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Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

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Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)The Wu-Tang Clan is probably the best-known, most-revered rap group in the history of Hip-Hop. Sportin 9 members who could really tear it up at any second–not just three or four good members and the rest being hype-men or selling points–Wu entered the game in 91 and took shit to a whole new level, gaining the respect of the entire industry in the process.

 

Shaolin Sword:

1) Bring da Ruckus

Intros the album with a really short skit and Ghost Face jumps on to kill it. The beat is a hard drum track, with random blats and horns thrown in. Raewon jumps on for the second verse; his early shit seems more hype, rather than the dark, raw style of Cuban Linx and his various Mobb Deep appearances. Regardless, he kills it. Inspectah Deck jumps on third and really stands out, killin an in-and-out scheme (AB, BA type shit). GZA’s verse is the last, and he kills it with his metaphorical symbolistic style. (Great)

2) Shame On a Nigga 

ODB shines over a beat in the same style as the last, cept with a nice piano chord thrown in. Method comes on second and just kills shit, one of his best verses which made the song so big. Raekwon comes on third and spits pretty nice, but can’t ***** with Meth’s verse, and neither can ODB’s finisher, tho Dirty’s playful style pretty much makes up for it. (Great)

3) Clan In da Front 

This beat is more creepin, a string beat with a buzzing in the background to symbolize the Killa Beez swarmin. RZA talks an intro for a while, introducin the Killa Beez, then the beat changes to a slightly bouncier dyslexic piano loop. This cut was GZA’s shine track, and he comes pretty nice with an aggressive take-no-shit style. (Good)

4) Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber 

Starts with a short skit about the Clanites chillin, till they get the news a homie just got deaded, and they’re on their way for revenge. This cut is actually 7 verses long, the only Wu-fam left out is Masta Killa and U-God. The bumpin drum track starts in and then comes the sporadic xylophone-type instrument. Raekwon starts off the rappin with a nice, hardcore verse; Meth follows up with trademark siccness, and so-on. RZA breaks the chain, always bein in my opinion the least lyrical of the Clan, but that’s irrela. (Great)

5) Can It All Be So Simple

A Raekwon/Ghost Face dual cut that showed for the first time how compatible the were rhymin together. The beat is seriously funkified, a thumpin base with a harp strum in the background and a smooth hook. Raekwon comes more familiar here, layin back a little and spittin that shit. Ghost sounds here like a tighter version of Freeway; same loose scheme and high voice, but better lyrics and flow, not as whiny. (Excellent)

Intermission: 

Short skit explaining the various alter-egos and nicknames and ways of the Clan.

Wu-Tang Sword:

6) Da Mystery of Chessboxin 

A faster-paced but still bumpin beat, with squeaky horns in the background. U-God and Masta Killa both finally make appearances here, wit a nice verse and a solid flow. Deck’s verse is solid but not his usual shit; Rae comes with the nicest verse on the shit, IMO, but Ol Dirty’s a runner-up with his funny-ass flow an lyrics. Ghost’s shit isn’t his best, but Killa’s verse also seriously kills it. (Great)

7) Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothin Ta F’ Wit

This beat is catchy n complex, with an Arabic-type whine and shit. RZA actually kills the first verse with lyrics and straight energy, Meth takes over with a sicc verse. Killa track, a standout in an album of illness. (Excellent)

8) CREAM

Another one of the album’s best tracks. The drums are bumpin, the piano melody is sicc, sounds like something off Illmatic. Rae spit’s an autobiographical verse first, killin it; Meth comes with the catch-as-hell hook, and Deck comes with another bio verse, reflecting on some of the revelations of his life. (Excellent)

9) Method Man

The infamous cut that introduced Meth as the Wu-Tang’s Ace card. It starts off with a sickly-funny skit about ‘methods’ of torture. The beat is a jumpin, energetic piece, which supports Meth’s playful, energetic style. Of course Tical lets off some illa lyrics. (Excellent)

10) Protect ya Neck 

The album’s first single (I think), one of those that got the shit so much deserved hype. The beat sounds more like a Cuban Linx or Liquid Swords style, a more dark and constant piano loop over the now-typical jumpin drums, with a little whine and some trumpet in the background. The only Clanite that doesn’t make even a small appearance here to kill it is Masta Killa. (Excellent)

11) Tearz 

This beat is definitely different, type bouncy, takes some getting used to but still pretty good. RZA and Ghost Face put it down for homies they seen taken down. RZA’s verse is pretty nice and emotional, but Ghost is a bit off here. Still a good, emotional song with a message, though. (Good)

12) Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber pt II

In the last joint on the CD, the beat becomes dark, heavy and bumpin, with random high horn blats. Rae, Tical, Deck, Ghost, ODB, RZA, Deck and Genius all kill it here, though Deck’s flow seems the best out of all’em. Not as good as the original. (Good)

 

My Rating: 5/5 (Classic)

So much shit was accomplished with one CD, listening to it is nearly impossible to believe the Wu would become fractured and distracted later on. First of all, this should be the definition of a group album; the group doin cuts together, various members together, solos, duos, the inhouse producer going crazy on the beats with every member killin it. Second of all the album is a reminder that a beat just needs to be little more than a thumpin drum and bass with the barebones of a tune, a real MC will take it and make it great. Thirdly this introduced the Wu as we know it to the world; Method Man sewin ya asshole closed and feedin you, Ghost and Rae killin shit together, RZA’s beats, ODB’s crazy style & singin, their amazing chemistry together…everything the Clan is famous for was represented to the fullest in these 12 cuts. Seriously one of Hip-Hop’s few true classics.

My Recommendation: Buy this or cut your own ears off and never listen to rap music again.

Genius/GZA – Liquid Swords

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Genius/GZA - Liquid SwordsGZA, AKA Genius, is one of the Wu-Tang’s most underrated MC’s. Probably the most original out of all of them, G has a taunting, aggressive no-shit style while at the same time spitting some metaphorical/symbolic wisdom. Put all this together and you’ll be seriously reminded of a martial arts master or two from old Kung-Fu movies. Liquid Swords, his debut, is arguably tied for best Wu solo album along with Raekwon’s OB4CL. LS is as deep, multilayered and introspective as Cuban Linx is dark and raw, and with RZA still strong on the beats at that point the CD is definitely worth a few hunned(thousand) listens.

 

1) Liquid Swords 

Intros the album with a clip from an old movie, a kid talking about his notorious assassin father (probably GZA, killing MC’s). When the beat comes in it’s a string beat, and a bit bouncy. GZA spits on wack MCs, killin wack MCs, and bein a super-rapper with both killa rhymes and messages. (Great)

2) Duel Of the Iron Mic ft. Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck

The beat is low and unobtrusive, but still good–it plays at the back of your head, right below notice, setting the tone. GZA, Masta and Deck all go heavy on the metaphorical style, and all killin it. (Great)

3) Living In the World Today

This beat here is nice, a lighter flutey loop that turns into a classic-RZA bumpin, dyslexic-loop type shit. GZA speaks on some seriously abstract shit, with lyrics nice as *****. (Excellent)

4) Gold

The beat is quicker here, a high-whine with horns, hard to explain. GZA spits a great story here over 2 verses. (Excellent)

5) Cold World ft. Inspectah Deck 

A slow, surrealistic loop sets the tone here, the hook being a singer crooning an angsty-sounding couple of lines. Genius and Deck both spit some good shit about livin in the hood. (Great)

6) Labels 

GZA comes with the creativity here, over RZA’s stop-and-go piano, he rhymes while mentioning the various labels that were big in that time. Even though it’s more of a long verse he does a really good job. (Great)

7) 4th Chamber ft. Ghost Face Killa, Killah Priest, RZA 

RZA lays a high, discordant string loop over a hard snare, which is periodically interrupted by a heavy guitar riff. Ghost kills it, Priest kills it; RZA comes with some ill concepts, though his scheme is slightly off, then GZA comes and murders it. (Excellent)

8) Shadowboxin ft. Method Man 

The beat here is a nice change, a rolling continuous organ. Meth comes on and spit’s a sicc verse with a really smooth flow. GZA kills it, then Meth comes on and flows smooth some more. (Excellent)

9) Hell’s Wind Staff/Killah Hills 10304

Intros with RZA meeting a “grey ghost” to make a deal, and it turns out ‘ghost’ is undercover and 5-0 are headin towards the meeting spot at that moment based on information from a “Don Rodriguez.” Interesting. The song picks up, a story about major drug dealin over an accordion-sounding beat. (Great)

10) Investigative Reports ft. Raekwon, Ghost Face Killer 

The beat: a bumpin drum/bass track, with a continuous whiney instrument over it; good shit. Rae jumps on first with a str8 verse about crooked cops, GZA’s second with a nice verse on the same, and Ghost finishes up with siccness. (Great)

11) Swordsman 

The beat: darker, more chaotic. GZA raps some really nice verses describing going from superstitious and religious to more cynical and logical. (Great)

12) I Gotcha Back

The beat is a bit gaudy, mostly a blaring horn over a not-so-strong drum track. GZA’s lyrics are good, a semi-autobiographic account of his life. (Good)

13) Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE)

The beat here is more playful, with a shuffling snare, a whistle and kids laughing in the background. Tha Genius comes with some seriously illa lyrics about losing his faith in religion and his views on it. (Excellent)

 

My Rating: 4.5/5

GZA’s excellent debut shows how original and creative he can really be, and he basically goes crazy with the lyrics. Pretty much every original Wu member is featured here and there, except for ODB who was in jail at that point. LS also has some of RZA’s best work on it, this was basically put out in the period where Wu was still unquestionably on top; though not as good as 36 Chambers–one or maybe two joints may sound worn after a while–the vast majority of the album is pure.

My Recommendation: Buy, period.

Big Pun – Yeeeah Baby

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Big Pun - Yeeeah Baby1. Creation (Intro)

Along the lines of Frankenstein’s creation, where Pun is created from parts of other artists. Eddie Murpy being part of him gotta be the funniest part though!

2. Watch Those Prod. by Knobody

Good first track. Uses the Starsky and Hutch theme tune. To good effect as well. About those who act shady and to be aware of them. Good use of electric guitar loops.

3. Off Wit His Head ft Prospect Prod. by Just Blaze

Would i expect any less from a Just Blaze production? Dueting with Prospect, this makes a tight combination. The only down side is each verse is only four bars long and you hear the chorus many many times throughout. It’s still tight though, just a little repetetive.

4. It’s So Hard ft Donell Jones Prod. by Younglord

Piano driven beat. Simple, but i love it. Jumpy feel to it. Pun flows over it perfectly. Pun is talking about his fame and recognition. Donell Jones also supplies a nice hook too

5. We Don’t Care ft Cuban Link Prod. by Younglord

Its such a shame this track is only 2 verses long. Pun really goes off on this one with his lyrical flow. Pun’s best flow performance on the CD is on this track. Its a dark and traumatic beat. Going out to tell others about the Terror Squad.

6. New York Giants ft M.O.P. Minnesota

I’m not too big a fan of M.O.P. coz i feel they shout too much! However they’re relegated to only one verse between them and the hook! The beat is horn driven, it reminds me of a background beat Tim Westwood would use on his radio shows! Tight beat. Bad choice of guest appearance.

7. My Dick ft Tony Sunshine Prod. by KNS and Guy Boogie

Love the hook! Just have to mention the hook! Something to sing to yourself when people keep getting at you Tony Sunshine has a good one-and-a-half long verse, but that’s no bad thing coz he’s a nice singer, although i think this is more of a Sunshine than a Pun one. Nice and laid back though despite the song content, and its good to chill to.

8. Leatherface Prod. by Mike Trauma D and Jugrnaut

Another electric guitar driven track. It seems by now that Pun is a fan of decapitating people! It’s not really that good i don’t think, i think its just average to me compared to “Off With His Head” (same concept, right?) although the distress samples do at to the buildup in the bridge. Average, i say.

9. Air Pun (Skit)

LOL. Only the lead into the next song so it’s a bit pointless. Pun is asleep on an aeroplane. I find that a strange scenario, coz Fat Joe isnt allowed to fly because of his weight, so how is Pun on a plane?! Hell, its just a skit! Funny when Pun farts though… always gets me!

10. 100% ft Tony Sunshine Prod. by Sean Cane

The hook is all in Latino so i don’t understand it. While i mention the hook, the sound sample appears to be quite muffled when it plays. I don’t think it was equalised very well. That doesn’t mean i don’t like the song. Got a real Latino vibe to it and makes you want to jump to it. Pun is talking about putting his all into the rapping effort and doing it all to be the number one.

11. Wrong Ones ft Sunkiss Prod. by Just Blaze

Not a 5/5 Blaze beat (nice bass throb with drums) but Pun manages to tear it up. His performance is on the level of what he spits on “We Don’t Care” Sunkiss also delivers a slick verse on his behalf, but is outdone by Pun.

12. Laughing at You ft Tony Sunshine Prod. by Ogee

You can’t knock the mocking tone of this song. Has a real holler at those who denied Pun anything as he was growing up and how he’s completely overcome those who thought they were bigger than him yet look what he got now?! Those with a wide music interest will recognise the “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” interpolated hook too. HA HA HA! Adds to how you may relate to the song. Deep. And i like it, although it isn’t too special if you don’t feel you’ve never been in Pun’s place.

13. N*gga Shit Prod. by Buckwild

Poetry on wax really. Boring if you ask me, just repetition of the first line over and over about the stereotypical black culture set to a piano loop. You’ll skip it after you heard it a few too many times.

14. Ms. Martin ft Remi Martin Prod. by DJ Shok

I’m not too big a fan of the Ruff Riderz productions or rappers. Too much emcee-based rapping but leaving them with boring beats (not particularly the RAW type either) Pun’s hook is dire. The most annoying you’d ever hear Pun at I’m afraid. Skip it coz Remi gets the whole song and gets boring.

15. My Turn Prod. by L.E.S.

Dark feel to a piano-tinkling and cymbol beat. It’s a bit boring however. Feels too slow and very depressing and lonely. Below average. Also note that Pun said it features Tony Sunshine but he doesn’t appear on the track. Its a posthumous mix and a badly done job too

16. You Was Wrong ft Drag On, Fat Joe and Remi Martin Prod. by DJ Shok

Another below-par DJ Shok production. Too boring with the beat making. All the verses feel average too. Pity.

 

My copy of the CD came witha Sony “Urban Classics” sticker attached to it, which is a shame because it shows that it shifted a good few and Pun wasn’t even around to witness it blowing up. I had to listen to this twice before writing the review because i wanted to get into the mood of the CD then compare it to Capital Punishment.

I like this CD. Its no Capital Punishment so it doesn’t mean i’ll be running out to tell all my friends about it like i did with his first but it’s still dope and does sort of grow on you. Lyrically Pun is a Latino rhyme-god and the majority of the beats are on point too, just why Pun felt he had to link up with the likes of Remi Martin and DJ Shok productions i wont know why because at about the point you hear the first Ruff Rider track the CD becomes a turn off. I guess this is the trouble with posthumous releases.

I feel they did a good job with it but messed up some appearances and productions and even just put a few boring Pun cuts in from left over material

3/5

Eminem – Infinite

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Eminem - InfiniteDo I even have to intro Eminem? Y’all know him. He wasn’t always stressed, psycho, immature or even angry at the world tho…back in the day of Infinite he was a pretty mellow guy on the mic. This was Em as a real MC, not the tired, hounded, overrated, distracted etc. etc. rapper he is right now.

 

1) Infinite 

It’s really, really ironic, but this song has to be the song of Eminem’s career. Before this I’d never heard Em rhyme laid-back before, and the shit was crazy; especially the insane shit he spits on the mic here. (Excellent)

2) WEGO 

Just an intro to his next song, It’s OK.

3) It’s OK ft. Eye-Kyu 

Eminem rhymes on his current situation and his dreams for the future, with a crazy continuous multi-like style. Former rhyme partner Eye-Kyu does the optimistic chorus, and the beat is mellow with a fading chord in the background. (Excellent)

4) 313 ft. Eye-Kyu 

Over a slow-drum, deep-bass beat (with a sax that comes in later) Eye-Kyu starts off with a pretty damn good verse, with really the same style Em uses, but Em ultimately comes tighter. (Great)

5) Tonite 

This beat has a lounge-feel to it, kinda jazzy. Em uses the same rambling, multi-ish style he had before, still ill. (Excellent)

6) Maxine ft. Denaun, 3 

A song about a ho with AIDS, who claims she’s clean so guys will hit and pay her for it. Eminem spits some sick lyrics, but his flow’s a little off on the spacey beat. Denaun spits a pretty good second verse, but it’s not as good as Em’s, and neither is the third guy’s (3, who I’ve never heard of before). (Good)

7) Open Mic ft. Thyme 

The beat here is different; kinda jerky, with a dyslexic string and a warped bass. Em spits some real shit, but again his flow is off-and-on. Thyme does the hook; his voice is pretty annoying, kinda high-pitched. (Good)

8) Never 2 Far 

Em’s flow is a bit better. He spits about his plans to get money by any means necessary, and he has’nt stopped spittin sick yet. The beat is kinda simple, jus a bass loop over a drum track that’s a little faster and more consistent than the others (prolly why he flows over it easier). (Great)

9) Searchin ft. Denaun 

The hook here is kinda gay; a woman singing about love, and the sample sounds a bit annoying and repetetive. The beat is, again, pretty simple, just soft tones over a drum track with a rambling string thrown in sometimes. Eminem and Denaun both spit about the loves of their lives; Em’s verse is sick, and Denaun sings his verse so that it doesn’t even sound like Denaun, nice effect though. (Good)

10) Backstabber 

This beat kinda sucks, it’s pretty amatuer and repetitive. Em raps some abstract shit about being a cop chasing a criminal, I think it’s a diss. (Poor)

11) Jealousy Woes II 

Em raps about a jealous chick, over a funky beat with overblown bass and drums. He spits pretty sick, though. (Decent)

 

My Rating: 3/5

Em’s first outing is unprofessional, amatuer, with lazy beats and only a couple of used-and-reused guest appearances. That said, it must be one of his best albums to date, simply for the fact that some of his tracks rival Nas’ Illmatic in hunger, siccness and creativity. This album was basically meant to put him out there, and a first step to really see how shit works in the music business. Subtract some of the wacker or more boring shit like Jealousy Woes II, Open Mic and Backstabber and you have a great album at your disposal.

My Recommendation: It’s really hard to find to buy, so download it and keep what you like.

Masta Killa – No Said Date

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Masta Killa - No Said DateMasta Killa is one of the most-overlooked members of the Wu-Tang, one of the three who haven’t achieved the superstar success of the other six (along with U-God and Inspectah Deck). In Killa’s case I’m assuming it’s cuz he never released an album until this year, with No Said Date.

 

1) Born Chamber 

An intro using a clip from an old kung-fu movie to detail the splitting of the Wu.

2) Grab the Microphone 

Over a sicc beat (by “Brock”), that involves a hard drum and a cool horn, Masta spits some dopeness wit a laid-back flow that goes seamlessly into the catchy hook. (Excellent)

3) No Said Date

Over a fast, anxious, actiony RZA beat, Killa spits the typical Wu-style sick and slightly detatched lyrics that have you figure what he’s talking about but which give sick imagery. The track is about the release of his much-anticipated album, and hopes for success. (Great)

4) Last Drink

The beat, by Mathematics, is pretty good; it’s got a kung-fu-movie-duel type of flavor to it. Masta spits good, but not his best, and not the flame that’s on the previous tracks. (Good)

5) Love Spell

The beat is bouncy, simple with a guitar chord and a bumpin drum; Killa spit’s a vivid story about a chick. (Good)

6) The Future (Skit) 

Has a bunch of young kids freestylin hardcore gangsta lyrics. Kinda disturbin.

7) DTD ft. Raekwon, Ghost Face Killer 

Another Mathematics beat, this one’s kinda mesmerizing, with hard kicks and a drawling horn, a “different”-style club banger. Raekwon comes on first with a pretty nice verse, starts slow but gets better later on. Killa’s verse is next, it’s pretty good but nothin special compared to Kwon’s. Ghost’s verse is last, almost as good as Rae’s and better than Masta’s. (Good)

8) Whatever ft. Streetlife, Prodigal Sunn

Okay…time to endure the Wu-Affiliates. This beat is odd, doesn’t seem to fit–it’s like an Old West saloon tune. The first rapper’s (Streetlife?) verse is aight, nothin special; the second (Prodigal Sunn?) is a bit better but Masta Killa’s is sub-par. (Poor)

9) Secret Rivals ft. Killah Priest, Method Man 

Over a more traditional Wu beat (ironically produced by True Master, not RZA) which has a head-bobbing drum shuffle and a sporadic piano, Priest and Meth spit some siccness; Masta follows with a pretty good verse. (Good)

10) Skit

A clip from an old kung-fu movie.

11) Digi Warfare 

A great, futuristic beat with echoes and a crazy snare an shit. Too bad, what Killa spits here is nothin special. (Decent)

12) Old Man ft. ODB, RZA

The best way to describe this beat is “unfortunate,” especially for a RZA joint. It’s bouncy and unnecessary, and I’m really not feelin it. Killa’s verse is pretty nice, but RZA’s is lacking. (Poor)

13) Queen 

Better. Disjointed piano chords play over an echoey, shuffly drum track. Killa spits pretty nice shit, a track for the ladies. (Good)

14) School ft. RZA 

The beat here is more like what made RZA famous. It’s kinda eerie with a slow drum track, until RZA’s verse, when it becomes faster, consisting of a drum, a bass and an annoying…thing…in the background. (Decent)

15) Silverbacks ft. Inspectah Deck, GZA 

Beat: various accoustic riffs aligned chaotically over a soft snare. All verses are good, but GZA’s verse is the only one that stands out. (Good)

16) Masta Killa

This unique, old-Japanese-molded beat courtesy of Baby Dooks brings Masta to life. His flow picks up, and his lyrics are pretty nice shit. (Great)

 

My Rating: 3.5/5

A solid Wu release by recent standards, unfortunately pale compared to their older shit. Masta Killa’s flow can get unbelievably boring, especially when the whole album seems lazily done, like each member was distracted with other shit–typical of the Wu nowdays. RZA’s production, on the few tracks he does do, lacks the fire of older releases like Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords, and the collage of styles leave the album a thrown-together, disconnected feel. Combine all that with Masta Killa’s (pretty much most of the Wu’s) style of vague, jump-around topics and the album is hard to get into and really listen to.

My Recommendation: Buy or burn, whichever you like, but don’t expect too much–the Wu’s not what it once was.

Yukmouth – United Ghetto Of America Vol. 2

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Yukmouth - United Ghetto Of America Vol. 21. Intro(Feat J-Flo)

An intro on a compilation? Well it’s funny atleast.

2. Kill Em off(Feat Gonzoe, Tech N9ne, & Big Krizz Kaliko)

YES! Nice opera type beat, picture Regime Mobstaz here. Gonzoe starts it off with a good verse but nothing memorable. Tech N9ne with the VERSE OF THE YEAR!!! I’m calling it here, and also a great intro to Tech’s rapping. Tech just rips it here going through atleast 3 different types of flows. Chorus is good, Krizz’s singing is kept to a minimum which is good, I like Krizz but sometimes his singing is just all over the place. Yukmouth with a good verse but his starting is awful. Great track. Good

3. Kalifornia G’z(Feat E-40, Crooked I, & Nat’e)

I assume Nat’e is the girl singing the chorus. Nice bouncy beat here, this can be a crossover track, it doesn’t have that usual Bay sound, it has a So-Cal vibe to it. I dig the chorus, it’s catchy and isn’t overwhelming towards the listener. Crooked I with a pretty dope verse, why Tha Row wasted him is beyond me. Yukmouth with a good verse but he sounds awkward here, still dope stuff. Good

4. We Just Wanna Thug(Feat NORE & D-Don)

Well if anyone can kill a song it’s NORE and he does just that. This track is awful, with a beat so generic that it can be sold next to the Sam’s Choice Cola. D-Don with a horrible verse, this guy’s the drizzling shits. Skip this track. Train Wreck

5. I Love Dro(Feat Bun-B & Nat’e)

Stupid chorus but the track is great. It has that 1998 Rap A Lot sound to it, with the smooth Devin type vibe here. Yukmouth starts it off with the basics on a smoking track. Yukmouth with a second verse(?) on here which is a little odd. Bun B with the next verse and he outshines Yuk, Bun B is easily one of the best Southern lyricist of all time. Good

6. Don’t Be Scared(Silver Back Guerillaz)

No Yuk on here. This has a grimey Eastcoast vibe to it, dope stuff here. I can’t tell these guys apart so I’ll just say it’s a good track. Good

7. Spin & Chop(Feat Dru Down, Nate Da Nut, & Kieu)

Just so you know whenever I put “Feat” that means Yuk is on the song, he’s on every song except “Don’t Be Scared” & “Suga Daddy”, just clearing it up. This track is sloppy with a weird spastic annoying beat. Yuk with a decent verse. Dru Down with a decent verse. Nate Da Nut with a good verse. The chorus and beat drag this down alot, in fact this is pretty wack. Wack

8. What’s Beef(Feat Luni Coleone, I-Rocc, & Monstah Ganjah)

I like this track, well sort of, the problem is the squeeking robotic sounds in the beat, very annoying. This track hurts my ears, with Luni yelling over the track and this squeeking crap. Luni with a good verse, I-Rocc with a good verse, Ganjah with a dope verse, and Yuk finishes it with the best verse. I want to give this a good rating, they tried but the squeeking ruined everything. Average

9. American Me(Feat Chino Nino, C-Bo, & Young Noble)

This track is insane with a slow starting and then a rough beat kicks in with Chino Nino ripping the first verse. C-Bo with a good verse, wow he really shocked me on here in fact this is one of his best verses. Yukmouth then rips it with a great verse, this track is crazy. Noble finishes it with a good verse. Great stuff here. Good

10. Suga Daddy(Ms Toi, Nyce, & Numskull)

Odd line up. Ms Toi with a boring first verse. Numskull sounds drunk off his ass here which is either sad or hilarious, man this guy has fell off with him slurring and tripping over his words. Nyce with a boring verse. Blah! Crap be gone from my ears! Wack

11. The Side Show(Feat Richie Rich, C-Bo, & Nat’e)

I can see why this was left off “In Thugz We Trust”. This is a little too bouncy and the chorus is all over the place. C-Bo with a good verse. Yukmouth with the best verse. Richie Rich with an awkward verse, his flow sounds awful over this beat and he couldn’t adjust to the different style of it. Average

12. Top Shotta(Feat Gangsta Girl & Brando)

Arabian type beat, think Neptunes here. Yukmouth with a good verse, the thing I like about Yuk is that he can adjust to any kind of style no matter how odd the beat is. Horrible chorus here as some guy is yelling babbling nonsense. Gangsta Girl with a horrible verse, these people suck at Reggae. Yukmouth finishes it with a pretty good verse, he is carrying this track. Good

13. Skit(Feat D Of The Menace Clan)

A skit? On a compilation? Unreal, but it’s decent as D spits a pretty dope flow over the phone.

14. Regime Mob(Feat Chino Nino, Amp-Pachino, & Nate Da Nut)

This song lacks direction as none of these guys except Yuk are in the Regime. This song is pretty bad as the guy rapping the second verse is the drizzling shits talking about rocking “boobies” to sleep(Huh?). Horrible chorus, this is a cluster*****. Yukmouth has a good verse though. Wack

15. Stunt 211(Feat Domination & Bang Em Smurf)

This song is hilarious as they make fun of Stunt 101. This is a Lloyd Banks diss(For the most part) and they spit some hilarious lines here(“Ray Charles can see *****es only want you for your money” & “Young Buck he just happy he got white gold teeth”). Yukmouth with a good verse as well. Everyone from 50 Cent to Game get dissed here but Banks gets it the worst. Good

16. On The Block(Feat Jacka, LiL Cyco, & Benjilino)

Not a big fan of the beat, it’s pretty basic and boring. Benjilino sings a decent hook but man is this beat boring. Yukmouth starts it off with a pretty good verse. Jacka(!) with a really good verse. LiL Cyco with a pretty good verse, nice flow. Average

17. Wet Dreamz(Yukmouth)

The only Yukmouth solo and it’s about a wet dream, amazing…Anyway this track sucks, as Yuk talks about women he wants to have sex with, don’t care. Wack

18. Heat(Feat Planet Asia & Monstah Ganjah)

DOPE! This track is straight Hip Hop here. Planet Asia with a great verse. Ganjah with another great verse, this track is flawless. Yukmouth outshines both of them as he spits an insane verse. Great chorus on here as well. DOPE!

19. Get Stupid Go Dumb(Feat Mac Dre, & Sauce)

Weird beat but it’s dope as it has a goofy bouncy beat mixed with a Halloween sounding piano beat. Sauce with a good verse. Yukmouth with a great verse, this is probably his most thugged out verse on the whole cd. Mac Dre sounds so awkward on this track, like a kid lost in a mall. Good

20. United Ghetto’s Of America Part 2(Feat The Realest, C-Bo, Dru Down, 151, Spice 1, Eastwood, & Roscoe)

Insane line up here. This track has a dope piano beat. Realest starts it off with a decent verse, he doesn’t sound too much like Pac on here. C-Bo with a pretty good verse. Dru Down raps fast on here(!) well fast in Dru Down terms. 151 with a really good verse, this is insane there is no other word to describe it. There is no chorus here, just straight spitting. Spice 1 spits a verse that sounds like something he’d spit in 1994(!), really dope stuff here. Eastwood with a really good verse as well. Roscoe with an insane verse that shows how slept on he is. Yukmouth finishes it with an insane verse. Oh man this was just dopeness! Easily the best track on the album, everyone stepped up their game. DOPE!

 

All in all this gets a Good rating. Pretty dope compilation, this was totally different than Vol 1 which is good. Some awful tracks but some really good tracks, Most def cop it if you’re a Bay fan & a Regime fan, ah hell cop it if you’re just a fan of music because people like Yukmouth who are working their asses off making this dope music need to be supported.

VA – Beef Soundtrack

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VA - Beef Soundtrack1. No Vaseline(Ice Cube)

Of course you all know of this diss track, classic stuff here as Cube takes on a whole group and lyrical slaughters everyone of them. This track has a killer bouncy beat with a dope flute melody in there. Classic diss track! DOPE!

2. Beef(Tech N9ne Feat Big Krizz Kaliko)

This is one of the best Tech tracks I have ever heard, great beat that resembles “FTI”. Tech starts it off with a great verse, the way he changes flows here is great. The chorus is easily one of the best choruses I have ever heard with a Rock vibe to it with Krizz singing. Krizz with a dope verse, the thing I like about Krizz is that he can go from a sing-song type flow to a lethal rapid type flow. Tech finishes things off with another great verse, he even mentions Joplin here(For all my Missouri kats). DOPE!

3. You Don’t Really Want It(KRS-One)

I respect KRS and all but this track is horrible, from the beat to the chorus, pure drizzling shits. KRS disses Nelly and he has some good lines but it just isn’t clicking. Wack

4. Westside Slaughterhouse(Westside Connection)

One of my favorite West tracks of all time. WSC go after Common here as Ice Cube has some really good lines aimed at him. One of the best disses ever. DOPE!

5. Murder By #’s(Skatter Man & Snug Brim Feat Ricky Skarfo)

What the hell is this doing on here? This was later put on Urban Legendz, I wrote a review for this a while back and I listened to the track more so this is going to be totally different. Skatter’s verse is easily the best as he tells a great story. Snug has a good verse. Skarfo has a decent verse. Good

6. Drama(Prodigy Feat Twin)

Nice guitarish style beat here but Prodigy sucks anyway and Twin is worse. Average

7. Real Muthaph****in’ G’s(Eazy E Feat BG Knoccout & Dre’sta)

I think this song is really overrated, I think the beat is classic and Dre’sta’s verse is good but the rest just doesn’t do it for me. Good

8. Caution(Black Child)

This track isn’t bad, in fact it’s quite good. I have no clue who the first 2 guys are since it never mentions them. Great beat here. Good

9. When The Rain Drops(Kutt Calhoun Feat Snug Brim)

Slow starting, I mean really slow but once it kicks in it’s a pretty dope track. Kutt is overlooked and Snug actually spits a rapid style verse(!). Good

10. That’s It(KRS One Feat Mad Lion)

Another horrible KRS track, I just don’t care about this song, there is nothing good about this. The beat is horrible. Wack

11. Postman(Poverty)

Who? This track may have the worst starting ever. Horrible chorus, who the hell is this guy? This is horrible. Wack

12. Now I See(MC Shan)

I like Shan but this track is terrible, and the beginning is an automatic skip. Wack

13. Snake Ya(Tech N9ne Feat Big Krizz Kaliko)

Nice Arabian type beat here. Tech’s first verse is crazy here as he goes into about 3 different styles here. I like the chorus here, it’s a little silly but it gets the job done. Krizz with a pretty good verse. Tech finishes it off with a very dope verse. DOPE!

14. Let’s Go(It’s A Movement)(Warren G Feat KRS One & LiL Ai)

Decent track, KRS & Warren do their verses well but this LiL Ai person is horrible, has to be one of the worst flows and verses I have ever heard. Average

15. Witness Protection(Jayo Felony)

YYYYEEEAAA!!!!! This track has a wicked weird beat, Jayo’s chorus is great but a little awkward. This track is crazy. DOPE!

16. Day I Die(Tru-Life)

Tru-Life is some guy who beefed with Mobb Deep, the bonus DVD explains it better and it’s a great segment, but this is not great, in fact this is horrible. Wack

17. F*** The Police(N.W.A.)

I don’t have to explain this track, you all know it and it’s a classic. DOPE!

All in all this gets a Good rating, the concept here is good but they ruined it by putting weak tracks and tracks that have nothing to do with beefing. Cop it if you don’t own any of these classic tracks, oh yea the Tech tracks are great as well so be sure to atleast peep it.

Copywrite – High Exaulted

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Copywrite - High ExaultedThere was a time when people said whites couldn’t rap..even after the Beastie Boys and House of Pain, most hardcore rap fans refused to think of the possibility that a white dude could beat a black dude rappin. After a few exceptions (growing more and more common) like Cage, Bubba Sparxxx and most notably (of course) Eminem, Eastern Conference signee Copywrite78 steps up to try and bridge the gap even further.

 

1) Sintro 

Intro to the album, just a bunch of samples hyping Copy.

2) *****soundcheck

Over a funkified, horn-laced beat by RJD2, Cop really starts up the album. These first verses might mislead, it’s good but not what he can truly do, and might make it seem like he’s overhyped. Don’t be fooled; he’s just starting up slow. (Good)

3) Fire it Up 

This beat is more aggressive, produced by Camu Tao but in the same general vein as the previous. Cop follows his own advice and really kicks it up here, especially on the last couple of verses. Shit begins to warm up. (Great)

4) Let Me In 

The beat is more creepin, a bit psycho. Cop spits about *****in *****es with obscene lyrics, funny punches and general shock value. Though the song is good, it was a bad move for Copy to make a song that, in almost every way, sounds exactly like one an unsigned Eminem would make. Best to stay clear of that comparison. (Good)

5) Enterlude

RJD2 shows off here, with a slower beat that could easily be something off Big’s Ready to Die. No lyrics.

6) Three Words ft. Camu Tao, Tage Proto 

Over an enticing, string beat that sounds almost classical (by Copywrite himself), 78 and Camu spit crazy, complex-styled lyrics; Tage, however, gets extremely annoying with his heavy, distracting lisp. Sounds pretty funny, actually. Other than that, the track is sicc. (Great)

7) Hear Me Though

This, another Camu beat, is rambling and more layered, mostly guitar riffs. Copywrite spits even harder on this one, killing the complexity and punchlines at the same time. One of the best tracks on the album. (Excellent)

8) Badabing 

Produced by DJ Mighty Mi, with an organ-type instrument combined with a church bell, gives it a feel of impending doom. Copy’s darker lyrics work with the atmosphere. The hook is flat, purely business, shows Copywrite will destroy enemies. (Excellent)

9) Centerlude

Another showoff, no-lyric cut, this one produced by Copywrite. This time it’s a RZA-like style, bumping drum/bass with a disjointed piano. Pretty good.

10) Nobody ft. Jakki da Mota Mouth 

Once again produced by RJD2, it’s a dark, jazzy beat, another RZA flavor. Copy and Jakki work well together, going back and forth to finish each others’ lines. Nice collab joint. (Great)

11) Holier Than Thou 

This beat RJ is aight, it seems too low and drops out sometimes. It’s not aggressive or dark enough for Cop’s style. Copy is good, but doesn’t seem to know how to flow over the unusual beat, so just goes straight through with a basic old-school style. (Decent)

12) Ready, Aim…

This is more like it. A Camu Tao production; if you’ve ever heard Royce ft. Twista – Let’s Go, it kinda sounds like that, especially when Copy starts speed-spitting. Like the versatility, since he does it pretty well, though mostly he has to abandon his punches. (Good)

13) On My Dick

Apparently, Cop ain’t afraid to get behind the boards himself, cuz this is another self-production. It’s a halting beat, not the best, not the worst. Copy’s lyrics are about being in the club, causing chaos. It’s not bad, takes a couple shots (you ain’t hostile, you hoestyle; all up in VIP tryinna pop ’Cris) (Good)

14) Tower of Babble ft. Smut Peddlers

Once more produced by DJ Mighty Mi. It’s a rambling beat, relying mostly on a drawn out violin sample that feels like an Italian opera sample. 78, Mr E and Cage spit nice verses for the most part, but nothing mind-blowing. (Good)

15) Seven Light Years

Yet another production by RJ. It’s hard to explain; you have to hear it, but it’s good. Copywrite is at his siccer moments here. There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with this track. (Excellent)

16) Theme Music ft. Jakki the Mota Mouth

This DJ Mighty Mi cut is a bit lighter-styled synth track, Copy spits the first verse, some hard lyrics. The man is so good, even good is starting to sound bland at this point. It seems lopsided, since Copy’s first verse is unassisted, but Copy helps Jakki stress/finish some of his words and lines. However, the second verse is still nice. Another solid collab joint. (Great)

17) Exitlude 

A brief cabaret-style beat/singer combination that has no place on the album.

18) June 

This is a deep track about Copy’s life and frustrations. The beat is a sad string beat, kinda surprisingly produced by RJD2. It’s a sad joint that sounds almost like something Royce might do, with an instrumental slapped in the middle. Has some deep shit relating to the month of June, the month of his birth and the month of his father’s death. (Excellent)

 

My Rating: 4.5/5

This is as close to a latter-day classic as it gets, folks. The whole thing has a different style and flavor that’s so refreshing from cardboard-cut popular rap, with some of the best underground production out and style reminding of some of the best Eminem/Canibus material rolled into one. If not for a very few weak links like constant battle rhymes and nearly no topics (and those wasted instrumentals–c’mon, someone SPIT on em!!) this could be classic shit. One of the best rap albums I’ve bought, and that includes Illmatic, All Eyez On Me and Ready to Die.

My Recommendation: No excuses. BUY.

Kutt Calhoun – B.L.E.V.E.

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Kutt Calhoun - B.L.E.V.E.1. Bring The Flame(Feat Big Krizz Kaliko)

Great way to start off the album, no stupid intro here, IT’S ALL MUSIC!!!!! Kutt uses a Pac-like chorus on this song. Man Kutt just rips the first verse here, great beat on here as well, very hard hitting. Kaliko isn’t really on here much, he just does the beginning, this was all Kutt here! Good

2. Hip Hop Warning(Feat Big Krizz Kaliko)

Great song here, has a touch of Hip Hop with a hint of bounce here, nice chorus with Krizz singing the typical Strange chorus which is always great. CONSIDER YOURSELF WAAARRRNNNEEEDDD!!! Heh! Kutt actually uses some good wordplay here and some good lyrics, he speaks the truth on here. Good

3. Nationality(Parlaa Remix)(Feat Big Krizz Kaliko)

Horrible, skip this. Wack

4. Keep It Keeblur(Feat Tech N9ne & Big Krizz)

DOPE! They used a great West beat here, Kutt sounds comfortable over these type of beats. Seems to flow better here as well. Tech N9ne with a great verse as usual. I dig the chorus as well, Krizz is seriously overlooked. Kutt ends the song with another good verse. DOPE!

5. Walk With A Limp(Feat Big Krizz)

Awkward, that’s how I can describe this song. Big Krizz is all over the place on the chorus here. Average

6. Goldberg(Feat Tech N9ne)

Song’s hilarious, Tech finally disses the stupid “urrrr” phrase(Like Right Thurrrr). Track is just average to me though, I don’t like the beat but Tech is on point here with his flow. Average

7. Got Plans(Feat Big Krizz)

Another average track. Average

8. Real Sex(Feat Tech N9ne)

The beginning just messes up the whole vibe, why waste a Tech N9ne appearance on this? Wack

9. In My Face(Feat Skatter Man, BG Bulletwound, & Snug Brim)

DOPE! I dig the beat here, very dark and dope. BG Bulletwound & Snug Brim kill this song! One of the best tracks on here easily. DOPE!

10. Panic Box(Feat Boy Big)

I semi dig the old school Bay sound but it’s just another awkward track. Kutt tries but everything just comes off as weird, a track that is really hard to listen to. Wack

11. The Know How(Big Krizz)

Beginning isn’t good but once the beat kicks in with Kutt rapping then it gets really good. Nice bouncy type beat here with Kutt flowing perfectly over it. Good

12. N A WhiteManzEyez(Feat Tech N9ne & Big Krizz)

Tech only does the beginning by talking. Kutt raps pretty fast over this track which is very dope. Dope message here. Great chorus here as the beat really kicks in with Krizz singing. Dope track! Good

13. My Life(Feat Tech N9ne & Big Krizz)

Tech isn’t even on this song. Kutt owns it here though, Krizz with a good chorus. Good

14. To Whom it May Concern(Feat Snug Brim, Skatter Man, & BG Bulletwound)

Snug rips the first verse, then Skatter with a good second verse, then BG with a decent verse, and finally Kutt with a good verse but he sounds way too much like Pac here, I’m sure that was his intention but it sounds a little weird. Still a good track, if you listen closely you’ll hear Tech play one of the Mayor’s workers(lol). Good

15. Parlaa(Feat Big Krizz)

Blah blah blah, heard it before. Wack

16. Dat N*gga Dare(Feat Big Krizz & BG Bulletwound)

Great way to end this track, I love the bouncy eerie style beat here. Krizz is a little weak on the chorus here, I dig Krizz but he makes the chorus really annoying. Kutt owns it here. Good

 

All in all a Good album, this is way different than Skatterman & Snug Brim’s album. Kutt went for a more West style here and I can dig that. Cop it if you’re a Strange Music fan.

VA – Grit City Volume One

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VA - Grit City Volume One1. Step Up

This is a great way to open the album. This song has a real hip-hop feel to it. The beat is on some real hip-hop shit, the lyrics are also on some real hip-hop shit. This track is really good. 8/10

2. Beverly Davis 

On this cut, Swann Notty talks about meeting a girl and all that. He really puts a picture in your mind, which makes you enjoy the track even more. Even though he is talking about a girl, this in no way is a “pop love song”, this still has a good hip-hop feel to it. Real good shit. 8/10

3. The Professional 

This one is not as good as the first 2 songs on this CD, but it is still a good song. The lyrics are on point, delivery is on point, nice track. The chorus on this might remind you of a DJ Premier chorus, cause of how the way it’s parts from different songs mixed together and scratched. 7/10

4. Sunshine Days 

The beat on this is fresh. In a way reminds of a Kanye West beat how it samples and old track and the voice is sped up and put together on the beat. The lyrics on this are about as tight as the lyrics on the other songs. The lyrics on this song mostly reflect the struggle these rappers went through, in a way this is a deep dong. Tight song. 8/10

5. Niggas Don’t Know 

This one is on some soulful hip-hop stuff. Beat is nice, lyrics are nice. This is probably one of the tightest songs from this CD. Definitely worth checking. 8.5/10

6. Who’s Who

This sounds like a jazzy hip-hop song. It’s really nice to relax to, just chill you know. The delivery on this is not as good as the delivery of the other MC’s on this CD, for some reason, it sounds like Soul Supreme goes off beat from time to time. Going off beat doesn’t take away the fact that the lyrics are tight, but if the delivery was more on point, this track would have been better. 6.5/10

7. What Would U Do? 

This song features T-Max, the beat on this is well put together. Nice instruments played on this, well put together. The lyrics on this is kind of like a story type rhyme, T-Max basically talks about a scenario, and at the end of it, he asks you “What Would U Do”. Real tight, something you don’t really hear these days in hip-hop. Great song. 8/10

8. Still Spittin’ (RMX)

This song features the legend himself, KRS-One. KRS-One comes off tight on this. This one also features Akbar, L D Headtoucha, Illin’ P, Supastition and An Ion. I have to say the MC who came off the best is Illin’ P. His verse was really nice. But all the MC’s on this dropped hot stuff. This is definitely one of the best songs on this CD. 9/10

9. Bizzy To The Letter 

This one is different. The beat is not that good really, you can’t really hear the kicks on this. I can’t say I’m feeling this track. The only thing that saves this song is the lyrics, if the beat was better, it would have been way better. 5/10

10. 17 Emcees 

This one is good, it is not the best but it is still good. Not everyone is going to like this one, it really depends on your style. I myself can’t say I love this song but I can listen to it, it is not the wackest song out there, it is not that wack, it just isn’t my style, that’s all. 6.5/10

11. Story Of The Warrior 

This song is really nice. The beat for some reason reminds me some Chinese stuff. The lyrics flow nice, goes well with the beat. This song is definitely one worth checking out. 7.5/10

12. Ghetto Fabulous

This one is really nice. I love the beat on this one, it is slow but it is really nice. The lyrics are tight as hell on this. I really love this one, another one of the best songs on this. 8.5/10

13. Shine It On ‘Em

This track is dope. I’m feeling this one, the beat reminds me of something, I can’t really remember what it reminds me of but I’m sure I heard a beat like this before. The lyrics are nice, really on point. 8/10

14. 9’s Revisited 

I like this one. The beat in a way reminds me of a live jazz song. The piano on this one is kind of wack though, I think if the piano on this was taken off this song would have been great. But the rhymes on this are tight. Real hip-hop in my opinion, dope shit. This song is nice but the piano gets annoying after a while. 7.5/10

15. Ma$$ Rise

This is another nice one. I’m really feeling this one. Beat is nice, rhymes are nice, dope ass shit. One of the songs you definitely need to peep from this CD. 9/10

16. Take Time Out 

This is another one of the different type songs. This is better than the other Ra Degrees song on this CD, I got to say this one is better. Still not the best but better. This is a cool song. 7/10

 

Overall this CD is really nice. This is better than most of the rap CD’s coming out today. This CD contains some really fresh talent, this just shows you some of the best talent is underground. This is a CD definitely worth looking out for. I say this one is worth buying, real good CD.

Final Rating: 3.65/5