Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: STH2067
© 2003 Stone Throw Records
Dudley Perkins earned the green light for an LP after "Flowers," his 1999 single in the Stones Throw series of Jukebox 45's, became a favorite in underground rap circles. Hoping to catch lightning in a bottle twice, A Lil Light dropped in mid-2003, with production from the increasingly prolific Madlib (who had not only produced Perkins' original single but also had been hitting during 2003 with Shades of Blue on Blue Note and the Jaydee collaboration Jaylib on Stones Throw). The entire record has the same feel as "Flowers," a quirky, half-stoned, full-drunk performance featuring Perkins in full croon. Whereas on a single Perkins' style was charming and unexpected, a full LP makes it clear that he wasn't quite ready for the big time. Madlib's stumpy breakbeats and lo-fi samples are the perfect catalyst for his eccentric talents, but none of the songs here have the same sense of enchantment. Perkins spends plenty of time loving his momma; on a track called "Momma" (one of two about her), he treasures the line "It was you who gave me life, Momma" and repeats it dozens of time throughout the song. "Money" is the only track that approaches "Flowers," featuring the man sounding like an amateur D'Angelo while crooning about the problems and pleasures of cash over a crackly Madlib production.
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tags: dudley perkins, a lil light, 2003, flac,
