MACK 10 – “Bang Or Ball” Released December 4th 2001
01. Intro (0.50)
02. Hate In Yo Eyes (5.13)
03. Let The Thugs In The Club w/Lil Wayne & BG (4.54)
04. So Serious w/The Big Tymers (5.08)
05. Connected For Life w/Ice Cube, WC & Butch Cassidy (4.23)
06. Dominoes- SKIT (0.58)
07. That ***** Is Bad w/The Big Tymers (5.03)
08. Do The Damn Thing (5.06)
09. King Pin Dream w/Mikkey & The Big Tymers (5.08)
10. Work (4.21)
11. No Dick- SKIT (1.02)
12. No Dick At All w/Skoop Delania & E-40 (4.45)
13. Mathematics (4.15)
14. Let It Be Known w/Scarface & Xzibit (4.39)
15. Announcement- SKIT (0.52)
16. We Can Never Be Friends w/The Big Tymers, Lac & Stone (5.21)
17. Dog About It w/BG (4.55)
18. Murder w/Turk & The Big Tymers (4.11)
PRODUCTION: Dr Dre, Mannie Fresh, Ron, QD III
BILLBOARD 2001 No.48
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 2001/2002 No.4
Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles No.98 “Hate In Yo Eyes”
Born D’Mon Rolison in Inglewood California Aug 9 1971, Mack-10 (aka) Mack-one-o, has proved to be one of the future artists representing the Westcoast to date. From his debut self titled album in 1995 to his Westside Connection days with Ice Cube & WC till his debut album under a new label who were dominating the rap game at the time “Cash Money Records”.
As his Hoo- Bangin Records was slowly fading Mack-10 had decided to make the move down to the dirty south, similar to Snoop Dogg’s move to No Limit Records, in 2001 as he felt his career had plunged after his last albums “The Recipe” & “Paper Route” failed to get full recognition. Now where else would you go to get back on top…well the niggas who are on top, & that happened to be the Cash Money Millionaires, who were also looking to expand on the Westcoast. After sealing a deal with Cash Money Records, Mack-10 didn’t hesitate in releasing his first album with the Southerners titled “Bang Or Ball”. The title itself explains what the album is all about & that’s Money, Hustling, Hoo – Bangin, Sex, Drugs & Ballin.
With the first hit single “Hate In Yo Eyes” produced by one of today’s finest, Dr.Dre, Mack-one-o slowly emerged again onto the Westcoast & even the down South scene as Dre was also on top of his game at the time. The track samples the Bee Gees “Stayin Alive” and Dr Dre does a great job in placing down the beats as usual. Mack-10 flows with his typical street smart approach on this track even more so on the entire album.
As part of the Cash Money line up, Mannie Fresh shows his true talent as a producer as his experiment to mix South with West shows how good of a producer he really is and the potential he has. Mannie Fresh somehow manages to pull off a South/West production with genius and in return Mack-10 flows to the tracks perfectly and sounds at home with his new Millionaires. Songs such as “Let The Thugs In The Club” and “That ***** Is Bad” featuring Lil Wayne & other Cash Money Millionaires bring out Mack-10’s real talent as he easily dominates the tracks lyrically compared to his new young family.
Amazingly Mannie Fresh has pulled some great Westcoast beats with a touch of Bling Bling Cashmoney style on this album with bangin tracks such as “Connected For Life” where Mack-10 callabo’s with his old Westside Connect gang Ice Cube & WC. The feel is great in this song making it one of the best tracks on the album and with a hook performed by Butch Cassidy this makes this song a must have. Mack-10 gets his flow on in traditional Cashmoney style as Juvenille did with his hit “Ha” spitting: “Dope money & rappin im all wit IT/And all i know is the streetz so thats how i spit IT, Chicken Hawk see a bird then i gotta get IT/So if yo hood came up short then i probably did IT”.
Other tracks recognized for excellence in West/South production by Fresh are “King Pin Dream” a track about moving weight told in only as a story like tale as Mack-10 can do featuring new Cash Money Millionaire Mikkey who is very talented lyrically, a hilarious track “No Dick At All” with a smooth rap by Skoop Delania & bay area rapper E-40 who tongue twists, as usual, about lesbians in this song as the hook kicks: “She said she don’t wont no dick at all, She said she rather lick a ***** than balls”. Highlights by other producers include Ron who puts together “Work” a true Westcoast California beat & the duo of Scarface & Xzibit on QD III produced “Let It Be Known”.
As the album heads towards the end you can feel the lack of creativity as Fresh struggles to deliver, unlike his first half, as poor beats like “Murder” & “Dog About It” start to drive the listener away with disappointment.
Overall the production by Mannie Fresh is excellent & Mack-10 has lyrically adapted to his new family with ease as he clearly stands out with his hoo-bangin rhymes which over power the young Cash Money Millionaires. Mack-10 has clearly showed he can adapt and Fresh had returned the favour with his producing talent, which stunned critics. With tracks like this Mack-10 can rest knowing his name had resurfaced more than Snoop’s when he attempted to adapt with the South style with Master P. Mack-10 though does belong in the Westcoast and needs to return home to continue chicken hawkin as he once ruled supreme in Inglewood.
RATING: 3/5