“I’m a pimp in my own mind,” says rapper Felony (also known as “Da Prince”) on his debut album, “Da White City”.

And that might be the only place where he is a pimp.

“Da White City,” while a decent rap record in its own right, just doesn’t stack up against some of the heavyhitters of the genre.

The production, while well-done, is painfully predictable.

Gunshots? Check. “Dramatic” string samples? Check. The same played-out drum machine sounds that every rapper since LL Cool J has used? Double check.

Granted, it’s hard to be original in a genre almost entirely defined by the musical equipment used to make it.

But if Wu-Tang can do it, why not Felony? There are some pretty melodies on some of his slower tracks, but ultimately the production is the same stuff you can hear anywhere else.

The lyrics are your standard-issue hip-hop material, with paeans to marijuana, ladies in the club and violence. The beverage Hypnotiq gets its own tribute song, for instance.

In yet another instance of unoriginality, Felony even has the gall to rip lines from Devo’s “Whip It” and Mims’ “This Is Why I’m Hot.” While the rest of his rhymes are at least occasionally clever, there’s no reason to rip off a fellow rapper so blatantly.

A couple of slow ballads showcase Felony’s softer side, although “softer” should probably be taken with a grain of salt. The ribald “ballads” of Ginuwine and Blackstreet would be a close reference.

Lastly, the length of the record goes beyond hip-hop convention and extends into absurdity. Rappers are known for inserting a lot of segues and skits in their albums, but 28 tracks?

At times, it’s hard to tell which ones are segues and which are actual songs, as a great deal of them are right around two minutes in length.

Some of them have promising hooks, but they don’t get the length of time that they might deserve.

In all fairness, “Da White City” is comparable to a lot of contemporary hip-hop in terms of production quality and content. It’s easy to imagine it on a local pop radio station, but that’s about it.

If you’re looking for originality, look elsewhere. But if you just want something simple and fun to bounce to, “Da White City” delivers.

Two out of five stars.

lifeline@cm-life.com

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