Reader Review: 2Pac - All Eyez On Me (February 13, 1996)

(The final Reader Review for July is for an album that I know several of you two have been waiting for rather impatiently...so instead of me writing about it, Patrick decided to do it for me. I may still review it eventually, but for now, hopefully you're appeased with Patrick's thoughts on 2Pac's magnum opus, All Eyez On Me. Leave some comments for him below. Enjoy!)

Reader Review: Royce da 5'9" - Street Hop (October 20, 2009)

(For today's post, Rex tackles the most recent album from Royce da 5'9”, Street Hop. This was one of those discs that I had been meaning to get to, but shit kept getting in the way, so at least someone was able to write it up. Leave some messages for Rex below.)


Royce da 5'9” was on the verge of being forgotten. During the late 1990s and the early millennium, Ryan Montgomery was poised to emerge as one of the best newcomers in hip hop, especially after making a guest appearance on Eminem's quadruple-platinum debut The Slim Shady LP and writing several tracks for Dr. Dre's 2001. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way: Dre fired him after his manager began talking recklessly about Royce's contributions, and by the time his own debut album, Rock City, leaked to the Interweb, confidence in the man was at an all-time low, leading to a (now-squashed) beef with Em and his D-12 crew and severs bouts with depression and alcoholism. These demons all merged together to help him craft a terrific sophomore album, Death Is Certain, but he even squandered that goodwill with Independent's Day, an overly awful album that should have ended his career.


However, after taking control of his own life, things started changing for the better. He dropped two volumes in his critically acclaimed The Bar Exam mixtape series (the third chapter hit blogs earlier this year), and he aligned himself with the like-minded Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, and Joe Budden to form the supergroup Slaughterhouse. He followed this with Street Hop, his fourth full-length album (released shortly after The Revival EP previewed some of the tracks) Executive produced by the one and only DJ Premier, Street Hop features cameos from his Slaughterhouse brethren (although Joey only makes one appearance while the other two have twice as much – that just makes me laugh, like when Joey was left off of the Eminem collaboration) and other big names such as Busta Rhymes, Phonte, Bun B, and, um, Trick-Trick; production was handled by the likes of Emile, Nottz, Mr. Porter, Carlos “6 July” Brody, StreetRunner, and Primo himself.


Royce seemingly pulled out all the stops to make Street Hop his best album, as he wanted to be held in such high regard as bigger names such as Eminem and Nas (who was once rumored to have signed Ryan to a Def Jam contract at one point). Without further ado, here's the review.


1. GUN HARMONIZING (FEAT CROOKED I)
This track originally appeared on The Revival EP, although this time around it includes an assist from Crooked I. While Emile provides a good beat and both artists come through with decent verses, the chorus, which features Ryan imitating the sound of gunshots, is sooooooo annoying. The hook ruins what is otherwise a good song.


2. COUNT FOR NOTHING
Also from The Revival EP, but this time around, Royce simply reuses the original song. Although that seems pretty dumb from a business point of view, this shit still knocks. Producer Nottz brings a heater for Royce to shit all over, and the way he uses the vocal sample of Public Enemy's Chuck D counting from one to nine (not unlike how DJ Premier used the same sample on Biggie's “Ten Crack Commandments”) to kick off his bars was pretty great.


3. SOLDIER (FEAT KID VISHIS & IYANA DEAN)
Frequency's beat is too poppy for me, and the hook isn't all that great, but Royce's playful threats and fucked up insults lift this track above mediocrity. Royce's brother Kid Vishis is alright too, I suppose.


4. SOMETHING 2 RIDE 2 (FEAT PHONTE)
My first reaction to reading the album credits went along the lines of this: “Phonte! OMG!!!!!” Then I realized that the emcee (formerly of Little Brother) only provides a part of the chorus. Oh well. The beat isn't that good, but it serves its purpose. (You'll be especially disappointed to find that DJ Premier provided the instrumental.) Royce doesn't do anything special, either. Skip.


5. DINNER TIME (FEAT BUSTA RHYMES)
Quincey Tones (Yeah, I don't know who he is either) supplies exactly the right type of beat for Royce to tear the fuck apart with some great lyrics that he delivers as only he can. Busta Rhymes plays the role of hypeman before supplying a decent verse of his own. Easily the best track on Street Hop so far.


6. FAR AWAY
This beat from Emile is highly commercial, but it somehow works regardless. The hook is garbage, though. Ryan manages to save the track with some goofy bars and his typical gangsta shit-talking. However, this won't be to everyone's tastes.


7. WARRIORS (FEAT SLAUGHTERHOUSE & MELANIE RUTHERFORD)
Another addition from The Revival EP, the best one thus far. StreetRunner brings the heat with some cinematic horns and opera vocals crooning in the background. Each Slaughterhouse member gets two verses, and all four of them straight up rip shit. Appropriately enough, Royce truly bodies the beat, with Crooked not far behind.


8. ...A BRIEF INTERMISSION (SKIT)
Funny the first time around, but you won't ever need to hear it again. (I'm more intrigued by the fact that the Interweb seems to believe that this skit was produced by David Cross, of Mr. Show and Arrested Development fame. Any truth to this rumor? Let me know.)


9. NEW MONEY
And StreetRunner does it again. This beat is the perfect foil to Royce's shit talking, and the Beastie Boys sample gives the track a nice charm. Also, the chorus isn't awful. This was pretty great.


10. SHAKE THIS
“Shake This” was released almost a full year before Street Hop, but it still sounds pretty good. Over a much better Primo beat than “Something 2 Ride 2”, Ryan dives deep into his personal problems. The flow and pace of this song reminded me of “One Mic” from Nas.


11. GANGSTA (FEAT TRICK-TRICK)
A very generic rap song title obscures a track that is much better than you would imagine. A good instrumental (provided by Raf Moses) allows Royce to discuss his life as a Detroit gangsta, while fellow Motown rapper Trick-Trick simply closes out the track with a brief monologue about how gangsta he is. Yes, it sounds redundant, but it works, although it would have been better without the guest star.


12. MINE IN THIZ (FEAR MR. PORTER)
A sex rap with a dirty ass club beat (from guest star Mr. Porter, who also helps on the hook). Royce uses this time to get buck nasty with the beat. Not the best song in the world, but a guilty pleasure nonetheless.


13. STREET HOP 2010
The fourth and final track lifted directly from The Revival EP features some Middle East-ish sound effects (courtesy of producer Nottz). It's truly a mediocre beat, but what's worse is Royce's performance, which is easily the worst on the entire album. He speaks with no clear direction, mistaking pop culture references for depth. This wasn't interesting at all, and it should have been left behind on the EP.


14. THING FOR YOUR GIRLFRIEND (FEAT K-YOUNG)
This track kicks off with a funny skit that you'll only have to listen to once. When the actual song starts, though, we get a nice soulful beat from Mr. Porter and some pleasant vocals K-Young. Royce channels his inner Isacc Hayes and spits a couple of nice verses about the pleasures of having sex with fine women (what else would he rap about?) Not bad.


15. ON THE RUN
As indirectly as it may be, this track might as well be a continuation of the Kool G. Rap classic. Royce spits about being on the run over an epic, cinematic beat from Emile, complete with some great vocals worked in. A true highlight of Street Hop.


16. MURDER
It's strange that Ryan would sequence two storytelling tracks right next to each other. It features a beat similar to “On The Run” (although Frequency's work is still pretty good) and another vital performance from our host, but the song's strength is impaired due to the proximity to the previous track.


17. BAD BOY (FEAT JUNGLE ROCK JR.)
A reggae tinged beat featuring Royce spitting with a fake Jamaican accent? Far too annoying to enjoy.


18. PART OF ME
Now this is more like it. A fantastic instrumental from (frequent collaborator) 6 July and some great attention to detail from Royce. This was really good.


19. HOOD LOVE (FEAT BUN B & JOELL ORTIZ)
While “Shake This” was Primo's best beat on Street Hop (and “Something 2 Ride 2” was just bad), “Hood Love” is merely good. The concept of each artist saluting the hood meshes well with the instrumental, making this a very organic way to cap off the evening.


Street Hop was later reworked into a “deluxe” format with three additional tracks.


20. I'M FRESH (FEAT MR. PORTER)
Mr. Porter, who actually produced all three bonus tracks (so where's that D-12 collaboration at, Royce?), supplies Royce with a interesting vehicle for his lyrics. This track absolutely should have made the final cut of Street Hop.


21. IT'S ALL ABOUT (FEAT GRAFH)
While the instrumental sounded nice, our host only remembers to bring his generic gangsta shit notepad; his guest Grafh fares much better. The hook would have probably been terrible regardless.


22. MY OWN PLANET (FEAT BIG SEAN)
Meh.


FINAL THOUGHTS: My, how high the phoenix has risen from the ashes. Royce da 5'9” has rigged Street Hop with several standout tracks that inserted him back into hip hop's conscience, perhaps this time permanently. However, it's far from perfect: some of this is pure garbage. I was also highly disappointed by the combination of DJ Premier's first contribution and Phonte being reduced to hook duties. The reggae offering was also pretty terrible, and the skits were fairly useless. However, when it comes down to it, Street Hop is Royce's best album, although far from his most consistent. (I would probably give that award to Death Is Certain.) In the end, Royce shows listeners that he still possesses tremendous talent, pissing me off even more that the Bad Meets Evil joint album never happened. Oh well.


BUY OR BURN? I recommend a purchase, as several of the songs one here are more than worth your money. You don't need to hunt down the deluxe version, though


BEST TRACKS: “It's All About”; “Hood Love”; “On the Run”; “Warriors”; “Count for Nothing”; “Shake This”; “New Money”; “Part Of Me”; “Dinner Time”; “Thing for Your Girlfriend”; “Mine In Thiz”


B-SIDE TO TRACK DOWN: “Gimme Money”: this track was the original incarnation of what ended up becoming “New Money”, which couldn't get past the sample clearance stage. Although it does have completely different lyrics and an entirely different beat, so maybe they should be looked at as separate entities. Either way, it's a good track worth hunting down.


-Rex


(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave some notes for Rex below.)

Reader Review: Bike For Three! - More Heart Than Brains (May 26, 2009)

(Even money that most of you two have never heard of this shit, so here you go: Today's Reader Review features TheOtherNewestOne chatting up Bike For Three!'s debut project, More Heart Than Brains. Keep reading for further explanation, and leave some comments for him below.)


Bike For Three! Is a duo made up of a rapper and a producer who haven't ever really met each other (at least as of this writing); they met online and collaborated on their debut project, More Heart Than Brains, by sending mp3s back and forth to each other.


You probably haven’t heard of either half of this duo, so here’s a little background that I was able to scrounge up off of Wikipedia: Richard Terfry, known to his parents as Buck 65, is a Canadian underground hip-hop artist, MC and turntablist, who has been dropping albums since 1995, most of which are classified as “abstract hip hop” (whatever that means). The other half is made up of Belgian producer Joelle Phuong Minh Le, who lives under the stage name Greetings From Tuskan. Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got on her. (I told you it would be a “little” background.)


More Heart Than Brains is their debut album, released in 2009 on the Anticon label that Buck used to be a part of as a solo artist.


1. BEGINNING
It’s only a minute long, and it consists of just sound. It's better than your usual rap album intro, though.


2. ALL THERE IS TO SAY ABOUT LOVE
I have no idea where the vocal sample at the beginning comes from. That said, the beat on here is fucking nice. In fact, the beats on this entire album are consistent both in sound and quality. The lyrics are pretty solid, as well: if only I knew what he was talking about. I believe the song is about a relationship turned sour (a running theme throughout More Heart Than Brains), but he talks about it in such an obscure and cryptic way.


3. LAZARUS PHENOMENON
Fantastic. This song actually has a decipherable meaning! Another solid instrumental, perhaps simpler than most of the album, although I may only be reaching that conclusion because this is so drastically slowed down when compared to the previous track. The actual rapping on here is pretty good: the wordplay could be a little more fun, but Buck 65 isn’t Busdriver or anything, and I wasn’t expecting insane speed raps when I bought/stole/appropriated More Heart Than Brains.


4. NIGHTDRIVING
I have no idea why the title is compressed into one word. Yet another song in which the true meaning takes work to discern: the car crash theme is evident throughout most of the track, but certain parts stray from the theme. Anyway, this beat, Buck's flow, and his rhymes are fucking sick. Also, most rap songs that continue on long after the verses have ended usually piss me off, but on here it works out well, especially given what Buck does with his voice. Despite the unclear meaning in certain parts, this is one of my favorite songs on the album. Fucking amazing.


5. THERE IS ONLY ONE OF US
And we're back to a slower beat on here. I like what Buck does with his voice when he says “kiss you slow.” The rapping here…well, there really isn’t any, it's more like spoken word poetry over a beat. There are a few parts with rhyming, sure, but for the most part this isn't much of a rap song. But I still find it to be a decent song. Certainly not one of the album's best, though.


6. NO IDEA HOW
A cool, very liquid beat accompanies Buck on this track. That’s all I’ve got. Good, but not earth-shattering.


7. ALWAYS WILL MISS YOU. ALWAYS YOU
Contains the weakest beat of the whole of More Heart Than Brains. Not to say it isn’t good, but while I've noticed how the instrumental really meshes with Buck 65's vocals on every other song, it just doesn't happen here. Despite this handicap, Buck has a decent flow here and proves to be an incredibly good storyteller.


8. THE DEPARTURE
Fantastic beat, but overall, this track is pretty repetitive, and it lasts for far too long (the ending is made up of the chorus, recited over and over for about forty seconds).


9. FIRST EMBRACE
Dark and somewhat haunting musical accompaniment join Mr. Terfry on this song. His rhymes might not be at their best here, but his flow is still pretty good on this very surreal track. The best line here is probably, “Blackbirds fly backwards. Something to look forward to”, mostly because of the delivery. The whole song is just odd and basically consists of sentence fragments strung together. The English teacher in me does not approve. But it was still a good song.


10. CAN FEEL LOVE (ANYMORE)
The beat starts off okay enough, but gets much more involved with time. However, I didn’t pay much attention to the instrumental, as Buck is just awesome on here. This is a fantastic song about an expectant father wondering what his daughter will be like, a reflection on his own childhood and how he should raise her. Lyrically, this is one of the most impressive songs on the album, even if the rhymes aren’t exactly RZA-quality material. (Personally, I've never found The RZA to be one of the premier lyricists of our time, but I'll let that comparison slide.)


11. ONE MORE TIME FOREVER
It’s probably a bad sign for the health of my psyche that I laughed at Buck’s line, “Dead dogs, new tricks.” With that said, the song is pretty good. It is in no way memorable, though, and that could be perceived as either a good or a bad thing.


12. MC SPACE
Yep, this is a cover of an MC Shan song. I’m going to stop for a second and let that sink in. Yes, a cover song. In hip hop. What the fuck?! (This isn't unheard of, you know; it's just rare these days, when everyone with a pad and a pen thinks they can string rhymes together. I think the fact that there are cover versions help lend credence to hip hop as a lasting musical genre. But I'm getting preachy here. Back to you!) There is absolutely nothing new here, as the beat is essentially a higher-energy version of the original and the lyrics are exactly the same. I understand wanting to honor your influences, but this amounts to straight-up plagiarism.


13. LET'S NEVER MEET
The concept here is interesting, but the track was pretty average overall. Oh, what’s that? You wanted more explanation? Well, too bad.


14. MORE HEART THAN BRAINS
This title track was cool. However, there isn't a lot of rapping, so although I loved the beat and the computerized voice, I doubt that most hip hop heads (let alone most of Max's two readers) will particularly enjoy this. Oh well, at least it leads into the next track.


15. THE ENDING
A nice instrumental to end the project. Nothing more, nothing less.


FINAL THOUGHTS: First of all, I'm grateful that More Heart Than Brains has no annoying bullshit rap album intro: the first and last tracks serve a musical purpose. When I first heard about Bike For Three! and this project, I swear it was described as a concept album regarding love and relationships, and though I can no longer find reference to that on the web, it certainly helps place the lyrics in perspective. Buck 65's lyrical style is oddly surreal; he has an unrivaled ability to tell a story and his word selection is very poetic. I am a huge Buck 65 fan, but even though he is quite amazing on here in parts, the star of the More Heart Than Brains show is truly Joelle Phuong Minh Le: her beats provide many of the most memorable parts of the project, particularly on the first third of the album. Also, she goes by the name Greetings From Tuskan, which I think is a Star Wars reference, which is fucking awesome. Then again, I might be wrong, but I prefer to think of her in that fashion, so I will.


BUY OR BURN? This is an absolute, never-have-been-so-sure-of-anything-in-my-life purchase. Even with minor quibbles and the ridiculous MC Shan cover (I mean, seriously, what the fuck?!), this is a fantastic fucking album.


BEST TRACKS: “Nightdriving”; “Can Feel Love (Anymore)”; “Lazarus Phenomenon”; “First Embrace”


-TheOtherNewestOne


(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave some notes below.)

Reader Review: Geto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped (July 9, 1991)

(Today's Reader Review is for We Can't Be Stopped, the fourth effort from Houston's own Geto Boys. P_Captain provides some brief commentary this time around, so be sure to leave him some notes when you're done reading.)


The Geto Boys, made up of rappers Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill, along with DJ Ready Red, followed up their controversial eponymous third effort with We Can't Be Stopped less than one year later. Although he had contributed beats here and there, and even managed a few vocal appearances, DJ Ready Red decided that it was best for him to leave the group and enjoy his newly married life instead, thereby leaving the group the trio that most hip hop heads are most familiar with.


They decided to carry on without him, getting help from the rest of the in-house producers in the Rap-A-Lot family. However, before recording even started, Bushwick Bill shot his eye out. No, seriously: after one night of drinking the shit out of some Everclear while suffering from depression, Bill asked his girlfriend at the time to shoot him. She refused, so Bill took out his pistol, loaded it, and handed it to her; following an argument, the gun went off and his eye was completely destroyed.


Bushwick Bill managed to survive the accident after being rushed to the hospital; after a few days of recovery, Scarface and Willie D came to visit their friend and snapped what ended up being the cover photo for We Can't Be Stopped, on which Bill's damaged eye is clearly visible. (You can hear about the accident in greater detail by checking out Bushwick Bill's solo song "Ever So Clear" from his album Little Big Man.) Following the near-tragedy, the Geto Boys returned to the studio and began to record their fourth album (okay, technically it was their third album as a the Geto Boys; the first album released under the name, Making Trouble, was performed by an almost entirely different group of people under the same name and record label).


While their previous albums were centered lyrically around violent gangsta rap and, on occasion, took left-field excursions into deeper tracks such as "Life In The Fast Lane" and "City Under Siege", We Can't Be Stopped found the trio improving their writing and expanding their horizons (everyone except Bushwick Bill, that it: he was still new to the craft of songwriting and let his friends pen his rhymes). Also, for some reason, We Can't Be Stopped made a conscious effort to include more solo songs for each member than other group efforts had previously.


Anyway, onto the review.


1. REBEL RAP FAMILY
Rap album intro. Next!


2. WE CAN'T BE STOPPED
After the controversy that surrounded their previous effort, the Boys put the Parents Music Resource Center (or the PMRC, as they're better known) and their former label, Geffen Records, on full blast, and everything they say is noteworthy. Willie D manages to turn in the best performance.


3. HOMIE DON'T PLAY THAT
A Willie D solo over a mix of familiar samples, most notably Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep". I can only relate to some of what he's talking about, but it's easy for anyone to see where he's coming from. As an added bonus, his yelling style appears in full force on here, and he doesn't let us down.


4. ANOTHER N----R IN THE MORGUE
Scarface's first solo song, and to the surprise of nobody who has taken the time to read the song's title, he elects to stick with his gangsta rap background, threatening his enemies as only he can.


5. CHUCKIE
Finally, Bushwick Bill receives his first solo track, with lyrics written by horrorcore rapper Ganksta NIP. The song clearly mirrors what the average NIP song would say, but the guest writer isn't short, and therefore, this was obviously made with Bushwick Bill in mind. For his part, Bill takes on the persona of the killer doll from the Child's Play movies, and the lyrics are so over the top that you can't help but laugh at the sheer audacity of it all.


6. MIND PLAYING TRICKS ON ME
This classic exercise in the power of paranoia is simply legendary, as everything from the chilling Isaac Hayes sample to the verses are all perfect. I honestly don't think there's a need to explain why this song is so amazing: this is the group's signature song for good reason.


7. I'M NOT A GENTLEMAN
Another Willie D solo. Also quite the anti-chivalry theme song.


8. GOTA LET YOUR NUTS HANG
Scarface solo number two, and I'm betting that most new listeners will recognize the first few lines thanks to 2Pac sampling it on his "Point the Finga" track from Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z.


9. FUCK A WAR
One of the best anti-war hip hop songs out there, thanks to Bushwick's angrily passionate lyrics and the quick sample of Eric B. & Rakim's “I Know You Got Soul” that weaves in throughout. This track contains one of the best performances that I've ever heard from a rapper ever.


10. AIN'T WITH BEING BROKE
The third and final group song features the Geto Boys discussing poverty and discovering new ways to improve their financial situations. The catchy sing-along chorus steals the show.


11. QUICKIE
What a waste of a smooth beat. Scarface uses up his third solo effort on a pointless sex rap with one of the most unimaginative choruses ever recorded, consisting of a girl moaning and nothing more.


12. PUNK-BITCH GAME
This isn't an actual song, so you can just skip it.


13. THE OTHER LEVEL
Bushwick Bill gets a sex rap, too, and he takes it as far as he can physically go. Clocking in at about six minutes long, though, it wears out its welcome very quickly.


14. TROPHY
The final track on We Can't Be Stopped is Willie D's third solo effort, and he puts all of his guns to use in his attack on the popularity contest better known as the Grammy awards. (Hey, better than the American Music Awards, right? Those things are even fucking useless as paperweights.) I'm definitely with him when it comes to the real Grammy winners mentioned at the end, though.


FINAL THOUGHTS: Thanks in part to "Mind Playing Tricks On Me", We Can't Be Stopped proved to be a success, earning the Geto Boys a well-deserved platinum plaque. Although some of the tracks don't hold up as well as I would like, it's still a pleasing listen, and at only fourteen tracks, it doesn't overstay it's welcome. The project doesn't manage to beat out its predecessor, but it comes pretty damn close, with some fairly consistent production work and some great performances by all three of the Boys.


BUY OR BURN? Without question, I think you should buy this album. If you are the overly sensitive type, listening to this might even help you mature and not sweat the small stuff.


BEST TRACKS: "Mind Playing Tricks on Me"; "Chuckie"; "I'm Not a Gentleman"; "Ain't with Being Broke"; "Fuck a War"


-P_Captain


(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave some messages below.)

Reader Review: Terror Squad - The Album (September 21, 1999)

(Today's Reader Review is for the Terror Squad's debut group album, called, appropriately enough, The Album. The Grinch provides the insight; leave some notes for him below.)


If you are a hip hop head, and you prefer the genre in its purest form, then chances are you have heard of Big Pun, the late Puerto Rican Bronx-bred emcee who is one of the most missed legends in the game, even though we all know damn well that he would actually be collaborating with the likes of T-Pain and Lil' Wayne if he were still with us today, having sold his soul to remain relevant in then fickle music industry. Regardless, due to the man's popularity and the fact that he finally put East Coast Latino rappers on the map in a way that nobody else had before (or since; he's been the most successful one) (because Pitbull doesn't count), it wasn't surprising to see that his crew, the Terror Squad (made up of Cuban Link, Prospect, Triple Seis, Armageddon, and the tag team, buffet-clearing duo of Fat Joe and Pun himself), release their own album, conveniently titled The Album, in 1999.


Terror Squad began life as a group that called themselves the Full-A-Clips Crew; only Pun, Cuban, Triple Seis, and Prospect were among its ranks. Seeing dollar signs in his eyes after having paired up with Big Punisher, Fat Joe added himself and Armageddon (the only guy to stand by Joe after Pun passed away), and gently persuaded them to change the name to the far more generic Terror Squad (which sounds like a league of evil-doers in a horrible comic book series). The Album would end up being the only album released under this particular regime, although other Terror Squad projects exist, thanks once again to Joey Crack's greed.


As a New York-born, Hispanic Hip-Hop head, I've always been annoyed to see that the people who represent our culture, to the point that the average American thinks that they are standard examples, are as follows: the Taco Bell chihuahua; the young Cuban gardener who is the secret sexual fantasy of at least one married woman in every television series or movie (at least the ones showcasing suburban melancholy); and one of the millions of maids who panic and scream "¡Ay dios mio!” whenever something, anything happens on her Telemundo telenovela. So when I discovered this old Terror Squad album, I was pleased that these six guys showcased more than just mere stereotypes, and putting my pride aside, I was just glad that these guys were damn good lyricists. (However, I am now disappointed and angry that I used up my “personal story” paragraph to talk about the Taco Bell dog.)


Upon the release of The Album, the average hip hop head fluctuated between one of two opinions: (1) "Haha lol doze duds copy pun's style, soooee lame" (yes, some rap fans are smart!), and (2) "Big Pun wrote the whole album". Now let me set things straight: I am a die-hard Big Punisher stan. The guy was one of probably three rappers in the entire industry who lived a true and humble life, and his talent is matched by no other. (The other notoriously fat guy is out there sucking on your daddy's dick because you look so good.) That said, The Album marked the beginning of the end. Pun rhymes throughout the entire project as though he had Twinkie filling pumping through his veins (and more importantly, in his mouth). Because of this fact, the true highlight of The Album are all of the other guys who stood in the spotlight for the first (and only) time of their lives; this disc contains the only studio-released examples of somebody spanking Big Pun on wax. Now how could Big Pun write every single verse and still manage to sound a level below his chauffeurs? Next you'll probably tell me that Twilight is actually a good movie.


I can't say anything else here without revealing my final thoughts on The Album, so please, take a seat (because you have, obviously, been riding a horse this entire time), grab a Kit-Kat bar, turn on your “good hip hop” radar, and picture Big Punisher naked. Great; no matter what, this album will sound much better than that image.


1. IN FOR LIFE
Skipping the mandatory rap album intro and jumping straight into an opening Pun verse is the perfect way to kick The Album off. This is the type of track that makes you want to dance with some ugly dead dude while trapped in the morgue. Triple Seis (the guy standing in the rear on the album cover who looks like Master Splinter) sounds boring, but thank God the two guys who follow are Prospect (who delivers some damn good lines) and Cuban Link, whose flow is incredible. The chorus is meh, and Fat Joe pops out at the end to say...nothing. Yay.


2. PASS THE GLOCK
The "Terror Squad!" sound bite looped in the background is (surprise!) annoying as hell, but thankfully it doesn't stick around during the actual rhymes. Triple Seis earns his wings back, Cuban Link slaps you in the face (I'll tell you now, he's the best thing on the entire album), Prospect sounds pretty hot (but I'm straight, so don't get any ideas), and Big Pun is, well, Big Pun. But the biggest shock on her comes from Fat Joe, who isn't good, but he manages to keep your finger off the "fast-forward" button. Overall, this was a good track.


3. '99 LIVE
Once the beat kicks in, you'll immediately find this song to be lame. It also happens to be Prospect's solo effort, and since it's nothing special, I suggest that you all simply pass. Which is too bad, as Prospect isn't bad or anything; he just sounds boring.


4. WHAT'CHA GON' DO?
Big Punisher's solo track, and it is awful. This the only single which the Terror Squad shot a video for (where I got to watch my favorite rapper pretend to be a hobo on a bench. Thank you, Pun!), which probably explains why The Album didn't sell enough copied to go gold. Christopher Rios doesn't spit in his trademarked lightning-quick way; instead, he kind of sings along to the track. You should both skip this track and feel bad for those closed-minded hip hop heads who judged Big Pun's role in our chosen genre based on this lone song.


5. TRIPLE THREAT
I should have warned you: the choruses are one of the biggest problems on The Album, and this track is no exception. So we have to look to the verses themselves to find anything enjoyable. Cuban Link provides the awesome line, "Fucking with this Latin Assassin / Better get ya head examined", which, if you happen to be Latino, should make you punch your chest in pride.


6. WAR
Do you have some chores to do? Kids to pick up? Homework? If so, this would be the time.


7. BRING IT ON
Once I realized that this was Fat Joe's solo, I questioned why I had to even listen to this. Then again, I'm writing a review of The Album; that doesn't necessarily mean that you need to suffer as I did.


8. AS THE WORLD TURNS (FEAT TONY SUNSHINE)
Wow, another "My life was hard, I lived in the ghetto, some of my friends died, and I sold crack" song. Hip hop really needs more of these. Cuban Link bends the concept on his ear by introducing the “I am an illegal” technique. Lucky for them, this is actually a good song, and Tony Sunshine (who would later become a full-fledged Terror Squad member after Pun's passing) helps out on what is the only track with a good hook. Triple Seis and Prospect both spit some good stuff. and they lived happily ever after.


9. GIMMIE DAT
Armageddon's solo. He's not without talent, and the beat isn't bad, but this just isn't that great of a song. And what was with the cheap gun sound effects? They sounded like slamming doors.


10. FEELIN' THIS
This was over four minutes of my life that I'll never get back. I've also noticed that all the guys in Terror Squad seem to feel comfortable talking about are guns. (Well, that, and running trains on promiscuous women.) I understand that rappers growing up these days didn't have the same kind of issues as the artists of olde, but these guys make gratuitous violence sound really boring.


11. ALL AROUND THE WORLD
Cuban Link's solo, and it sucks. Terrible chorus, awful instrumental, and when compared to his other contributions to The Album, he doesn't even have anything interesting to say.


12. TELL ME WHAT U WANT (FEAT TONY SUNSHINE)
Here's a great idea: placing one radio-friendly song for the ladies immediately after another radio-friendly song for the ladies. Bravo. At least Cuban Link regains my trust by dropping some nice bars and speaking a little Spanish for good measure.


13. RUDEBOY SALUTE (FEAT BUJU BANTON)
This could have been a great song, but unfortunately, Fat Joe exists. Also, I don't understand what the hell guest star Buju Banton is saying, but that's probably just because I don't follow reggae music much: he still contributes only positive things. Bug Punisher steals the show entirely, though. This song proves that simple beats can be effective. At the end, Fat Joe decides to adopt a Jamaican accent, which is a straight fail, although you won't be surprised when you realize that he has jumped on almost every single trend that hip hop has thrown at him throughout his career.


14. MY KINDA GIRLS (FEAT TONY SUNSHINE)
Somehow, Tony Sunshine received the equivalent of a solo track, even though he isn't in the group yet; as a concession, Cuban Link also pops up, but even he can't save you.


15. PAYIN' DUES (FEAT KEITH NUT)
After the tsunami of shit from the past few songs, we get...this. I feel annoyed, because the good songs were at the beginning of The Album, and Keith Nut puts the last ten tracks to shame with his first verse. Armageddon also sounds pretty good himself, but I feel this song is half an hour too late. Groan.


16. WWW.THATSMYSHIT.COM (FEAT THE BLEACH BROTHERS)
Criminally retarded name aside, this was a good song. Once again, the first verse is a killer, and the line "You little bitch / I have you screaming for real" comes out as smooth as a toothpick stuck into a cake just out of the oven. Oh, and Triple Seis appears on here, too.


FINAL THOUGHTS: If you've been reading my review of Terror Squad's The Album since the beginning, and not just looking for some discrete porn website link, you've noticed that my enthusiasm slowly died during the writing process. (Oh, and also, it's 4 in the morningas I'm writing this) I did double-check my work, and I still felt what were the few actual good songs, and while you cannot deny that these guys were (sometimes) more talented than the artists who were more popular at the time, the sad fact is that The Album is full of flaws. There is much more bad than good over here, and that description goes toward all of the participants equally, especially the late Big Punisher. (Side note: by re-reading this entire review (Thank you, third grade teacher!), I couldn't help but notice how often I say Cuban Link is the best thing on this track or that song, which makes me believe that you two will think that I am actually Cuban Link in disguise, or at least his significant other. I'm not. He really does sound good, and he's on my list of rappers who keep lyricism alive (or at least until he dropped his solo album), joining the likes of Chino XL & Immortal Technique as one of those Latin rappers who smack the shit (on wax) out of your favorite rapper, but are simply overlooked. (Back then, anyway; nowadays, all of the rappers I listed suck.))


BUY OR BURN?: Burn, unless you manage to find this in a flea market somewhere. Some of these tracks are worth listening to, but it isn't worth more than four bucks.


BEST TRACKS:"In For Life"; "Pass The Glock"; "As The World Turns"; "Rudeboy Salute"; "Payin' Dues"


-The Grinch


(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave your comments below.)

Reader Review: Fashawn - Boy Meets World (October 22, 2009)

(Today's Reader Review features FLX tackling rookie rapper Fashawn's debut, Boy Meets World. This is another one of those albums I never got around to listening to, mainly because I wasn't impressed with Fash's cameo on The Alchemist's Chemical Warfare album. But FLX may have convinced me to give him another shot. Enjoy!)


Let me get right to it: Fashawn is the future. He is a young, aspiring MC from Fresno, CA who, I admit, was a virtual unknown to me prior to listening to his debut album, Boy Meets World. Sure, he released some interesting mixtapes before dropping his proper debut, including one produced by The Alchemist, but I still had no idea who he was. It seems that, while I was sleeping on him, Fashawn was named Rookie of the Year on some other hip hop sites, participated in some well-received tours, and garnered some other accolades, as well.


I caught up on his projects after listening to Boy Meets World, but even if I had memorized every single song he ever did prior, I never would have guessed that Fashawn could come up with this. I realized that I had completely neglected some cameos he made on albums that I had actually listened to before Boy Meets World. What I'm saying is that there is a pretty good chance that you two may have heard of Fashawn already, and you probably knew much more about him on Boy Meets World's release date than I did back then.


Shame on me, I guess.


Luckily, there were others who recognized his talent much earlier than I did. Dilated Peoples member Evidence used to be Fashawn's mentor and biggest supporter; Planet Asia is, well, cordial with him; and in Exile, he managed to score a well-known and very talented producer, and I say this even though I'm not the biggest fan of his stuff. I've always held Exile's extremely creative work in very high regard, but before the release of Boy Meets World, I never quite dug it. Crazy, I know, but let me finish: even though I think that Emanon (a duo made up of Exile and Aloe Blacc) is pretty good, and even though I realize that Blu & Exile's Below The Heavens is a great album, and even though I think Exile's instrumental album Radio is a work of art, none of it ever clicked with me. (Sometimes the feelings that music can conjure up cannot be classified as anything remotely logical.)


But that all changed with Boy Meets World.


You can't talk about this project without mentioning its fascinating parallels with Illmatic, from the boy on the album cover, to the vivid storytelling, to the creativity with the individual songs (more on that during the actual review). Thats not to say that Fashawn bites Nas or that Boy Meets World is as good as Illmatic, though; it's just that you feel the warmth of deja vu because it reminds you of that other great debut album from fifteen years ago. Fash probably felt the same way; since the release of Boy Meets World, he's unleashed a mixtape, Ode to Illmatic, a tribute to the original in remake form that you can download for free if you want to.


But let's focus on his debut for now.


1. INTRO
Hold your sighs: there is only a very short introduction before a quick one-verse wonder that properly introduces both main attractions: a rapper that tells a vivid story on how he got to this point, and a beatsmith who brings a banging, playful beat for Fash to rip. Nice!


2. FREEDOM
Another banger; these guys certainly don't give the audience much of a chance to breathe. Fashy attacks the bouncy beat from, like, fifty-eight different angles, and Ex has a fun time throwing the sound bites that form the melody toward the general direction of his host. Also includes a nice Talib Kweli sample for a chorus.


3. HEY YOUNG WORLD (FEAT ALOE BLACC & DEVOYA)
Okay, here's where the Illmatic parallels become impossible to deny. Fash even uses the phrase "world is yours" multiple times, and there is a saxophone solo at the end! However, this song is much more unique than what I just described, with the soulful chorus, a spoken word poem at the end that doesn't suck (I know, right?), and a snappy beat to work with. Fantastic!


4. STARS
It's jazzy, sure, but a bit too unspectacular when compared to the rest of the disc. Fashawn does his best to keep you interested, but the song is so boring that there's no way you can't skip it.


5. LIFE AS A SHORTY (FEAT J. MITCHELL)
Whoa! Exile brings an eye-popping, incredibly fresh and rhythmically unusual beat, and Fash tells stories from his hard childhood, all while still managing to deliver a positive message to the youth. The hook, sung in angel tongues, is just the icing on a delicious cake. Yummy!


6. THE ECOLOGY
This reminded me of the Marvin Gaye song of the (sort of) same name. (FLX originally began this paragraph with the phrase “Laugh if you wanna”, and I couldn't understand why anybody would make fun of someone's appreciation of Marvin Gaye, so I cut it out.) Exile delivers a beat that is great on at least twelve different levels, and Shawn spits his heart out over it. Another winner, and this track is as short and sweet as they come.


7. OUR WAY (FEAT EVIDENCE)
How the fuck does Exile manage to make something this slow and sparse and turn it into such a banging-ass motherfucker of a beat? Shawn and guest star (and mentor, in case you forgot) Evidence waste no time shining on this song like freshly polished chrome. Or, more appropriately, chrome accessories on an Abrams tank.


8. WHY
Fash searches his soul with a little help from the vocal sample (which repeats the song's title) and a fantastic, melancholy beat. Loving it! My only complaint: the skit at the end is completely unnecessary and distracting. “Why” could have worked so much better if Fashawn had simply allowed it to lead directly into the next track.


9. SAMSONITE MAN (FEAT BLU)
Fash is joined on this lickworthy track (not sure what “lickworthy” means, but it made me laugh) by the other west coast rapper Exile worked with on his respective debut. The three of them have a natural chemistry, and they even manage to craft something rare in rap music: a really good hook! This was the first track I heard from Boy Meets World, and it is still the best, despite some fierce competition. It is great traveling music, as well, so the title is fitting.


10. FATHER
A very calm track (despite the heavily-chopped horn sample), but very strong nonetheless, making for beautiful headphone music. Fash gives listeners his two cents about religion, a topic I tend to avoid in conversation, but this track is too good and charming to neglect.


11. SUNNY CA (FEAT CO$$ & MISTAH FAB)
The most West Coast-sounding track on here by far; it almost sounds like some vintage G-Funk. Fash and his guests tell some vibrant tales about their home state and manage to make the Golden State sound like quite a dangerous place, as this feel-good beat sounds inexplicably menacing. (Because most West Coast hip hop doesn't sound menacing?)


12. BO JACKSON (FEAT EXILE)
After some begging in the interlude prior to this track, Fash lets Exile provide some vocal support. Unfortunately, this song isn't any good, so you won't care that much. It'll make you wish the 'skip' button on your stereo was larger. And red. With a kill switch. But, at least worrying about that will prevent you from actually listening to this.


13. LUPITA
This is much better, but I'm still not feeling it very much. Fashawn gets dissed by some J.Lo-knockoff when he tries to get with her. Good luck, amigo: I skipped the track already, so I will never hear the end of the story. Whoops!


14. WHEN SHE CALLS
This is much more my style. I won't even mention what the story is about, as I don't want to spoil it. All I'll say is that it gives “Samsonite Man” a run for its money, it's that good. Exile provides another otherworldly beat (one which was initially earmarked for Jay Electronica, and would have fit him wonderfully as well). I could listen to this on a loop all day long.


15. BOY MEETS WORLD
Okay, yet another rap album has a final song with a hidden bonus track tacked on, or at least that's what I thought, until eight minutes in, when I realized, holy fucking shit, this track is truly ten minutes long. This was a very good way to end a very good album, although I initially didn't care for it all that much. It grew on me with each subsequent listen.


There is a deluxe version of Boy Meets World that contains two extra tracks worked into the actual sequencing and a bonus track, so while we're at it, let's dissect those, as well.


10. THE SCORE (FEAT PLANET ASIA)
Big homey Asia finally makes an appearance, as he couldn't make the original cut because he was stuck in traffic or something. Unfortunately, he would have done Fashawn a bigger favor had he stayed at least one hundred feet away from this supposedly-hard-hitting-but-much-too-busy-for-its-own-good instrumental that has one of the most horrible excuses for a melody that I have ever heard. Damn Ex, what the fuck were you smoking that day? Agent Orange?


11. BREATH (FEAT BRAVO)
This Exile gem, on the other hand, is incredibly catchy and won't leave your mind until it retreats for the woods on its own accord, in order to to find a comfy spot to hibernate for the changing seasons. Hold your applause, though: Fash and his guest Bravo (who probably only has name brand recognition around his mother) waste it on an overly violent tale of retaliation. Bravo truly ruins the track, as he sounds amateurish compared to...well, actual amateurs, I suppose.


BONUS: THE OUTER CITY
Hmm. This bonus song wasn't bad (save for the unnerving hook), but it doesn't add much flavor to the original album. Which is kind of the arching theme for all three of these new tracks on the deluxe edition, to be honest. The first version of Boy Meets World is much more focused and cohesive without these late additions.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Holy guacamole, Boy Meets World is Megan Fox tits! This is yet another example that proves rap music works best when an artist works exclusively with one producer for an entire album, as it leaves the listener feeling much more satisfied with the overall listening experience. It helps that Fashawn and Exile are two incredibly talented and creative people, of course. This is actually as much Exile's show as it is Fashawn's, as he almost consistently brings fantastic beats to the table; he has even challenged me to try harder with my own beats because you can hear the creativity and the urge to make something special in Exile's work and I admire that (so thanks for that inspiration, homey!). Fashawn himself shows lots of potential. He isn't the best rapper ever, especially in regard to his technique and versatility, but for a debut, Boy Meets World is very promising. Hopefully he will still have something to say after he has used up his experiences and stories from his childhood days for this album; I remain cautiously optimistic. Besides, Fashawn has mentioned that he and Exile have a ton of unreleased tracks in the vault that couldn't make the project due to sample clearance issues. Sounds like a hip hop Fort Knox to me...


BUY OR BURN: Buy this. It proves that hip hop isn't dead, and for giving listeners that hope, it is worth your hard-earned recession cash. In return, you'll receive twelve songs rating very good to fantastic (and three other tracks), and sixty-four minutes of musical enjoyment. There is no need to track down the deluxe edition, though.


BEST TRACKS: "Hey Young World"; "Life As A Shorty"; "The Ecology"; "Our Way"; "Why"; "Samsonite Man"; "Father"; "When She Calls"; "Boy Meets World"


-FLX


(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave some notes for FLX below.)

Reader Review: Method Man - 4:21...The Day After (August 29, 2006)

(For today's Reader Review, D-Silbs brings our attention back to one of the better examples of recent Wu-Tang Clan output, Method Man's 4:21...The Day After. Be sure to leave your comments for D-Silbs below.)


On the heels of an undisputed classic (Tical) and a lesser quality-yet-highly popular follow-up (Tical 2000: Judgement Day), Method Man released his worst album ever, Tical 0: The Prequel, in 2004. Allegedly it sold enough copies to earn him a golden plaque, bit I highly doubt it, seeing as it sucked ass and all. (Not that something like poor quality has ever hurt anyone before, of course.). The story goes that Def Jam Records, his label home since the dawn of time, got all up in his grill about the beats: Meth (and, by proxy, Wu-Tang Clan fans) wanted The RZA to handle more of the production, whereas the label felt Puff Daddy should have more input (because of his amazing track record? What could have possibly caused this train of thought to leave the station? It couldn't have been a budget issue, because I would think that keeping The RZA happy would be much less expensive than paying for Puffy's entourage). As expected by everyone except the label brass, Diddy proceeded to screw everything up, so with his fourth album, 4:21...The Day After, Method Man was finally granted his wish, and The RZA was allowed in the building once again.


Hopefully this will hold up when compared to when I first heard 4:21...The Day After, retaining the Wu-Tang sound that we all miss, although considering that Ghostface Killah and GZA/Genius don't make any appearances on here, I somehow doubt it.


However, this quote from Meth, taken from dubcnn.com, is both fitting and funny: "This is just more RZA on production, shit like that. But some of the shit I couldn't do, because some of these producers were screaming out these n----s want a $100,000 for a track. Fuck that! Kiss my ass. I'm not paying nobody a $100,000 for shit, unless I can live in that mothafucka. Straight up. So that's what that is right there. But it's what I feel is the best I could do."


1. INTRO
After a sound bite from an educational DVD about weed, Method Man takes over your mind, ripping shit over a sick RZA beat. The beat reminds me of “Buck 50” from Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele, which I suppose isn't that surprising, as they are both RZA productions. The song is too short, but who cares? It's still awesome.


2. IS IT ME
Although Max wrote that he hated this song, I will go in the opposite direction and say that I loved it. Meth flows effortlessly over this Scott Storch instrumental, which sounds like a modern-day version of “C.R.E.A.M.” from Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). This may not be the old school Wu-Tang that we all love, but it's still nice. The hook is stupid, but you should expect that, since this is still a rap album.


3. PROBLEM
The beat is classic Erick Sermon, but I haven't yet decided if that's a good or bad thing yet. Meth sounds good, sure, but the song is just boring.


4. SOMEBODY DONE FUCKED UP
Havoc (of Mobb Deep) brings a string-laced instrumental, and I kind of liked it. Method Man sounded pretty good, and his lyricism and delivery was on point. His line, "There ain't no pedophile that could fuck with the kid", is funny and creepy: however, I'd like to point out that he reused it on Blackout! 2, which is just lazy.


5. SHAOLIN SOLDIER (SKIT)
Whatever...


6. FALL OUT
The instrumental is utter piffle, and even Method Man's above average delivery can't save this mainstream piece of shit. Sounds like a Soulja Boy Tell 'Em beat. Ugh.


7. DIRTY MEF (FEAT OL' DIRTY BASTARD)
Erick Sermon and Mathematics (representing the Wu Elements) craft a simple beat around some old Dirt McGirt lyrics, and it works extremely well. Dirty's opening words ("Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!") are inspiring, to say the least, as they immediately set the tone for a burst of nostalgia from the 1990's. Meth rides the beat flawlessly, and compliments the late ODB very nicely. Straight banger right here.


8. 4:20 (FEAT STREETLIFE & CARLTON FISK)
Yes! Another RZA production, and this one is even better than the first! The beat is perfect: eerie and awe-inspiring at the same time. Sadly, The RZA doesn't actually spit a verse, but Meth sounds amazing, and Carlton Fisk and Streetlife sound damn good as well. Hell, when even Max admits a song is perfection, then it is perfection. (I left that last line in there to stroke my ego, but I will say that this song still fucking bangs today.)


9. LET'S RIDE (FEAT GINUWINE)
The beat is a little boring, which is strange, as I typically like Mr. Porter's production work. This track doesn't mesh with the overall flow of 4:21...The Day After, and for that reason alone, this is a skip. Also, the song sucks.


10. THE GLIDE (FEAT RAEKWON, LA THE DARKMAN, & U-GOD)
RZA reworks a technically-unreleased Ol' Dirty Bastard beat (for "Skrilla", off of A Son Unique) and the results are fantastic. This Wu-tang posse cut is my second favorite on this album, and here's why: U-God spits an extremely good verse for being the worst member in the clan, Raekwon sounds awake for once, and Meth spits fire over an amazing beat. A fantastic cut.


11. KIDS (SKIT)
Pointless, really.


12. GOT TO HAVE IT
The sample is a little annoying, and the G-Funk, West Coast-ish beat doesn't fit Johnny Blaze at all. Nice try Meth, but it didn't work. Skip.


13. SAY (FEAT LAURYN HILL)
Every rapper has their one mandatory track per album that addresses all of the haters: “Say” is Method Man's contribution. To his credit, Meth manages to sway my opinion and blame his last shitstorm of an album on Def Jam and not himself, so bravo for being overly convincing.


14. YA'MEEN (FEAT FAT JOE & STYLES P.)
There was some controversy surrounding this song upon the release of 4:21...The Day After, because Meth didn't know that Joey Crack and Styles P were going to make guest appearances (apparently Def Jam forced it upon him). As for the song itself, the beat rocks my socks, Meth sounds fantastic, Fat Joe sucks, and Styles P. does that annoying thing where he talks in the background of his verse. Overall, Meth shouldn't have been that worried, as I've heard worse.


15. KONICHIWA BITCHES
RZA provides a strings-laced beat for Meth to basically freestyle on, but don't expect anything like “Knowledge God” off of Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Johnny Blaze sounds pretty good on here even without the burdedn of following a specific theme. This was an enjoyable listen.


16. EVERYTHING (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK & STREETLIFE)
Allah Mathematics provides the beat for this one and it is a banger, but I disagree with Max, as I feel "The Glide" is the better track. The hook sucks ass (Streetlife should hone his songwriting craft a bit), but the Rebel INS drops a quality verse, even though he claims that Masta Killa is alongside him when we never hear a verse from the guy. But hey, a Wu-Tang posse cut is a Wu-Tang posse cut after all, so its still a banger.


17. WALK ON (FEAT REDMAN)
Reggie Noble never ceases to amaze me. He teams up with his “How High” partner for another fantastic collaboration, with RZA, Erick Sermon, and Versatile behind the board. Why they needed that many producers is beyond me, but hey, at least it worked out well.


18. PIMPIN' (SKIT)
This interlude is actually pretty funny.


19. PRESIDENTIAL MC (FEAT RAEKWON & THE RZA)
It's about damn time! A traditional Kung-fu sound bite leads into one of the most Tical-like beats I've heard from The RZA in a long while. The beat perfectly complements Rae's sleepy ass flow, and RZA and Meth rip this track to shreds. This song is flawless.


20. 4 EVER (FEAT MEGAN ROCHELL)
Sure, this is the usual Def Jam radio friendly single-slash-contractual obligation, but the beat really isn't too bad for that sort of thing. The love rap happens to be Meth's forte, so he seems pretty comfortable with the subject matter. All in all, pretty good.


FINAL THOUGHTS: 4:21…The Day After is definitely not an old school Wu-Tang Clan album. However, the fact that it has any RZA production at all puts it above a lot of the group's output as of late. The second half of the project is much better than the first, but the production on the album as a whole is consistently good. Method Man sounds rejuvenated when he spits, making this pretty damn close to being a modern day Wu-Tang classic.


BUY OR BURN? Don't expect another Liquid Swords, but you should absolutely buy this shit. It's pretty damn good, and Wu fans will not be disappointed.


BEST TRACKS: "Intro"; "Is It Me"; "Dirty Mef"; "4:20"; "The Glide"; "Ya'Meen"; "Konichiwa Bitches"; "Everything"; "Presidential MC"


-D-Silbs


(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave your comments below. And if you're interested, here's a link to my original write-up.)