Category Archives: From The Vault

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City High – City High

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City High - City HighCity High is a trio consisting of rappers slash singers Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz. The two male group members was originally signed to Wyclef Jean’s Booga Basement imprint as a duo, but the group became a trio when Wyclef realized that they resembled another group on his roster, The Product G&B, too much. Ortiz was added to the group after her effort on the groups first hit single “What Would You Do” from the Life OST in 1999. City High drew comparisons to Wyclef’s super-group, The Fugees for two main reasons: the first being that the make-up of the band was two male members and a superstar female member, and also the fact that the members both sang and rapped. Unlike The Fugees, however, City High had more of an R&B slant.

1. Didn’t Ya

Didn’t Ya seems to be a mixture between a song and an intro to this album. The group is singing over a smooth beat and you can sense from the first song of the album what type of music City High is gonna offer.

2. Three Way

Three Way is a funky type of RnB song. I’m not a City High knowitall so I’m not sure on this one but I think this is a solo track from one of the male singers. Either that or it’s a duo between the two male members. Either way, it’s a cool track but nothing you’ll bve hearing at the club.

3. Why

The third song on the album doesn’t have the funky vibe to it like Three Way had. Why has more of a jazzy sound to it. On this song, the three members sing one verse each. It’s a real smooth song that you can bump when your future babymama is coming over (unless you get some rubbers). Yeah, it’s a sexual song.

4. Song For You

On Song For You, Wyclef makes his first appearance on the album, even though he’s just basically doing some adlibs here and there. By the guitarr and just the feel of the song, you can tell Wyclef produced it (I don’t even have to check the credits for this one). Actually, you can tell Wyclef had a big say in this album by the quality of the production – it’s top notch. This track is real tight… it’s got a special feel to it.

5. 15 Will Get You

15 Will Get You is another one of those funky tracks. Hiphop producer Klark Kent produced this song and Wyclef is featuring with a verse, rapping. It’s a funky song and a real nice beat, but nothing all that special. Atleast not compared to most of the other songs on this album.

6. Cat And Dogs

Cat And Dogs is a hiphop track. The group is rapping and by how they mix rapping and singing you can tell that Wyclef has been a big influence on the group members. To me, it’s cool to mix rapping and singing as long as you don’t try to be some hard core gangsta rapper. Wyclef, however, is an all around artist. He can do it, and so can his protige group. It’s dope!

7. Caramel

This is a Claudette Ortiz solo song. It’s a mixture between a funky sound and a smooth Ashanti type of song. I like where this is going. It’s a real good song.

8. Best Friends

Best Friends is a typical RnB song. It’s so RnB it doesn’t even fit in on this album. Even though City High is an RnB group, they have a funky sound that makes their genre more hard to define. They’re in the Wyclef genre which is a new genre where different styles mix. This, however, is RnB. That’s cool though. It’s an enjoyable song.

9. Sista

This song is about how one of the group members is telling a friend how he hooked up with his sister. Now that’s not something you want your homeboy to say… but if it ever happened to me I’d like for it to be said through a song like this. But after the part about how the sister is pregnant comes on, fists would still be thrown. Either way, real nice song.

10. What Would You Do

What Would You Do was the smash single from this album. Everybody was loving it and everybody still is. If you haven’t heard this song, you need to get out more. It’s a real real good song where the band members are talking to a single mom working as a stripper. The message is deep and the different angles is what makes it even better. Ofcourse, the way the band delivers the message and the beat is obviously why this was such a big hit. It’s funny how they got a Dr. Dre beat mixed up into the song for a few seconds aswell. The song could be longer though.

11. So Many Things

Top notch smash single What Would You Do is followed up by So Many Things, a cheezy love song about how the group want to ask questions to their ex or something. It’s a nice slow cut but nothing compared to the previous track.

12. The Only One I Trust

The Only One I Trust is Claudette Ortiz singing about the only one she loves and trust. The beat is what makes the song and I can imagine playing this while smoking a fat blunt. Actually, I will… Give it a minute and you’ll like it too. Don’t be too fast on that next button.

13. City High Anthem

Ok, so for you to name a song the City High Anthem, you need to make a real real dope song. After all, this song is about to represent your group. On this song, the group members sing about their backrounds and where they came from. It’s a real cool song, but I wasn’t impressed until the twist came in after about two minutes. That was a good move by the producer. Also, it’s cool to hear a lil background on the group.

14. You Don’t Know Me

Okay so the group first tells the listeners about themselves, and then they come back saying “you don’t know me”? What’s up? You don’t know me either! ***** you! Nah, seriously though, it’s not what it seems. This song is real funky and Wyclef did his part real well on the production. Real tight song.

15. Do The Right Thing (UK Bonus)

Do The Right Thing is on the UK version of the disc. I guess I’ve got that one. US listeners aren’t missing out on anything major: This is RnB on a Hiphop beat. The track’s got a male rapper featured but the cover or booklet doesn’t say who.

16. It Ain’t The Same (UK Bonus)

It Ain’t The Same is a pure hiphop track. It’s a good one at that. It doesn’t really go with the rest of the album, but I could care less. Sounds like a Rass Kass track to me. Check it.

What Would You Do is the best song on this album. There is no doubt about that. The song was a mega hit when it came out and it’s still good to hear it to this day. The rest of the album doesn’t keep the same level as that one song, but it does keep a high level. With Wyclef behind a majority of the production, you know that the album will contain quality production.

Wyclef uses a mixture between RnB and HipHop in his music. City High is trying to do the same even though they are more of an RnB group. City High will always be in Wyclef’s shadow. However, being in Wyclef’s shadow might even be a good thing.

I rate this album 4 out of 5 and expect more from future releases.

Xzibit – Restless

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Xzibit - RestlessFront 2 Back – The first song was produced by the Rocwilder, and damn it’s a great start to the album. The beat is relatively fast and heavy, but guaranteed to get you hooked into the album. Xzibit comes off great in this track. If they would have paid slightly more attention to the chorus this song might have been nothing short of perfect. 9/10

Been A Long Time – Battle Cat produced this, I was hoping it would come out a bit faster than this to keep the momentum rolling from the song before it. Instead you have a somewhat slow beat that Xzibit doesn’t seem able to fully flow to. Don’t get me wrong, the beat is still great. Nate Dogg simply rips it with his vocals in the chorus and is the highlight of the song. 9/10

U Know – Finally, the first Dre produced track of the album, and damn you can’t ask for any more. The beat is mainly a piano along with drums on a nice somewhat fast beat. Xzibit is decent on this track and then, surprisingly, Dre drops an amazing verse in the end. The chorus should have been different though, it simply didn’t follow the flow of the beat or verses. 8/10

X – Another Dre beat, you should know this song. Xzibit’s flow in this song is nothing short of perfect. This song is basically an introduction to anyone that doesn’t know X. Snoop’s speech in the end was unnecessary but doesn’t harm the song in any way. 10/10

Alkaholik – I don’t know what to say about this track, all my friends claim it’s the best on the album, but I don’t really find it that great. The song is produced by Erick Sermon who is also featured along with J-Ro and Tash. Xzibit has a good verse to start it off, Erick wasn’t all that great and neither was J-Ro, however Tash was decent. The chorus is sort of addictive and simple. 6/10

Kenny Parker Show 2001 – Xzibit attempted a bit of production with this track. It’s a good remake of the Kenny Parker Show. The beat is nice and addictive. Xzibit’s flow over it is great and he seems very full of himself, “Yo it’s me, down with D-R-E, X to tha Z rocks any party”. KRS One has occasional shout outs in the song. 8/10

D.N.A. (Drugs-N-Alkahol) – The first real appearance of Big Snoop Dogg on the album. The beat is pretty good and produced by Rick Rock. Xzibit’s verse in the beginning is nice and on a medium speed. After a chorus which was actually a bit annoying, Snoop drops a verse with a really sweet flow like only he does. 8.5/10

Double Time – Produced by Erick Sermon, and I really wasn’t feelin this song. Both the beat and the verses got very repetitive and annoying. Further more, the chorus was too simple and repeating the same thing for too long. This song could have been left out of the album. 4/10

Don’t Approach Me – This song was produced by Eminem, and you can see that he learnt from Dre. The beat for this song is very simple, but seems to be very filling and perfect for the sound of both Xzibit and Eminem. The chorus is also amazing. 10/10

Rims & Tirez – Soopafly produced this, and unlike his normal production, this sucks. The chorus was just lame and completely not of the quality of this album. All the verses sounded slow and forced rather than following the beat which is probably impossible on the beat. Another disappointment was Kokane’s chorus, usually he sounds unique on each song with his odd voice in a good way, but not here. 3/10

*****in’ You Right – Well, its Xzibit, what can you expect? A song saying “I’m just *****in all these hoes to get experience to know how to ***** you in the best way possible honey, I swear”. Once again the beat is produced by Soopafly and this time he didn’t screw it up. Xzibit has a fast flow in this song and the chorus is just bangin. 8/10

Best Of Things – The third Dre produced beat of the album, and possibly one of the best. Xzibit’s flow is medium in this song, but drops some amazing verses. The chorus is Xzibit experimenting with his voice attempting to somewhat sing with a soft voice that did not turn out that great, but was still nice over this beat. My favorite track on the album.10/10

Get Your Walk On – Produced by Mel-Man and Battle Cat, and damn its great. The song starts off right away with a fast beat and Xzibit drops fast verses but seems to stop for a second between each line or something like that. The past two songs have been simply amazing. 10/10

Sorry I’m Away So Much – The only DJ Quik produced track for the album, and that’s a shame. This song is great, Xzibit seems able to flow over the beat without any problem, too bad that Quik didn’t make more beats for this album. Suga Free also drops a real tight verse. 9/10

Loud & Clear – A perfect way to end the album. This Battle Cat production has a dark feeling to it. Once again Xzibit starts instantly rapping with the beat and drops another great verse. Everybody has good drops on this song and the chorus is simply perfect. A real good way to finish off the album. 10/10

 

Overall the album is consistent with the exception of two or three songs. I’d recommend you get this album, another great mark of Xzibit’s career. Overall this gets a 8/10 or 4 out of 5.

Xzibit – At The Speed Of Life

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Xzibit - At The Speed Of LifeGrand Opening (Intro) – Intro

At The Speed Of Life – The album starts off with the album-titled track, which in truth is one of the heaviest tracks on the album. The beat is raw and simple and xzibit laces it with great lyrics all throughout: “Trying to find piece of mind is like trying to find a gold mine, it just wont happen, no time for relaxin, Real soldiers of fortune, the front line of the action, So never show a nigga what you packin’”. The chorus is kinda just a filler for a few seconds until xzibit starts spitting again. A great track to start the album off with. Due to the lyrics and amazing beat, it gets a great score. 9.5/10

Just Maintain – Xzibit, J-Ro and Hurricane Gee. The beat to this song is not as great as the one before it, but it definitely continues along the same feel. Xzibit spits heat, so does J-Ro. They should have made one more verse each and left Hurricane Gee out though. Her voice gets extremely annoying and her lyrics are average. She brings down the score of the song drastically. 6/10 

Eyes May Shine – Another raw beat to continue the feeling of the album. Xzibit once again spits some great lyrics, “I’m only comin’ through when it’s time for collection/ Xzibit forever nasty, spread like infection/ Ain’t no protection ever made by man to withstand this punishment/ In other words runnin’ shit”. This time the song actually has a proper chorus and it really adds to the atmosphere of the song with that special horror-style screech in the background.9/10

Positively Negative – The beat to this track sounds a bit different to the others so far, but this does not ruin the flow of the entire album. The song is basically Xzibit and King Tee exchanging lyrics, 2 verses each. Another great song on the album with another simple yet filling beat. 8.5/10

Don’t Hate Me – Skit

Paparazzi – Maybe the best song on the album. The beat is quite melodic and smooth flowing unlike the others but still has that same feeling as the whole album so far. The lyrics to this song are great and show Xzibit’s real ability to drop some deep lyrics. “so my composure is kept while others start to sweat/ A merchant from the fog with my *****ed up dialogue/ try to live high on the hog leaves you bankrupt/ and niggaz you spent it on, would not give a *****/”. In this song Xzibit talks about how rappers are only trying to drop hits to get the money rather than bring a meaning to their songs. 10/10

The Foundation – This song follows off the previous one in a good way, both by the beats and by the lyrics. Xzibit’s lyrics in this song are deep and seem to be inspired by his deep emotions. You can tell that from the very beginning with these lyrics: “When I look you in your eyes I can see my own/ Straight love manifested in flesh and bone/ You’s a breath of fresh air in this world of shit/ You was born to be a soldier don’t ever forget/”. The beat to this track brings out a feeling of some emotional burden and especially the voices in the chorus make it really stand out. A perfect song. 10/10

Mrs Crabtree – Skit

Bird’s Eye View – What a shame that this song doesn’t follow the same method as the previous two. Nevertheless, you are still in for a treat. Xzibit, Tash and J-Ro all spit some good lyrics and do the chorus along with a single line from Hurricane Gee. The beat to this song takes it back to the same feel as in the beginning of the album, the simple raw beats that barely exist these days anymore. 8/10

Hit And Run (Part II) – “I don’t wanna save ’em/ Pay em’ or buy clothes/ All we really wanna do/ Is try to ***** these hoes/”. That is basically what the song is about. Xzibit rappin about hoes on top of a slow paced beat. I felt that this song was not bad and doesn’t bring the album down, but maybe the album would have been better without it.7/10

Carry The Weight – One of my personal favorites. Another more melodic beat with deep lyrics. “You see I don’t like to remenisce about the past/ The lower class, no clout livin’ hand to mouth/ Each and every wrong move the police keep count/ make it real *****in’ easy to get streched out/” to just mention the beginning of the great lyrics. The chorus is basically over the same beat and flow but still sounds great. Definitely a song you should know. If you don’t have the album, I recommend you download this song (or buy the album). 10/10

Plastic Surgery – A song by the Golden State Project: Xzibit, Ras Kass And Saafir. It reminds me of “Just Maintain” a bit, but this is definitely better. The beat is basically the simplest thing you can think of, drums and baseline, but it sounds just perfect for this song. The song talks about how people still sound the same on the mic and now need “Plastic Surgery”. 9/10

Enemies And Friends – Basically a song going over the rules of the game and telling you to watch out for your “friends” that can turn on you any moment. The beat to this song, the last song on the album, still holds that same feeling of rawness and is a great song to finish the album with. 9/10

Last Words (Outro) – Skit

 

I believe that Xzibit is one of the most underrated rappers ever, no one really seems to care about him. Hhe gave us an album which is so consistent from front to back with that raw feeling and those great lyrics yet he remains a minor name in the rap game. No body should be sleepin on this album, if you are able to, get it. Due to the great lyrics and the beats that give you that same feeling all throughout the album, this gets a 9/10, or 4,5 out of 5.

Naughty By Nature – IIcons

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Naughty By Nature - IIcons1. IIcons

We waste no time getting into this album as they do a short intro demonstrating that NBN are IIcons. Oh yea forgot to tell you, Kay Gee left the group and is not doing beats anymore. The beat is fierce and perfect for Treach to spit venom at, the chorus is great and only Treach can do a chorus like that….well he does use “Hail Mary’s” “Come With Me” for the chorus then adds his own flavor to it. Great track. Good

2. Rock & Roll(Feat Method Man & Redman)

Well we are into song 2 and there are already guests? Blah, I like both Redman & Method Man but they aren’t needed here. Treach just outshines both using a fierce angry fast type flow, it has to be heard to be believed. Method Man gives us a lackluster verse but mentions “Kobra Kai” so he gets cool points. Typical Redman verse, humor filled with dopeness. Good

3. What You Wanna Do(Feat Pink)

Well Treach and Pink were going out around this time so it was to be expected. She really is horrid on this track, and not even Treach can carry this mess, Vinnie tries as well but doesn’t matter because Pink’s ear bleeding vocals are all over this song and when she says “Got blunts?” I just shake my head in disgust. Wack

4. Swing Swang

Alright here we go! This is what I call Feel Me Flow Part 2 but with Vinnie. Beat is a little similar, chorus is different but it really reminds me of Feel Me Flow. Treach starts it off with a great verse, just unbelievable. Vinnie with a very good verse, nice to see uncle Vinnie trying to keep up with Treach but knowing he can’t so he puts his own style to it. Oh yea the chorus is really good as well, very positive. This should’ve been the single, this could’ve been the next Feel me Flow, seriously, this song is one of their best. DOPE!

5. Rah Rah(Feat Rottin Razkalz)

Well we get some weirded out intro with some guy babbling with NBN laughing in the background. Beat is some hard Southern horn type shit. Treach starts it off and man this guy could ride a Casio beat, pretty much the only highlight, oh yea Vinnie does a great job as well. Uneventful but still a good song. Good

6. Feel’s Good(Feat 3LW)

Guilty pleasure of mine, this is one of the most catchiest songs I have ever heard and even though it gets hated on, it’s still a nice party jam and even with Treach unmotivated, he’s still better than 90% of these rappers out, what a wasted talent, to get off topic for a minute, I’m no Eminem fan but I respect him for going out and saying Treach was a huge influence to his style. Anyway the song is catchy, the chorus is catchy, what can I say? Good song. Good

7. Let Me Find Out

This track is really bitter, I mean really REALLY bitter. Gay….I mean Kay Gee diss here, Treach gets really personal here and you can honestly hear his anger and his frustration with the switch hitter Kay Gee. For those who don’t know, Kay Gee did that Next(RnB group with that Real Close single) project and basically said he was done with NBN and done with gangsta music all in all and dissed them, well Treach being a legit tough guy didn’t take it too easy. This song as well as “Real Niggaz” off Doc’s Da Name(You should peep that track not only is there a great Kay Gee diss by Treach but a Yuk diss by Scarface). Anyway this song is really good and to prove Treach rules the school he switches up flows, pure greatness. Good

8. Naughty By nature(Carl Thomas) 

A TREACH SOLO SONG! DOPE! This has that old school feel to it, with lots of horns and old beat drums and all that. Carl Thomas is worthless on the chorus but who cares? Treach of course makes this track his ***** and makes it cook him dinner! I can’t give it a DOPE! rating because of Carl Thomas and his Jafaken accent here. Good

9. NJ To LA(Feat Roaddawgs & Rottin Razkals)

Ok the beat is completely horrible, Treach carries it well but the others have no clue how to ride a beat like this. Average(For Treach)

10. Red Light(Feat Queen Latifah)

Good little track, Treach starts it off and of course rips it to pieces. Vinnie does a good job. Treach again and I can’t complain. Chorus was good, luckily Latifah didn’t rap, because that would’ve been horrid. Good

11. Ashes To Ashes(Feat Icarus & Freddie Foxxx)

Treach starts it off and has a funny line about Chris Rock’s fingers, Treach has such dope wordplay, he could be reading off his grocery list and it’d sound like a masterpiece. Icarus is your no substance punchline rapper who I do not care of. Freddie Foxxx disses Bubba Sparxxx. Wow Treach & Bumpy Knuckles on the same track? 2 *****in crazy thugs who no one would ***** with or diss. I would love a duo album from them. Good track. Good

12. What U Don’t Know

Not feeling this track, all it is is “What you don’t know” repeat 1000 times, it gets old. Wack

13. Wild Mutha*****az(feat LiL Jon & Chyna White)

Oh yea, NBN did do a song with LiL Jon and it’s a very dope song except for one thing….Chyna White, she’s just horrible, very irritating and totally messes up the flow of the song. Nice try lady, you ain’t outshining NBN and you for sure ain’t lyrically touchin Treach. Jon gets annoying but atleast you expect it and he does his usual cursing and yelling type schtick that grows on you. Good track. Good

14. Family Tree

Realest song ever! One of NBN’s best tracks. Great way to end the album. Treach gets really emotional here and the beat in the background…ah man I can’t do it justice. Vinnie does a great job as well but lets get real here, he ain’t touchin Treach but I’m glad Vinnie found his niche. Treach even gives a “***** you” to the people who claim Pac was alive, by saying he’s gonna see him in Cuba but then says “When I Moun You Till I Join You”, pure clever. Classic track. DOPE!

 

All in all this gets a Good rating. Is it the best NBN album? No way, but is it solid? Yes. I’d cop this last though, just get their whole catelogue first then get this. Treach however ruled the school here, trying his best to carry these weak sounding beats, and Vinnie also tried. Kudo’s NBN, good album, please come back and make another one!

Bushwick Bill – Phantom Of The Rapra

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Bushwick Bill - Phantom Of The RapraFor those who don’t know who Bushwick Bill is; Bushwick was a member of the infamous group “Geto Boys”. This was his second solo album and was released on Rap-A-Lot.

Phantoms theme (Intro) 

What cha gonna do? 

First track sounds good with the tight dark beat; that fits Bushwick´s laid-back style of rappin. The lyrics are kind of funny but still serious in some way. Don’t forget to check the hook since it’s a classic and one of the best hooks ever made in my opinion. Overall a tight track.

Time is hard 

Bushwick drops some real deep lyrics on this track. It’s about escaping the ghetto life and all the hard times living in the ghetto brings. The beat is laid back and got a little West Coast feeling to it. The hook is simple yet catchy.

Who’s the biggest 

This track is dedicated to everybody that doubts Bushwick because his size. He really shows his anger over the dope fast-paced beat. Pay extra attention to the nice hook. Tight track!

Ex-girlfriend 

Bushwick is dropping some player like lyrics on this track. The beat is very smooth and laid-back. It’s a funny track that reflects reality in some situations. Very tight concept by Bushwick.

Only god knows 

Damn this track is deep! After hearing Bushwick´s previous work, this track was a positive surprise to me. I didn’t know he could make tracks like this. Not only are his lyrics tight the west coast inspired beat is one of the best beats on the album. I hope Bushwick keeps on making tracks like this one.

Already dead 

This is also a kind of deep track, you can clearly feel Bushwick´s pain on this track. The beat is very hard with a dark twist to it. Tight hard track!

The Bushwicken 

Here is another laid-back track. The hook is very catchy, his lyrics and flow is on point too. The beat is however wack and it makes the track boring. It’s too bad it could have been a tight track if the beat was better.

Subliminal criminal

Bushwicks flow surprised me on this track, he is rapping very fast and I didn’t think he could do that. Not only is he rapping fast he is dropping dope lyrics over the tight beat. He is not the only one tho, there is a rapper that is not listed in the credits but I think his name is “Sherm”, who is dropping an impressive verse at the end of the track.

Inhale exhale 

This is the smoke song for all the weed smokers. The beat is kind of hypnotic. Bushwick and I think it’s Menace Clan that are featured are dropping good verses on the song.

Mr. President 

This track is aimed at the President. It’s a good concept by Bushwick but the beat is so wack that it’ boring to listen to it. If you can look past the beat you will find heartfelt lyrics that are being spit with anger. Like I said tight concept by Bush it’s just too bad that the beat is wack.

Phantom’s reprise (Outro)

 

Well all in all it’s a good album. Bush’s dropping dope lyrics all over the album, the hooks are good and a few beats are tight. Still there are beats that should have been better and it should have been more tracks on the album.

I give it 3.5/5

Ice-T – The Iceberg/Freedom of speech…Just watch what you say

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Ice-T - The Iceberg/Freedom of speech...Just watch what you sayRelease: October 10, 1989 Production: Ice-T & Afika Islam. Label: Sire/Warner Bros.

 

Tracks: 

Shut up, Be happy 

In this intro America has been put under marshall law, it features Jello Biafra [of Dead Kennedy’s] speaking on the new rules of society, it basically says, Here we’re giving you the country you want, you dont have to do anything, but there is a price to this – Freedom.

The Iceberg 

It starts off with some mellow flute type sounds to make you think its a soft love song but then comes the old skool funky sounds of Afrika Islam, This a layed back mellow beat and Ice-T kicks some cool-as-Ice flows. He speaks on this crew and himself…He lets you know his crew is the illest. This is some funky shit.

Lethal Weapon 

Ice comes with a nice flow on this, Ice plays with the words and for squares listenin’ to this there gonna say “oh hes talkin bout guns”…but no, hes talking bout his mind, “My lethal weapon is my mind”…this is a real track, one of 1989’s best.

You played yourself 

This is a tight anti-drugs/anti fakes track, it has afew jazzy notes and a funky OG beat. Ice talks about the fake emcees in the game, he speaks about wannabe macks and fools taken drugs on the streets and the results of doing that…to quote a line: “Society’s fault? No…Nobody put the crack into the pipe, Nobody made ya smoke off your life. You thought that you could do dope and stay cool?!? fool you played yourself”. A classic track with a real message.

Peel their caps back 

This one has Ice talking about gang warfare and the reality of what gos down after the news cameras have gone, one of Ice’s cats gets killed so Ice and the gang roll to get some payback, its midnight and Ice and the crew go looking to find the cats that killed his buddy so they have a shoot out and Ice gets hit. He gets into the gangsta mentality in this one and answers the question “Why?”. Hopefully this track will make these kiddies think before they start wearing there rags behind there computers. It aint cool.

The girl tried to kill me 

I like this one, Its a rock n roll beat and Ice puts it down, it sounds perfect. Ice gets with a chick and the ***** is a freak…He basically talks about a sex freak and all the freaky thangs she does with Ice with whips, baby oil and tying him up [..shes trying to kill me] and at the end of the track the chicks husband comes in [..trying to kill me]. Peep

Black n decker 

This is the first skit on the cd, it starts with Ice reading an article that says the Syndicate is only about volience and blood. So Ice and the Syndicate get a drill and use effects to make it sound like they drill thru a mans head. [gives the suckers what they wanna hear]

Hit the deck 

We get fast paced on this one, it has a Rakim sample in there and is a party track. The flow matchs the beat and the cuts are timed well, he gives afew words to up-and-coming emcees and breaks down some of his own styles, this track has some great DeeJay cuts too.

This ones for me 

Another jazzy beat with a laid back flow, Ice speaks his mind on this one, he speaks on haters, fakers and sell outs, he talks about the Public Enemy situation and how cats didnt support them but on this Ice makes it known he’s supporting them. He also speaks on the drugs game in the streets and how cats are killing each other over that shit. this is a nice relaxed track.

The hunted child 

Ice plays the role of a 17 year old killer from South Central and raps about why this kid killed and he touchs on cats killing each other on the streets, this beat has got some nice bass to it.

What cha wanna do? 

What cha wanna do? Party!! man this a 1989 party track, if you ever have a party at your place and need an old skool throw back track then this is the one to peep, this is a Syndicate cut with the Syndicate putting down a rap and each member adds his own style to the track, the result is a dope old skool party track.

Freedom of speech 

man this is the beat track on the whole cd, he speaks about censorship and the PMRC, Ice talks about how they are trying to hold back the freedom of speech of recording artists and he uses some creative words to express his feelings which surely caused peoples panties to get wrinked up in 1989. I agree 100% with the message in this track, we need freedom of speech and we should be able to say anything, Ice-T fought alot of battles for what he believed in and what you may not know is that he played a major role in helping recording artists to be able to say anything without being banned or censored. This is without doubt one of the greatest Hiphop tracks ever. Listen, repeat and listen some more.

My word is bond 

T and the Syndicate raps about fake cats and the bullshit they do and some bragging is throwin’ in for good measure, its a ligth hearted track, if you dont understand it you’ll miss the whole point of it.

 

Overall:
As you can guess im Ice-T’s #1 fan, this rates as his best work. Its old skool and has meaningful messages and many views on censorship, sex, rap and of course drugs. If you want to step into the world of reality rap this is a good starting point. This is a prime example of what Rap used to be about, its hardcore but not fake and it has powerful messages and strong view points. I havent said there is a wack tracks, which is rare but i feel all the content is worth listening to. The only thing that i can think of that would hold people back from buying this cd is the fact that some of the beats may sound alittle too old skool for them, but regardless its a classic album and reality rap at its best. Ice-T is one of the only rappers to start real and stay real, everything he said on this album he remained true too and thats something only the very best of emcees can do, sure Ice-T doesnt freestyle and he doesnt make rnb complex rhymes and all that bullshit but that aint the point. This music is real.

Kanye West – The College Dropout

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Kanye West - The College DropoutRelease Date: February 10, 2004 The College Dropout Record Label: Roc-A-Fella

01.) “Intro”
Produced by Kanye West

02.) “We Don’t Care” (4.5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
This was the perfect track to kick-off “The College Dropout”. Kanye sums it up perfectly by spittin’, “If this is your first time hearing this/You are about to experience somethin’ so cold man!”. This track perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album. Kanye’s lyrical performance is awfully reminiscent to that of Talib Kweli’s classic “Get By”… which KanyeWest produced.

03.) “Graduation Day” (interlude)
Produced by Kanye West

04.) “All Falls Down” (feat. Syleena Johnson) (5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
Kanye West puts on an outstanding lyrical performance over his outstanding production. Kanye tells the tale of the “Self Conscious” tendencies of young people. The line “Couldn’t afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis (A Lexus)” basically sums-up the plot of the track. If this isn’t considered classic material then I don’t know what is.

05.) “I’ll Fly Away” (interlude)
Produced by Kanye West

06.) “Spaceship” (feat. Consequence and GLC) (4.5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
“If my manager insults me again I will be assaulting him/After I ***** the manager up then I’m gonna shorten the register up!”. If you can’t relate to Kanye’s verse on this track… then you probrobly have never held a job. Consequence and GLC also drop great verses over another one of Kanye’s signature sped-up samples.

07.) “Jesus Walks” (5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
This is one of my personal favorites featured on “The College Dropout”. Listen to the lyrics and you’ll see why I say that this will end-up as a
contender for 2004’s best lyrical performance. Kanye’s production perfectly fits the theme of this track. This is nothing short of outstanding…

08.) “Never Let Me Down” (feat. J. Ivy and Jay-Z) (5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
The production on this track is Grammy-worthy. Kanye West drops an absolutly outstanding verse on this track. Jay-Z drops two outstanding
verses aswell. As-a-matter-of-fact… it’s difficult to decide who drops the better verse on this track… it’s very impressive that Kanye West can
hang with Jay-Z lyrically. J. Ivy drops a lyrical gem on this track also. It’s rather confusing though… it’s difficult to make-out whether J. Ivy is just speaking or rhyming. If he’s infact rhyming then he really needs to work on his flow.

09.) “Get ‘Em High” (feat. Common and Talib Kweli) (4.8 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
This may be the best production featured on “The College Dropout”. It also sounds different than any other production featured on the album. If you ask me… Common is HANDS-DOWN the star of “Get ‘Em High”. Hopefully his lyrical performance on this track will give him some of the respect he deserves. Kanye West and Talib Kweli (more-soKanye) both drop great verses. But for some reason I’m a little dissapointed with Kweli’s verse.

10.) “Workout Plan” (interlude)
Produced by Kanye West

11.) “The New Workout Plan” (5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
The production alone on this track easily rates at a “5”. I also love the overall originality of the production. I especially love Bosko’s talk-box drop on this track. Everything about this track is irrisistibly catchy… and when I say catchy… I mean catchy. Good luck getting this track out of your head.

12.) “Slow Jamz” (feat. Jamie Foxx and Twista) (4.8 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
The production and the hook on this track easily rates at a “5”. Twista’s flow on this track is also next-to perfect. What’s great about this track is that it’s so damn original. The only reason that I couldn’t find myself to give this track a perfect rating was due to Kanye West’s lyrical performance. It’s by no means wack or even half-way bad… I simply think that it could have been better.

13.) “Breathe In Breathe Out” (feat. Ludacris) (4.2 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
Let me start by saying that Kanye’s lyrical performance on this track is arguably his best overall lyrical performance featured on “The College Dropout”. “Eventhough I went to College and dropped outta school quick/I always has a P.H.D…. A Pretty Huge Dick!” and “Baby I fully understand let me help you out with a plan/While he trickin’ off don’t get no rich nigga/Give me some head that’ll really piss him off!” will easily end-up being two of the best punch lines of the year 2004. The production on this track is nice and Ludacris does a pretty nice job with the hook. I’m still dissapointed that Ludacris didn’t drop a verse on this one… it could’ve taken this track to that next level.

14.) “School Spirit, Skit 1” (interlude)
Produced by Kanye West

15.) “School Spirit” (4.2 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
Kanye West drops a couple nice verses over one of his signature sped-up samples on this track. This is another track that you’ll find stuck in your head in a matter of days… “School Spirit Muthaaa Fuuuccckkkaaa…”

16.) “School Spirit, Skit 2” (interlude)
Produced by Kanye West

17.) “Lil’ Jimmy” (interlude)
Produced by Kanye West

18.) “Two Words” (feat. Freeway, Mos Def and the Harlem Boys Choir) (5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
Once again creativity reigns supreme on this classic track. Mos Def does an outstanding job proving why he may be the most under-rated MC in Hip-Hop. Freeway and Kanye West also drop outstanding verses over the amazing production of Kanye West. It doesn’t get too much better than this… What more can I say?

19.) “Through The Wire” (5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
I feel as though I don’t even half to justify why I’m calling this track a classic… for the simple reason that if you’ve heard it you should feel the same as me about this track. Everything about this track is a picture of perfection.

20.) “Family Business” (4.5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
The production on this track is top-notch. This track will send you down memory lane… it’ll also make you suddenly want to be around your extended family.

21.) “Last Call” (5 out of 5)
Produced by Kanye West
“Killin’ y’all niggas on that lyrical shit/Mayonaisse colored Benz I push Miracle Whips!”… if you aren’t feeling that line then I don’t know what’s wrong with you. The lyrical performance, the production and the overall concept of “Last Call” is nothing short of classic material. I can sit through the entire twelve mintues and forty seconds of this track without feeling the urge to hit the stop button.

CONCLUSION

This album may be one of the greatest debuts in the history of Hip-Hop. There is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that “The College Dropout” is nothing short of a classic. The album contains absolutly no filler-material or “skipper tracks”; I can honestly say that I’ve never skipped a single track on the album… I even love the skits because they serve a purpose. The creativity and the quality of this album is simply un-matched in today’s Hip-Hop scene. From the second I first heard “Through The Wire” I couldn’t wait for this album to drop. I’m glad to say that this album is everything I expected it to be… and MORE! If you don’t own this album then please (for your own sake) go out RIGHT NOW and pick-up a copy of “The College Dropout”… you’ll thank me. Kanye West is more than just an outstanding producer… He’s the savior of Hip-Hop!

FINAL RATING: 5 out of 5

Kastro & EDI – Blood Brothers

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Kastro & EDI - Blood Brothers1. Makaveli & Kadafi Intro 

Just an intro no rating.

2. Desperation 

Good track, EDI starts it off as he raps about having no other choice than to smoke PCP, because his brother is successful and his girl been cheating on him. Kastro comes tight but his verse is short. Good

3. No More 

Standard new Outlawz track, boring beat but lets see if EDI & Kastro can carry the load. EDI starts it off with a rapid smooth verse, say what you will but EDI IMO was always the most consistent Outlaw. Kastro of course rips it. Song really doesn’t have a good beat but EDI and Kastro carry this and work their asses off so you have to appreciate that. Good

4. Lost Love 

Different beat, more rapid and EDI of course takes advantage of it, rapping fast and showing his versatility. Kastro does a slow chorus for the beat but he does it well, then Kastro raps and well it’s the usual which is always dope. You can say what you want abou the Outlawz but they bust their asses on songs. Song’s about the evil in people including the evil in drugs and money. Good

5. Never Givin it Up 

Dope guitar type beat, the chorus is pretty standard but that’s not a bad thing, everyone comes tight. Good

6. Just Us(Feat Dirty Bert Of Jerzey Mob) 

Beat is softer and it’s pretty basic and boring. They try, but that’s not going to save this song. Average

7. Born A souljah(Outlawz, Hellraza, & Yukmouth) 

Good track as it’s lyrical slaughter time! Noble starts it off with a vicious verse and seriously has this guy ever came wack? I never heard him come weak, he has always gave it a 110%. The chorus is good albeit simple. EDI with a good verse but not as good as Nobles so it comes off semi weak. Hellraza with a vicious but short verse then his brother Napoleon takes over with a vicious verse, man this guy has such a great flow. Yukmouth with the best verse and…they cut his verse short? WHAT!?!? They cut Yuk’s verse off! Doesn’t matter still a good song. Good

8. Same Shit Different Day 

Starting is stupid but gets good when the rapping starts going on. Everyone comes tight. Good

9. Thug Law(Feat Miko) 

Good song, EDI shines, but uses a dated Ras Kass line so I have to deduct points, still everyone carries their load. Good

10. Ride Wit Tha Lawz(Noble) 

DOPE DOPE DOPE!!!! Nice bouncy West type beat, the chorus even fits. Jersey’s finest right here, all we need are Treach, Chino XL, Redman, & The Outsidaz and it’d be the Jersey anthem. Best song on the album. DOPE!

11. So Wrong(Feat Jazzy Pha) 

Wow we go from dope to this? Ugh this song is terrible. Wack

12. Guns & Butter 

What a title name lol. Good track but the slow sneaky whisper type flow doesn’t work. The chorus has a nice piano beat in it but it’s pretty basic. EDI does rip it though. Good

13. So Hard(Feat Tre) 

Good track, even a Dogg Pound shout in the beginning. Nice bouncy weird type beat with a good singing sample in it. Tre’s slow then fast type flow is great, this guy needs a solo out. EDI with a calm but rapid flow(!). Kastro with a good verse. Good stuff. Good

14. It Is What It Is(Feat Big Syke & The Homie Wack Deuce) 

Beat is basic and boring, nothing special but it beats an outro. Average

 

All in all a Good rating. Nice effort by 2 of my favorite Outlawz. One problem was there shouldn’t be any guests, but you take what you can. This was EDI’s time to shine and he took the ball and ran with it. I recommend this album!

Young Noble – Noble Justice

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Young Noble - Noble Justice1. Respect Ourz 

Beat is basic, but Noble wastes no time. He rips the track to shreds and uses some really good breathe control and multi’s. The chorus is good as well. Noble carries the beat and brings it up to a good rating. Good

2. Godz Handz

Softer type track. This is not Nobles type of track to rap on, it’s way too slow, faster rapid gangsta beats suit him better. He tries but it’s just average and with the singing it just gets annoying. Average

3. Hate Me Or Love Me

Now this is the type of track Noble should be on. Nice bouncy gangsta beat and Noble wastes no time ripping it to shreds. It’s got a nice party vibe with a touch of gangsta to it. Good

4. Gotz 2 Go(Feat Hellraza, Hommicide, & Napoleon)

Nice Outlawz vibe to it, slower beat but it rides. Hellraza shines on this track. Good stuff. Good

5. Noble Justice

Soft song, but it’s clever. Noble raps about his son and the concept here is that he’s writing a letter to him. I really don’t like the female vocals, it gets annoying, so it’s average. Average

6. I Ride U Ride

Noble just rips this Reefologist beat. Nothing special but it is lyrical so you have to respect that. Good

7. Over Again(Feat EDI)

Chorus is really cliche’d, decent song but there’s nothing interesting on here. Average

8. Baby Mama(Feat Val Young & Ed Bone)

Blah, this song sucks. Gangsta rappers cannot do love song’s, they are just cliche’d and horrible. Wack

9. Get Bac(Feat EDI & Napoleon)

Nice symphony type beat, just a lyrical circle. As Noble, EDI, and Napoleon just spit straight lyrics, with EDI outshining both. Good

10. Dead Or Alive

Pac & Yak dedication and honestly the beat sucks, Noble tries but man the beat is just boring, and what’s weird is that Mike Dead produced this and he usually makes great beats. Wack(Noble isn’t a miracle worker)

11. Raised As 1(Feat Hellraza, Dirty Bert, LiL D, & Shorty B)

Good song, it’s another lyrical warfare song but nothing stands out. It’s just lyrics for the hell of it and there’s no story told or anything. Good

12. Timez Up(Feat Game)

Is this the same Game that everyone is creamin over? Man this guy is average at best, oh well whenever someone signs with Aftermath, every bandwagon “rap fan” has to jump ship. Noble outshines him. Average

13. Gatz Up(Feat EDI & Napoleon)

Beat sounds like Hail Mary but rougher. It’s a good song, these are the type of songs the Lawz should be doing. Good

14. Don’t Know(Feat Nutt-So)

Decent track, nothing really special. Noble of course rips it but Nutt-So seems average. Average

15. Your World(Feat Baby Girle)

Just awful, the least said the better. Train Wreck

16. Get Low Outlawz(Feat JT the Bigga Figga & Get Low)

Sean T produces a basic boring beat, but everyone carries their load. Good

17. Enough 2 Make(Feat Kastro, Napoleon, & EDI)

Weak track, you’d think having basically all the Lawz on there they’d made a banging track but I guess not. Wack

18. Don’t Cry(Feat EDI & Napoleon)

Best track on the album, the beat is really good(Produced by Mil). Song is about not crying when you die. Great track, the chorus is good and everything is all good here. Good

19. Lightz Out(Feat EDI, LiL Zane, Bad Azz, & Yukmouth)

Can you spot the rapper that doesn’t belong? Zane actually carries his load, he doesn’t embarass himself…much. Yukmouth of course outshines everyone and makes them cook his dinner. Nice way to end the album. Good

 

Well there are no skits which is always a plus. I give it a Good rating. Cop it if you’re an Outlawz fan but if you’re just getting into them, then you might want to cop their Still I Rise album.

Killer Mike – Monster

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Killer Mike - MonsterBig Boi from the group Outkast discovered Killer Mike. After that, he made a buzz in the rapgame and went on to make tracks with rappers and groups like Outkast, T.I., Bonecrusher and more. This album features hits like “Akshon (yeah!)” & the big hit “A.D.I.D.A.S.”

 

1) Monster (Intro) 

2) Monster

Right from the start Killer Mike is letting us know that he’s serious about his rap. You can definitely hear his aggressive style on this track. The lyrics he spit are raw and the beat is fast-paced and very nicely done. I also like the hook – it contains sample from a track with the techno group Prodigy.

3) Akshon (yeah!)

I’m not sure but I think that this was the first single of the album. Although I love this track, it shouldn’t have been the lead single. The lyrics/beat is just to complicated for the mainstream audience and that makes it non-radiofriendly for the mainstream radio listener. For a real rapfan that doesn’t care much about “Rap-Pop” this track will be tight. The beat is hot and the hook is catchy. Don’t forget to listen to the lyrics since they are tight too.

4) Rap is dead

Too many rappers still ride, Big and Pac’s dick “***** that, next year, they more deader. And I write more rhymes, more deadly and more better”.

With these words, Killer Mike is dropping one of the realest rap songs in a long time. This track is real controversial and I’m very surprised that many people still haven’t heard this yet. For those who haven’t heard this song I will let you know what the big deal is. Killer Mike is basically dissing everybody that is on Pac/Biggies dick – without saying names of course (but they know who they are). This track is basically a wake up call to everyone that is unoriginal. No rapper could have done this better then Killer Mike. His style is perfect for this track since it’s very aggressive. It’s the best track on the album and in my opinion it’s a track that everyone should check out!

5) Scared straight

This track is about the dope game. Mike is telling everybody what happens if they continue to sell crack. I like this track because he is dropping knowledge without making it corny or soft. Very tight track with a good message in it.

6) All 4 U (Niecys song)

The producers from Terror Squad ”Cool and Dre” are producing this track. They are using a vocal-sample that is very popular on the east coast. That’s why I’m very surprised that Killer Mike used this production since it doesn’t fit his category. Still I’m not disappointed because Cool and Dre are making a tight beat and Killer Mike flows tight over it. All in all a good track.

7) A.D.I.D.A.S. feat Big Boi 

“A.D.I.D.A.S is an other single from this album. This is exactly how a single should be; nice catchy hook and beat with a tight feature from Big Boi and radio friendly lyrics. Not only is this a perfect single, it was the reason I bought this album. For those who haven’t heard this track yet; Check it out!

8) Creep show feat Bizarre of D-12

I was very skeptical since Bizarre of D-12 was featured on this track, he isn’t exactly the best rapper in the game. That’s why I found it very strange that he’s dropping a tight verse here. As a matter of fact, this beat was perfect for the weird rapper from D-12. They pulled of a tight collabo and that surprised me.

9) U know I love u

Andre 3000 from Outkast gives Mike a weird but very funky beat. You’ll either love or hate it. I like the so-called Outkast sound so this beat sounds very good in my ears. Mike is making an “I love you girl” type of track. He pulls it of good without sounding corny. Even the RnB hook is good and will have you singing along to it. Good track, I suggest that you listen to it with your loved one.

10) Home of the brave feat Slimm Calhoun

Another banger by Cool and Dre. They definitely made the best beat on this album. Slimm and Mike make sure that this tight beat doesn’t go to waste when they are spitting hard tight lyrics over it. The hook is also catchy and one of the best hooks on this album. Tight track!!!

11. .L.I.V.E.

This is the only wack track from this album. I don’t know how to describe it… The beat is too weird for my taste. You hardly even hear it. Since the beat is so wack the lyrics and even the hook can’t save the track. Wack track that should have been left off.

12. Blow (Get down)

I like this track. It’s not the best on the album but its ok. I love the hook it’s catchy as hell. The beat is good too. This track could be tight at the club.

13. Sex, Drugs, Rap & Roll 

Laid-back rock beat with Mike rappin about Sex, Drugs, Rap & Roll. The theme to this track isn’t original since it’s been done about a hundred times but I still can’t front on the beat or the hook. His flow and lyrics are on point too. Good track.

14. Dragon 

This song is very deep and I wish that more rappers would make tracks like this. The beat is very dark and is one of the best on this album. I love the hook too, it goes well with the theme of the track. Killer Mike is dropping heartfelt lyrics that make you listen to them. Tight track! One of the best on this album.

15. Re-Akshon Remix feat T.I., Bun B & Bonecrusher

I don’t know if this track is better than the original. It’s tight tho but that’s what you can expect when you get features like T.I., Bun B & Bonecrusher. Since Lil Jon is producing this track and Bonecrusher is doing the hook this track can’t be anything but “Crunk”. These rappers should form a group since they made many tracks together and they’ve all been tight. God way to end the album with a crunk track.

Bonus track

At nr 30 there is a bonus track. Don’t know the name of it but it’s tight. Got a rock beat to it. Mike is dropping hard lyrics, so check it out.

 

This album really took me by surprise. I’m very impressed with Killer Mike on this debut album. If he continues to make albums like this he’ll definitely be around for a while. I think it’s good that he doesn’t sound like other rappers. He’s got his own style. He doesn’t rap about money or cars. He’s just spitting raw verses with a message behind them. I recommend this album to everyone and I hope that Killer Mike will keep his own, original, sound.

I give it 4/5 since it’s very original and fresh.