In 1996, Smoothe Da Hustler unleashed his solo debut, Once Upon A Time In America, onto the hip hop masses, allegedly selling enough copies to earn a golden plaque (a fact which I still dispute, by the way). He clicked with audiences with two major hit singles, "Broken Language" and "My Brother My Ace", and the common link between the two (other than the producer, D.R. Period) was Smoothe's brother, Trigger Tha Gambler, sharing mic duties.
While out at the corner bakery looking for a coffee and a nosh, Def Jam Records signed young Trigger to an album deal. His first single, "My Crew Can't Go For That", which featured his brother (naturally) and the Nexx Level clique's hook crooner DV Alias Khrist, became a minor radio hit, and rightfully so, since it was entertaining as shit. An album was quickly lined up for release, and Trigger complied with his debut, Life's A 50/50 Gamble, which was...promptly shelved by Def Jam (even after a few singles and a video clip were shipped off) and, to date, it still hasn't seen a release.
Not that anybody's holding their breath, of course: Def Jam certainly has a history with fucking over its artists. Keep in mind, though, that this was during the era in which Shawn Carter was simply an employee and not the president of the label.
Life's A 50/50 Gamble eventually found new life online. Produced (allegedly) in its entirety by D.R. Period, the album was designed to sound like Trigger's version of his brother's solo album, except with more guest appearances: aside from the usual Smoothe and DV cameos, Life's A 50/50 Gamble also features Nexx Level weed carrier/Wu-Tang affiliate (I know, I'm just as shocked as you are) Rhyme Recka and the Def Squad's violence-prone Keith Murray, along with Def Jam stalwart Case, who was forced upon Trigger as a condition of his contract. (Apparently, according to the Interweb lore, Foxy Brown also appears on this disc, but for the life of me I couldn't find her, so I didn't list her in the credits. She probably does actually appear, since Smoothe was instrumental in the beginning of her career, but my guess is that my eyes glazed over and my mind wandered when she started rapping or talking or whatever it is that she does, and I completely missed it.)
Trigger Tha Gambler, for his part, has yet to release another album. In a move that is virtually unheard of in the hip hop world today, the artist who saw severe label issues with his first album did not, I repeat, did not release multiple mixtapes and appear on everyone else's albums until scoring a deal elsewhere. I'm actually not sure what Trigger did in the meantime: I know that he and his brother formed a short-lived rap duo that also never saw an album see the light of day, and I also read somewhere that the brothers were doing a lot of work with Ice-T, but personally, I didn't see Trigger's name pop up in a hip hop capacity again until I read the credits for Smoothe Da Hustler's second album, the title of which I've forgotten at the moment.
Read on, you two.
1. INTRO
Average rap album intro. Nothing to see here, kids.
2. HITMAN (FEAT DV ALIAS KHRIST)
Sounds like a leftover from Once Upon A Time In America, except, obviously, by a different sibling. The inclusion of DV Alias Khrist's ad libs (as opposed to only having him appear on the chorus) is a plus. This isn't bad, but then again, there isn't much to it.
3. MY CREW CAN'T GO FOR THAT (FEAT DV ALIAS KHRIST & SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
Also featured on The Nutty Professor soundtrack, this song essentially justified the existence of a solo Trigger Tha Gambler album (so to speak). I think it still sounds good today, even if it is incredibly dated (Trigger makes a reference to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure that was actually incredibly dated when the fucking song was recorded). Using "I Can't Go For That" by Hall & Oates is also relatively inspired.
4. BROKEN LANGUAGE PART 2 (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
Unlike "My Brother My Ace" from Once Upon A Time In America, this is the true sequel to the mixtape classic "Broken Language". While this is nowhere near as good as the original song (it just comes off as a retread of the first version), I respect the fact that the beat is only slightly switched up, as opposed to a complete reimagination.
5. NICKEL PLATED NINE
This isn't really saying anything new.
6. NOTHING CAN STOP ME! (FEAT RHYME RECKA & CASE)
Meh.
7. 50/50 GAMBLE (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
Almost a title track, but not really interesting to listen to. I'm starting to understand why this disc never saw the light of day, but that doesn't truly explain why some of the bullshit that actually gets released today gets to see daylight. Is this a case of a record label showing restraint? Bite your goddamn tongue!
8. SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER INTERLUDE (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
...
9. WELCOME TO THE WORLD
Pass!
10. BUST (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER & DV ALIAS KHRIST)
There's a video for this floating around somewhere. I remember watching it one day on Rap City. The hook is incredibly lame, which will make sense after I tell you that it was inspired by "Shout!" by the Isley Brothers (no, seriously, they originally released the song). Otherwise, this song is alright.
11. RUGGED
The hook is fucking terrible, but if you're able to look past that, the beat is fantastic, and Trigger's rhymes mesh well with the proceedings.
12. CAN U FEEL ME (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
This sounds like an attempt by Def Jam to get radio airplay for Trigger Tha Gambler, possibly without his direct input. Smoothe and Trigger still sound great together, but the song comes off as way too conventional, as it plays like almost any other "popular" rap song from the same era.
13. MEETCHA MAKER (FEAT KEITH MURRAY)
Keith Murray was certainly an unexpected surprise. He actually sounds good over D.R. Period's beat, so of course it would make perfect sense that he would never enlist D.R. Period's help for his own solo albums. (Not that it would have helped: I feel it's pretty obvious that Keith Murray's glory days ended with Enigma.) This isn't a bad collaboration, although, as with most rap songs, the hook sucks.
14. SCANDALOUS (FEAT DV ALIAS KHRIST & RHYME RECKA)
One of the weakest DV Alias Khrist hooks in history, but it's not enough to destroy the vibe that Trigger and Wu-Tang affiliate Rhyme Recka have on this dark track. This shit just sounds good.
15. MAKE A MOVE (FEAT DV ALIAS KHRIST)
This just comes off as a dull and uninspired way to end your album.
SHOULD YOU DIG IT UP? Life's A 50/50 Gamble sounds like a natural extension of his brother Smoothe's debut, but doesn't work quite as well, thanks to his refusal to deviate from certain subject matter and a rhyme style that is at once familiar and overworked. Basically, you feel like you already heard an album full of this shit, and you may not be in the mood for a rerun. Because of that, it makes sense why Def Jam shelved this fucker, but with that being said, there are some songs on here that are definitely worth the hunt if you're a fan of Once Upon A Time In America (but maybe not so much if you didn't care for that album). It's not an unreleased gem, and I don't feel you should go out of your way, but I don't regret listening to it, and chances are, you won't either.
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Smoothe Da Hustler - Once Upon A Time In America
While out at the corner bakery looking for a coffee and a nosh, Def Jam Records signed young Trigger to an album deal. His first single, "My Crew Can't Go For That", which featured his brother (naturally) and the Nexx Level clique's hook crooner DV Alias Khrist, became a minor radio hit, and rightfully so, since it was entertaining as shit. An album was quickly lined up for release, and Trigger complied with his debut, Life's A 50/50 Gamble, which was...promptly shelved by Def Jam (even after a few singles and a video clip were shipped off) and, to date, it still hasn't seen a release.
Not that anybody's holding their breath, of course: Def Jam certainly has a history with fucking over its artists. Keep in mind, though, that this was during the era in which Shawn Carter was simply an employee and not the president of the label.
Life's A 50/50 Gamble eventually found new life online. Produced (allegedly) in its entirety by D.R. Period, the album was designed to sound like Trigger's version of his brother's solo album, except with more guest appearances: aside from the usual Smoothe and DV cameos, Life's A 50/50 Gamble also features Nexx Level weed carrier/Wu-Tang affiliate (I know, I'm just as shocked as you are) Rhyme Recka and the Def Squad's violence-prone Keith Murray, along with Def Jam stalwart Case, who was forced upon Trigger as a condition of his contract. (Apparently, according to the Interweb lore, Foxy Brown also appears on this disc, but for the life of me I couldn't find her, so I didn't list her in the credits. She probably does actually appear, since Smoothe was instrumental in the beginning of her career, but my guess is that my eyes glazed over and my mind wandered when she started rapping or talking or whatever it is that she does, and I completely missed it.)
Trigger Tha Gambler, for his part, has yet to release another album. In a move that is virtually unheard of in the hip hop world today, the artist who saw severe label issues with his first album did not, I repeat, did not release multiple mixtapes and appear on everyone else's albums until scoring a deal elsewhere. I'm actually not sure what Trigger did in the meantime: I know that he and his brother formed a short-lived rap duo that also never saw an album see the light of day, and I also read somewhere that the brothers were doing a lot of work with Ice-T, but personally, I didn't see Trigger's name pop up in a hip hop capacity again until I read the credits for Smoothe Da Hustler's second album, the title of which I've forgotten at the moment.
Read on, you two.
1. INTRO
Average rap album intro. Nothing to see here, kids.
2. HITMAN (FEAT DV ALIAS KHRIST)
Sounds like a leftover from Once Upon A Time In America, except, obviously, by a different sibling. The inclusion of DV Alias Khrist's ad libs (as opposed to only having him appear on the chorus) is a plus. This isn't bad, but then again, there isn't much to it.
3. MY CREW CAN'T GO FOR THAT (FEAT DV ALIAS KHRIST & SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
Also featured on The Nutty Professor soundtrack, this song essentially justified the existence of a solo Trigger Tha Gambler album (so to speak). I think it still sounds good today, even if it is incredibly dated (Trigger makes a reference to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure that was actually incredibly dated when the fucking song was recorded). Using "I Can't Go For That" by Hall & Oates is also relatively inspired.
4. BROKEN LANGUAGE PART 2 (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
Unlike "My Brother My Ace" from Once Upon A Time In America, this is the true sequel to the mixtape classic "Broken Language". While this is nowhere near as good as the original song (it just comes off as a retread of the first version), I respect the fact that the beat is only slightly switched up, as opposed to a complete reimagination.
5. NICKEL PLATED NINE
This isn't really saying anything new.
6. NOTHING CAN STOP ME! (FEAT RHYME RECKA & CASE)
Meh.
7. 50/50 GAMBLE (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
Almost a title track, but not really interesting to listen to. I'm starting to understand why this disc never saw the light of day, but that doesn't truly explain why some of the bullshit that actually gets released today gets to see daylight. Is this a case of a record label showing restraint? Bite your goddamn tongue!
8. SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER INTERLUDE (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
...
9. WELCOME TO THE WORLD
Pass!
10. BUST (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER & DV ALIAS KHRIST)
There's a video for this floating around somewhere. I remember watching it one day on Rap City. The hook is incredibly lame, which will make sense after I tell you that it was inspired by "Shout!" by the Isley Brothers (no, seriously, they originally released the song). Otherwise, this song is alright.
11. RUGGED
The hook is fucking terrible, but if you're able to look past that, the beat is fantastic, and Trigger's rhymes mesh well with the proceedings.
12. CAN U FEEL ME (FEAT SMOOTHE DA HUSTLER)
This sounds like an attempt by Def Jam to get radio airplay for Trigger Tha Gambler, possibly without his direct input. Smoothe and Trigger still sound great together, but the song comes off as way too conventional, as it plays like almost any other "popular" rap song from the same era.
13. MEETCHA MAKER (FEAT KEITH MURRAY)
Keith Murray was certainly an unexpected surprise. He actually sounds good over D.R. Period's beat, so of course it would make perfect sense that he would never enlist D.R. Period's help for his own solo albums. (Not that it would have helped: I feel it's pretty obvious that Keith Murray's glory days ended with Enigma.) This isn't a bad collaboration, although, as with most rap songs, the hook sucks.
14. SCANDALOUS (FEAT DV ALIAS KHRIST & RHYME RECKA)
One of the weakest DV Alias Khrist hooks in history, but it's not enough to destroy the vibe that Trigger and Wu-Tang affiliate Rhyme Recka have on this dark track. This shit just sounds good.
15. MAKE A MOVE (FEAT DV ALIAS KHRIST)
This just comes off as a dull and uninspired way to end your album.
SHOULD YOU DIG IT UP? Life's A 50/50 Gamble sounds like a natural extension of his brother Smoothe's debut, but doesn't work quite as well, thanks to his refusal to deviate from certain subject matter and a rhyme style that is at once familiar and overworked. Basically, you feel like you already heard an album full of this shit, and you may not be in the mood for a rerun. Because of that, it makes sense why Def Jam shelved this fucker, but with that being said, there are some songs on here that are definitely worth the hunt if you're a fan of Once Upon A Time In America (but maybe not so much if you didn't care for that album). It's not an unreleased gem, and I don't feel you should go out of your way, but I don't regret listening to it, and chances are, you won't either.
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Smoothe Da Hustler - Once Upon A Time In America
Trigger and Smoothe da Hustler formed SMG with Ice-T and released an album called Repossessions.
ReplyDeletethis whole write up: meh.
ReplyDeleteJust like the album, any comments on this album should remain shelved.
Trigger The Gambler...this is some vintage shit. Much respect to you and your website. Keep it up
ReplyDeleteagain, realize i'm a little late but they actually released an album altogether under the name Nexx Level Click.. there was a single for Past the Basic and everything... nexx level is also notable for being the first crew papoose was down with.. but i'm not sure people even care about him any more do they? anywho, the album is worth checking out if you're a fan of their broken language style rapping.
ReplyDeletewhat?? "there are some song worth the hunt" dude, i was able to obtain a use copy of this and all the songs here are great, not some, all are great
ReplyDeleteterrible review, smoothe managed to make a great debut with his album, so did trigger
ReplyDelete^ Agreed, this is an awful review (as with most on this site). This album is raw, energetic, and lyrically on point. Great piece of work that deserves to be picked up.
ReplyDeletefuck you! that album is sick
ReplyDeleteThis album is a classic, you stupid shithead!!
ReplyDelete