Ghostface Killah - Bulletproof Wallets (November 20, 2001)

Dennis Coles recorded his third album, Bulletproof Wallets, around the same time that The Wu collective disc The W was created. Hopefully, Ghostface's immediate goals had nothing to do with any sort of financial compensation, because Bulletproof Wallets was the first of many discs in the Tony Starks catalog to not find a mainstream audience, even though he tried to reach out to the fans by including Raekwon on the majority of his songs, in a throwback to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

Remember what I wrote about sample clearance problems during my Supreme Clientele write-up? And the multiple tracklisting problems? Here's where it all comes to a head. The album booklet, the back of the packaging, and even the fucking sticker on the front of the disc advertises a track called "The Sun", featuring Raekwon, The Rza, and fucking Slick Rick, over a beat by Prince Rakeem himself. Needless to say, this song is nowhere to be found. Another victim of Epic Records's accounting staff. (To be honest, I've heard this song, since, as we can all expect, it leaked to the Interweb almost immediately, but I wasn't very impressed by any part of the track. Maybe this deletion was a blessing in disguise.) In a bizarre twist, although the liner notes list the songs in the wrong order, the disc itself actually has the correct sequence, although it includes something called the "Figure 8 Skit", which also doesn't exist. The story goes that Ghostface accused Epic Records (as he was apparently moved over from the at-this-point defunct Razor Sharp Records) of not being one hundred percent behind Bulletproof Wallets, what with the label not providing the financial backing to clear most of his samples, leading to an album that not only sold very few copies (thanks to a lack of promotion and no successful singles), but an album that was far removed from Dennis's vision.

He would fulfill his Epic contract by dropping what is known in the business as "the bullshit greatest hits album", and jump ship to The House That Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons Built, which is still considered a questionable career move to this day. But for now, let us hide behind these Bulletproof Wallets (which, honestly, conjures up a very ridiculous image of bullets bouncing off of your ass like Flubber).

1. INTRO (FEAT RAEKWON)
So to begin this "reunion" album, Raekwon and Ghostface have another conversation a la "Shark N----s (Biters)", except that this time Rae is the level-headed dude and Ghostface is the apprehensive cat. You can't say that Ghost doesn't have a point, though.

2. MAXINE (FEAT RAEKWON)
A lot of people seem to forget that The Rza actually has production credits on Bulletproof Wallets. (It's not until after The Pretty Toney Album where Robert Diggs starts roaming the earth like David Carradine in Kung Fu.) This song is representative of how Dennis Coles's storytelling abilities have evolved; even though on the surface he sounds like he's spitting nonsense, he draws you into his gripping narrative. I've always been a fan of Raekwon shouting "Broke the TV/N----s watching Knight Rider!". You've just got to hear this one.

3. FLOWERS (FEAT RAEKWON, METHOD MAN, & SUPERB)
There's that overused Bob James "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" sample again, but that's only because the original version was killed in the sample wars by friendly fire (and besides, it could have been "Nautilus"). Superb should have been deleted from the track, since he brings nothing but an inane catchphrase to the table, but Raekwon and especially Meth deliver the heat. Ultimate! Ultimate!

4. NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN (FEAT RAEKWON & CARL THOMAS)
The radio track. As if anyone would ever actually play a Ghostface Killah song on the radio. Silly rabbit! I've always hated it.

5. TEDDY SKIT (FEAT SUPERB)
Although it is goofy to hear Ghost singing, this skit gets the mandatory "...".

6. THEODORE (FEAT TRIFE & TWIZ)
I'm guessing the seeds for Ghost's weed-carrier group Theodore Unit were planted during the studio sessions for Bulletproof Wallets. This song isn't bad, but as I've mentioned numerous times, I actually kinda like Ghost's baggage handlers.

7. GHOST SHOWERS (FEAT MADAME MAJESTIC)
A sequel of sorts to Supreme Clientele's terrible "Cherchez La Ghost"; it even features the same female vocalist. Technically, this is a better produced song, but it still sounds awful.

8. STRAWBERRY (FEAT KILLA SIN)
Good song, helped by the fact that Killa Sin actually sounds like he actively wanted to be a part of Ghost's album. You may not want your children to hear Ghost's verse, but if you're really letting your kids listen to Wu-Tang, then I both congratulate you on your good taste and punch you right in the fucking eye. Listen carefully for The Rza and Gza/Genius during the interlude; it was an interesting surprise.

9. THE FOREST (FEAT RAEKWON)
While I was hoping for a cover of The Cure's "A Forest", I still welcome this collaboration between The Alchemist and Ghostface, the first of its kind, if I'm not mistaken. Dennis gets his Gza on and peppers his rhymes with cartoon character references; I'm just happy that he's not rapping about food. (His line "Droopy got knocked, he turned Muslim in jail" is just hysterical.) Raekwon's singing at the beginning is hilarious; Ghostface's singing was deleted from the retail version, as it was murdered in the sample clearance stages by the copyright holders of Annie.

10. THE JUKS (FEAT SUPERB & TRIFE)
Another Al Maman beat. Pales when compared to "The Forest", but then again, it doesn't help that it was sequenced immediately following the superior track: it's almost like following up The Godfather with Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo.

11. WALKING THROUGH THE DARKNESS (FEAT TEKITHA)
Possibly started Ghostface's habit of adding his vocals onto an already established R&B track, which would continue on to reach such singers as Sunshine Anderson and Amy Winehouse. This song was originally Tekitha's, from The Rza's Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai soundtrack, and since I never cared for the original song, I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

12. JEALOUSY
Really nothing more than a skit, although it is produced by The Rza. That's not an endorsement, by the way.

13. THE HILTON (FEAT RAEKWON)
My favorite song on Bulletproof Wallets. The imagery on this track is just fucking incredible, with bonus points for the ridiculous attention to even the most minute details. Besides, any song that describes Raekwon running out of the shower and slipping on a bar of soap, but landing on his back with gat in hand deserves your fucking attention, even if you're just laughing your ass off.

14. INTERLUDE
Not so much an interlude as a one-verse wonder.

15. LOVE SESSION (FEAT RUFF ENDZ)
Ghost's obsession with making songs for the ladies doesn't bother me: everyone is allowed to be multifaceted. However, that doesn't mean that I've ever cared for these silly excursions. I'm pretty sure the only song Ruff Endz was ever known for was that "No More" track from whatever the fuck their album was called. Although, admittedly, I like that song, so there goes my argument, right out the plate glass window.

16. STREET CHEMISTRY (FEAT PRODIGAL SUNN & TRIFE)
A great way to end your album. Supposedly Al Maman put this song together as well, but as it doesn't appear in the album credits anywhere, there's really no telling.

FINAL THOUGHTS: You know that guy that constantly says that Ghostface Killah is the most consistent member of the Clan? He's telling the truth. Bulletproof Wallets is a very damn good album that deserves to be discovered, as long as you ignore his forced attempts at songs for the ladies (although, to be fair, they aren't traditional songs for the ladies: Dennis makes them his own). Ghost is truly the one that single-handedly saved The Wu from extinction, and Raekwon proves that whenever he and Ghost rock the mic, and whenever he remembers to drink his morning eight cups of coffee, he is a beast. I would actually put this album right up there with Supreme Clientele, it's that good.

BUY OR BURN? This is a must-buy. Bulletproof Wallets didn't get the love it so rightfully deserves, so now is your opportunity to reverse that trend. Although I am not responsible if you pick this disc up and start to get visibly upset when you read about the Slick Rick feature inside the liner notes. Sorry, that's just not my fault.

BEST TRACKS: "The Hilton"; "Maxine"; "Flowers"; "Strawberry"; "The Forest"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:

Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab ('My Gut Reaction' post)
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Ghostface Killah - Ironman

Gangstarr - No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989)

Keith Elam, better known as Guru, and Chris Martin, who goes by the name DJ Premier when he's not singing in Coldplay and banging Gwyneth Paltrow, met up in 1989 to form one of the most formidable DJ/rapper combinations in the genre, Gang Starr. They're best known for mastering what is now considered the New York sound, thanks to Primo's magical ear that stays glued to the streets, and his knack for cutting up just the right samples over his preprogrammed drum breaks. This is not an easy feat, considering Guru hails from Boston and Primo is a Texas boy from way back (Houston, specifically, which begs the question: if Primo comes from Houston, then why are his beats so much better than any given Texas producer's?).

Keithy E The Guru and the former Waxmaster C teamed up after everyone else in Gang Starr abandoned Guru to pursue their own dreams. (Nice work, Jarobis!) Their debut album, No More Mr. Nice Guy, was released by Wild Pitch in 1989, and was met with critical acclaim, although nobody you know will actually have this album in their collections. It was overshadowed by almost every other rap album released in the same year, most notably De La Soul's 3 Feet High And Rising, but still sold enough copies to warrant a future career for one of the top three beatmakers in hip hop, thank you very much, and the guy with the most commanding monotone in recent memory. No More Mr. Nice Guy is, to be honest, usually put to the side by hip hop fans today, as the overall jazz influence and the simplicity of the beats and rhymes tend to be a turnoff to "heads", while the fact that these two guys had an album out in fucking 1989 makes newer hip hop fans vomit in disgust, as most of them were only three years old at the time.

Truth be told, this was an album I picked up only after going backwards through Gang Starr's discography, starting with their "comeback", Moment of Truth. The first song I ever paid attention to of theirs was the hypnotic "Mass Appeal", and as a collector, I was then forced to grab everything Gang Starr-related I could find, so this ended up in my hands while on one of my used CD shopping sprees that I don't do nearly enough anymore. Kind of like the Tribe discography, the debut was among the last of the catalog I snatched up, so it received the least amount of play in my household.

True story: I used to work for a call center that scheduled maintenance appointments for major appliances, although these appointments were usually cancelled because the technicians were incredibly absorbent douchebags. Keith Elam actually called in to set up an appointment for an air conditioning unit for a home in Florida, and it was the type of call where you could tell just from his voice that he worked his day job as Guru, although I had to confirm it anyway. Sadly, he called in the middle of a summer surge, when every fucking A/C unit in that area was dying, so all of our technicians were booked, but at least I can confirm that the way the he spits his rhymes is truly the way he simply speaks.

Well, that was a boring story. Moving on...
1. PREMIER AND THE GURU
Thank God Guru dropped his original "Keithy E The Guru" moniker. That name ranked right up there with "Soulja Boy Tell 'Em", "Flo-Rida", and "Neil Young" in the hip hop history books.

2. JAZZ MUSIC
A very subdued Primo beat. Guru's vocals are essentially exactly the same as they are today, although a bit younger-sounding, which is as it should be, considering this album is almost twenty goddamn years old. (The tears are starting to flow a bit.)

3. GOTCH U
Guru's delivery on here reminds me of Ultramagnetic-era Kool Keith, but that's really more because of Primo's backing tracks and not because of Guru's lyrics about alien gynecologists and horses in hospitals.

4. MANIFEST
This track is decent enough, but most of you probably haven't heard this one, since the remix (which appears later in the sequencing) is the more popular version, what with it popping up on best-of compilations and whatnot.

5. GUSTO
Actually not produced by Primo. The 45 King gives a much higher-energy beat, one that sounds like it would have been better suited for Big Daddy Kane or the like, to Guru to rock over, and he does an admirable job.

6. DJ PREMIER IN DEEP CONCENTRATION
The centerpiece of No More Mr. Nice Guy, and a classic DJ track in and of itself. You know, if you're into that sort of thing.

7. POSITIVITY (REMIX)
I tend to be wary of albums that present a remix of a track before the original version appears. Primo, if you didn't like your original pressing that much, then why did you release it to the public?

8. MANIFEST (REMIX)
Right off the bat, the beat sounds a lot funkier than the original. Also: longer! Also: better. (May be better known to most of my two readers as "Words I Manifest (Remix)".)

9. CONSCIENCE BE FREE
Pass.

10. CAUSE AND EFFECT
Guru comes off as the most antagonistic person you'll come across, on the list right alongside a guidance counselor in an inner-city school district that actually wants his/her students to do something with their lives. Not bad.

11. 2 STEPS AHEAD
Full disclosure: I had to listen to this track twice in a row, because Guru's reference to farting completely took me out of the listening experience. if you get past that, you'll discover a decent song.

12. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY
I kept being reminded of Lil' Kim's "No Time", which utilizes the same sample. Probably because of that fact, I found this song only barely passable.

13. KNOWLEDGE
The thing I like about Mr. Elam is that you can always understand exactly what he's talking about. I'm not sure exactly why that is, but I have a feeling it's mostly the (monotone) voice.

14. POSITIVITY
Doesn't even sound that much different than the remix.

FINAL THOUGHTS: No More Mr. Nice Guy introduces Guru as a rapper that deserves your attention, even though he's not the best or most loquacious rhyme spitter. It also presents DJ Premier as a future Force To Be Reckoned With, although fans of Primo's will be completely shocked by the low-key, jazzy beats provided on this disc; they don't contain the boom-bap that you're accustomed to. That said, most fans of today's garbage will find this album appalling, since the themes rarely depart from hitting on chicks, positivity, and random boasts. (Guru didn't rap about drugs, violence, or violence against women, the trifecta of what most people tend to believe make a rapper a capital-r Rapper.)

BUY OR BURN? This album is an acquired taste, and most people that are only familiar with Primo's more recent work will probably not even realize that the same guy produced the majority of this disc, but I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend a purchase. I paid two bucks for this, and you can afford to do the same; shit, you probably have two bucks in change underneath your car seat. You should also listen to it at least once, even if only so that you can truthfully tell someone else that you've heard Gang Starr's jazzier early work. And while you're at the store, you should also pick up some better examples of what Primo's capable of: Jeru The Damaja's The Sun Rises In The East and Group Home's Livin' Proof. And get me a soda while you're there. You know what I like.

BEST TRACKS: "DJ Premier In Deep Concentration"; "Manifest (Remix)";

-Max

Diversionary Tactics (January 27, 2008)

Allow me to take this time to do a little bit of housecleaning. First off, What It Is over at the ridiculously funny and informative Treebeats blog has concocted a new venture involving beatmaking, beats, making, and the making of said beats, and has called the project I Hook A Beat Up. A sample is posted, and some soon-to-be-famous producers get to work, with a panel of judges, um, judging who freaked the sample the best. And no, I'm not just plugging this because I'm apparently on the panel, although it does help. Once this gets up and running, it could get interesting.

Secondly, I was asked to promote DJ Big Texas's newest mixtape, The D.O.C.entials, which is a collection of the original songs the famed neurosurgeon Andre Young utilized when discovering The D.O.C.'s debut album No One Can Do It Better in the lab. I'm not really in the habit of posting things for download on my blog (as the ever-changing disclaimer on the right will show), but I do like to show appreciation for anyone that tries to expose today's hip hop audience to the source material of their favorite artists, so instead, here's a link to DJ Big Texas's blog (along with his contact info for bookings, if you're inclined), and here's another link, this time for Ivan's Hip Hop Is Read, specifically the post where you can check out this disc. And, for those that don't know, Ivan and company are pretty good with their own sample collections, and should be checked out as soon as possible.

To all of my two readers that have taken the time to leave comments or to shoot an e-mail my way, I say thanks. To any other blogger that wishes to link up to HHID, just let me know in the comment box on the side, and I'll try to get you linked up as soon as possible. (Hint: if I'm already linked up, it'll make things go faster.)

Finally, even though I do plan on getting back to the reviews very soon, I have a proposition for my readers. I'm thinking of a project that would involve guests doing their own write-ups, and each project would have a specific theme. If you are interested, hit me up at the email address on the right, whether you have your own blog or not, and I'll gauge the level of interest before moving things forward.

Okay, I should be getting back to work.

-Max

Ras Kass - Rasassination (September 22, 1998)

Ras Kass suffered through poor sales of his debut effort, Soul On Ice, due to a lack of promotion and because the final product sucked. He's always had lyrics to go, and for the right price, he could even make your shit tighter, but Rassy has always faltered when it came to constructing an actual song, a problem that he, sadly, still faces in his rap career.

Rasassination is his sophomore effort, which was released by Priority Records, the label with which he would eventually get embroiled in a court battle regarding contract terms and labor agreements. For this effort, he attempted to branch out to a couple of commercially viable collaborators, which is why Dr. Dre appears on the disc, although he doesn't produce anything here, so what was the fucking point, Rassy? A couple of beats come by way of Easy Mo Bee, and East Coast stalwart-slash-Shawn Carter punching bag Big Jaz also takes a turn behind the boards, but for the most part, Ras decided to actively retain a part of his advance by purchasing beats from no-name producers, which is a tactic that doesn't always work, because it's not like you make more money off of an album with no name producers if it still doesn't move units: you still make nothing.

Which is what happened here. Rasassination was destined to fail in record shops, since he goes over the heads of average listeners, and hip hop heads need something to nod their heads to, something which Ras Kass needs to perfect ASAP. Critically, this album was met with almost zero acclaim, not necessarily because it is a bad disc, but because Rassy himself was considered a boring artist. That was a situation he rectified quickly after going to do a quick bid for a DUI, and then, after his release, getting in a fight with fellow West Coast artist The Game.

Moving on...

1. ENDTRO
Pretentious rap album intro that is produced to make your album sound much more important than it deserves to be, catalog number 847-Q. It would be one thing if this 'New World Order' theme were consistent throughout the album, but it really doesn't pop up again until the very last track. As such, next!

2. RASASSINATION
Is Bill Bellamy really the best example of a black man that white America isn't afraid of?

3. GHETTO FABULOUS (FEAT DR. DRE & MACK 10)
Swipes the beat that Dr. Dre used in the ballroom dance sequence (you read that right, non-hip hop listeners) of the video to his "Been There, Done That". Mack 10 is a nonfactor, which I'm sure is how Ice Cube sees his participation on those Westside Connection projects today.

4. LAPDANCE (FEAT RC)
Not only is the beat not a good one for Rassy, it's almost as if the subject matter is completely beneath him. Almost.

5. SKIT # 1
...

6. CONCEITED BASTARD
The beat is lacking, but the rhymes connect pretty well.

7. ICE AGE (FEAT KURUPT & EL DREX)
Am I the only person in the world wondering how Kurupt earned his spot in that fabled Four Horsemen supergroup, alongside Rassy, Canibus, and Killah Priest? I mean, he's okay, but...

8. ...IN A COOGI SWEATSUIT (SKIT)
...

9. H2OPROOF (FEAT SAAFIR)
Not only is this song pretty decent, it has the added bonus of helping Saafir pay the rent for the month in which it was recorded! Yay!

10. IT IS WHAT IT IS (FEAT JAZZE PHA)
Lame as shit. The hook matches the beat, which you should read as saying "the lame-as-shit hook matches the lame-as-shit beat".

11. INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE (FEAT GOD & SATAN)
That's seriously what this song is billed as. This would be the album's centerpiece, juts like how "Nature Of The Threat" was the main course on Soul On Ice, but I find myself nonplussed with the song itself, since the vocal effects are grating, almost like listening to T-Pain scream in your ear every day for the rest of your life; I find myself much more impressed that Rassy was able to secure guest appearances from two omnipresent beings that, depending on which religion you follow, are either the end-all be-all or two figureheads that never truly existed. Bonus points for mentioning Allah on a song that features God and Satan.

12. WILD PITCH (FEAT XZIBIT & JAH SKILLZ)
I kind of like this beat, but the female guest emcee is terrible. X to the Z does alright by his own standards, I suppose.

13. OOH WEE!
Actually pretty good.

14. ALL OR NUTHIN (FEAT TWISTA)
As you may remember me writing before, having Twista as the guest on your song is almost like the kiss of death, since your instrumental will automatically have to bend to the will of the Tung Twista, i.e., you'll have to speed-rap, since Twista always comes off as both an impressive rapper and a one-trick pony on these cameos. Twista will also always murder you on your own shit, since the beat is more suited for him and not for you. Ras Kass is not the exception to this rule.

15. GRINDIN' (FEAT BAD AZZ)
I appreciate the reference to Pinky & The Brain, but the song itself sucks ass.

16. I AIN'T FUCKIN' WITH YOU
Likewise, Rassy.

17. GET AT ME
Was Rassy aiming for radio airplay here? Because the last time I heard Ras Kass on the radio was probably in a Wherehouse Music advertisement on the radio in 1997 promoting this very album.

18. THE END (FEAT THE RZA)
Word for word, The Rza is probably one of the better collaborators Rassy's ever has on the mic. That said, this song is boring, and Easy Mo Bee's instrumental is best used as a sleep aid.

FINAL THOUGHTS: At least Rasassination has slightly better beats than Soul On Ice, which is an impressive feat, since almost all of the beats are provided by no-name producers. However, just because they're slightly better doesn't mean they're any good, and they certainly don't match the lyrical content that Rassy attempts to bless them with. Rasassination suffers from the same problems Soul On Ice had; namely, the beats suck when compared to the rhymes, and music can't live by rhymes alone; otherwise, Rassy's acapella albums would sell well over forty million copies each. The fun to be had during this listening experience is nil.

BUY OR BURN? Well, the trick question portion of this program is upon us, because you couldn't buy this album even if you wanted to, as it is out of print. (Thanks, Priority Records!) But if we were to pretend that you had a choice, I would recommend a burn only. The lyrics are mostly good, but his ear for beats should be checked out by a specialist.

BEST TRACKS: "Ooh Wee!"; "Conceited Bastard"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Ras Kass - Soul On Ice

Rza as Bobby Digital - Digital Bullet (August 28, 2001)

After the release, chart success, and inevitable backlash against the Wu's The W, the group decided to remain in the studio and immediately get to work on a follow-up that would shut the naysayers up. In the meantime, The Rza and Ghostface Killah would put the final touches on solo albums that were already in progress. Ghost's Bulletproof Wallets will be written about later, since Rza's Bobby Digital alias released Digital Bullet on Indie Graveyard Records (sorry, I meant to type "Koch") about two weeks before the tragedy that is 9/11.

But obviously, this album has nothing to do with the terrorist attacks on American soil. (The Wu would later address that on Iron Flag.) Instead, Digital Bullet resurrects Bobby Digital, hip hop superhero, as a man who has everything, but is sick and tired of the materialistic lifestyle that he himself had cultivated since the release of the first project. As expected, the concept is much looser this time around, since a lot of the tracks simply feature Rza and friends going nuts over mostly Rza-produced tracks.

To my knowledge, Digital Bullet didn't sell as much as its predecessor, since the timing of this release coincided with general apathy of all things Wu-related in the hip hop world. Does that mean this was a bad album? Well, if you're the type of person that judges album quality based on sales (read: if you're part of the association that votes on Grammy awards), then yes, this is a bad album. But if you actually listen to the music? Read on...

1. INTRO / SHOW YOU LOVE
Alright, I suppose. Not great.

2. CAN'T LOOSE (FEAT BERETTA 9)
Who knows if the misspelling is intentional, but other than a vocal sample that grates on your last nerve like sandpaper on an armoire, the song doesn't completely suck.

3. GLOCKO POP (FEAT METHOD MAN, MASTA KILLA, & STREETLIFE)
I remember this song leaking to the Interweb shortly after the release of the first Bobby Digital album, and I remember liking it a lot, even with Rza's borderline comical first few lines, which are so bad that it almost detracts from the entire Wu-Tang legacy. I find myself still liking this mastered version, although the radio introduction is completely unnecessary.

4. MUST BE BOBBY
Pretty damn good, if not overly simplistic for a Rza beat.

5. BROOKLYN BABIES (FEAT MASTA KILLA & THE FORCE M.D.S)
The playback speed of the beat is adjusted to brilliant effect throughout the song, and Masta Killa acquits himself pretty well. Well played, Robert Diggs.

6. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PT. 2 (FEAT BIG GIPP)
Big Gipp from Goodie Mob is an...um...interesting choice. Tony Touch's production doesn't fit the sound of the rest of Digital Bullet. This song may have sounded better on a Goodie Mob or Big Gipp solo album, since it sounds so bad it actually taints your memories of the original misogynistic masterpiece.

7. DO U (FEAT PRODIGAL SUNN & GZA/GENIUS)
Really fucking good, especially Gza's verse. Wouldn't have sounded out of place on Wu-Tang Forever, which is supposed to be a compliment.

8. FOOLS (FEAT KILLA SIN)
"Everybody Plays The Fool"? Seriously? I like how Rza's voice almost cracks in half while singing/demanding everyone "bring (their) nines". Solomon Childs also appears on this song, but for some reason, doesn't receive any credit in the liner notes. Not bad.

9. LA RHUMBA (FEAT METHOD MAN, KILLA SIN, BERETTA 9, & NDIRA)
This song was actually played on the radio around my way, and not in a nighttime mix of random rap songs, but in the middle of the fucking day. I have fond memories of radio deejays introducing this as "the new song by Razor". Even though this song was probably released as a single just to get the radio airplay, it's not completely horrible, save the chorus. You know what is horrible? The remix featuring Fat Joe. Now that song sucks.

10. BLACK WIDOW PT. 2 (FEAT OL' DIRTY BASTARD)
Hilariously bawdy Ol' Dirty Bastard solo showcase. Possibly appalled by the subject matter (Dirt: "Pussy ain't nuthin' but skin to your bone/You can fuck it, you can suck it, you can leave it alone"), Rakeem doesn't even bother rhyming over this beat.

11. SHADY (FEAT INTRIGUE)
Meh.

12. BREAK BREAD (FEAT JAMIE SOMMERS)
Previously released as "Save Jon Benny" on the Interweb and on various Wu-Tang mix CDs, most notably the one released with Big Kap. I always found it weird that Ghostface bragged about "running trains on Jamie Sommers on the tour bus" on Ironman's "Iron Maiden", and then she actually popped up as a Wu artist; probably not the best way to make your musical debut, in my opinion. Side note: in the liner notes, there is a skit called "Thirsty" that features Beretta 9, that is supposed to immediately follow "Break Bread", but it's completely missing. Who knows what happened here, but the skit would pop up later on limited edition copies of Wu-Tang Killa Beez Present The Sting, a compilation of Wu-affiliates and weed carriers.

13. BONG BONG (FEAT BERETTA 9 & MADAME CEZ)
Bong bong? What the fuck? One of the things I've always hated about Rza's interviews around this time period was how he would toss in this bogus catchphrase randomly as if it were a valid answer for the unasked question "What is the most annoying thing you could say right now?".

14. THROW YOUR FLAG UP (FEAT BLACK KNIGHTS)
This song isn't bad at all, although I do feel bad that the Black Knights never truly released anything of substance. (That Every Night Is A Black Knight album floating around on the web? Never officially released (in the States, at least).)

15. BE A MAN
Rza has finally overused the "repeated vocal sample integrated into the beat" concept as of this song. This song isn't bad, but it recalls "Can't Loose" and "Do U", which are both much better than this track.

16. RIGHTEOUS WAY (FEAT JUNIOR REID)
You'll find yourself waiting around for Rza to finally appear. I believe this is more of what people were expecting what Rza announced The Cure, an album that, to date, still hasn't been released, and is probably sitting next to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 and that Ghostface Killah/MF Doom collaborative album in the Wu-Tang vault.

17. BUILD STRONG (FEAT TEKITHA)
Dull. Next!

18. SICKNESS
Pretty good way to end your CD. Wait a minute, it's not done yet?

The following two songs were included as bonus tracks on early pressings of Digital Bullet. Probably due to a printing error, the song titles were transposed in the liner notes, but when you hear the lyrics of what I list as "Cousins", it's painfully obvious that I have the titles right, because I am great.

19. ODYSSEY
Kinda boring. Supposedly Issac Hayes is supposed to be either on this song or on the longer version that appears on the bonus disc of The Sting, but I couldn't hear him on either version.

20. COUSINS (FEAT CILVARINGZ & DOC GYNECO)
A decent precursor to Rza's The World According To Rza project that would find a release date soon. Future quasi-official Wu-Tang Clan member Cilvaringz's American debut was on a bonus track that wasn't included on most pressings of Digital Bullet. Classic!

FINAL THOUGHTS: Digital Bullet was the first of several Wu-Tang albums where The Rza and company weren't actively trying to appeal to their fans, instead hoping that their fans would journey with them to a more enhanced listening experience. Save for "La Rhumba", this album is proof that the Wu could actually evolve their sound for the greater good. In short, this album is pretty fucking good, much much better than The Rza as Bobby Digital In Stereo.

BUY OR BURN? By all means, buy this shit. When the Wu don't have anything to prove anymore, that's when they show their true colors as talented rapper/producers that deserve any continued attention they receive.

BEST TRACKS: "Do U"; "Glocko Pop"; "Must Be Bobby"; "Brooklyn Babies"; "Fools"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
The Rza - Rza as Bobby Digital In Stereo

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (May 23, 2000)

Marshall Bruce Mathers III probably felt that he would be the last person to sell millions of copies of his debut rap album, even with the Midas touch of Andre Young and the financial backing of Interscope Records in his corner. Alas, he did just that: The Slim Shady LP sold gazillions of copies and made him a household name, all due to to the fact that he was an above-average lyricist with obvious skill.

Oh, and he was white. With bleached-blond hair.

Regardless of race, the time had come for Marshall to prove that he wasn't just a one-hit wonder, so The Marshall Mathers LP was born. Once again featuring the support of the famed physician Dr. Young, Eminem opted to give his new fans more of the same ridiculous bullshit spit in a catchy rhyme form, all while mixing in more personal stories from his past and his newly-rich present. As most rappers tend to do, he also intended to use his sophomore effort as a springboard for his weed carriers D-12, which is a little bit ironic, since that group formed without Eminem back in the day and included Marshall as their weed carrier. Oh, how the tables have turned.

The Marshall Mathers LP sold over 1.7 million copies in its first week (you read that right), and went on to win numerous awards including Best Rap Album at the Grammys, which obviously means that this album was better than every single other rap album released in the year 2000. As such, Eminem just became mush richer and much more successful, and he would eventually run out of things to rhyme about, choosing instead to align himself with his weed carriers and one Curtis Jackson, and leaving old friend Royce Da 5'9" in the dust, which is too bad, since the two of them would have worked well off of each other during the course of their respective careers.

Oh well, there's still hope.

1. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 2000
Well, at least this intro is funnier than the one that started up The Slim Shady LP.

2. KILL YOU
Misogynistic and homophobic for shock value's sake only. When you listen to this song eight years into its lifespan, you realize that Dr. Dre's beat sucks.

3. STAN (FEAT DIDO)
It doesn't help that I, like most of America, had never heard Dido's "Thank You" in its entirety until after I heard "Stan". I remember repeating this song at least twenty times the day of The Marshall Mathers LP's release. You may believe Eminem to be overrated today, which would be an astute observation since he sucks balls now, but this song is fucking brilliant, and it still works today. Probably the best song Eminem will ever record (although I still like "Role Model" better).

4. PAUL (SKIT)
Paul Rosenberg has his own blog. That's all I got.

5. WHO KNEW
This Dre beat sounds more like what the first song should have sounded like. It actually would have made more sense to have the song where Eminem talks about his shocking success as the first song on the sophomore LP, but that's just me; maybe I make too much sense sometimes.

6. STEVE BERMAN (SKIT)
Serves as a pretty good lead-in for the next song, but that's the only positive trait it has.

7. THE WAY I AM
The best part of this song may be at the very beginning, where Marshall tries to dedicate the song to a group of like-minded fans, but gives up midway through: "This song is for anyone...fuck it, shut up and listen". But it's still a good song today (I can do without the remix with Marilyn Manson on the hook, not because I hate Manson, but because the remix is bad), and the video was decent enough, from what I can recall.

8. THE REAL SLIM SHADY
The first official single. I just listened to this song, so that way my two readers never have to listen to it ever again. Trust me, it sounds that bad now. I can't imagine how this song was ever popular. (My guess would have to be that the video probably helped, although all I remember of that clip is the color yellow, and I'm not bothered enough to start hunting for it on Youtube.)

9. REMEMBER ME? (FEAT RBX & STICKY FINGAZ)
A discarded track from Dr. Dre's original 2001 sessions. Seriously. If you track down some of the original print advertising for 2001, you'll find that Sticky Fingaz and RBX were both scheduled to appear on the original version of that seminal disc. At least that story makes sense: in 2000, didn't you kind of wonder why fucking RBX and Sticky Fingaz would actually appear on an Eminem album? Anyway, this song sounds incredibly awkward, and should only be listened to as a curiosity piece.

10. I'M BACK
You know, instead of using these fourth-rate Dr. Dre prescriptions, Marshall should really branch out and look to other producers to see if he can perfect his sound. Hopefully he actually does this on future album releases, and doesn't just decide to produce all of the songs himself, as he seems to be prone to do.

11. MARSHALL MATHERS
I've never been a fan of the songs where Eminem feels the need to sing the chorus, with very few exceptions. The drums aren't strong enough to carry this song (for this, he couldn't get a Dre beat?), but the lyrics, albeit censored, are pretty great.

12. KEN KANIFF (SKIT)
These skits got old real quick, especially since the original rapper that performed as Ken Kaniff, Aristotle, had beef with Eminem and Em took it upon himself to resurrect the dumb-ass character himself.

13. DRUG BALLAD (FEAT DINA RAE)
Completely out of place, but I understand that Marshall was just following the same formula as the debut album, so on that note I forgive him, since it's not like I ever have to listen to this monstrosity ever again or anything.

14. AMITYVILLE (FEAT BIZARRE)
I have to know: does anyone actually sit around thinking "Eminem is okay, but you know that guy Bizarre? That guy fucking rips shit!" If you're that guy, feel free to show yourself in the comments. You just know there has to be someone in the world like that.

15. BITCH PLEASE II (FEAT DR. DRE, SNOOP DOGG, NATE DOGG, & XZIBIT)
Almost practically the same comment as "Remember Me?"; I can't think of any reasonable excuse why Snoop, Nate, and Xzibit would appear on an Eminem album, although this song may be more of an example of Andre asking Snoop for a co-sign, and Snoop needing to appear on what was sure to be a multi-platinum selling disc to keep his career viable. Anyway, the original song, known as "B Please" on the back of Snoop's solo album No Limit Top Dogg (and featuring Xzibit and production by Dre), is much much better; this song would be okay, but Eminem's style doesn't truly fit the theme of the song, as it's obvious that Em is a better rapper than everyone else on the track thanks to his wordy delivery. Side note: I just read that Nate Dogg had a stroke and is now partially paralyzed. My best wishes go out to Nate and his family, especially since I always liked Nate, ever since the Death Row days.

16. KIM
Shortly after the release of The Slim Shady LP, a song called "Bitch So Wrong" popped up on random blogs, describing in clear and incredibly disturbing detail the events that led up to the first album's "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" (also known as "Just The Two Of Us", for The Slim Shady EP fans). Truth be told, the unmastered leak sounds a lot scarier than this song, if only because the references to "a four year old boy laying dead with a slit throat" sound much creepier when they're, I don't know, uncensored. (Thanks, Interscope!)

17. UNDER THE INFLUENCE (FEAT D-12)
The hook to this song is godawful, but that's not the point. The intent of "Under The Influence" is to introduce Eminem's weed carriers to the masses, and on that note he succeeds, if only because all six members of D-12 appear on this song. Are the other rappers any good, though? Well, some of them don't completely suck, but this song renders everyone except Eminem completely indistinguishable from the other; I guess we'll just have to wait until the D-12 write-ups start for further commentary.

18. CRIMINAL
An excuse to spit the most vile, homophobic shit (in the first verse) that he can think of, under the pretense that he's just playing a character named Slim Shady. Drew the wrath of GLAAD, for damn good reason, although if you make it past the first verse and the goofy robbery skit included mid-song, you'll understand the point that Marshall was trying to make, although he failed miserably at it.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Marshall Mathers LP comes off as Slim Shady 2.0. However, the beats are, for the most part, much better, and ever since the success of the debut album, Marshall obviously has more life experience to draw upon here, so he seizes the opportunity to exorcise his personal demons on wax, to mostly good effect. A lot of critics hold The Marshall Mathers LP in high regard; most people consider this to be his finest achievement. I would have to go along with that statement, even though there are some seriously questionable inclusions on this album.

BUY OR BURN? Let's be honest here: this album sold a gazillion copies, so chances are you probably already own this album anyway. For the three people in the world that don't have this somewhere in their collection, you may as well pick it up, since you'll find it for three bucks used, and Eminem proves himself to be a lyrical aficionado, even on the songs with horrible beats.

BEST TRACKS: "Stan"; "The Way I Am"; "Marshall Mathers"; "Kim"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Eminem - The Slim Shady LP

The Beatnuts - Intoxicated Demons: The EP (April 20, 1993)

The Beatnuts are a fun-loving rap duo from Queens that list "digging through crates of old records" as one of their hobbies. (Yes, that's right, the name of the group is only partially a vulgar term: these guys really know and love their music.) Psycho Les and Junkyard Juju, now better known as Juju, have the little-known distinction of being the only Latino rapper/producers in the Native Tongues family, a collective that also features A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and the Jungle Brothers, although to my knowledge only Q-Tip seems to actively include them in conversations about the group, even going so far as to mention them on record (I believe he spoke about The Beatnuts on People's Instinctive Travels and the Blahs of Longtitlesthatbelongonpseudoemorecords, but I could be wrong).

The Beatnuts are best known for their production skills, making some of the best beats that just so happen to be club friendly, thanks to the limitless amount of samples that are laid into each track they work with. I would go so far as to say that their production is only rivaled by J-Zone, who does essentially the same thing, albeit for a much smaller audience. In a turn that I wish more rappers would take today, the 'Nuts introduced their rhyming skills to the world via an EP release, Intoxicated Demons: The EP, which you can tell is an EP thanks to the title. Consisting of only eleven tracks, five of which are skits of some sort, Intoxicated Demons: The EP is the perfect way to present yourself to a fickle 1993-era hip hop public that isn't sure how to respond to a group who, at this point, had only briefly popped up as remix producers for the likes of Common (Sense), Da Lench Mob, and MC Lyte, not to mention producing the entirety of Chi-Ali's The Fabulous Chi-Ali.

Intoxicated Demons: The EP was successful enough for their record label, Relativity Records, to roll the dice with a full-length, Street Level, the following year. Later in their career, they would suffer the loss of a group member (more on that later), help jump-start the career of the most successful Latino rapper of all time (no, not Pitbull), and start a feud with (of all people) Jennifer Lopez for jacking one of their best-known beats for an inane song about remembering where you came from. But for now, let's take the wayback machine back to 1993.

1. WORLD'S FAMOUS INTRO
I have to admit, instrumental intros usually get my attention, probably because they're so rare.

2. WORLD'S FAMOUS (FEAT V.I.C.)
The Beatnuts story has always been about talking random shit (usually about fucking, drinking, or smoking) over ridiculous samples, kind of like an East Coast Alkaholiks (why those two groups never hooked up for a collaboration still bothers me to this day), or like a precursor to J-Zone (who did actually hook up with members of Tha Liks over the course of his rapping career; come on, 'Nuts, get with it!).

3. ENGINEER TALKING SHIT
I'm always appreciative of any artist that includes a self-depreciating skit, since most of these assholes take themselves way too seriously. Come to think of it, this line of thinking also extends out to actors, writers, and directors. Come on, people, life is short; learn to laugh at yourself!

4. PSYCHO DWARF (FUCK, DRINK BEER & SMOKE SOME SHIT)
This is more like the Juju I was expecting to hear. Notice how the title is almost exactly what I wrote about the last actual song.

5. ON THE 1 + 2
Skit. A DJ skit, but a skit nonetheless.

6. NO EQUAL
More of a subtle beat presented here, which makes it easier to understand that Juju briefly disses Das EFX here for unknown reasons (at least, unknown to me).

7. REIGN OF THE TEC
Nothing subtle here! I've never been one to believe Juju and Psycho Les (regardless of the name) when they go off on their violent tangents, because they come off as a couple of guys who may be able to kick your ass, but are much more concerned with partying and hooking up with chicks, and honestly, who would you rather hang out with? Nice use of a Sadat X vocal sample, too.

8. QUALITY & THE BUSHMEN OFF THE TOP
Skit.

9. THIRD OF THE TRIO
Kool Fashion, who is now better known as Al Tariq but was once the third member of the 'Nuts, gets a solo showcase on this song, which also happens to be the first song he's appeared on. (He has much more of a presence on Street Level; a little known fact is that he actually appeared first on Chi-Ali's "Let The Horns Blow" alongside Phife Dawg, Dres from Black Sheep, and Trugoy the Dove from De La Soul.) As a rapper, he's alright; I started listening to the 'Nuts around the time "Off The Books", the breakthrough single that featured Big Punisher and Cuban Link, was released, so I never even realized that there was a missing third member of the group until I read about Al Tariq's God Connections solo album in The Source. Can't say I ever actually missed him, but I suppose that's what happens when you leave a group so early in its career (Jarobi, looking in your general direction).

10. PHONE CALL
Skit.

11. STORY (PINKY IN THE TWAT)
This is what I believe to be the first instance of the word "twat" being used on this blog, and I have to say, I'm genuinely excited. The lyrics are mostly ridiculous (in a good, hilarious way), and I have to give credit for the nice use of the "Paul Revere" sample. For those that are keeping score, Tariq...sorry, I mean Kool Fashion appears on here as well.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Intoxicated Demons: The EP is a very entertaining listen. The talents of Psycho Les and Juju (and to a lesser extent, Kool Fashion) shine bright, at least behind the boards, although the rhymes are pleasant enough. With the exception of "Psycho Dwarf", which can be heard out of sequence at any time, the disc is actually a better listen from start to finish than most of these bloated artist debuts that feel the need to pummel you over the head with their bullshit because they signed a record deal and may never get another shot so they have to record every single idea they've ever had in their life. What was I saying? Oh yeah; this is a good EP release; more people should take this route if they're unproven as artists.

BUY OR BURN? Are you a fan of hip hop? Quote-unquote "real" hip hop, and not the aural mindfucks that are played on Clear Channel radio on an hourly basis? Then by all means, pick this shit up. It shouldn't be that hard for you to find. Dammit, put that Young Jeezy down! What did I tell you before about that album?

BEST TRACKS: The album is an EP that only really contains six songs, but they're all pretty good.

-Max

Afu-Ra - Body Of The Life Force (October 10, 2000)

Afu-Ra, born with the terribly ordinary name of Aaron Phillip, is a young New York rapper best known for his interests in martial arts, chess, and his rhyme affiliation with the Gangstarr Foundation, specifically with fellow mental staminalist Jeru the Damaja. In fact, Afu made his (I suppose you could call it) mainstream debut on Jeru's classic first album The Sun Rises In The East, and became best known as "the guy that sounds like a younger version of Jeru".

Originally signed to Gee Street records, which was also the home to seminal hip hop favorites Gravediggaz and, um, Stereo MC's ("Connected" is still a good song, for those keeping count), Afu-Ra found his home at indie graveyard Koch Records, the label where artists go when they want the artistic freedom to release whatever they want without the cumbersome desire to actually sell fucking records, so it should make sense when I tell you that Afu-Ra sold seventy billion copies of his debut, Body Of The Life Force. What do you mean, that last sentence didn't make sense?

Body Of The Life Force is known today as an underground classic, with its intelligent rhymes, mostly revolving around how much better and smarter Afu-Ra is when compared to you, and the beats, provided by DJ Premier and other beatmakers handpicked by Primo himself. In fact, Primo's fingerprints are all over this debut, and when you remember that Primo produced Jeru's first two albums from start to finish, it'll cause your heart to die just a tiny bit. Jeru the Damaja also doesn't make anything even remotely resembling a guest appearance on Body Of The Life Force, but that probably has less to do with any fallout with his protege and everything to do with his "I Hate Primo" campaign and fan club that he was hell-bent on running at the time.

Whatever.

1. INTRO [THE BODY OF THE LIFE FORCE] (FEAT ASUN THE BLACK SUN)
Spoken word rap album intros...can't trust it!

2. SOUL ASSASSINATION
A very bland DJ Muggs offering, on which he tries out his worst DJ Premier impersonation, but Afu comes out the gate as a seemingly fully-realized emcee, which is rare in this business.

3. DEFEAT
The first of five DJ Premier beats fails to impress.

4. BIG ACTS, LITTLE ACTS (FEAT GZA/GENIUS)
As a Wu-Tang stan, you can imagine that this was the first song I skipped to after ripping the plastic off. Not a bad song at all, although I prefer the DJ Premier remix to this True Master instrumental on general principle alone.

5. QUOTATIONS
Still don't like acapella interludes. Next!

6. D&D SOUNDCLASH (FEAT COCOA BROVAZ & JAHDAN)
A surprisingly great collaborative effort between the Boot Camp Clik and whatever the hell Primo's crew calls themselves. (It's not still the Gangstarr Foundation, is it?) The beat itself is good enough to make you wonder why radio doesn't play more good shit like this.

7. MIC STANCE
While this song is better than "Defeat", Primo's stabs into the higher register will hurt your ears after a brief listen.

8. CALIENTE (FEAT RASHEEDAH)
I can't imagine either Gee Street or Koch Records really looking for that hit radio single to push Body Of The Life Force, so the inclusion of this hot garbage puzzles me to this day. Afu, what the fuck?

9. ALL THAT (FEAT HANNIBAL STAX & KRUMBSNATCHA)
For a posse cut, pretty damn boring. Only Krumbsnatcha, who plays a successful rapper only in his mind's eye, comes off as if he's actively trying to earn his guest spot fee, which I'm sure was a couple of Big Macs, a dime bag, and a 24-ounce Diet Pepsi, lukewarm.

10. HEADQCUARTERZ (SKIT) (FEAT HEADQCUARTERZ)
This short interlude punctuated by the late guest rapper marks the halfway point of the listening experience.

11. SELF MASTERY
Over some incredibly subdued Primo production, Afu-Ra, sounding less low-key and more like he's about to have a narcoleptic fit, rips shit up.

12. VISIONS
An instrumental break. I just can't get enough of them, probably because these so-called "musicians" can't be bothered to showcase actual fucking music on their albums.

13. MORTAL KOMBAT (FEAT MASTA KILLA)
You can imagine that this was the second song I skipped to. I actually prefer this beat to the song featuring Gary Grice. In his own way, Masta Killa walks away with the song, mainly because he's not the most obvious Wu artist to call upon if you're in need of a guest spot. (Side note: Masta Killa also ripped shit up on his guest spot on Public Enemy's "Resurrection", off of the He Got Game soundtrack. Anyone remember that song?)

14. WARFARE (FEAT M.O.P.)
This isn't much of a beat for M.O.P. to provide their trademarked shouting over. As such, not great.

15. EQUALITY (FEAT KY-MANI MARLEY)
Meh.

16. MONOTONY
It would be that Primo's final contribution is the one that I like the most. Damn him!

17. BRING IT RIGHT
The song is pretty fucking weak. The Big L tribute, tacked on at the end, handles itself a bit better.

18. WHIRLWIND THRU CITIES
The first single, and the barometer for Jeru the Damaja fans who were expecting more of the same from his protege. This track is pleasant enough, and still holds its own today.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Body Of The Life Force is nowhere near the level of Jeru's The Sun Rises In The East; hell, it's not even close to his inferior-yet-still-banging follow-up Wrath Of The Math. It is, however, entertaining; the beats are all pretty good, unless I made it a point to point out the monotony in the above review (oddly, "Monotony" has one of the best beats here), and the guests are all bland enough as to not overshadow the main attraction. This album is damn near eight years old as of this writing, so I'm not going to lie: a lot of the final product sounds incredibly dated, and Afu's voice may grate on your nerves after a while. You should just accept this for what it is: an entertaining CD that isn't going to change your life anytime soon.

BUY OR BURN? I recommend a purchase, especially since you could probably find it for three dollars. You could do a lot worse. If given a choice, though, you should veer towards Jeru's first two discs instead. This, of course, is assuming that the choice is between Body Of The Life Force and Jeru's two albums; if you have the choice, you should definitely choose Afu-Ra and not that Young Jeezy disc you know you've had your eye on.

BEST TRACKS: ""D&D Soundclash"; "Monotony"; "Whirlwind Thru Cities"; "Mortal Kombat"

B-SIDE TO DOWNLOAD: "Trilogy of Terror", featuring Guru and Hannibal Stax. Released as the B-side of "Whirlwind Thru Cities", this non-album track (also featured on Gee Street's compilation The Year Of The Backslap, which also featured some random Rza and Tragedy Khadafi tracks) is well worth the effort it'll take you to hunt it down, which is to say, you'll find it in two seconds. Starting...........now.

-Max

Def Squad - El Nino (June 30, 1998)

The hip hop supergroup is apparently the fad that will never die, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a very rare occurrence when your weed carriers end up actually having talent, so of course you would help build up their career (while keeping yourself in the spotlight) by making multiple guest appearances on their albums. If those tracks are relatively well-received, then the group album is the next logical step.

EPMD's baggage handler Reggie Noble, who has certainly grown into his own as an artist, and Keith Murray, who first popped up on (I think) Erick Sermon's first solo album (after the breakup of EPMD), had, at this point, released critically acclaimed discs for Def Jam and Jive Records, albums that had the luxury of actually being bagged up and purchased, by actual people, for the most part. (That probably applies more for Redman than Keith, honestly.) Erick Sermon, Redman, and Keith Murray had formed the loose collective Def Squad, and made it a point to pop up on each other's albums as a show of solidarity. When their one-off single, a remake of the classic Sugarhill Gang's "Rappers' Delight", became a mainstream hit (and actually resulted, for the first time in my area, in Erick Sermon being played on the radio outside of an EPMD flashback), Def Jam worked out some deals under the table with the other labels involved and decided to release their first (and, to date, only) collaborative effort, El Nino, as part of their Survival Of The Illest promotion, which really only helped DMX move units, from what I remember.

What says Max of El Nino?

1. SHOWER (INTRO)
Generic rap album intro number 8,267,458-C. Reggie produces all of the skits while Erick Sermon does all of the songs (with the exception of one, which I'll get to below). Perhaps E-Double should have given Reggie a break, as none of these skits are funny or entertaining.

2. CHECK'N ME OUT
Now this should have been the first track. Did we really need an introductory sketch?

3. COUNTDOWN (FEAT JAMAL & PMD)
The second single from El Nino is this awesome track. Redman and Keith's respective verses rock, and PMD's seemingly uncredited hook is the exclamation point of this overly excited run-on sentence.

4. FULL COOPERATION
The first single. The video, in which the three rappers take on three different Eddie Murphy film roles, is more interesting than the song is today, but it's not bad: to be honest, to me the song lost its luster once Puff Daddy's old girl group Dream (yeah, I don't remember them either) utilized the "Full Cooperation" beat for a remix to one of their horrid songs. Oh, and the hook is lame.

5. RIDE WIT' US (FEAT TOO $HORT)
Not completely horrible. You may recall from an earlier write-up that this song filled the "Def Squad posse cut" quote on Keith Murray's third album; now do you see why I wrote that there were better songs to choose from? I bet it had something to do with the fact that Too $hort was also signed to Jive, but that's just Max and his imagination talking.

6. LAY 'EM DOWN (SKIT)
...

7. RHYMIN' WIT' BIZ (FEAT BIZ MARKIE)
James Brown's "The Payback" is sampled to death in hip hop already, and this song doesn't make a strong case for continuing its lifespan. (I'd rather hear the original at this point, thanks.) But with the inclusion of Biz Markie, this song is entertaining, to say the least, and the rappers sound like they're having a good time

8. THE GAME (FREESTYLE)

Not really impressed with this one.

9. WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT (SKIT)
While I do love The Warriors, the inclusion of all of these skits is questionable at best.

10. CAN U DIG IT?

This is the point where El Nino takes a dive into shark infested waters. Erick Sermon provides E-Double Generic Beat 86-Q, and this time, it doesn't stick.

11. YOU DO, I DO
What the fuck?! This song sounds terrible. Sadly, this is the only actual song produced by Reggie Noble. Coincidence?

12. YA'LL N----S AIN'T READY

I first heard a snippet of this song on one of those Survival of the Illest promotional discs (either the one that came with DMX's first album or Onyx's third CD, I don't remember which), and I was excited, because the beat sounded hectic, yet chilled. When I finally heard the final product, I was disappointed to learn that, after actually paying attention to the song itself, none of the three rappers is actually suited to the beat, even Reggie, although he acquits himself fairly enough. A huge disappointment, to say the least, but at least the beat still sounds good. Someone should jack this beat for their next mixtape. (You can have that idea for free.)

13. SAY WORD!

Proof positive that Erick, Keith, and Reggie were at least trying to pick the energy up and get the audience back, but rhyming to this beat doesn't really work.

14. NO GUEST LIST

Keith: "I battle with words/go to war with ideas!" The rhymes are above average, but the lame-ass chorus fucks up the whole experience.

15. BABIES FATHER COMMITTEE (SKIT)
...

16. DEF SQUAD DELITE
The novelty single, previously released on the wretched In The Beginning... compilation album (be good, and maybe I'll write that one up after all), is included here for no real reason other than to trick people into buying El Nino instead of In The Beginning... I have no clue why they changed the name of the track for the Def Squad album, though (since it was just called "Rappers' Delight" before), although I'm sure it was a legal matter. Sounds good, but then again, I repeat: novelty single.

FINAL THOUGHTS: El Nino is about half of a good album. It starts off strong (minus that dumbass intro), only gets stronger, and then falters midway through. It's mostly Erick Sermon's production choices that muddy up the El Nino waters, as the rhymes are uniformly good and consistent throughout. These three guys sound fantastic, and work well off of one another, so you just know it's a hell of a lot better than any of those supergroup albums from Cash Money or No Limit.

BUY OR BURN? Regardless of the second half, the first several tracks are good enough to warrant a purchase. And if you act now, you may also receive a plastic jewel case, in which you can easily carry your purchase.

BEST TRACKS: "Check'n Me Out"; "Countdown"; "Def Squad Delite"

-Max

Cappadonna - The Yin and The Yang (April 3, 2001)

Earlier today, I was driving from work, and one of the local stations that does a "Flashback Fridays" program focused on what they consider to be hip hop. I heard a little bit of D-Nice, Biggie ("Juicy" is standard protocol whenever your radio station decides to play "old school" hip hop in 2008, because everyone who listened to hip hop when "Juicy" was released is now considered old...insert disgusted face here), Das EFX's "Real Hip Hop" (not the Pete Rock remix...insert sad face here), a bizarre remix that I had never heard of for SWV's "You're The One" which utilized an interpolation of GangStarr's "DWYCK" (and even included a Greg Nice sample from that song in the hook, even though it didn't make sense: the sample was the "Greg N-I, Greg Greg N-I, Greg Greg N-I-C-E", which I'm sure we'll agree is actually a pretty interesting vocal sample to clear), and the last song I heard was, of all things, Snow's "Informer". I remember this song being a big hit in whatever year it was released, and I found it hilarious that the lyrics were so indecipherable that MTV eventually had to air a retooled version of its video with the lyrics on screen, in a "follow the bounding ball/karaoke" format. And damned if I have to admit that it was catchy, if not completely stupid.

Why am I telling you this? Because it's all much more interesting than the story behind Cappadonna's sophomore effort, The Yin and The Yang, which is strange in and of itself, considering Cappa somehow inadvertently released the Album of the Century here. Am I being sarcastic? Read on to find out.

Oh good, you're still with me. Before resorting to driving a gypsy cab to pay for essentials like weed, porn, and fresh air, Cappadonna was considered to be a "big deal" around Wu-Tang Clan fans. His debut on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (on "Ice Cream" and "Ice Water", which together don't mix well) was met with great enthusiasm, and his guest spots all over Ghostface's Ironman cemented his rep as someone that maybe you'll give a second look to if you walked past him on a crowded street and thought he was someone you used to know back in high school but aren't sure and even if it's not it would sure make a funny story to tell your spouse, right? Somehow, he convinced Wu-Tang mastermind/all around genius-slash-arrogant-ass The Rza to release his solo album, The Pillage, before discs from trusted Wu handymen like Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa, and the gamble worked: The Pillage sold over five hundred thousand copies, and not every one of them was picked up by his mother. So Epic, the home of Rza's imprint Razor Sharp Records (which would later go under, as Ghost would soon defect to The House That Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons Built, and Cappadonna is not sufficient enough to be the only guy signed to your label), had what is known in the music industry as a "no-brainer": a second album. This is where The Yin and The Yang comes in.

Now, the back-story around all of this bullshit is that the Wu-Tang Clan turned on Cappadonna immediately following the release of this album, since he allegedly brought in an undercover FBI informant as his manager or something, which certainly did not aid and abet the situation with the Wu B-Teamers running guns in Ohio or some shit. (Allegedly, of course: obviously, there's more to this story, but I'm tired and lazy.) It just so happens that Cappadonna, after chowing down on some Ego Flakes, thought so highly of himself that he was convinced that he could actually make a career without any help from The Rakeem. (Sure, Rza' s name appears as Executive Producer, but so did Shawn Carter's name on Method Man's 4:21...The Day After.) As such, no production from The Rza, who was probably too busy conducting a digital orchestra somewhere anyway. Ironically, The Yin and The Yang features the most diverse Wu-affiliates collaborations I've seen since The Rza's first Bobby Digital album.

And then...

1. THE GRITS (FEAT 8-OFF)
8-Off, who also produced this track, comes off okay enough for a guy that is probably only known these days for that song that pops up on the radio station while you're aimlessly driving through Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto III.

2. SUPER MODEL (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
I have the feeling that Ghost and Rae only appear on this album because they're the two jackasses that vouched for Oh Donna during the "FBI Informant" incident; this may account for why none of the other core members comes within one hundred feet of this project (although Inspectah Deck somehow sold Cappa a beat...hey, anything to keep the lights on, right?) Don't get too excited, though: Ghostface is only on the hook, but even so, this song doesn't completely suck.

3. WAR RATS
This song is the only one that Cappadonna does by himself. Apparently, this was once called "Star Wars", but the title was altered for no real reason; the last time I checked, George Lucas doesn't give a fuck about a "Cappadonna".

4. BREAD OF LIFE (FEAT KILAH PRIEST & NEONEK)
How in the hell was Killah Priest blackmailed into participating on a Cappadonna album?! The beat, provided by Neonek, sounds like the instrumental for Killarmy's "The Shootout", except with more instruments layered on top.

5. LOVE IS THE MESSAGE (FEAT RAEKWON)
I seem to recall hearing this song at least two years before this album was ever announced. Coincidentally, I've always liked it, but obviously that would be due to the Chef's involvement.

6. WE KNOW (FEAT JERMAINE DUPRI & DA BRAT)
I'm sure that even Oh Donna questions the inclusion of this fucking gawdawful horrendous shit storm of a track. In all fairness, Jermaine Dupri co-produced Jay-Z's "Fallin'", which I loved from American Gangster, so he is capable of occasionally bringing some heat to the table. That said: Cappadonna, what the fuck?

7. SHAKE DAT (FEAT JAMIE SOMMERS)
Two attempts at a "bounce" track in a row? The hell?

8. BIG BUSINESS (FEAT CRUNCH & SHYHEIM)
"I'm going all out/I love trout". I read on someone's blog recently that Cappadonna had been officially offered the tenth slot in the Wu-Tang Clan. Obviously, it can't be due to his "raw lyricism". Maybe he bakes one hell of a pecan pie?

9. REVENGE (FEAT TIMBO KING)
The most Wu-sounding song here. I'm sure that the involvement of Inspectah Deck (behind the boards) and Timbo King (from Royal Fam) help matters here.

10. ONE WAY 2 ZION (FEAT CULTURE)
Meh.

The following is an unlisted bonus track:

11. SAVE THE CHILDREN (FEAT CULTURE)
Better than the last song that features Culture, but don't kid yourself, it's not by much.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Like I said above, Album of the Century. Which is a nice euphemism for "The Yin and The Yang sucks, but doesn't suck balls". Cappadonna's lyricism had already fallen off at this point, so it will be no surprise when I tell you that his rhymes could have been spit by a classroom of fourth-graders with more effectiveness, and yet I would rather listen to this album than to any of U-God's solo work. Why is that, you ask? Well, you, the beats, for the most part, are surprisingly decent, and the guests uniformly outshine the star attraction, even Ghostface, who only raps a fucking hook, for God's sake! Here's a fun project: Someone should delete all of Cappadonna's lyrics (and the entirety of "We Know", because, well, come on), and give the newly decapitated (Ha! I didn't even mean for that to come out funny!) tracks to someone else in Theodore Unit. This might have made for a better than decent debut for Shawn Wigs, for example. And yes, I realize I'm stretching a bit.

BUY OR BURN? Do you have to ask? Burn this shit. Although you could live a long and fulfilling life without ever having heard this album, but that would be your call.

BEST TRACKS: "Super Model"; "Love Is The Message"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Cappadonna - The Pillage