Reader Review: Various Artists - Too Gangsta For Radio (September 26, 2000)

(Sticking with the still-fascinating story of Death Row Records for at least one more post, today's Reader Review comes from Diggin' In The Crates' Sir Bonkers, who followed up his article on the compilation Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 with his thoughts on its spiritual sequel, Too Gangsta For Radio, which I then apparently held on to for several years. Oops! Leave your thoughts for Sir Bonkers below.)

Various Artists - Soundbombing III (June 4, 2002)

Rawkus Records released Soundbombing III, the third (and as of now, final) installment in the series, in 2002. That year was one of great change for our chosen genre, and even though they were seen as an underground label (or “the” underground label, depending on where you stand), Rawkus wasn't immune to the necessity of having a cash flow in order to keep their company afloat. As such, Soundbombing III marked a transition from aiming squarely for the backpackers to trying to appeal to all audiences, a paradigm shift that didn't sit well with most hip hop heads, and which eventually led to the implosion of the label. But that's getting too far ahead of myself.

Something Different: Various Artists - Christmas On Death Row (December 5, 1996)

Released a little more than a month after the first posthumous album from 2Pac, the Makaveli-credited The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (and a little less than a month after the second Snoop Doggy Dogg album, Tha Doggfather), Christmas On Death Row remains a curiosity that will probably never be fully explained.  It was released to very little fanfare and even less promotion during the holiday season in 1996, and rabid hip hop fans who were hoping that the project's very title was meant to be ironic were disappointed to discover that, save for a handful of tracks, Christmas On Death Row was, actually, a Christmas album, filled with covers of standards performed by the various R&B acts who populated the label but nobody ever gave a fuck about because Snoop and Dr. Dre and Pac and Tha Dogg Pound, duh.

Wu Music Group Presents - Pollen: The Swarm Part Three (June 21, 2010)

In 2010, the Wu Music Group, yet another offshoot label inspired by the success of the Wu-Tang Clan (success that wasn't anywhere near its peak in 2010) decided to stir up some interest in their fledgling label by releasing a label sampler comprised of artists from within their stable ("Wu-affiliates", or "Killa Beez", as it were).  

Killa Beez - The Sting (March 12, 2002)

After the moderate success of The Swarm Volume 1 among Wu stans who would have purchased a box of dogshit if the Wu-Tang symbol was affixed to the lid (and back in the late 1990s, I would have counted myself as one of that number), The RZA made the obvious business decision to craft a follow-up.  It took him four years, due to the his busy schedule, a label switch, and too many honey-dipped blunts, but in 2002, he successfully convinced me to purchase The Sting from my local Best Buy.

RZA Presents Wu-Tang Killa Bees - The Swarm Volume 1 (July 21, 1998)

I wasn't really surprised when you two guessed that I would be writing about The Swarm Volume 1, the the first label sampler Wu-Tang affiliate compilation curated by The RZA in 1998, so soon after I revealed the stunt week; this is a project that has received multiple requests throughout the past five years.  I figured the best way to tackle seven days' worth of Wu reviews would be by attempting to cover as many of the affiliate groups as I possibly can without wanting to slit my wrists with a broken disc.

My Gut Reaction: Kanye West Presents G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer (September 18, 2012)

Earlier this year, Kanye West took a break from his Paris fashion shows and midnight Twitter rants to announce a group effort from the acts signed to his G.O.O.D. Music collective, a crew that he had been steadily making additions to for the past few years and now boasts the likes of Pusha T, Big Sean, Mos Def, Common, KiD CuDi, John Legend, Malik Yusef, and many others.  The Interweb quickly deemed it to be the first great release of 2012, regardless of the fact that Kanye had merely mentioned the project as an aside and had yet to even name it, let alone decide who or what was going to appear on it.

Various Artists - Soundbombing II (May 18, 1999)

I occasionally dig through the archives of HHID, both to track my progress and to find inspiration for new posts, as I am actively trying to not write about every single Wu-Tang Clan z-teamer out there (you two may believe otherwise, but check out the past write-ups: I've barely scratched the surface when it comes to the Clan, so I'm sure we can all agree that it could be a lot worse, so stop your goddamn bitching). That's how my review of the first Soundbombing project, a label sampler-slash-mixtape commissioned by the late Rawkus Records, caught my eye: I wrote about it way back in 2007, and then somehow flaked on getting to the next volume in the series. That oversight will get corrected...now.

The first Soundbombing album was essentially a collection of most of the twelve-inch singles that Rawkus Records had released up to that point, compiled together for ease of use. The artists involved were all essentially underground hip hop royalty: some of them, such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and R.A. The Rugged Man, continue to enjoy critical acclaim today, while others, such as the now-defunct Company Flow, live on in the memories of older hip hop heads. Even as a label sampler, though, Soundbombing managed to sell enough units to warrant a second installment.

Soundbombing II was released in 1999, but this time around, it was no mere sampler, nor was it a compilation of Rawkus singles: the label commissioned all-new music for the project, both from its own roster (all of the names I listed above make return appearances) and from the outside world (not only are there cameos from some of the biggest names in hip hop production, even motherfucking Marshall Mathers takes a turn behind the mic, a coup that was only possible because it happened right around the time his major label debut, The Slim Shady LP, hit stores), all in an attempt to introduce its underground acts to a more mainstream audience. It was hosted and mixed by J-Rocc and DJ Babu (of the Beat Junkies) into a proper mixtape, with all of the scratches, interludes, and overlong instrumental intros/outros that come with that distinction.

Soundbombing II helped further the careers of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, but it also helped promote some of the newer members of the Rawkus family, such as Pharoahe Monch (late of Organized Konfusion), the artist formerly known as Mad Skillz, and The High & Mighty. As a way of padding the sales figures, it also includes guest spots from artists not really affiliated with the label, such as Common, Prince Paul, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Marley Marl, and many others, but the label made sure that its own roster monopolized the spotlight, with both Mos Def and Kweli making multiple appearances. As a result, this project managed to sell a bit better than its predecessor, well enough to warrant a third installment, which, going by my personal schedule, I should get to in approximately four fucking years.

Anyway.

1. INTRO

A wide assortment of artists (including the late deejay Roc Raida) help introduce both Soundbombing II and DJ Babu and J-Rocc, also known as the Bumrush Brothers. It's a mixtape: what else did you want?

2. ANY MAN INTRO

Kind of acts as the tall guy who sits directly in front of you at the movie theater, preventing you from seeing the screen.

3. ANY MAN (EMINEM)

Rawkus front-loads their project by placing Marshall Mathers in the first slot. At the time, he was slowly gaining momentum from The Slim Shady LP and his music videos on MTV, but he was still considered an underground artist, as evidenced by his need to collaborate with the likes of DJ Spinna, Royce da 5'9”, and Thirstin Howl III. So his appearance on Soundbombing II only doesn't make much sense today, now that he has given up all semblance of hope and become a full-fledged pop star. Which is why the Em that rhymes on “Any Man” doesn't really sound like the guy who wrote “Love The Way You Lie” at all. Marshall riddles this Beatminerz confection (now there's a partnership worth revisiting) with punchlines, most of which will make you long for the Slim Shady of olde. I still love his last two bars: you should give this song a spin so that you'll know what I'm talking about.

4. B-BOY DOCUMENT '99 (THE HIGH & MIGHTY FEAT. MOS DEF & SKILLZ)

The Rawkus marketing team strikes again, giving the second song slot to a track featuring the label's biggest star, Mos Def, who proclaims that he is independent by conveniently spelling the word “independent”. Aside from that bit of ridiculousness, Dante sounds great, as does (Mad) Skillz, over this pulsating DJ Mighty Mi instrumental. The High & Mighty's Mr. Eon, who sounds like Busta Rhymes on Ambien, also scores points for tossing in a reference to Godzooky) and for generally not sounding awful when paired up with the likes of Mos Def and Skillz. Good times all around. I believe a video for this song was also commissioned.

5. WWIII INTRO

Mainly exists as a way to transition from “B-Boy Document '99” to “WWIII”. That is all.

6. WWIII (SHABAAM SAHDEEQ & PHAROAHE MONCH)

Pharoahe Monch and Shabaam Sahdeeq trade verses over a pounding Lee Stone instrumental that doesn't sound anything like World War III should: it comes across more as the theme music for an as-yet-unproduced sequel to Boiler Room. However, both guys deliver performances that are interesting enough, and neither one gets lost in the beat, which is a feat in and of itself, so while the track isn't great by any means, I'm willing to let it slide.

7. STANLEY KUBRICK (R.A. THE RUGGED MAN)

Capital the Crimelord's beat sounds almost exactly like what The Alchemist gave Royce da 5'9” on “I'm The King”, but don't hold that against R.A. The Rugged Man, who fits the dark instrumental like a bloody glove. True, his two verses don't really showcase the man's actual writing talent: he comes across as sounding like every other rapper in existence on “Stanley Kubrick”. But R.A.'s voice is gruff and compelling enough to keep you listening regardless, even when he sends a curious shout-out to the Infamous Mobb and commands listeners to “ride with us” during the crappy chorus. Everything else about this song was still nice, though.

8. A MESSAGE FROM J-LIVE & PRINCE PAUL (FEAT. J-LIVE & PRINCE PAUL)

I understand why these two were asked to appear on Soundbombing II, but I would have preferred Prince Paul contributing an actual skit instead.

9. CROSSTOWN BEEF INTRO

Plays exactly as it reads.

10. CROSSTOWN BEEF (MEDINA GREEN)

I remember having the CD single for “Crosstown Beef” (and its b-side, “Fla-La-Lashe”) in my collection at one point, but I think it lost the battle of Max vs. Hunger back in my leaner days. Mos Def joins up with DCQ, Jah-Born, Lord Ato, and Magnetic to form Medina Green and spit slice-of-life tales that are a tad but more violent than Dante usually associates himself with. I used to really like this track back in 1999, but I'm sad to report that it doesn't hold up well at all. DCQ and Kash Rule (Magnetic's other moniker) sound like amateurs riding on the coattails of The Mighty Mos, who sounds pretty bored himself, and De La Soul's Posdnuos provides a beat that I swear was interesting to me at one point, but not as much today. Oh, how things change.

11. 7XL INTRO (FEAT. PETE ROCK & MARLEY MARL)

I love that Rawkus somehow convinced Marley Marl and Pete Rock to appear on the intro to a song that neither man had anything to do with.

12. 7XL (SIR MENELIK FEAT. SADAT X & GRAND PUBA)

A former apprentice of Kool Keith, Sir Menelik (also known as Scaramanga Shallah and Cyclops 4000, in keeping with his former friend's tendency to switch identities at the drop of a hat) collaborates with Brand Nubian's Grand Puba and Sadat X, the two biggest artists this guy will ever work with, and even though his verse nearly collapses underneath the weight of all the words he crams into it, he manages to sound pretty good. Puba sounds pretty grand as well, but Sadat is simply coasting: luckily, DJ Spinna's entertaining instrumental helps move things along fairly graciously.

13. CHAOS (REFLECTION ETERNAL FEAT. BAHAMADIA)

Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and producer-slash-occasional rapper Hi-Tek) team up with Philadelphia underground stalwart Bahamadia for a track that doesn't sound very memorable. It probably didn't help that Hi-Tek produced a beat that is about as monotone as Bahamadia's own voice. Not that I hate her voice or anything: with better marketing, she could be positioned as a female Guru (R.I.P.). But the song as a whole is relatively boring, which makes the title more ironic than most.

14. SOUNDBOMBING (DILATED PEOPLES FEAT. TASH)

Evidence's instrumental continues the deliberately slow pace Hi-Tek introduced on “Chaos”, and both he and Rakaa-Iriscience seem to spit their verses in an even slower cadence than usual, which turns the mere act of listening to a song into a fucking chore. Even Tash (of Tha Alkaholiks), who I normally love, sounds restrained on here, and I was hoping that he would have been enough to turn the tide. Sigh.

15. BROOKLYN HARD ROCK (THIRSTIN HOWL III)

Thirstin Howl III, who swiped his rap name from the rich old man on Gilligan's Island, kicks a one-verse wonder that is both somewhat entertaining and proves beyond the shadow of a doubt why he isn't more popular. Which is too bad: his tendency to shout his lines to get the full effect could lend itself handily to a cameo on an M.O.P. song. The chorus is straight-up ass, but by the time it begins, you will have skipped ahead to “Mayor” anyway.

16. MAYOR (PHAROAHE MONCH)

Pharoahe Monch returns for a solo song, on which he takes a fantastical roller coaster ride within the mind of a guy who just murdered the mayor of his city. (Although the mayor is never actually named, it's a safe bet that it was intended to be Rudy Giuliani, as most rappers couldn't stand that motherfucker.) Monch's attention to detail is crucial for a song like this to work, and on that end, he succeeds (and even manages to drop a quick reference to Ellen DeGeneres, which was unexpected). The hook is all sorts of awful: I think my ears started to bleed. A lot. So much so that I think I may be dead right now. But that's my only complaint.

17. PATRIOTISM INTRO

Man, there sure are a lot of song intros on Soundbombing II, right?

18. PATRIOTISM (COMPANY FLOW)

“Patriotism” is credited to Company Flow, but it's really just the El-P show (with scratching provided by Mr. Len). El-Producto gets his political activism on, illustrating the contradictions that make up the United States of America the best way he knows how: by yelling about them. El-P is truly an acquired taste, and if you're not already on his side by now, “Patriotism” won't change your mind, but for those of you two who like it when artists actually pay attention to the world around them, this might be your bag.

19. 1-9-9-9 INTRO (FEAT. Q-TIP)

Sure would have preferred a Q-Tip guest verse instead of a brief message, but whatever.

20. 1-9-9-9 (COMMON FEAT. SADAT X)

Hi-Tek laces the beat (and his Reflection Eternal partner Talib Kweli provides an intro) to the first single from Soundbombing II. Common takes the reigns and handles two verses without really saying much (although it's very easy to find parallels to his most important contribution to our chosen genre, “I Used To Love H.E.R.”, if you look hard enough), relenting only toward the halfway point for Sadat X, who was gunning for the award for Most Prolific Guest Star On Soundbombing II, who sounds okay. I wasn't a huge fan of this track back in 1999, but today I can at least appreciate Hi-Tek's pleasant tone.

21. WHEN IT POURS IT RAINS (DIAMOND D)

D.I.T.C.'s Diamond D, the self-professed “best producer on the mic”, supplies his own beat, as he is wont to do, for a quick one-and-a-half verse wonder layered over some haunting piano keys and not much else. Lyrically, he isn't discovering new territory or anything, but this song sounded pretty good, even though it didn't really fit in with the rest of Soundbombing II. But still.

22. A MESSAGE FROM MOS DEF & THE BEAT JUNKIES (FEAT. MOS DEF)

Mos kicks a brief lazy freestyle, and the Beat Junkies...well, they were present. That's all I got.

23. NEXT UNIVERSE (MOS DEF)

Dante snatches the crown from Sadat X, eschewing all other rappers in favor of riding for dolo over this Hi-Tek instrumental that sounds as charming as the better tracks from Black On Both Sides. At least Pretty Flaco still sounds excited about the concept that he can actually rap for a living and not have to apply for a real job, something he completely forgot when he recorded True Magic in the span of seventy consecutive minutes.

24. EVERY RHYME I WRITE INTRO

At least this is the last intro of this type on here. And I suppose I should be thankful that the Beat Junkies were nice enough to separate the “intros” from the actual songs. But that's where it stops.

25. EVERY RHYME I WRITE (SHABAAM SAHDEEQ & COCOA BROVAZ)

The Cocoa Brovaz (better known as Smif-N-Wessun) were once signed to Rawkus Records, even managing to record an album that never saw the light of day. So this collaboration is more about label synergy than it is about any actual respect running between the artists and the label involved. That being said, this Nick Wiz-handled affair isn't bad, even though Steele's third verse sounds as though he spent too much time listening to his own “Black Trump” (from the 1998 album The Rude Awakening) before entering the booth. Eddie Griffin makes a cameo at the very end for no real reason: I'm still hoping he doesn't appear on Detox.

26. ON MISSION (REFLECTION ETERNAL)

Not really sure why Rawkus was okay with inserting this boring-ass song as the last one on Soundbombing II. Kweli's performance leaves a lot to be desired: he was still at that point in his career where his flow was still developing its boundaries. Still, I guess this could have been a lot worse, as he does at least try to “think before he spit[s]”.

27. OUTRO

This outro runs for about a minute, fades out, and then returns with a vengeance, allowing both Babu and J-Rocc to spit some goofy bars while stoned as fuck (if all of the coughing is to be believed). At least they're having fun: I stopped doing the same several songs ago. Also, this outro becomes strangely racist at the end. Huh?

FINAL THOUGHTS: Soundbombing II starts off strong, but it quickly devolves into a low-quality Rawkus Records label sampler, albeit one with a high-class pedigree. Some of the Rawkus artists featured deserve the longevity they've received in our chosen genre: others should run back to their day jobs before their supervisors realize that nobody's manning the fryer. Soundbombing II is too long, like most mixtapes, and the songs tend to wear out their welcome before a single word is spoken, thanks to the Beat Junkies's horrible idea of including intros to most of the artist offerings. A no-deejay version of Soundbombing II may sound more entertaining, but since we're stuck with what we have, this project is about twenty-five percent banging, Yeah, I said it.

BUY OR BURN? Burn it. Better yet, look for the tracks listed below and let the rest of the project be. Most followers of underground rap will be familiar with the artists on Soundbombing II's plate, and they'll already know that there are much better examples of their work to be found elsewhere. But if you already own this, you may as well hold onto it.

BEST TRACKS: “Any Man”; “Stanley Kubrick”; “B-Boy Document '99”; “Mayor”; “Next Universe”

-Max

RELATED POSTS:

Soundbombing

Reader Review: Various Artists - Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 (April 27, 1999)

(For today's Reader Review, Sir Bonkers, who last contributed a review on a Benzino album, continues down the path of masochism by tackling Suge Knight's attempt to siphon sales from his former partner Dr. Dre's 2001. Like most people, I had almost completely forgotten that Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 even existed. So go grab a snack (this is a pretty long write-up), and leave some comments for Sir Bonkers below.)

In 1999, Dr. Dre, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, the Lady of Rage & Nate Dogg had all left Death Row Records behind. 2Pac, the label's biggest star (both then and, arguably, now), was dead, and the head honcho, Marion “Suge” Knight, was serving a prison sentence. The only guy from the original roster still holding it down for Tha Row at this point was Daz Dillinger, one-half of Tha Dogg Pound, who had released Revenge, Retaliation & Get Back the previous year to an indifferent audience. (He would soon leave the label as well.)

Even while behind bars, Marion, the caged Sugar bear, was planning on relaunching his label for the new millennium with an all new team of artists, mainly because he liked to make money and he had alienated every single member of his original line-up. However, he hadn't completely let the past go, or maybe he wasn't entirely confident in the idea of having completely new artists around him, because the people he ended up signing, with names such as Tha Realest, Top Dogg, VK, Swoop G, and Mac Shawn, sounded suspiciously like the people who left Death Row Records high and dry (with a few dirty South rappers, who were popular at the time, thrown in for good measure).

Suge had the idea of releasing a compilation album-slash-label sampler as a way of introducing all of these sure-to-be-household-names to the masses. Also, he wanted to fuck over Dr. Dre yet again, because he was really really mad at him for leaving. As such, there was quite a battle over the name of this project. Dre, who was planning a comeback of his own, had originally released The Chronic on Death Row back in 1992, and by 1996 he had started his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, where he planned on releasing his sequel, The Chronic 2000. However, Suge sued him for the name, a lawsuit that he apparently won, since Dre ended up changing his project to 2001 instead (although there are references to the album's original title in some of the lyrics) and Death Row released Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 (with the subtitle Still Smokin', which I won't include throughout this write-up because the Interweb doesn't seem to believe that is part of the official title) nearly seven months prior, in an effort to confuse consumers, who are all really fucking stupid (at least according to music industry executives).

Which is how this two-disc project was born. Had it been named absolutely anything else, this would be seen as just a label sampler, but by christening it the sequel to perhaps the most influential hip hop album of all time (production-wise, anyway), Suge Knight created impossibly massive expectations (for himself?). Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 (why was he “representing” as opposed to “presenting”? Did he do it once before and decide it was so much fun that he needed to re-present it?) was critically panned, but it sold well enough possibly to some of those really fucking stupid consumers and/or people who actually sided with Suge in the battle for Death Row Records: it earned a platinum plaque in its first week (although since it was a double-disc set, that means Suge only sold half-a-million copies). Critical derision doesn't mean anything to me, though, and neither does high sales figures, so here's what I think of it.

DISC ONE:

1. CHRONIC 2000 (VK & TREACH)

Apparently Suge produced this beat himself, under the name “Big Simon” (which is what Kurupt used to call him for some inexplicable reason). It isn't too bad; it features an interesting guitar riff, at least. VK is a Lady of Rage wannabe who, while not sounding very good, doesn’t fuck this song up (although she does make me want to listen to the actual Rage again very soon), and Treach (of Naughty By Nature fame – what the fuck was he doing here?) completely rips shit up. This was decent.

2. GOTTA LOVE GANGSTA'S (THA REALEST FEAT. SCARFACE & RICHIE RICH)

It doesn’t bode well for the rest of the album when the first two songs feature three artists not signed to Death Row Records. Also, goddamn this Tha Realest guy sounds like 2Pac: they must have shared a larynx at birth. Anyway, the beat is inoffensive and so are the guests (although I had expected better from Scarface). The hook is awfully boring and nonsensical, as well. But Tha Realest’s shockingly 2pac-iness distracts the listener from all of this. Which doth not a good song make…

3. TOP DOGG CINDERFELLA (TOP DOGG)

This one’s kind of interesting. Snoop Dogg-soundalike Top Dogg performs pretty much the exact same song Snoop did on his No Limit Top Dogg album of the same year. (Snoop’s version was called “Snoopafella”.) This is by far the inferior version, since Top Dogg, unlike Tha Realest, doesn’t sound enough like Snoop to fool unsuspecting listeners into believing he’s the real thing, but still sounds enough like Tha Doggfather to be perceived as a biter. Also, he lacks Snoop’s charisma. I don’t even care which version is the original: listen to Snoop’s version instead. (Or possibly Dana Dane's original. Just sayin'.)

4. WHO DO YOU BELIEVE IN? (2PAC FEAT. KADAFI) (chk)

After listening to this and checking the credits, I’m still not one hundred percent sure whether this is Pac or Tha Realest (and whether they really are two different people), thanks mostly to Suge’s typical shady business practices. The hook, which is just as shitty and repetitive as “Gotta Love Gangsta’s”, doesn’t help, either. I’m also not enough of a Tupac Shakur fanatic to care, since this song is shit. If this really is 2pac’s song, then it was only inserted onto Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 to juice some of his fans. (I don't think that last sentence included an intentional pun, but it was funny to me all the same.)

5. I THOUGHT YOU KNEW (MAC SHAWN FEAT. E-40 & DAZ DILLINGER)

Newbie Mac Shawn sounds like a Mystikal clone, which is probably saying too much. Even though the other two featured artists couldn’t have done much to salvage this track, they’re also clearly not even trying. Also, the beat sounds like a cheap Mannie Fresh imitation. Why, Daz, why?!?!

6. CURIOSITY (VK)

Although the beginning of the song promises an uninteresting “gangsta bitch”/ Lil’ Kim/ Foxy Brown-type of track, it actually become somewhat touching, when female rapper VK talks to her father about finding out about her being conceived when he raped her mother at the age of thirteen and never seeing him again, but that's probably included more for shock value than anything else. I also liked the beat. The only downside to “Curiosity” is that I found VK’s voice annoying, but if you can get past that, then you have the best song of its kind since 2Pac’s “Papa’z Song”. I also dug the synth-solo at the end.

7. IT'S GOIN' DOWN (MAC SHAWN FEAT. DAZ DILLINGR & THA REALEST)

Mac Shawn sounds a bit more tolerable on here, but that’s probably due to Daz Dillinger’s instrumental, which, unlike “I Thought You Knew”, actually sounds like Daz had a hand in making it. Tha Realest’s Pac aping grows tiresome, but that tends to happen when gimmicky rappers receive too much exposure on an album. (I like the fact that this song's title can be seen as a direct sequel to “I Thought You Knew”. Also, has anybody ever asked Daz what it was like to contribute to Death Row Records when all of the artists on the roster were actively trying to imitate his old friends or, in the case of Snoop, his own family? That would be a fucking fascinating interview.)

8. DON'T FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM (SWOOP G)

I liked Bad Azz clone Swoop G’s verse on “Head Doctor” off the last Death Row-released Snoop Doggy Dogg “album” Dead Man Walkin’, so I was looking forward to this track, but this Snoop dis isn’t very good, probably because Suge coerced him into recording this shit, which is why Swoop doesn’t sound the least bit convincing. Sigh. (Swoop G was once one of Snoop's many weed carriers, which is probably why Suge felt he would be the best vehicle for trash-talking his former employee.)

9. LIKE IT OR NOT (SOOPAFLY)

I've always liked Soopafly, and the L.T. Hutton beat is really good. It's too bad that Soopafly’s career never really took off, and L.T. became the main producer for Ashanti’s latest album. This was still a good song, though. (I've always liked Soopafly, too, but mainly his lone hit, “I Don't Hang”, from the A Thin Line Between Love and Hate soundtrack. I think I'll go listen to that again right now.)

10. IT'S EASY TO BE A SOLDIER WHEN THERE AIN'T NO WAR (THA REALEST FEAT. SWOOP G & C-STYLE)

Even though this is just another Suge-initiated Snoop-dis (albeit a somewhat cleverly-titled one, since Snoop's new coworkers at No Limit Records prided themselves on being No Limit “soldiers”), it’s still pretty decent. The beat was nice and ominous, and my low expectations of the featured artists (including C-Style, who was also once one of Snoop's friends), were slightly exceeded. Definitely one of the highlights of Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000. (I wonder if Suge regrets that title today, though, since there clearly is a fucking war going on.)

11. BEAUTIFUL LADY (DANNY BOY FEAT. K-CI)

Remember Death Row crooner Danny Boy, late of 2Pac's “I Ain't Mad At Cha”? Suge clearly did. This song was placed on here merely to sell the project to a female audience (which never existed in the first place: how many women do you personally know who actively wanted a 2Pac soundalike in her record collection?) Not only does this shit suck, it also doesn't belong on the same disc as track number thirteen, which we'll get to in a moment. (I had forgotten that K-Ci, from Jodeci and, more recently, the duo K-Ci & JoJo, had some sort of side deal with Suge Knight that required him to appear on these shitty projects. Thanks for reminding me.)

12. STAND STRONG (THA REALEST FEAT. DANNY BOY & JEWELL)

Tha Realest brings listeners his own version of a “Keep Ya Head Up”/“Life Goes On”-type track over an okay beat with a decent hook. (Jewell holds the curious distinction of being the only artist to appear on both this project and Snoop's No Limit Top Dogg. Weird.)

13. WE DON'T LOVE 'EM (TOP DOGG)

DJ Quik gives Top Dogg the most The Chronic-like instrumental thus far, which makes the star attraction sound much better than he has any right to. This was actually tolerable.

14. BECAUSE OF YOUR GIRL (THA DOGG POUND FEAT. THA REALEST)

This song would have been pretty bland had it not been for Tha Realest rhyming “perfection” with “erection” while complimenting an unknown female. That made me chuckle. (A bit of trivia: Kurupt (of Tha Dogg Pound) is the only guy to appear on both Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 and the project it was trying to overshadow, Dr. Dre's 2001.)

DISC TWO:

1. ROLL WITH US (THA DOGG POUND)

Sounds like one of Dogg Food's lesser efforts, which, in this context, means this is pretty fucking good.

2. DRINK'S ON ME (CAPTAIN SAVE M' FEAT. ANT BANKS)

I might need more than just the one in order to enjoy this fucking album. (Lord knows why West Coast stalwart Ant Banks, who also produced, agreed to appear on this project. Everybody has to eat at some point, I suppose. Also, who the fuck is Captain Save M'?)

3. LATE NIGHT (2PAC FEAT. OUTLAWZ)

This is by far the best song on Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000. DJ Quik, who is one of the most underrated rappers-slash-producers on the left coast (next to Daz Dillinger) provides a way too fonkay instrumental for 2Pac to spit some above-average lyrics over. The version that appears on this album is actually a remix, although it isn't labeled as such: the original track featured both DJ Quik and AMG, both of whom I prefer over Tha Outlawz. This was alright enough, but it was much better in its original incarnation. This song also appears on Pac’s 2002 compilation Better Days, if I’m not mistaken.

4. THEY WANNA BE LIKE US (THA REALEST, TOP DOGG, & DOOBIE)

No, you have it backward: you wanna be like them.

5. O.G. TO B.G. (THA DOGG POUND FEAT. SOOPAFLY)

This was a bomb ass song. It features two verses by Kurupt (who, if I’m not mistaken, had already left Death Row Records a year prior to this release), with assists from Daz and Soopafly.

6. I WANNA BE LOVED BY YOU

Skit…

7. WANNA BE LOVED (MICHEL'LE FEAT. VK)

Dr. Dre's baby's mama-turned-Death Row songstress (who had a couple of hit songs of her own in the early 1990s) reminded me of TLC in a good way, all the way down to VK's approximation of Left Eye (who was also signed to Death Row at one point). Not too bad.

8. I'M COMIN' HOME (THA REALEST FEAT. JEWELL)

This was actually kind of nice, if you can get past the 2Pac biting (which, if you haven't figured out from my writings on the topic earlier, is really really hard).

9. I'M COUNTRY (DOOBIE)

If the chorus wasn’t so abysmal, I might have waited until the very end of this track to conclude that it sounds like ass.

10. PRESENTING MIILKBONE (MIILKBONE FEAT. NAJI)

Apparently, this Miilkbone guy (who is in no way related to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) was dissed by Eminem on his “Just Don’t Give a Fuck”. Suge Knight, sensing yet another way to earn a dishonest buck, decided that Marshall Mathers, an artist who had absolutely nothing to do with Death Row Records, also deserved to feel his wrath, so he quickly signed another white rapper to dis him. To his credit, Miilkbone drops a few not-entirely-bad lines, but the instrumental is way too fruity to make him sound menacing whatsoever. Also, “Miilkbone” has to be the worst rap artist name ever. (Miilkbone was actually around long before Death Row Records came calling, hence Eminem's reference in the first place. I have his debut album in a crate somewhere: this paragraph makes me want to dig it up. Let me know in the comments below if you two would be interested in reading about that.)

11. THE THINGS YOUR MAN WON'T DO (VK)

This song makes no sense, and the beat was annoying as fuck.

12. NOW WHAT (CAPRICORN)

This Kevyn Lewis-produced track rips off elements of De La Soul’s “Me, Myself and I” and has a different Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes clone spit some inane shit over it. Meh.

13. RIDE OR GET RODE ON (BAD HABITZ)

I'd say that title sums up the album quite nicely. There are some emcees out there who are so terrible that they end up sounding entertaining by default (kind of like a movie that is so bad that it's hilarious), but the cast of characters Suge Knight gathered for this project are just terrible in general: Bad Habitz, for example, throw in every rap song cliché they can think of in lieu of being creative, which demands too much of a listener’s patience.

14. MR. OFFICER (MICHEL'LE FEAT. CAPTAIN SAVE M' & EL DORADO)

The beat and hook are decent enough, but the guest rappers ruin what could have been a decent way to conclude this project.

FINAL THOUGHTS: So it turns out that the critics are all right. Think of Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 as a label sampler take on All Eyez On Me, except without the half-dozen classic songs. That leaves you one long shitty album with a few highlights that are only highlights because the rest is so fucking awful. There simply isn’t a great song on here, just a few decent ones and a few good elements within songs that still manage to suck overall. The main problem with a lot of these tracks is that. even when they start off promisingly, one of Suge’s Pac / Snoop / Rage / Mystikal clones comes in to drop a shitty verse that fucks it up for talented Row inmates Kurupt, Daz, Soopafly, Jewell, Danny Boy & Michel’le, who were all thisclose to leaving anyway (or gone already, for all I know). Even decent artists like E-40, Richie Rich, Scarface contribute piss-poor appearances. None of the Snoop/ Dre/ Eminem-disses contains even a single witty line. The songs listed below are the only ones that you could listen to without angering up the blood. But the fact that they won’t piss you off doesn’t mean that you should actually care (except for maybe “Late Night”, but you should track down the original version instead). You should obviously go buy Dr. Dre's 2001 instead: that album sounds more like The Chronic than this could ever dream of achieving. Also, Dre’s album is a classic (with a few bullshit tracks also, but most albums in our chosen genre not titled Illmatic have that problem), while this is a dinosaur from the bygone era of double discs featuring material that was already dated by the time it hit store shelves.

BUY OR BURN? You’re going to have a hard time finding it either on the web or in the stores. (Well, at least here in Amsterdam where I live, anyway. Actual chronic isn’t that hard to come by, though.) And even if you did, it still isn't going to be worth your time or your money.

BEST TRACKS: “Chronic 2000”; “Curiosity”; “Like It or Not”; “Late Night”; “O.G. to B.G.” “I Wanna Be Loved By You”

-Sir Bonkers

(I've always found the rise and fall of Death Row Records to be a fascinating subject. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave them below.)

Eminem Presents: The Re-Up (December 5, 2006)

In early 2006, Shady Records label president Marshall Mathers III had the bright idea of creating a mixtape compilation that showcased the many artists that he signed to his vanity imprint.  Ever since the runaway success of his first artist, the singer-songwriter Curtis Jackson, and the not-as-impressive-but-still-decent-enough sales from his first group, D-12, Marshall had been on quite a tear, setting up as many aspiring rappers with deals as his checkbook could comfortably finance. 


That he later went on to drop the majority of his stable is beside the point.


He teamed up with producer The Alchemist, who was set to mix the label sampler together for release on blogs the world over.  Or at least that was the original plan: while Al Maman was figuring out which records would make the final cut, Marshall decided that his employees deserved a much wider audience that a niche hip hop blog could accommodate.  Thus, the major label release Eminem Presents: The Re-Up was born.


According to Eminem, what began life as a simple label sampler grew quickly into a viable commercial attempt, as each of his artists (Obie Trice, who already had two albums under his belt and didn't really need the exposure; Stat Quo, the Southern emcee signed for his proximity to the bottom of the United States map;  Cashis, a Left Coast rapper by way of Chicago; and Bobby Creekwater, the Atlanta alternative for those who feel Stat Quo was too humble; these four appear alongside the aforementioned D-12 and the multi-millionaire Curtis Jackson, whose contributions define the term "contractual obligation") turned in work that Shady Records (a subsidiary of Aftermath Entertainment, the home that Dr. Dre built, although he doesn't appear aware that it was built to release actual albums) felt was marketable to a general audience, or at least, they thought they could make some fucking money off of it.  The Alchemist retained his position as the album's arranger, but this is no mere mixtape: Eminem Presents: The Re-Up is an actual collection of songs compiled to constitute an album, a distinction I have to make since none of the songs have any sort of relation to one another whatsoever.


Even though he may not have had the best luck with his stable of artists, Eminem was no idiot: Eminem Presents: The Re-Up, in addition to including his own name in the title, contains no less than eight appearances from the boss, which is more than any of the newer artists that the sampler was ostensibly designed to promote.  He also handles the majority of the production, which will probably cause a good number of you to skip the rest of the review and switch windows back to the deviant porn you've been trying to download all morning.  The Alchemist's touch is barely felt throughout the project: had it not been for his minimal production efforts and the fact that he's mentioned inside the liner notes, it would be impossible to detect Al's presence.  This is an Eminem album through and through, intended to bridge the gap between the incorrigible Encore and whatever the hell Marshall's follow-up was going to be (of course, he released Relapse in 2009, but back in 2006 his next project was unknown, so Eminem Presents: The Re-Up contained the newest Em tracks his stans were going to get for quite a while).


Eminem Presents: The Re-Up went on to sell more than a million copies despite poor to middling reviews, but these days only Curtis Jackson and Cashis still have their names on office doors at the label offices (and I'm still not even sure about the Cashis: his space may have been converted to a storage room for all of Em's leftover pills and horror movie memorabilia at this point).  So it was sort of successful, but anybody that picked up the sampler today would have to actually work to track down the artists involved now, so in that way, we're all the losers in this game.


A game that none of us signed on to play in the first fucking place.


1. SHADY NARCOTICS (INTRO) (EMINEM)
Since this is basically a record label sampler, it makes sense that Marshall would tack an intro onto this shit. And that's all I have to say about that.


2. WE'RE BACK (EMINEM, OBIE TRICE, BOBBY CREEKWATER, STAT QUO, & CASHIS)
Ahh, the peril of being a hip hop artist: misinterpretation. If you read Marshall's opening verse improperly, in the midst of his listing of (very valid) reasons why he is never listed in the top five (by the way, Em is full of shit: even now, while he isn't held in the same regard as he once was, people still think of him as being one of the best that has ever done it), he sounds like he takes a shot at AZ, of all people. Em doesn't stick around long enough to see any repercussions, though: he quickly leaves the mic to his four weed carriers, all of whom fail to impress over a weak Marshall beat punctuated by a brief singing vocal from the host. Groan.


3. PISTOL PISTOL (REMIX) (OBIE TRICE)
Obie “Obie Trice” Trice swipes a beat from D-12's Devil's Night album, an interesting choice when you consider that D-12's major label debut dropped in 2001, five years before Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. For his part, Obie fails to leave any sort of mark on this Em beat, making this the time the listener could use to go make me a sandwich. As any good label employee should, Obie reminds listeners about his album Second Round's On Me toward the end.


4. MURDER (BIZZARE & KUNIVA FEAT EMINEM)
I've always been baffled by the fact that Bizarre has the most prolific solo career out of everyone in D-12 that isn't Eminem, since he isn't that great: shock value can only carry one so far. He plays it straight, for the most part, on “Murder”, and as a result, he sounds wholly undeserving of whatever success he has garnered. In short, he sounds boring. Kuniva comes off a bit better, but neither man proves that the whole is less than the sum of its parts.


5. EVERYTHING IS SHADY (CASHIS)
Aside from Obie Trice, Cashis is the only other potholder that managed to release a solo album on Shady Records. True, it was an EP (specifically, The County Hound EP), but that's just a technicality. The blind loyalty prevalent on this project is puzzling: aside from one guy, nobody on Shady has ever moved a ton of units. (Let's not forget that Marshall himself isn't really signed to Shady Records, either.) And the guy who I'm speaking of (Curtis) is floundering these days as well. I've heard worse rappers than Cashis (or Ca$his, depending on what side his shadow appears on) reach great heights, but there isn't anything on here that would make me rush out to pick up a full-length from the guy.


6. RE-UP (EMINEM & 50 CENT)
On a track where our host recruits his employee of the month to spit a verse, Eminem says out loud what we're all feeling: “I'm tired of this wack shit.” I may have taken that line out of context, but around the time that Marshall tells everybody to “kiss [his] black ass”, I was sorely tempted to chuck this disc off of a fucking bridge, but then I was afraid that it would land on a passing barge and, through a wacky series of coincidences, it would end up back at my fucking house, and I can't have that.


7. YOU DON'T KNOW (EMINEM, 50 CENT, LLOYD BANKS, & CASHIS)
To my knowledge, this is the only single that was unleashed from Eminem Presents: The Re-Up, or at least it's the only single that had a video commissioned for it. I suppose this could mean that Cashis was the recipient of the highest profile of all the seat fillers on this project, as he snagged a spot on this posse city alongside three successful artists (yep, Banks was somewhat successful with his debut, The Hunger For More; it should also be noted that Banks is actually signed to G-Unit and not to Shady directly). The beat, provided by Marshall himself, isn't that bad, but it could have been utilized better by nearly any other rapper in history. Still, this could have been much worse.


8. JIMMY CRACK CORN (EMINEM & 50 CENT)
I don't know how I missed this before, but Marshall takes some clear shots at Mariah Carey at the tail end of his second verse. I almost thought this song was decent, even with yet another Curtis Jackson cameo, but Em's hook is fucking ridiculous, and the forced banter between these two at the end is awkward at best, as if they're just putting on a show for the cameras but rarely speak outside of work. Oh well.


9. TRAPPED (PROOF FEAT EMINEM)
The late Proof is represented on Eminem Presents: The Re-Up in the form of an incomplete track that contains only one verse. There isn't much to critique on here (the song runs for less than one minute), but for what it's worth, a joint album between Eminem, Proof, and Royce da 5'9” would have been fucking epic. Sigh.


10. WHATEVER YOU WANT (KON ARTIS & SWIFTY MCVAY)
The final two members of D-12 who have yet to appear on this sampler finally decide to come in to work for “Whatever You Want”. Mr. Porter proves that he should maybe stick with his production work full time, and Swifty, whom I normally like, sounds unconvinced of his own violent outbursts, as if even he doesn't really believe that D-12 is “killing shit”. This would have been disappointing if I had even the tiniest amount of expectations for it.


11. TALKIN' ALL THAT (CASHIS)
Cashis sounds like Generic Rapper #4080, with all of his talk about “pussy n----s” and not giving a fuck about much. Rikanatti's beat is actually pretty good, but it's wasted on this solo effort, on which the star fails to establish himself as someone whose career is worth following.


12. BY MY SIDE (STAT QUO)
Stat Quo's ode to his firearm exposes him for what he really is: a gimmick. The sing-songy flow (which reminded me of Nelly for some reason), the deliberate mispronunciation of simple words such as “quarter” and “yeah”, and the overt violent content, present even though he hasn't actually been in the rap game long enough to feel threatened by anybody, are all carefully calculated moves on behalf of Shady Records, crafted ostensibly to make the label some money, but inadvertently showing the outright contempt Em and company have for the hip hop audience. Fuck this song.


13. WE RIDE FOR SHADY (OBIE TRICE & CASHIS)
The best part about this track is that one of the artists featured is no longer a part of Shady Records, which makes their combined blind loyalty that much more questionable. Cashis actually destroys Obie over this goofy Alchemist beat, which probably could have been better utilized by a far hungrier rapper, but that's just my opinion. The hook is overly wordy, but how else could these two get their point across? Oh, I know: editing.


14. THERE HE IS (BOBBY CREEKWATER)
Bobby Creekwater, who finally gets his own solo showcase on here, isn't a good fit for the Shady Records either, but at least he's ten times more interesting that Stat Quo. Given the right promotional backing, he could do fairly well for himself, as he isn't bad: his lyrics are sharp, containing a healthy mix of threatening, humorous, and whole grains, tilting more towards the funny (although I find the violent threats of most rappers to be pretty fucking funny, but maybe that's just me). I believe Em did the man a favor by cutting him loose from the label, as he may be a better fit for Def Jam (as they are now, not the rap powerhouse they once were). Al Maman's beat on here was also surprisingly entertaining.


15. TRYIN' TO WIN (STAT QUO)
It makes sense that Stat Quo gets the most solo songs on this label sampler: he was the first guy Marshall signed to Shady after Curtis and Obie. Al's chemistry set fails to conjure up anything interesting (he's truly a hit and miss producer: there are tracks of his which I love, and there are some that I would walk right past if they were drowning in a lake), but, admittedly, Stat sounds slightly better that he did on “By My Side”. Only slightly better, though: no need to go crazy.


16. SMACK THAT (REMIX) (AKON FEAT STAT QUO, BOBBY CREEKWATER, & EMINEM)
The original version of this annoying song (which my wife absolutely hates, which I find hilarious for some reason: of all the shitty songs Em has been involved with, this is the one she takes offense to?) was already unnecessary, but Akon was popular at the time, so he pops up mysteriously on a sampler for a label he was not signed to. Thankfully, Eminem decided to not embarrass himself any further, choosing to cede his mic time from the original cut to his lackeys instead. This shit just evaporated into thin air, so I have to assume that it sucked balls.


17. PUBLIC ENEMY #1 (EMINEM)
After a false start at the end of the previous track, Marshall enters the wide world of paranoia on this self-produced one-verse wonder that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Encore. For the first time on this entire fucking project, Eminem sounds normal, spitting coherent rhymes without hiding behind any sort of disguise, making this the best Slim Shady performance on here thus far.


18. GET LOW (STAT QUO)
Stat Quo must have a master's degree in fellatio, or maybe he was extremely frugal with spending his advance, because that motherfucker somehow scored the lone Dr. Dre-produced track on this project for his own damn self. In reality, this was probably yet another calculated move, obviously designed to attract the Curtis Jackson “In Da Club” audience (or maybe folks who liked The Game's “Higher”, a track I still feel is fairly underrated today), but while the instrumental is pretty good, you shouldn't go to the buffet at the Bellagio after having already eaten several meals prior, or else you'll miss the point; Stat isn't hungry at all, and it shows in his delivery. What a shame.


19. SKI MASK WAY (EMINEM REMIX) (50 CENT)
Curtis, happy label employee that he is, supplies a remix to an album track off of The Massacre, one which only switched up the underlying music (instead of the late Disco D, Marshall handles this remix). Aside from that, it's the exact same song, and I have to say, I prefer the original. If I absolutely had to choose one, of course. Although his line “This is the flow that ruined Jeffrey's career” made me laugh, mainly because it's true: Ja Rule can't even get arrested today, thanks to what Curtis did to him on wax. I can at least admit that.


20. SHAKE THAT (REMIX) (EMINEM & NATE DOGG FEAT OBIE TRICE & BOBBY CREEKWATER)
Another unnecessary remix to an Eminem club song, although this one was an actual Em track and not a guest appearance on someone else's piffle. Nate Dogg's singing is hilariously profane, which almost makes this work, but once again, Marshall avoids standing in the line of fire, ceding his verses to his pill carriers. What was the point of including this, exactly?


21. CRY NOW (SHADY REMIX) (OBIE TRICE FEAT KUNIVA, BOBBY CREEKWATER, CASHIS, & STAT QUO)
Obie Trice's signature song, which I've written about before, receives some additional contributions from his labelmates. And once again, this shit is fairly amazing. At least the beat is, anyway: the verses from Cashis and Stat Quo aren't up to the level that the Witt & Pep instrumental establishes. I really thing Obie should have ignored the purpose of this sampler and, instead, recruited some outside help to spit on this composition. At least Obie sounds more comfortable on here than he did on the original track, though.


22. NO APOLOGIES (EMINEM)
Listen to Marshall's flow on this final track. Sounds much different than he did on “Public Enemy #1”, right? That's because this song was originally intended for The Marshall Mathers LP or The Eminem Show (I forget which), back when Em sounded clearheaded (even with the rampant drug use) and was less full of himself than he is now. As a result, this is actually the beat Marshall performance I've heard in the past few years. I'm curious as to whose name was edited out of the final verse, though.


If you purchase Eminem Presents: The Re-Up off of iTunes, you receive a bonus track.


23. BILLION BUCKS (STAT QUO)
This bonus Stat Quo solo track is fucking awful. The man has no business behind a mic. Thank God he was dropped from Shady soon after this was released.


FINAL THOUGHTS: As most label samplers tend to be, Eminem Presents: The Re-Up is more miss than hit. It doesn't help that Eminem decided to handle much of the production work himself (as a cost-cutting measure, perhaps), and his stable of talent (five solo artists and one group) all offer varying degrees of quality, but none of them even come close to the host on his worst day. Eminem Presents: The Re-Up only proves that Marshall should maybe forget about running a record label for a while and, I don't know, focus on himself more. (The only exception to this rule I will allow is the supposed Slaughterhouse signing to Shady Records (where I not-so-secretly hope that contractual issues will somehow leave Joe Budden out of the loop), and even then I want Em to realize that we don't want to hear him behind the boards for the majority of that project.) A toddler's handful of the tracks on this overloaded Shady lovefest are decent, but only one of those tracks doesn't feature Em on his own. That's never a good sign. Encore was actually much more entertaining than this shit, and that album was fucking terrible.


BUY OR BURN? Don't do either one, unless you're (a) a Shady Records historian, or (b) masochistic. The three songs listed below are worth your time (especially the Obie Trice remix), but the rest of this project could disappear off of the face of the Earth and nobody would be the wiser, and I'm including Eminem in that observation.


BEST TRACKS: “No Apologies”; “Cry Now (Shady Remix)”; “Public Enemy #1”


-Max


RELATED POSTS:
Catch up on the Eminem, D-12, Curtis Jackson, and Obie Trice write-ups by clicking on the artist names.

Various Artists - Soundbombing (October 14, 1997)

The Soundbombing series served as Rawkus Records mixtapes showcasing the talent on the label. At one point, Rawkus actually had the most enviable lineup, if not the best-selling. Mos Def, rapper turned singer turned actor, was prominent on the scene, as was his frequent partner in rhyme, Talib Kweli. Backpackers sweated every 12-inch that Company Flow dropped. And angry white rapper R.A. The Rugged Man. (I don't have anything to say here about him really, I just like his name.)

Picking up this album was like getting your quick fix of the hip hop that you felt that you should be listening to, even if you bought it in the same transaction as a Jay-Z album. The rappers featured here were frequently lauded by music critics, most of whom didn't actually listen to hip hop in the first place. That's not to say there aren't some gems here, though.

The entire "mixtape" is mixed by DJ Evil Dee of Da Beatminerz. The reason that name may not look familiar to frequent readers is simply because, in my Originoo Gunn Clappaz review, I never actually named any of Da Beatminerz. That's right, I like going off on tangents.

1. INTRO (EVIL DEE/BRICK CITY KIDS)
It's a mixtape, so I'm inclined to give this rap album a pass. I hope Evil Dee doesn't repeat that "Evil Dee is on the mix, c'mon, kick it!" mantra, though; that could get annoying real quick.

2. FLIPSIDE (R.A. THE RUGGED MAN)
The Rugged Man once released a song called "Every Record Label Sucks Dick". You just have to admire the stones of a guy who loves to bite the hand that feeds him. No, really. Admire.

3. FIRE IN WHICH YOU BURN (INDELIBLE MC'S)
The feel good club banger of 1997!

4. LUNE TNS (COMPANY FLOW)
I already heard this on Company Flow's own Funcrusher Plus. Still like it.

5. NIGHTWORK (SIR MENELIK a/k/a CYCLOPS 4000)
Used to be a close affiliate of Ultramagmetic MC/all around insane guy Kool Keith (a personal favorite, naturally). I think he calls himself seventeen different names on this track.

6. ARABIAN NIGHTS (SHABAAM SAHDEEQ)
Sounds like a low-rent Kweli, which is strange, because in 1997 Kweli was the low-rent Kweli.

7. FORTIFIED LIVE (REFLECTION ETERNAL FEAT. MOS DEF AND MR. MAN)
Reflection Eternal was the group Kweli was in before Black Star formed, made up of himself and producer Hi-Tek. Classic track.

8. SHOW ME YOUR GRATITUDE (L-FUDGE)
Um...why should I?

9. TILL MY HEART STOPS (R.A. THE RUGGED MAN and 8-OFF)
For some reason, this reminds me of early Mobb Deep, except with an angry white rapper instead of a ballerina. (Yes, I brought that shit back!)

10. SIDE B FREESTYLE (MOS DEF and TALIB KWELI)
I'm sure this title made more sense on the cassette release. This freestyle is weak.

11. SO INTELLIGENT (SIR MENELIK a/k/a CYCLOPS 4000 and KOOL KEITH)
As a guy who believes Keith only sounds good over beats by either The Automator or Kutmasta Kurt, let me say this: I prefer the Automator remix over this shit. And yes, I think I'm smart, dammit.

12. EMPIRE STATERS (B-ONE)
Nothing special here. The s-ong isn't any g-ood.

13. IF YOU CAN HUH... (MOS DEF)
Less polished Black Star shit here.

14. UNIVERSAL MAGNETIC (MOS DEF)
Gooney-goo-goo? Mos, what the fuck are you talking about?

15. WHAT IF? (L-FUDGE FEAT MIKE ZOOT, TALIB KWELI, SHABAAM SADEEQ, and SKAM)
Some of the most awkwardly named emcees in rap history get together for a passable collabo track.

16. MY CROWN (BLACK ATTACK)
Sounds like a low-rent CL Smooth, which is strange, because in 1997, Kweli was the low-rent Kweli.

17. 2000 SEASONS (REFLECTION ETERNAL)
See track #13.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Soundbombing is a decent label sampler/mixtape which collected the Rawkus vinyl singles that were floating around, into one fun-filled jewel case. Also, this makes me feel less guilty about writing about Timbaland's debut album. You don't hear any new output from the majority of the artists anymore, but that's natural; on any mixtape today, how many artists are still around after a year?

BUY OR BURN? This CD is kind of rare, if I am to believe Amazon. But if you can, buy this shit and educate yourself on what magazines and internet forums tell you hip hop is/was supposed to sound like.

BEST TRACKS: "Fortified Live"; "Till My Heart Stops"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star