Thug Law: Thug Life Outlawz: Chapter 1 (VA)
Label: D-3 Entertainment
(October 23, 2001)

1. What
2. Shit Iz Real
3. Satellite Niggaz
4. ***** That
5. Don’t Make Me
6. Pay Day/Pay Day (Interlude)
7. No Time
8. South Bound
9. Who You Trust
10. I Am the Street
11. Do That
12. I Need A/I’m A (Interlude)
13. Hood Nigga
14. Casualtiez of War
15. Angelz Cried
16. Thug Cycosis/Real Table (Interlude)

Firstly don’t be fooled by the THUG LAW logo stuck on the front of the case- this is mostly Big Syke material! Being released under his label and as the head of productions you’d expect Syke to have the ODD appearance on the tracks (almost on every one!) So that makes it a Thug Life/Outlaw on the grounds that Syke is on 95% of the CD!

So, Syke decides to call up a couple of THUG LIFE members, a few Outlawz and a couple of new, young emcees to put together a collabo CD to make “THUG LAWZ.” Sounds good right? It’s debatable. Syke is a tight rapper. Pac’s roaddogg. Seasoned G. Respected man. He also got real banging productions, taking production credentials on several tracks, “What,” “Shit Iz Real,” and “No Time” are prime examples of what Syke is capable of. His appearances are mostly tight. Use of voice filters to make his voice even more ominous than it already is.

The CD begins good.

Stick it in and you’re blasted with “What,” a banger with Tha Outlawz featuring to a snared up beat. Get drunk and crunk to it… “Shit Iz Real” is the following Westcoast hard-hitter. Its real un*****wittable. The bass reverberations from this rattle windows at high volume. “Satellite Niggaz,” a cracking collaboration with Above The Law, some classic stuff you needed to hear and you did. However, past this point on the disc, things change as the rap group Swerv take verses on umpteen other tracks. The atmosphere of alot of the tracks also change to suit Swerv too, the productions end up sounding further South than the before songs. I also felt let down by “Pay Day.” Seeing Mack 10, Syke and Krayzie Bone (Noble Outlaw also joins them) on the same track seemed exciting until I heard it as I’m a fan of Krayzie but he’s relegated to taking the hook! The beat is also quite dull and I personally feel its one of Krayzie’s worst hooks/appearances. “South Bound” is another lame track from Swerv. “Do That” was suffered from too much of Swerv’s input and a horrible hook, although the appearance from Mopreme is a quality verse.

Mentionable tracks are “No Time” for a rapping back and forth between Syke and Tyme and a deep piano track and a nice flow from Sundae. “I Need A” is a tight collabo with Mac Mall, Mopreme and Sundae over a decent beat. “Hood Nigga” is also another good track over another good production. “Casualtiez of War” has the Outlawz over a stomping army-influenced, dramatic beat. I also feel Swerv’s “Angelz Cried” deserves a mention- only on the basis that its a deep remembrance track. “Thug Cycosis” is a complete ride on ’em type track and 100% tight with the original THUG LIFE lineup all on point over a riding beat. Syke closes the CD with an ad-libbed interlude about being a real thug and so forth… its all cool though.

Overall its tracks like “What,” “Satellite Niggaz,” “Casualtiez of War” and “Thug Cycosis” that form the best tracks, as they hold the OG rappers who got down with THUG LIFE connections in some way or another, and because their rappers are also just plain better!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Syke flows over this perfectly, in fact, his part is almost flawless- he was the executive producer after all. However, too many of Syke’s homies ruin the actual THUG LIFE-Outlaw concept. Perhaps bar a few guest appearances to do hooks (its guest appearances almost every track), this would have been much better suited if it stuck with the two original groups. The two interludes between the songs also confused me a little and threw me off the content of the CD as I had no clue about who the woman is! Its no classic by any means, I rate THUG-LAWS an underachieving

2/5

Further recommendations:
Big Syke : “Big Syke Daddy”
Thug Law: “Thug Life Outlawz: Chapter 2”

Oakland rapper Habitt is the first rapper to release an album on new label Fat Daddy Records. I’ve never heard anything from Habitt nor his label in the past so I had no idea what to expect when I started writing this review.

1. Marc’s Skit 

2. N From Tha O feat. The Luniz 

The album’s starting with a real nice cut from Habitt and the Luniz. The trio’s basically saying that they’re from “Tha O” as in Oakland. I’m definitely feeling the beat and all three MC’s are showing off with a tight flow and sharp lyrics. N from tha O is definitely a banger and a great way to start off the album even though it’s making me higher my expectation level for the rest of the album. Habitt’s proving that he’s a tight MC right away. Single material.

3. Cross Me Border feat. Ellie 

Cross Me Border is a reggae influenced cut with reggae singer Ellie on it. When I went on to fatdaddyrecords.com, this song started playing with a video to it so I think that it’s the first single but I’m not sure. If it indeed is the first single, it’s an excellent pick. The bouncy beat’s making it bound to be a song played at clubs.

4. We Got (Mooch’s skit) 

5. We Got 

The Mooch shit was a skit with Mooch telling Habitt that we, the listeners, need something more gangsta for the streets, and that’s just what’s given to us here. We Got has a harder hitting and darker beat. Habitt’s talking about the people on the street. It’s a real tight track.

6. Strictly Game feat. Blk Diamond & Queen 

Habitts label mate Blk Diamond’s making his entrance on the album on this track and I have to say I’m impressed. Habitt’s lucky he’s a tight rapper, or he would have been outshined by his label mates tight flow. Once again Habitt has gotten a top notch beat to work with.

7. Lessions feat. Ellie 

Lessions is a track for the chicks. Habitt’s talking about how he learned his lesion with a girl and that you shouldn’t hurt the ones that you love. I know, I know, it applies to everyone but since most guys won’t admit that, these kind of tracks are often said to be for the chicks. All the beats seem to be top notch on this album, so I stopped noticing the tight beats.

8. Shakin’ It Up feat Ken & Lamont Bentley 

Just like the title implies, Shakin’ It Up is a party track about being all up in the club. The beat’s more funky than clubish tho and I’d rather bump Cross Me Border or N From Tha O at the club. This is still a tight track that makes you nod your head to it. Ken & Lamont Bentley’s doing nice guest appearances and it’s all in all a track that I know I’ll be bumping several times.

9. Yvette’s skit 

Yvette Wilson’s skit is basically her telling Habitt that his strong pimp hand made her the hoe that she is. It’s obviously a joke and it’s a funny skit.

10. Have U ever feat. Knoc-Turn’al 

“Have you ever said something in your life that you never thought that you would ever say? Or better yet, have you ever done something in your life that you never thought that you’d ever do?” Habitt asks us. The content of this track made me forget about the review for a minute. It makes you think… I guess I was, like Knocturnal put it, “in the zone”. The beat’s average but the content of the lyrics still makes this a track rated above the average track out there.

11. Hypnotize feat. Ahu G Fort 

Hypnotize is on some Timbaland tip. Timbaland didn’t produce the track, but it’s got his style. The tight hook by Ahu G Fort and the laid back flow from Habitt makes this a smokers track. It’s got a musical depth.

12. Watchin’ Out feat Blk Diamond 

Blk Diamond is doing an other guest appearance on Watchin’ Out, and just like last time he’s doing it real good. I heard Blk Diamond was taught how to rap and flow by Tupac and if that’s true, Makaveli has once again set his mark in the history books. I’m already looking forward to Blk Diamonds solo album. Habitt’s showing off a real tight flow over the tight drum and bass based beat and it’s an other tight track from this album.

13. Come Get It feat Slim 

On this cut, I’d say the chorus is at the centre of attention. Don’t get me wrong; Habitt and fast female rapper Slim are doing tight verses, but when the hook kicks in you’ll have a hard time not singing along. The strong hook is what makes this track to be single material in my opinion.

14. Riders 

Riders is a rock influenced track with electric guitars and live drums on it with a metallic sound mixed in. I can imagine it being hard to find a flow for this type of production, but Habitt succeeds on this track making it a solid cut.

15. What U Need 

Habitt’s once again showing an excellent skill in writing and doing hooks. Others have proven hooks to be real important for a mainstream appeal so it can only be a good thing. I’m really feeling the verses on What U Need too, so the hook’s not as much the main thing here like on Come Get It. The thing I noticed when listening to the track was that I thought it was too short… but it’s 3:30 so I guess I just felt like I wanted to hear more of it!

16. Street Life feat Blk Diamond 

The last track of the album is just like an outro track. It’s like it was meant to be put as the last song on the album. He’s also shouting some people out at the end so I guess it was planned all along. I’m not trying to set a bad example for the kids or anything… but this is a track to smoke to!

17. Curry’s skit

Just a skit.

This debut album from Habitt and his label, Fat Daddy Records, surprised me. The album’s surprisingly well produced and Habitt seems to be experienced with the way he kept delivering tight cuts track after track. His flow and the way he built the hooks makes me think this album’s going to be a hit. Habitt’s also got a mainstream appeal with some radio friendly songs.

I’ve been bumping the album for a while and my favourite songs from day to day. It has songs for many different moods, and a rare solidity without a bunch of album fillers.

I rate this album 4 out of 5.

1. Don’t Look Now

Nice fast paced track, the beat(Produced by Ski) sounds like something you’d hear on “Matlock”, nice detective type sound. Pacewon & Young Zee shine on this track as they trade witty lines back and forth. Great track to start off the album. Good

2. The Rah Rah

DOPE!!! This is a Pacewon solo track and features some really different production by Ski, it has an Arabian type feel to it and has a hard bounce bass line mixed in. Pace flows perfectly over this track, his rugged flow matches the beat and the end result is some great music. This was their single to the album, and it was a perfect single in my opinion. DOPE!

3. F**k Y’all Niggaz(Feat Rah Digga)

Rah Digga is basically a part of the Outsidaz so I don’t know why she was billed as a feature but then again I can sort of understand why she was(If that makes sense). Nice bouncy beat here, it’s hard hitting has a hint of catchiness to it. Young Zee & Rah Digga are on this track, it’s like a man vs woman type thing. Great track. Good

4. Rush Ya Clique(Feat Eminem)

DOPE!!!! Yes Eminem was at one time a part of the Outsidaz clique. Nice beat here, it has an old school type feel but yet is mixed with a newer sound, it’s hard to describe. Everyone comes tight on this track, Eminem has a semi weird verse but it’s pretty good. Great track. DOPE!

5. Money, Money, Money

Has a powwow type sound to it, with electric guitars mixed in, really good beat here. Track is about keeping….money(Of course), all the Outsidaz members shine here. Great track. Good

6. It’s Goin Down

Sort of bouncy type beat here, it’s a little sloppy. Zee shines here though, man Young Zee is overlooked, the guy could’ve been huge but was mis-used. Pacewon(Another overlooked rapper) does a good job on this track as well. Good track. Good

7. Night Life

Has an epic type feel to it, nice Eminem voice samples mixed in(“Spaced out like Dr. Octagon”). Everyone comes tight on this track, man Outsidaz were a great group with Newark with a ton of chemistry, I can’t believe how mis-used they were. Anyway great track. DOPE!

All in all this gets a Good rating. From Newark New Jersey, the Outz were a group who should be heard, they have so many good tracks. Cop this EP and support real Hip Hop!

Hi-Tek. One half of the Hip-Hop duo Reflection Eternal (as seen on the LP Train of Thought), in-house producer for the conscious rap scene’s favorite team Black Star, staff producer for Dr Dre’s Aftermath label and possibly the most talented beat maker in the whole camp; I first stumbled upon DJ Hi-Tek listening to Talib Kweli, as most can relate, and instantly recognized his prowess and soul. This, his first and only solo release, allows him to finally do a CD the way he wants it done.

1) Scratch Rappin

This is, obviously, produced by Hi-Tek himself. It’s a scratchy-sounding instrumental, aptly enough; a chopped, vintage-sounding piano starts off over a kick-clap combination that serve as the drums. Instead of rapping over the beat, Tek uses samples to get across what he wants said, then lets the instrumental play out. (Good)

2) Sun God ft. Common

A light, bouncy (sunny, if you will) string over an eclectic drum sets the mood here. Common obviously feels at home on the beat, using his full arsenal of wordplay. He speaks in an abstract, roundabout way about finding happiness. He gives us heavy visuals of the block; broken glass, weed fiends, prostitutes; one can envision a sunny day in the ghetto, and finding joy despite one’s surroundings. (Excellent)

3) Get Back pt 2 ft. Talib Kweli, DCQ

Kweli begins the track acapella, warning the listener to respect his personal space; immediately, the dangerous Spanish-flavored guitar and shuffling rattlesnake effect jump in to back him as he starts one of the righteous tirades he’s known for, about love of true music. DCQ merely jumps in to spit the chorus and do some hype man work. (Great)

4) Breakin Bread ft. Donte, Main Flow, Brian Digby Jr, Crunch

This beat has a more nostalgic, Primo-quality feel to it, a repeated but never repetitive string-and-kick combination with a horn thrown in; samples kick off the track. Donte comes in first with a rapid flow, spitting a nice verse full of internal rhyme; dispensing with the hook, Main Flow jumps on with a slower and huskier delivery, using vocabulary to his advantage at points. The sampled hook returns, then it’s right into Brian Digby Jr, yet another internal-rhyming, wordplay-kicker, verse nice but strongest at the end. Crunch is the strongest on the track, cutting loose from the rest with a multi-styled 16 to keep it fresh. (Good)

5) All I Need ft. Cormega, Jonell

Somehow sounds influenced by Dre’s original The Chronic, the style of production from that era; a deep-bassed, multilayered construct of piano chords, 3 or 4 in all, of a variety of notes. Cormega spits heat to his woman about loving her but needing to make money on the block. Jonell is smooth on the hook, playing the part of his girl. Right at the end of the track the beat changes, a more jumpy offering, then quickly fades out. (Great)

6) Where I’m From ft. Jinx da Juvy

Utilizing (unfortunately) the same sample he put on Talib Kweli’s “The Blast,” Hi-Tek provides Jinx with an organic, bassheavy backdrop over which to boast to his heart’s content. Jinx spits his aggressive thug-themed lines with heart, if only a decent amount of skill. (Decent)

7) Tony Guitar Watson

The next joint kicks off on a more thoughtful note; uptempo drums beat away at some kind of warped (also uptempo) string, while a cinematic violin-type instrument plays in the background. Like Scratch Rappin, this is an instrumental track, and a good one. (Good)

8) Round and Round ft. Jonell

A regretful, R&B-styled string drops in over a thumping bass/shuffle drum production, while Jonell flexes her singing skills. She croons longingly but firmly about her on-again-off-again relationship, high-toned on the chorus and smooth in the verses. Around the second verse, a bass solo takes over for the breakdown. (Great)

9) Get ta Steppin ft. Mos Def, Vinia Mojica

A sluggish, jazzy track that sounds like something off of Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides; Mos intros crooning to an unidentified woman, with Mojica playing background vocals. Though not excersizing his lyrical talents, Mos clearly enjoyed making the cut, and it shows in his performance. (Good)

10) Theme From Hi-Tek ft. Talib Kweli

Over an oldschool, 70’s-flavored track, Kweli rhymes a quick, frenetic verse about his own skills and repping his music. A change from the slow mood of the previous track, but nothing out of place and certainly a great effort. (Great)

11) LTAH ft. Slum Village

This track is a bit bubbly, a disjointed kind of woman track. It’s not my favorite beat; the Detroit duo rhyme pretty well about meeting a woman at a bar one night, but nothing special. (Poor)

12) Suddenly ft. Donte, Main Flow

An Italian-styled, haunting guitar (accordion?) that sounds like something out of one of the Godfather’s Italy scenes drops in over a marching drum. Donte and Main Flow come in to drop nice verses about clubbing and flossing. However, the substance is out of place over the otherwise interesting and good beat. (Decent)

13) Illest it Gets ft. Buckshot

The bass heavy drums come pounding in first, followed quickly by the triumphant sound of a distant electric guitar. Boot Camp Click’s Buckshot comes in with the exact tone of confidence the track warrants; his verses, as usual, are the sickness. (Excellent)

14) Hi-Teknology ft. Jonell

Surprisingly, Hi-Tek actually raps over the title track/final track. The beat is a jumpy, club-type track with an animated bassline and some jumpy synth keys thrown in. Jonell is on the chorus, repeating “Hi-Tek” and humming to the beat; Tek spit’s a pretty nice verse, about himself. (Great)

My Rating: 4.5/5

Tek is at his most musically versatile on this LP, obviously enjoying being able to do what he wants without having to answer to the managerially inept (i.e. A&Rs at Rawkus Records who made him give his beats and songs to other label mates). He has a great guest list, bringing together talents one would think were a slight mismatch (Cormega and Common, for example) yet he changes to suit them all.

My Recommendation: Buy it..order it if you have to, listen to it at least!

Back in 1996, Nas was shaping up a pet project he called “The Firm”–a four-MC, one-producer project which involved Cormega. However, shortly after announcing the album, Cormega was replaced with another Queensbridge native, Nature. After being released, Mega went through more label trouble; Def Jam Records shelved his recorded debut, The Testament, made in 1997. Now, eight years after leaving the label, Mega can finally release the never-publicly-heard album which should have announced his presence in the rap game.

1) Intro

A lethargic piano accompanies Cormega as he recites a verse in the form of spoken-word poetry.

2) 62 Pickup

Mega is in a courtroom, about to hear his sentence; the judge asks him if he’d like to say any words, and he launches into the track. This beat was produced by Cormega himself; mostly a slow, sympathy-inducting piano. Mega’s lyrics are nice, maybe the flow not as developed but overall a good track. (Good)

3) One Love

A reply to the famous One Love track by Nas; Mega ‘writes’ back, ironically showing Nas love. The beat is nice, an aural flute over a thumping drum. Mega’s lyrics are nice; if they’re to be compared to Nas’ on the original One Love, I’d say the track is about as good. (Great)

4) Interlude

Mega lists the ‘greatest’ aspects of life–the greatest victory, defeat, etc.

5) Angel Dust ft. Havoc

Over a slightly gothic, haunting compilation of strings, Mega spits scorching verses about himself and his street tendencies. His lyrics are sick to say the least; Hav comes on for the chorus, lending it that bleak, Mobb Deep-type feel. (Excellent)

6) Dead Man Walking

Over a bleak piano chord, Mega spits a vivid story about going against a street rival. Proof his storytelling skills can rival the best–Nas, for instance. (Great)

7) Montana Diary

Another haunting string track, done masterfully; this sounds like it was orchestrated. Mega’s lyrics over the shuffling drums are some full-out fire; clearly meant to signal the start of a rap titan. (Excellent)

8) Testament

A dark and disjointed piano/accordion(?) track, Cormega once again spits some great, complex lyrics. (Great)

9) Testament

The beat here doesn’t flow as well as the newer version; otherwise, the track is about the same.

10) Every Hood ft. Fatal Hussein

A lighter, more hopeful beat sees Cormega and then-Outlaw Fatal Hussein rhyme about connecting through hoods. Fatal’s kickoff verse is nice; so are Mega’s follow-up lyrics. The hook is okay, but mostly serves to be over quickly so Fatal and Mega can return to trading verses. (Excellent)

11) Coco Butter

Using a muted version of the same sample that AZ would later use for his song “Seems That Way” off of Final Call, Mega rhymes to a woman; he’s not at his best here, but he still manages to hold the track up; the song itself, however, sounds out-of-place on this particular album. (Decent)

12) Killaz Theme ft. Mobb Deep

This sinister, Havoc-produced soft-violin cut sees Prodigy, Cormega and Havoc rhyme some of their best verses respectively, giving it that real dark Queensbridge sound that Mobb Deep manifested at the time. A nostalgic look at what Mobb Deep once was as well as a great song in itself. (Excellent)

13) Love is Love

Using what seems to be same sample used in GZA’s Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (however used in a very different way), Mega kicks advice to a younger thug and other hoodlums about watching one’s back in the streets. (Good)

14) Dead Man Walking (Remix)

Using a revamped version of the original beat, Mega forsakes the narrative format and kicks it straight to his enemies, Friend or Foe style. (Excellent)

My Rating: 4/5

This album has already come under light fire in regards to Mega’s then-undeveloped flow. However his lyrics are still top-notch, and this solid debut album should serve as a Testament to his improvement since then and his determination to make it in the rap scene. If he’d only been able to release it when it was ready (on a major label such as Def Jam), followed by his next two acclaimed albums, maybe his career would have been a bit different.

My Recommendation: B…U…Y.

1. Intro 

Intro

2. On The Prowl 

Nice Necro beat here, it’s abrasive and has a nice distorted sound to it, I can’t really describe it. Mr. Hyde rips it, he really worked hard to improve his flow, he sounds much more crisp and very vicious. The lyrics? Well it’s gore but Hyde does it in such a manner that it doesn’t become redundant. Dope track. Good

3. Say My Name(Little Brittany) 

Nice dark beat by Necro, it’s really eerie and sets the tone for the track. Brittany “sings” a decent chorus, it’s a little corny but hey who cares? Hyde raps are vicious and piercing here. Great track. Good

4. The Crazies(Feat Necro, Ill Bill, & Goretex) 

CIRCLE OF TYRANTS!!!! Great dark piano beat here, has a grimey Queensbridge type sound to it with a nice flute like sound thrown in there. Hyde starts it off with a good verse, then GORETEX rips it, then Ill Bill throws in a vicious verse where he uses his psycho deep voiced out of control flow, then Necro finishes it off with a dope verse, I think Necro is overlooked on the mic, he’s perfectly acceptable on the mic and he does a good job painting mental pictures. Crazy track with no chorus just verses. DOPE!

5. Barn Of The Naked Dead 

Crazy Necro beat here, sounds like a psycho is on the loose and well Hyde is rapping so it’s true. Hyde gives some bugged out goon lyrics here as he kidnaps women and takes them to his barn, this was inspired by a B-Gore Movie so keep that in mind when you listen to the track. Good track. Good

6. Spill Your Blood 

Necro produces a dark Chinese type beat here. Hyde flows vicious here giving some gore type lyrics, good track. Good

7. Knife In Your Spine(Feat Necro) 

Eerie beat by Necro. Necro starts off with a good verse using a ton of multi’s and using some dope wordplay. Hyde next and he outshines Necro, man he’s working hard on this album, that’s good to hear because I’m sick of rappers half assing their flow and lyrics on tracks. Good track. Good

8. Malignant Messiah 

Eerie sample in the beginning and then a hard organ type beat kicks in. Hyde flows vicious on here, really good track. Good

9. Street Veterans Part 2(Feat Ill Bill & Necro) 

Nice funky type beat by Necro here. Part 1 was on Brutality and was just a Hyde solo. Hyde starts it off and flows perfectly on this track. Necro does a good chorus here. Ill Bill up next and he rips it. This track is dope! DOPE!

10. Weapons Of Mass Destruction 

Nice hard hitting beat by Necro and some nice Necro voice samples. Hyde raps about hitting you with different weapons. Good track. Good

11. Bums Intro(Kid Joe) 

Kid Joe explains that he’s a bum, Kid Joe is great.

12. Bums(Feat Necro & Uncle Howie) 

DOPE! Necro produces a more light hearted beat with several “Bum” voice samples throughout, really clever track as Hyde raps about being a bum with some hilarious yet true lyrics. Necro then raps about how bums live, smell, etc etc. Uncle Howie even gives a semi verse, really funny stuff. Great track. DOPE!

13. Death Sentence(Feat Sabac) 

Pretty clever track as Sabac plays a guard and Hyde plays the part of a prisoner on death row who gets executed. Good track. Good

14. Married To Pain 

Interesting beginning as Necro wed’s pain. Hyde raps about…well dishing out pain. Good track. Good

15. Beesh(Malaki Skit) 

Skit.

16. Buggin Out(Feat Kid Joe) 

Kid Joe just gives psycho lines. Hyde tries a new rhyme style here, not bad. I like the crazed piano beat by Necro. Good

17. Them(Feat Goretex, Ill Bill, & Necro) 

Nice dark piano beat here by Necro. Necro starts the track off with a good verse. Ill Bill with the next verse and he has a good verse. Goretex gives a vicious verse. Hyde finishes it off with a pretty good verse. Another great track by the Circle Of Tyrants. No chorus just all lyrics. DOPE!

18. Outro

Outro.

19. The Crazies(86 Metal Mix)(Feat Necro, Ill Bill, & Goretex) 

Same track but with a pretty good heavy metal sound to it, nice guitar playing but it sounds weird. Good

All in all this gets a Good rating. This was an album that got overlooked, Mr. Hyde worked his ass off here rhyming and Necro provided the great beats, worth a listen.

1. The Zone-ettes

Intro to the album, it’s pretty funny as J-Zone introduces his own female back up group, then he fires them afterwards. I can’t rate this but for comedy it was great.

2. $poiled Rotten(Feat Celph Titled)

DOPE! The beat by J-Zone is really heavy, it hits pretty hard and has a hint of electric guitar thrown in. J-Zone & Celph show some great chemistry together. Great track, we’re off to a great start. DOPE!

3. A Friendly Game Of Basketball

What a clever track, this track is about how J-Zone would crush any music artist in a game of basketball. He goes after Bow Wow, Ice Cube, & Master P, of course this is not meant to be mean spirited so J-Zone is not trying to beef with any of them. I like the beat here, it’s heavy hitting but has pretty good singing samples. This is one of Zone’s greatest tracks. DOPE!

4. Edit These

Clever track, see J-Zone can’t get a track played by the radio because his music is too “dirty”, so he edits it with the cursing edited(In fact it’s edited to go backwards) so you get a hilarious second verse. Really clever track. Good

5. Greater Later(Feat Devin The Dude)

Oh yea DEVIN!!!!! This is not the type of beat you’d expect Devin to rap over but that’s not a bad thing, in fact Devin does a great job and the J-Zone beat is really good as well. This is a surreal track. Devin does the first verse and it’s really good. J-Zone with the second verse and it’s also pretty good. You have to hear this track. Good

6. Xactly

Beat is ok, it’s got a funky feel to it. J-Zone sounds like he’s using echoes for a voice effect. The lyrics and concept are pretty funny(It’s about bad breath and poor hygiene). Good enough. Good

7. Kill Pretty

The beat here is great, it may sound a little odd during the first listen but once you hear the track more you get used to it. J-Zone raps about how ugly he is and how he needs alcohol to get girls. Pretty funny track. Good

8. Baldylocks

This track reminds me of Willie D’s “Bald Headed Hoe’s” and really anything that reminds you of WILLIE D! is dope. Track is about how women are bald one day and then the next day they have a full head of hair. Hilarious track, really good as well. Good

9. Crutches

Skit.

10. Disco Ho(Feat Dick $tallion)

Nice semi disco-ish beat by J-Zone, it’s got some funk in it as well. J-Zone raps about not dancing, pretty funny stuff. Chorus has some bad singing which J-Zone says “Sound better than Pharrell…for half the price!”. Great track. Good

11. Flight 212

Skit.

12. Bulls**t City

Nice funky type beat, it’s almost Premo-ish. Track is about New York, I like the scratching on this track. Great track. Good

13. Heavy Metal(Starring Al Shid)

This is an Al Shid solo track, J-Zone does the beat here and it’s nice and dark. Shid does pretty good on this track. Good

14. Oops!(I’m Sorry B*tch)

Nice bouncy type beat. J-Zone tries a different style of rapping on here, really dope stuff. Track is pretty funny as well. Good

15. Sleazy Listening

J-Zone makes some porn background music here with numerous sex samples. I can’t rate this.

16. Lightweight(Remix)

Nice beat here, there are some different styles going on here, some guitar’s and bouncy type bass here. J-Zone raps about not being able to hold his liquor, pretty funny stuff, good track as well. Good

17. The Zone Report

DOPE!!!!! This may be my favorite J-Zone track ever and he even mentions ICE T!!!! J-Zone raps about his entire album catalogue. It’s pretty interesting to hear him give his honest opinion on his own albums. You have to hear this track, the beat here is really funky and has a really good electric guitar type riff mixed in. DOPE!

18. Old Maid Theme/Biscuits II

Nice shout out type track, J-Zone gives a great shout out to Devin. Nice way to end this though I really can’t rate this.

All in all I give this a Good rating. This may be J-Zone’s greatest album, this smokes his old stuff easily. The skits were kept to a minimum and J-Zone was more focused here. Most def cop this album.

1. Model Citizens

Intro.

2. Q&A

Pretty good beat by J-Zone (J-Zone did all the production on this album by the way), it’s a different beat sounds a little goofy but it’s great. The track is about an interviewer who asks J-Zone questions about his life, career, etc etc etc. Pretty dope track. Good

3. Live From The Pimp Palace East(Feat Huggy & Al Shid)

Long song title name, but that’s not a big deal. Pretty good beat, has a bass like guitar plucked in there, I can’t really describe J-Zone beats. Huggy starts it off with a dope verse, then a dope chorus consisting of scratching occurs, J-Zone uses voice samples which is dope. Al Shid with the next verse and it’s pretty good. J-Zone with the last verse and it’s pretty funny, he even mentions bumping Bushwick Bill(CHUCKWICK!) which gets points. Good track. Good

4. Stroke happy

Hilarious skit.

5. The Trojan War(Feat Thug Penis(AKA Huggy))

Well that’s an interesting character name. I like the beat here, it’s got several voice samples throughout. This track is about safe & unsafe sex, decent message at the end. Good track. Good

6. The Bum-***** Ballad

Beat has a cheesy Italian(No offense to the Italians) feel to it, it’s pretty good and the chorus consists of “*****” scratches, one from Too Short. J-Zone raps about women in a hilarious manner. Good track. Good

7. 190(Feat Al Shid)

Pretty good beat by J-Zone, it’s sort of bouncy but maintains that J-Zone sound to it. Al Shid raps about drinking alcohol and getting hung over. Pretty good track. Good

8. You Block You Bleed

Hilarious skit about some aspiring nerd rapper who bothers J-Zone, classic skit here but I can’t rate it.

9. Block Itch

Pretty good guitar type beat, it has a South West type feel to it. Song is great, it’s about J-Zone who meets a woman and she says she’s going to bring her cousin and J-Zone thinks it’s another girl and it turns out to be a guy and he’s some wanna be rapper who bothers J-Zone, I saw it coming but it still was hilarious. Great track. Good

10. No Consequences(Feat Huggy Bear)

DOPE!!!! This track is great! Nice chants in the beat, nice dark feel to it. Track is about causing terror in a world where police are off duty, I can’t do it justice. Hilarious lyrics by J-Zone(“Roll through the ghetto bumpin ‘Ice Ice Baby'”). Huggy does a really good job as well. DOPE!

11. A Word From Our Sponsor

Skit.

12. County Check Pimpin

Really goofy type beat, it’s pretty good albeit totally out of left field. Track is about J-Zone selling his time, pretty funny stuff. Good

13. Zone President

Great beat here, classic J-Zone. Hilarious lyrics by J-Zone(“Backpackers wave while I pump that Trick Daddy”). The chorus has a pretty dope beat change in it, then J-Zone starts dissing internet rapper wannabe’s. Great track. DOPE!

14. I’m F*ckin Up The Money(Feat Huggy)

Huggy solo track with J-Zone on the production. Nice voice samples throughout the track and Huggy does a great job rapping here. Good

15. Old Maid Legal Aid

Skit.

16. Jailbait Jennifer(Feat Al Shid)

This will offend some people, I don’t really like this track. Wack

17. S.H.I.D. Chapter 5(Feat Al Shid)

Al Shid solo track with a great J-Zone beat backing it. Great track, Shid’s a pretty dope rapper. Good

18. Ms. Platonic Part 2

Original was on “Bottle of Whup Ass EP” and this version is much better. The beat is a pretty guitar type heavy with a pretty dope accordion thrown in. J-Zone raps about platonic friends, pretty good track. Good

19. The J-Zone Fan Club

Skit.

20. Invisible ink(Feat Huggy)

DOPE!!! This is a Huggy solo track and it’s really good. Nice weird guitar like beat. There’s a different beat that kicks in during the second verse that is great, it needs to be heard. Great track as Huggy raps about society. DOPE!

21. Metrocard Millionaires(Feat Al Shid & Huggy)

DOPE!!! One of my favorite J-Zone tracks. Beat has a great electric guitar type riff added in there. J-Zone starts it off with a funny verse, then Shid with a great verse, then Huggy with a great verse, and J-Zone finishes it off with another funny semi short verse. Nice chorus that is full of scratches. DOPE!

22. Billionaire Theme

Short instrumental, I can’t really rate this.

23. Fan Club President

Outro, nice beat though.

All in all this gets a Good rating. This was something different and it worked, J-Zone isn’t your typical producer or rapper for that matter, most of his lines are filled with sarcasm and humor(Which is great). COP THIS!

1. The Illest Villains

Intro.

2. Accordion

Nice beat by Madlib, he samples from Daedelus(“Experience” is the song). Really good track, and Doom flows well over it, this whole concept is great because it has Madlib doing all of the production and Doom doing all of the rapping(Well except for a few tracks). Great track. Good

3. Meat Grinder

Great starting before the real beat kicks in, I wish Madlib used the first one instead of the second. Nice dark beat here with some old 1950’s type beach sound that kicks in. Doom’s flow here fits the beat perfectly. Great track. Good

4. Bistro

Great little skit here, great beat by Madlib here, I wish there was some rapping over it. I can’t rate it though.

5. Raid(Feat Medaphoar)

I like the beginning as it sounds like Lootpacks “On Point”, but then a different beat kicks in, it’s a lot more bouncy. I dig the chorus here as it’s just weird voice samples piling up on each other. Doom & Medaphoar come tight, I like Medaphoar a lot, he did a great track called “Listen To This”. DOPE!

6. America’s Most Blunted(Feat Quasimoto)

Weird intro but it works. This track is great because it shows great chemistry between Doom & Quas. You know what this track is about so I’m not going to get into it. Doom starts it off with a great verse, then QUAS!!!!!!! with an even better verse! One of my favorite tracks on the album. DOPE!

7. Sickfit(Instrumental)

Yup this is an instrumental, it has an Asian feel to it with a heavy bass line, pretty good. Good

8. Rainbows

Eh, I’m not big into Doom’s singing, nice old school 70’s cop show beat by Madlib though, overall this track is average. Average

9. Curls

Pretty good track, the beat isn’t that great but Doom carries it well. Good

10. Do Not Fire(Instrumental)

Nice sinister type beat by Madlib, it has that evil Arabian feel to it. Good stuff. Good

11. Money Folder

Nice eerie type beat by Madlib. Doom does a good job, about 35 seconds into the track it cuts to some weird beat and no rapping very crudely, that was weird. Good

12. Shadows Of Tomorrow(Feat Quasimoto)

No Doom on here, it’s a Quas and Madlib track. Quasimoto starts it off with a pretty good verse, it’s not like your average run of the mill type verses. Madlib with a pretty good verse. Great track. DOPE!

13. Operation Lifesaver AKA Mint Test

Great track name. Beat sounds like something that Doom would produce. Good but short track. Good

14. Figaro

Nice bass heavy type beat by Madlib, beat is very low and semi dark. Doom does a great job on here as well. Good

15. Hardcore Hustle(Feat Wildchild)

A Wildchild solo track, you know I usually find Wildchild to be boring but he does a great job on here, in fact this is his best track ever. Madlib does a great job with the beat as well. Track is only about a minute 30 seconds but it’s great. Good

16. Strange Ways

I don’t really like this track, the voice samples just annoy me here. Doom does a good job on here though. Average

17. Fancy Clown(Feat Viktor Vaughn)

Well this is a Viktor Vaughn solo track(In case you didn’t know Viktor Vaughn is to Doom how Quasimoto is to Madlib). Nice beat here, has a nice laid back feel to it. Great track. DOPE!

18. Eye(Feat Stacy Epps)

Great track here, this is a Stacy Epps solo track and she does a great job singing the repeated lines over and over and over again. Madlib produces a really good beat here, it’s pretty relaxing, man Madlib is such an overlooked producer. Great track. DOPE!

19. Supervillain Theme(Instrumental)

Pretty good Madlib beat here, it has a sinister feel to it, like an evil villain is fighting a super hero(Stupid description I know). Short but good. Good

20. All Caps

This was the single to the album and the video to this track is amazing. The beat is so Doom-like it’s not even funny, sounds just like an old school super hero theme. Doom does 2 verses here with a nice chorus consisting of heavy bass & piano’s. Very original track. DOPE!

21. Great Day

Doom sings and I cringe, but he finally starts rapping and it gets really good. Nice beat by Madlib, it has a good jazz feel to it. Great track. DOPE!

22. Rhinestone Cowboy

Great beat by Madlib here, it has a nice singing sample on here. Doom does a great job here, nice way to end the album. DOPE!

All in all this gets a Good rating. Wow such a brilliant album, and the concept was pretty clever, have Doom rap and Madlib produce. Madlib tried to go for a Doom feel here with the production which was really interesting, he did a good job as well. Doom of course did a really good job on lyrics. You have to get this album!

the album cover: 8 Tarentinos out of 10

This is the first thing you notice when coming across an album so it’s important that the artist makes some sort of statement or at least gives you some damn near nekkid hoes. No hoes to be found here but the cover is dope regardless, looking like a bootleg version of Reservoir Dogs, you see an image that recalls the infamous ‘stuck in the middle with you’ torture scene. With a cover like this and a name like Sex, Money & Gunz this we’re certainly of to a very promising start. Seriousely who’s going to ***** with you when you have this sticking out of your backpack at bandcamp?

the album booklet: 6 Calvin Klein rejects out of 10

Nothing special about this one right here. A couple of pictures of the groupmembers. Seems like Smooth is so bummed out these days his drug of choice has become some sort of horse laxative, or maybe it’s supposed to be a metaphor for “yo, look at me ma, I’m shittin’ on the game!”. Whatever the case may be I didn’t feel the need to see a rapper sit on the toilet and I’m guessing neither did you. There’s some info on who produced what and so forth, plus an add for the next Body Count album.

the actual record: 7 jhericurl gangsters out of 10

1. Intro 

“one two..this is Ice T, you’re about to listen to the SMG record..” The Iceberg kicks a little game for street soldiers and suburbanites alike about “those two types of niggas and those two type of *****es”. Just a spoken intro but if you’re a longtime Ice fan it’s enough to bring a smile to your face just the same.

2. Repossession 

The first real track sets things of nicely. The whole idea behind the Repossession album is explained by Ice who talks over a solid beat with a nice piano loop behind it. Every emcee spits an alright verse, nothing that’ll guarantee you a cultfollowing on the internet but you get the general idea: gangsta rap is back, repossessed from all those faking the funk.

3. Radio Play 

Remember the Power LP? Of course you do! Ice already told you how he felt about those radio cats and guess what? Sixteen years down the line and Radio Programmers are STILL suckers. The track is driven by a pounding drumbreak and, once more, some piano sounds. There’s also a nice, albeit slightly generic synth line that should appeal to those who are still bumping The Chronic album on the daily. I like this track, the lyrics are funny enough to make a tired concept work.

4. Bang Bang 

Bang Bang is…a Banger. A simple but highly effective chorus and a pulsating beat. Smooth absolutely kills his verse, reminding you why he was one of the best rappers out there in the nineties.

5. Get it Going 

SMG knows a thing or two about momentum cause if Bang Bang had you hyped then this joint won’t bring you down. Another aggressive gangsta joint. Ice says that if you ever meet someone colder than him he’s moving over but as far as I’m concerned I don’t see anyone moving in on the premier pimp position just yet. Smooth comes even nicer than he did on the previous track. Trigger and Deuce Fever spit alright verses, actually Trigger has a couple of lines that bring a smile to my face…something about throwing pitts in the basement where he’s holding your kids…what can I say I’m a sick *****er.

6. Did That 

Not really impressed by the beat on this one, a chopped up drumbeat and and a little piano line. The verses are alright even if they’re a notch or two below what we’ve heard so far. The hook is horrid though, yeah they did that but maybe they shouldn’t have done this.

7. Compton Brooklyn

Ah, the lads redeem themselves with this one. Maybe not completely but we’re back on track all the same. Smooth and Ice spit verses in a way that brings to mind the chemistry Run and DMC had, talking about the differences between Compton and Brooklyn. If you’re from either city you’ll like this one even more I guess.

8. My Gun 

You’ve heard this one before…but odds are it had a different title, “I gave you power” or maybe “me and my girlfriend”. It sounded better when you heard it back in the day as well. There’s the requisite soulsample in the background and a crooned hook that goes nowhere.

9. Mama Say A Prayer 

Okay we’ve got a bunch of kids on the chorus and they sound so worried about life that they’re bursting into song! I guess this is Sex, Money & Gunz with a conscience. Not a bad track but…not stellar either, I guess tolerable is the best word for it but then again that doesn’t seem to do justice to Smooth the Hustler who spits that fire once more. ***** it, Smooth’s verse makes this a dope track.

10. Hustler/Player/Gambler 

I feel like throwing a barbeque and inviting all my friends from high school. That’s the vibe this one delivers. The typical “it wasn’t all bad back in the day though, was it?” fare but no matter how many times you’ve heard this before it won’t hurt hearing it just one more time.

11. Please Believe Me 

How to talk game to a chick 101. Tracks like these really give way to the fact Ice was once a pimp. The hook is brought to you by some undistinguished R&B cat but it actually adds to the overall effect of the track. The content is sleazy and cheap too after all.

12. Swazy 

Once I bust a nut I’m out, all the real niggaz know what I’m talking about, we might take you out to dinner buy you shit it’s crazy…but once I bust a nut I’m swazy. Unadulturaded funtime fire. Every verse is on point but the Hustler comes of the nicest all the same. Your girl might claim to hate this but she’ll have a hard time hiding her smile cause this one is just too contagious to ignore.

13. Hangout Hustle

Finally Smooth gets a well-deserved solo. The hook consist out of a Naughty By Nature sample and the Hustler kills it once again with some crazy alliterations and multis. Great stuff.

14. Stop The Talk 

This one wouldn’t have been out of place on Ice’s VI album, but to be honest it would’ve been filler on that one as well.

15. Rush the Coatroom

Imagine Grindin’ getting a Phantom of the Opera treatment by fleshing it out a little. Again, it doesn’t suck but it’s just too mediocre to make much of an impression.

16. The Game’s Real 

Ice still knows how to tell a story but the only problem is that we’ve heard him telling this particular one before and the Victory sounding beat doesn’t really help the cause.

17. Ya Got Me Open 

Okay, we’ve made this hardcore gangsta joint. We threatened a lot of nameless rappers, and we were very graphical about it. We praised our guns and told the hoes that ones we bust that nut we’re out. So where do we go from here? How about….a LOVE song! yeah that could work! This is actually the song that might have some radio rotation and piss off some kid to the point where he decides to record a song blasting the radio for playing some bullshit. The irony.

18. Would You Love Me

Rapper meets girl, girl isn’t true to rapper, rapper makes song about it, reviewer reviews it, you remain bored.

19. Outtro 

Smooth putting a lid on it…there you have it

the bottom line: Granted, a record like Repossession isn’t groundbreaking and on a worse day or when heared by someone who doesn’t get nostalgic when hearing Ice T or Smooth the Huslter it might even be called redundant or generic. And up to a point it is just that. But nobody went out trying to change the face of hip-hop with this release either. If the aim was to make a solid old fashioned gangsta rap record then SMG more than succeeded. All parties involved manage to make listening to this album feel like taking a trip down memory lane…even if that leads you to places you regretted visiting in the first place, kind of like the hardcore Duran Duran fan being confronted with his eighties hairdo twenty years down the line. Is this record worth buying? I’d say so: if you’re an Ice fan you’ll want this and if you’re a hip-hop fan you’ll want to hear some more of NY’s forgotten son Smooth the Hustler who rips virtually every track he spits on. Sometimes Sex, Money and Guns still manage to impress..even after all these years