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Best album of 2005 (tie) | The rest of the Best of 2005
COMMON, Be, Geffen
Enlisting the help of 2004's MVP, Common sets out to truly create the best of both worlds by combining his lyricism with the production of fellow Chicago native Kanye West. The result is a worthy follow-up to 2000's classic Like Water for Chocolate that excuses his experimental departure on 2002's Electric Circus. All but two tracks are produced by West, and those that aren't -- "Love Is" and "It's Your World" -- don't miss a beat. Concise at 11 cuts, Be is an easy listen that never requires the fast forward button. Highlights include "Testify," a brief, catchy courtroom narrative of a wrongful conviction; "Go" with John Mayer, who showed he was down with a "Chappelle's Show" (R.I.P.) appearance and his own VH-1 show featuring Trick Daddy as his sidekick; and "The Food" featuring the aforementioned Kanye West, live from "Chappelle's Show" (a moment of silence, please). But really, they're all worth a listen. As Common says on "Chi-City": "You ask me where hip-hop is going. It's Chicagoin'." If the trend of the past two years continues, he's right. Chalk up another classic for Common.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm


Best album of 2005 (tie) | The rest of the Best of 2005
KANYE WEST, Late Registration, Roc-A-Fella
When you are a producer at the level of Kanye West, everyone wants to jump on a track. And when you have a debut album like The College Dropout, everyone wants to be on the second coming. Kanye happily obliges on Late Registration. Nas, Game, Paul Wall, Cam'ron, Consequence and even Adam Levine of Maroon 5 make contributions -- and Jay-Z arrives on cue to take over the remix of "Diamonds from Sierra Leone." But it says a lot that on one of those cameos -- Common on "My Way Home" -- West lets the guest carry the whole track solo. It's too bad Kanye doesn't handle more tracks on his own, or limits his visitors to just the hook, like on "Roses," "Bring Me Down" featuring Brandy and the inescapable "Gold Digger" featuring Jamie Foxx. Like Dropout, Late Registration is a solid wire-to-wire listen. But next time around, it'd be nice to have a little more Kanye West on a Kanye West album. Nonetheless, the classic status of this album can't be denied.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm

Best album of 2004 | The rest of the Best of 2004
KANYE WEST, The College Dropout, Roc-A-Fella
After teasing us with singles and pushing back the release date, Kanye West finally blesses us with his debut. And it doesn't disappoint. In fact, it exceeds expectations. Everyone knows how talented West is behind the boards, but he more than holds his own on the mic. And what he occasionally lacks in delivery he makes up for with lyrics that are deeper and more thought-provoking than your average MC's. The first indication that The College Dropout is not just another album is inside the high school yearbook-style cover, where all the lyrics appear as well as class pictures of all the MCs, singers and entertainers that contribute to the album. Throughout the liner notes, West checks his ego for some self-deprecation, citing how he "never played" for the basketball team, "never walked" to the stage for graduation and "never won" a poetry contest. That last one is hard to believe based on the content of dropout. Consider "Through the Wire," in which he describes the accident that broke his jaw while rhyming through a mouth that's wired shut. Or "Jesus Walks," where Kanye dares to talk about his faith even if it ultimately costs him in the wallet. In his own words: "So here goes my single, dog, radio needs this. They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus. That means guns, sex, lies videotape, but if I talk about God, my record won't get played. Huh?! Well if this takes away from spins, which will probably take away from my ends, then I hope it takes away from my sins, and bring the day that I dream about -- next time I'm in the club everybody screaming out 'Jesus Walks.'" That day will come sooner than later as already radio stations have put this unreleased track in heavy rotation. The guests are plentiful, but aren't necessary to carry the album. Jay-Z appears on "Never Let Me Down," Jamie Foxx and fellow Chicago native Twista deliver on "Slow Jamz," Ludacris provides the hook for "Breathe In, Breathe Out," Mos Def and Freeway spit on "Two Words" and "Get Em High" features Common and Talib Kweli, whose name Kanye drops to pick up a girl before handing him the mic. The album ends with "Last Call," and all but the very beginning of the almost 13-minute track is an honest autobiography of Kanye's life in hip-hop -- the struggles, the highlights, everything. The next chapter will most definitely be the brightest, as West has delivered not only the album of the year, but quite possibly the best album in years. The College Dropout might have just changed the game.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm

Best album of 2003 | The rest of the Best of 2003
JAY-Z, The Black Album, Roc-A-Fella
If he stays true to his promise and retires, Jay-Z is going out on top. "What More Can I Say?" Well, for starters, that's a solid track with a "Gladiator" sample as the intro. There are plenty of other standouts, too. "Dec. 4th," an autobiographical tale feturing Jay's mom. The Timbaland-produced "Dirt Off Your Shoulder." "99 Problems," which features the return of Rick Rubin on a track that coincidently contains an L.L. "Illegal Search" vibe. And the finale, "My 1st Song," takes a cue from Biggie and explains that Jay treats everything like it's his first project, even if it's his last. On "Dirt," Jay says he's the "best rapper alive." It's true, and we're glad we were able to witness eight consistently solid solo albums in eight years, able to see a great artist conclude his career on his own terms and at the top of his game (if he stays away), and able to christen one final album classic with a $50.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- West Coast

Best album of 2002 | The rest of the Best of 2002
NAS, Stillmatic, Columbia
Despite dismissing those who "thought I'd make another Illmatic" on the intro, Nas later references his 1994 classic and declares that "this is the rebirth." By the time the music fades on the last track, it's obvious that he reached back for more than just the title on this album. Nasty Nas is back. Whether it was his public battle with Jay-Z or his own pride that inspired him, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that this sleeping giant has been awakened. Speaking of beef, Nas gets right to it by placing "Ether" as the first full track on the album. His response to Jigga's "Takeover" systematically dismantles the current king of New York and his ongoing obsession with Notorious B.I.G.: "First Biggie's your man / then you got the nerve to say that you better than Big / d--- sucking lips, why won't you let the late, great veteran live?" and "Is he Dame Diddy, Dame Daddy or Dame Dummy? / Oh I get it, you Biggie and he's Puffy," as well as "How much of Biggie's rhymes is gonna come out your fat lips? / Wanted to be on every last one of my classics." Now there are those that will dispute that I Am and Nastradamus were anything close to classics and still others that will challenge you to dig deeper than the surface on those albums and try to say that they're not, but Nas leaves nothing to debate on Stillmatic. At times the beats seem overly simple, but that just allows the rhymes to shine. And Nas can more than hold his own when it comes to carrying a track with lyrics alone. More often than not, hits are made by the beats, and Nas is operating in reverse. In fact, on "Rewind" he literally tells the tale of a day in the life completely backwards. The next track, "One Mic," finds Nas exploring yet another vocal device, as the beat and his demeanor start out calm and gradually become enraged before settling back down at the end. Nas lets everyone know on "Destroy & Rebuild" that he takes issue with more than just one MC. In fact, he attacks Cormega, Prodigy and Nature for not representing the QB properly. Fortunately, Nas managed to squash it with at least one former collaborator -- AZ. The "Life's A B----" duo reunites for "The Flyest." On the other hand, he also remembered to bring his new crew along for a "Braveheart Party." We'll pretend we weren't invited and won't let it count against the album as a whole. On "Rule," Nas carries on his '80s pop sample theme with a snippet of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." A curious choice since "If I Ruled the World" is probably his best known single, but Nas uses it to address war and the events of Sept. 11. A little more politics in hip-hop can't hurt, and Nas chooses to take a stand and call for peace. Then he keeps the intellectual vibe going on "My Country" and "What Goes Around." Sure, he still has his pop tendencies and glaring infatuations with mobsters -- real and fictional -- but with Stillmatic, Nas has reached heights he hasn't seen since he was christened the second coming of Rakim.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- West Coast

Best album of 2001 | The rest of the Best of 2001
JAY-Z, The Blueprint, Roc-A-Fella
The 411 Online doesn't have to use the first few lines of this review to apologize for sleeping on Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, because we didn't. His debut album was labeled a certified classic in the print version of The 411 in 1996, so while other publications give The Blueprint a five-star rating but have to explain that it's still not better than an album they only gave four marks, we can label it another classic with confidence. Sure, we've handed out our share of $50s to Jigga since then. In fact, three in all. Some may even say it was the wrong three, but what no one can deny is that Jay-Z consistently puts out albums that top anything else out on the market at that time. Such is the case with The Blueprint. This is a true solo album. Only one guest spits a verse, and just like he did on Biggie's "Dead Wrong," Eminem seems to raise the bar on his lyrics when he's matched with a comparable MC. And Slim Shady isn't the only one who shows depth. Jay-Z gets deep. How deep? Deeper than "Regrets" on his debut. Deeper than "You Must Love Me" on In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 or even "Where Have You Been" on The Dynasty. Track after track, from "Never Change" and "Heart of the City" to "Song Cry" and "All I Need," seems to have more feeling than those of years past. To balance it out, there's plenty of upbeat singles to be found as well, like "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Hola Hovito," "Jigga That N----" and the first release, "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" To top it all off, Jigga rips Prodigy and Nas on "Takeover," which is probably the best dis to be unleashed since 2Pac's "Hit 'Em Up." This is without a doubt Jay's finest solo work since Reasonable. No hidden agendas and no excessive crew cuts. Just Jay-Z at his best.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- J Rough

Best album of 2000 (tie) | The rest of the Best of 2000
OUTKAST, Stankonia, LaFace
To say that Dre and Big Boi "take it to the next level" would be cliché... we'd be surprised if they weren't on some elevated plateau. While the Atlanta duo continues to experiment and expand on their previous efforts, their most impressive trait is that they are consistently fresh both lyrically and musically. And although their previous release, Aquemini, garnered a $50 despite one so-so track, Stankonia never misses. Also impressive is their ability to take aggressive songs like "B.O.B." and "Gasoline Dreams;" laid-back tracks like "So Fresh, So Clean" and "Slum Beautiful;" and humorous, somewhat playful cuts like "Call Before I Come" and "We Luv Dez Hoez" and meld them into a cohesive effort that becomes their fourth classic. Skits may appear to take up too much space on the track listings, but most are short enough that they never become a problem. Several guest artists (B-Real, Erykah Badu, Slimm Calhoun, members of the Goodie MOB and others) are sprinkled throughout, but not to the point that this is no longer an Outkast album. In the past, groups have tried to mix a message in with their music, only to come off preachy... Outkast, on the other hand, blends in talk of dashed dreams and hopeful futures without ever losing street credibility. Listen and learn until their next classic.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- The W

Best album of 2000 (tie) | The rest of the Best of 2000
JAY-Z, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, Roc-A-Fella
A dynasty like no other? That's how Jay- Z has been describing his Roc-A-Fella Records crew for the last couple of years, but with mediocre (not meteoric) debuts by DJ Clue, Memphis Bleek, and Amil, Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel were really the only Roc-A-Fella artists holding it down for the label. Even Jay-Z, now with five albums in five years and one of hip-hop's most popular artists, has been receiving criticism for becoming too commercial and buying into the "bling-bling" materialistic type of hip-hop that all too many other artists played out. In fact, after Vol. 3...Life and Times of S. Carter many fans Jay won over because of Reasonable Doubt were screaming for his head. Well, I'm here to let ALL Jay-Z fans know that La Familia may be his best effort yet. Jay-Z seamlessly meshes introspective songs like "This Can't Be Life" and "Where Have You Been" with party joints like "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It to Me)" and "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" while coming up with street anthems like "Holla" and "Change the Game." Jay even has a few songs with a West Coast feel to them. "Change the Game," "Parking Lot Pimpin'," and "Squeeze 1st" are all tracks that Mack 10 or Snoop would drool over. The best tracks, though, are the laid back "Stick 2 The Script," featuring DJ Clue, "1-900-Hustler," and "Soon You’ll Understand." What began as a showcase for Jay-Z's proteges thankfully turned into a full-fledged Jay-Z album with several contributions from the Roc-A-Fella crew. I'm not sure if this is Jay's best album, but La Familia is definitely the best-produced. A rarity in hip-hop, every song on the album is worth listening to. A rapper like no other? Definitely. The best MC ever? Arguably (sorry Biggie, R.I.P.) A dynasty like no other? Maybe.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Cvere

Best album of 1999 | The rest of the Best of 1999
KURUPT, Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha, Antra
This is the album Dr. Dre should have made. Released on the same day as the highly anticipated 2001, Kurupt's The Streetz Iz A Mutha eclipses his mentor's project on several levels. Lyrically, Kurupt brings more authenticity with rhymes that come from the dome and not someone else's pen. And the production takes risks and mixes elements of old and new to compose a virtual masterpiece. His former Death Row inmate Warren G might want it all, but Kurupt's already got it: "Loose Cannons" is a throwback to the N.W.A days; "Who Ride Wit Us" is vintage g-funk influenced by forefathers Zapp and George Clinton; "Represent Dat G.C." follows suit with a dance-floor vibe; "Tryology" ranks among the best Wu-Tang-style beats with its string-laced track; and "Welcome Home" is a smoothed-out ode to L.A. Kurupt also gets full support from the Dogg Pound. Warren G, Snoop Dogg, Tray Dee, Nate Dogg, Soopafly and of course Daz remind you of the good old days of the wild, wild West on tracks like "Neva Gonna Give It Up," "Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha," "It Ain't About You" and "Girls All Pause," the first single. Dre makes an appearance as well, as "Housewife" pulls double duty on this album. To top it all off, the album closes out with "Live on the Mic," a freestyle session with KRS-One. Skits are kept to a minimum, highlighted by the return of Big Pimpin', WBALLS and Kevin "Slow Jammin'" James and a parody of DMX. Which brings us to the bonus track. Despite all the fuss, "Calling Out Names" is nothing more than a lyrical middle finger directed at DMX and others in the true spirit of battle rap. It's personal and hardly an attack on the East Coast. In fact, he praises more New York artists than he disses on the track (Buckshot, Noreaga, Jigga, Canibus, Wu-Tang, Eve and Def Squad to name quite a few). From the moment he steps to the mic and pays homage to Rakim on the opening cut, Kurupt let's you know it's on. Put simply, this is West Coast hip-hop at its best.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm

Best album of 1998 | The rest of the Best of 1998
OUTKAST, Aquemini, LaFace
Even though these southern players dropped a classic album of cadillac music on their debut, Dre and Big Boi haven't been content to duplicate their success by simply cloning their previous efforts. Instead, Outkast continues their evolution with a deeper brand of hip-hop on their third platter that not only gets you open, but opens your mind. Dre tackles the critics of that consciousness on the first track, "Return of the G," but quickly refocuses his attacks on "Synthesizer," choosing to target those that use the advances of science to enhance their appearance or "make seven babies." (That's right, he's dissin' the septuplets.) But for those that still want a taste of that ol' playa sound, the duo brings plenty of that as well. In fact, "West Savannah" is a cut they left off the first album. The hit singles -- "Rosa Parks" and "Skew It on the Bar-B" -- are here, too. And right after the best cut, "Da Art of Storytellin' (Part 2)," when the cries of "Mamacita" seem to be taking the album in the wrong direction, Outkast recovers with a spoken word track, two cuts featuring Goodie Mob, and a truly grand finale called "Chonkyfire." Aquemini is 75 minutes of diversified styles and solid music. We'll chalk up that one minor misfire to exploring the international flavor of hip-hop and grant the atliens a 50.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm

Best album of 1997 | The rest of the Best of 1997
NOTORIOUS B.I.G., Life After Death, Bad Boy
Sadly, this review comes just two weeks after Biggie was gunned down in L.A., giving the album's title and content a new perspective. But on Life After Death, B.I.G. and company show that the formula they perfected in the aftermath of "Big Poppa" and the "One More Chance" remix's success was ready for prime time. The first single, "Hypnotize," is an excellent example as Biggie drops some classic catchphrases over Puffy beats that have advanced considerably since the early days when every one of his remixes sounded the same. "Mo Money Mo Problems" features Mase, Puffy and Diana Ross on the hook and seems destined for endless airplay. "Ten Crack Commandments" uses Chuck D's ubiquitous countdown as a backdrop to Biggie's step-by-step rules to the dope game. "Notorious Thugs" sounded like a scary concept at first, but Biggie holds his own and might even top Bone at their own ultra-fast game. On "Playa Hater," Big and Puffy employ a tactic used to perfection by N.W.A some six years ago by singing -- terribly. Although ominous now, "Goin' Back to Cali" and "You're Nobody ('Til Somebody Kills You)" also stand out. All of the good tracks can't be listed, because there's just too many. But rest assured that although the Notorious B.I.G.'s status will no doubt be elevated by his death, this album's rating isn't. It's a rare double-disc classic.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm

Best album of 1996 | The rest of the Best of 1996
JAY-Z, Reasonable Doubt, Roc-A-Fella
While both sides of Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents / Ain't No N----" single have received plenty of airplay on The 411's radio show, the album almost got slept on. Reasonable Doubt sat on the shelf while lesser fare stayed in rotation. But once it finally made it to the deck, it hardly ever came out. And not because of one or two hot tracks -- it's the whole disc. Starting with the Mary J. Blige-blessed "Can't Knock the Hustle," Reasonable Doubt flows from cut to cut effortlessly thanks to consistently smooth beats, catchy-but-hardcore hooks and alarmingly honest lyrics. The bulk of the production for the album's 14 tracks is done by Ski (4), Clark Kent (3) and DJ Premier (3), and they employ a mix of lyrical samples by the likes of Nas, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Mobb Deep and musical snippets that include Ohio Players, the Stylistics and Isaac Hayes. But it's the wordplay by Jay-Z between and over the top of these beats that sets the album apart. Never is this more evident than when Jay-Z lets his emotions show on the album's finale, "Regrets." It seems Jay-Z might be the best thing to come out of New York since Notorious B.I.G., who makes an all-star appearance on "Brooklyn's Finest." But Jay trumps Biggie in one regard -- there's no Puffy to distract us from this $50 classic.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm

Best album of 1995 (tie) | The rest of the Best of 1995
BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY, E. 1999 Eternal, Ruthless/Relativity
About a year and a few months ago, Bone crept out of Cleveland and onto the rap scene. An Eazy-E protege, the thuggish-ruggish crew brought forth an EP with five exceptional tracks. This EP did very well, but as a lot of new school artists struggle with their sophomore projects, I suspected Bone's full-fledged album might not amount to the Thuggish-Ruggish Bone EP. I was definitely wrong. I was so wrong that I almost believe that this new Bone release not only ranks at the top of 1995 releases, but also is up there on the all-time hip-hop list. Bone has an original hip-hop sound of their own. The sing-along twang they put in to spit lyrics is very distinct and a part of every song, so either you love their style or you hate it. I enjoy listening to the album in full without fast-forwarding at all. All of the tracks are tight, but a few jump to the other level, the level that some artists try to reach their whole career. "Eternal" has very tight production with some very rhythmic synthesized background that keeps the head bobbin'. "Budsmokers Only" is surely just for that. "1st of the Month" has a sound of its own as far as production goes. This is Bone's first single from the album and proves to be one of the best tracks. "Buddah Lovaz" is the most laid-back track and can almost alter your mind just listening to it. It's a song for the smokers, but can be so mellow, I don't recommend gettin' blunted and mobbin' to this one in the ride. It's almost a guarantee you'll fall asleep at the wheel and eat a guardrail for supper, which would probably take your high away. "Mo Murda" is a hardcore track worth listening to over and over again, so if you buy the CD, make sure you hit repeat mode for this one. Bone will be and already is real successful with this one. If you like the original style and the lyrics chanted out with Bone's own oddness, I advise you to buy this album. You'll be able to listen to it straight up. Another big plus is that it is 17 tracks strong, which is not found very often nowadays. I think the whole album is a certified classic. I give it the big 5-0.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- B.J. Maniac

Best album of 1995 (tie) | The rest of the Best of 1995
RAEKWON, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., Loud
Doesn't it ever stop? That's the question that many artists, record biz execs and heads are asking themselves these days. The reason? The Wu has let loose another shot from the chambers: Shallah Raekwon the Chef is the third (and not last) Clan member to release a solo joint within the last two years. After recent strong solo debuts by Meth and Ol' Dirty Bastard it might seem like a good idea to let some time pass before delivering the next shipment of that old Wu-Tang sh--. Obviously not though as Wu-Tang seems intent on locking down a large portion, if not the whole damn rap industry, because on the real this latest chess move is no joke. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... features numerous members of the Clan, including the presence of the Ghost Face Killer, Tony Starks (who appears to be without a solo deal at this time), throughout, as well as appearances by Blue Raspberry, Nas and Cappuccino. This is the fifth RZA-produced album in the past two years and it seems that the beats are never-ending and constantly improving as the whole disc displays tight-ass production punctuated by verbal gymnastics by the Chef and friends. The album has the same dark and despairing overtones that are the Wu-Tang trademark, but there are a number of uptempo tracks helping to break up and vary the flow of the album. It is hard to pick out the highlights of the disc because its quality is so consistent, but there are a few tracks that deserve a first listen. The first number, "Knuckleheadz," sets it off lovely, while "Rainy Dayz" uses some eerie screeching noises and plaintive crooning to give the song a crazy feel. "Guillotine" may be the best track on the album; the fat instrumental hook used as the intro to Meth's "Tical" is paired with a punching bassline to allow Chef, Ghost Face, Inspektah Deck and the Gebius to wreck shop. Especially peep Genius, who rips sh-- so hard that my head bobbin' turned to neck snappin'. "Glaciers of Ice," the current single, and "Verbal Intercourse," featuring Tony Starks and Nas, are also strong tracks, while "Ice Cream" and "Wu Gambinos" let Clan members including Method Man, RZA and Master Killa flex skills. The CD also includes a bonus track, "North Star," not found on the cassette version. Overall this album is the strongest Wu-Tang release yet, and the Chef appears to have been putting in work, because his lyrics and delivery have improved. The only drawback to the album is actually a bonus; for a solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... features a lot of guest appearances, but with the all-star lineup, who can really complain? If heads sleep on this one, their name might as well be Rap VanWinkle because this disc will be receiving play for quite a while. Most classics do, don't they?
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Kawon

Best album of 1994 | The rest of the Best of 1994
OUTKAST, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, LaFace
The breakout stars of LaFace's Family Christmas album last November, Outkast drop their debut with designs on more than just regular holiday rotation. That shouldn't be a problem, as Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is 17 tracks and more than 64 minutes of southern-style funk that is sure to put Atlanta more prominently on the hip-hop map. The track from the Christmas album, "Player's Ball," returns, but slightly modified. It's funny how taking out a few assorted holiday references (creatively deleted as if they were curses on a radio version) makes a song seem that much harder. Andre and Big Boi complement each other perfectly over the Organized Noize-produced tracks, trading verses with a southern flavor on cuts like "Ain't No Thang" while giving props to Atlanta's neighborhoods. "Call of the Wild" features the Goodie Mob, and no one heeds that call more than Khujo, a mix of RBX and Busta Rhymes talking about Parkay, biscuits and your brain on drugs. "Funky Ride" sounds like it was dropped off by the mothership and somehow found its way to Outkast. Going outside the box, Andre and Big Boi don't appear at all. The ride is still enjoyable -- maybe the most for the girl at the end of the song -- but it serves as a fitting intermission before the second half of the album kicks in. Southern's not all playalistic, though. A cut like "Crumblin' Erb" you might think is just another song to blaze to, but it's not. Outkast switches it up on "Git Up, Git Out," suggesting that you "don't spend all your time trying to get high." A reprise of "Player's Ball" closes the album and adds a touch more singing, one final, fitting reminder that Outkast will twist hip-hop on you and open your mind to artists other than those who live next to an ocean.
Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm

More reviews on the Luniz, Nas and Jay-Z...

Ratings

Certified classic
You should already own this album

Capital goods
Better than the price you paid

Balanced
Worth every penny you pay for it

Coming up short
Wait for this one to go on sale

Good frisbee
Hold off until it hits the 99-cent bin


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