A pleasant surprise
N. Durham | Philadelphia, PA | 03/03/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Hip-hop isn't my bag. Never really has been, probably never really will be. However, being a huge fan of HBO's brilliant The Wire, Beyond Hamsterdam was something I ended up checking out, albeit accidentally. Much to my surprise, a majority of what is featured on Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore is actually quite good, and despite whatever one's musical preference may be, Beyond Hamsterdam captures the feel and atmosphere of the hard, urban, Baltimore streets, and the dangerous world that The Wire takes place in. Beginning with Domaje's excellent version of "Way Down in the Hole" (the opening theme song of the series, and the version heard in the openings of season four), and continuing with Rod Lee's "Dance My Pain Away", Ogun's "What You Know About Baltimore", and the surprisingly nearly haunting-esque closer "Assume the Position" by Lafayette Gilchrist; Beyond Hamsterdam is a nearly perfectly companion piece to one of the finest, grittiest shows to ever grace television. All in all, if you are a fan of The Wire, Beyond Hamsterdam is definitely worth checking out regardless of your musical preference."