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An excruciatingly earnest half-hour series from the producers of teen melodrama Straight Up, Beat follows a pair of university campus radio jocks Dennis and Jeff -- played by Straight Up's Merwin Mondesir and Mark Taylor respectively -- as they get down on the fly tip in Toronto.
The unbearably hip duo are joined in the radio studio by Michie Mee as MC Divine and Shamann as DJ Craft. Other recording artists, including Choclair, Maestro Fresh Wes and The Roots' fabulous human beatbox Rahzel, appear as themselves or as minor characters over 13 episodes. And yep, there's a companion CD and Web site (www.dropthebeat.com) where viewers can order phat gear, check out show bios or just hang in the chat room.
Aside from merchandising, the show aims to tackle issues of urgency -- racism and lack of sufficient radio play for hip-hop artists among them. In the opener, Dennis, Jeff and their laid-back sound technician Mega (Omari Forrester) get hassled by the man when they pull over their car on a busy street to try to pick up a pair of fly girls.
Mouthy Dennis decides the cops, who are black, are picking on him for being a YBM -- Young Black Male -- although the fact he is also a DORK is a more likely factor. Much over-amped indignation ensues.
There's more personal drama in the second episode when Jeff's older brother, in prison for manslaughter, drug possession and car theft, uses the radio show to rap on the "criminal injustice system," at Dennis's behest. We learn Jeff is embarrassed by his brother, and let's be real -- who wouldn't be?
The music is a welcome addition to tube time, but Drop the Beat would be easier to take if the characters could calm themselves occasionally. Man, these guys are wack.