"What It's Like"

Everlast
(Tommy Boy, 1998)

A self-proclaimed old man at 29 with his first heart attack behind him, written off even by his own record label, House of Pain's Everlast had something to prove on Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. And this is the song that did it, not just for white folks who wanted to be part of the playas club, but for playas looking for a way to grow up in a genre that's still ruled by youth. It took rock and roll two decades to mature into something more than a kids' game, and though Everlast ain't no Dylan or Lennon, this rugged folk-hop survivor's tale is a case of the old dog teaching everyone a new trick or two.

-- Matt Ashare