber's laid-back tone and conversational style keep him from getting preachy, and he slings enough bravado to retain his machismo. Over the easygoing rhythm of "Dope (New York, New York)," he scores thug-points for hanging out with dealers but proudly notes that he never became one.

On "Up," he drives home a similar point: "I ain't a thug, but I keep it gangsta, though." He raps about loyalty and respect on "No I in Team ...," then adds this hard-nosed corollary: "But there is an M-E."

The album's best moment is "Hoodstripes Pt. 2," a cautionary tale built on a rueful soul-sample. It's the reality behind the rap myth of flipping bricks for fast cash, an ugly portrait of a small-time hustler who never made it. "You used to be the man, been on the block for years," Kaleber sneers between epithets. "I know you seen some grands/You still selling crack out your rear?" (Of a car, most likely - but the baseness of the image is unmistakable.)

Kaleber is less effective when emulating commercial rappers like Eminem ("And Judas Kissed") or 50 Cent (the clubby "With Me?"). And we could all do without the gay slur that pops up early in the album. Still, Kaleber is making hip-hop with heart - "The Anomaly" indeed. Check out samples at MySpace.com/kaleber

Write torafer.guzman@newsday.com.

Copyright © 2007, Newsday Inc.

THE ANOMALY: AVAILABLE ON iTUNES & CDBABY.COM