Tim Dog - Do Or Die (December 28, 1993)

Considering that Tim Dog (not his real name) recorded his debut album, Penicillin On Wax, as a response to all of the support and attention the West Coast was receiving at the time, it makes sense that most folks would consider the guy a one-trick pony in hip hop (especially since Tim spent most of the album instigating a mostly one-sided battle with DJ Quik and most of the members of N.W.A.: if I can recall correctly, only Snoop Doggy Dogg bothered to respond, and he was promptly backhanded with Tim's "Bitch With A Perm", a diss track that nobody gave a damn about). In an attempt to move past the negativity of his first album (regardless of how hilarious and entertaining it was), Tim Dog (not his real name) released a sophomore effort, Do Or Die, in 1993.

Production-wise, Tim opts to travel down the same path as he did the first time around, although he takes the reigns by himself for the most part, with only a handful of assists from his brethren in the Ultramagnetic MC's and a few others. He even manages to snag a couple of guest spots from name-brand rappers that aren't named Kool Keith (although he pops up on here, too). However, Do Or Die failed to turn heads, much less a profit, and for the most part, the disc contributed to the downfall of Tim Dog (not his real name), who has only appeared sporadically since, with the exception of the duet album he did with Keith Thornton as the duo Ultra, Big Time.

...

1. I DON'T GIVE A FUCK
Apparently, I don't either, since I can't remember anything about this track. This doesn't bode well.

2. GRAB YOUR GAT (FEAT PREACHER EARL)
Whatever energy and anger Tim utilized during the Penicillin On Wax sessions seems to have been pushed aside for random empty threats, rhymes that correlate with a third-grade reading level, and some fucking awful musical work (which is depressing, since the track was produced with the help of two members of the Ultramagnetic MC's and DJ Tony Touch, of all people). This Preacher Earl guy is also pretty goddamn annoying.

3. I GET WRECKED (FEAR KRS-ONE)
The back cover of the album reads that Doe Or Die was "wrecked" by Tim Dog (oh, how true that is, but I'll discuss that later). Of course, that's supposed to mean that the disc was "produced" by Tim: since the song titles also appear on the back cover, I take that to mean that this song, in its literal translation, means "I Get Produced". I realize that a lot of my two readers may hold guest star KRS-One in a higher regard than even Rakim Allah, and that's fine, but in the context of this song: what the fuck is this shit?

4. TIMBERLANDS
The hook on this track is hilarious. It's not Anchorman hilarious, though: I'm talking unintentional.

5. IF I WAS A COP
There's more going on musically on this track than you would expect, and the song is much better for it. Timothy's attempt at a social commentary (especially when he claims, that, had he been a cop, he would ignore the Mafia and turn on politicians) is a bit misguided, though. Now if he had said that he would turn on the RIAA, though...

6. HARDCORE
Not great by any means, but this isn't bad. Tim Dog (not his real name) manages to create a beat that creeps along effectively, and Timmy sounds almost decent as a rapper. Sure, he fails miserably at expressing his hatred toward "pop" rap, but at least he gives it a halfway decent effort.

7. GAME (FEAT KOOL CHUCK)
Meh.

8. SKIP TO MY LOOT (FEAT SMOOTH B)
The jury's still out as to whether Tim Dog is a better rapper than those rat bastards that come out of the South's woodwork every motherfucking day. (I would have to say that, right now, it's a dead heat.) Even with a moderately listenable Smooth B (from Nice & Smooth) on here, though, this song is an aural mess.

9. SILLY BITCH (FEAT KOOL KEITH)
This song starts off okay, with a halfway decent beat and some funny lines from Timothy, but before long his verse turns unnecessarily violent against the "silly bitch" in question, and his other verse is simply awful. Kool Keith also gets clowned pretty heavily during the intermission: I'm actually surprised that he signed off on his appearance on the final cut of this track.

10. MADDOG
The instrumental gives me a distinct Digable Planets/Black Sheep feel, so the fact that this song sucks so goddamn much is just a tad bit disappointing. Oh well.

11. MAKE ROOM
Okay, Tim Dog (not his real name) has obviously made songs before, so why does he sound like an inexperienced rookie over this admittedly entertaining instrumental? It's actually quite embarrassing. Thankfully, Tha Alkaholiks would put this title to much better use.

12. BREAKIN' NORTH
Although the title is clearly a throwback to the Ultramagnetic MC's song "Break North", this is a glorified outro, albeit a long one: Timmy seems to thank every single rapper in existence that isn't DJ Quik or any member of N.W.A. that isn't Ice Cube. (Well, actually, he does thank DJ Quik, but for a terrible reason.) 2Pac also allegedly helped protect Tim "Fuck Compton" Dog when he was touring out on the West, so he gets his props on here as well. Funny, I don't remember hearing Tm thank anybody in the Ultramagnetic MC's. Maybe I just missed it?

FINAL THOUGHTS: Do Or Die is missing the key ingredient that made me recommend purchasing Penicillin On Wax: namely, it's not fun to listen to. Tim Dog's debut was entertaining as shit, whereas Do Or Die is akin to taking out the trash and cleaning a toilet with a toothbrush. Your toothbrush. Most of his beats are dull, and he sounds like he;s forcing the issue lyrically (literally: most of his rhymes sound as if they were spit through clenched teeth). After hearing this, it makes complete sense that his career would hit a brick wall.

BUY OR BURN? You can burn this if you must, but don't do it on my account. There are late night infomercials that feature products that give you more bang for your buck.

BEST TRACKS: "If I Were A Cop"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Tim Dog - Penicillin On Wax