**1/2 Everlast

WHITEY FORD SINGS THE BLUES

(Tommy Boy)

From the start, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues has a lot going against it. Creator Erik Schrody (a/k/a Everlast) used up his 15 minutes of fame -- as leader of the gimmicky Irish rappers House of Pain -- a long time ago. Then there's the CD's title and cheesy opening track ("The White Boy Is Back"), both suggesting that he's terminally stuck in a bygone era where white people don't do hip-hop.

But Everlast has a few worthwhile tricks up his sleeve. After he and Sadat X (of Brand Nubian) rap capably about getting paid on "Money (Dollar Bill)," he turns around and offers an argument against obsessing over cash on "Ends," which reveals maturity and lyrical skill. Beneath the song's hip-hop surface of scratches, and samples, he strums an acoustic guitar and rasps a melody, fashioning a new identity as b-boy singer/songwriter.

The rest of Whitey Ford alternates between straight hip-hop and guitar-based folk reminiscence, with the occasional Nine Inch/Zeppelin metal riffing ("Hot to Death") and some New Orleans piano rolls on "7 Years." In the end, it's an intriguing trip on backroads not often taken by the MC -- even the pale-skinned, shit-kicking kind.

-- Roni Sarig