Cookbook – The Smell of Success

These Recipes Will Leave Your Mouth Watering

Cookbook’s latest venture, The Smell of Success, has all attributes one would expect from an artist that has been around since the mid-90’s. The bass booms, the lyrics are smooth and the hooks do what they are supposed too. Cookbook has taken all his experience from his time with the group LA Symphony, as a solo artist and producer, and put together an album that is cohesive and does not disappoint.

The first track, “Strange Brew” grabs you from the jump. As he proclaims in the song “We’re bringing up some of that good ol’ west coast funk / you better ride to this.” That isn’t a request; it’s an order. It’s one that, after listening, you feel obliged to follow.

On “The Party’s Still Jumpin,” the chorus is based on the lines, “May I kick a lil something for the G’s and / make a few ends as I breeze through / Two in the mornin’ and the party’s still jumpin,” from Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice.” Cookbook’s rhymes fall into place, perfectly crafting an incredible song based around an incredible idea. This is by far the best track on the album.

On the songs “D.I.Y” and “The One Thing,” Cookbook hooks up with former LA Symphony member UNO Mas and R&B singer Raquel Rodriguez These three meld together so well, it’s like they were made for one another. Raquel’s voice is reminiscent of the great soul singers of yesteryear, while UNO Mas and CookBook’s delivery complements each other so well.

As a whole, this is one of those albums you won’t see yourself pressing the skip button too often. One or two track may not live up to the others on the album, but even the greatest chef can mess up a recipe every now and again.