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
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