RAP NATION
Top 10 CD's of the Month (June 1, 1998)
- Big Punisher---Capital Punishment
- Daz Dillenger---Revenge, Retaliation, and Get Back
- DMX---It's Dark and Hell is Hot
- Eightball---Lost
- Gang Starr---Moment of Truth
- Goodie Mob---Still Standing
- Mo Thugs Family Scriptures---Chapter 2: Family Reunion
- Scarface---My Homies
- Soundtrack---I Got The Hook-Up!
- WC---The Shadiest One
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CD REVIEWS!!!!Big Punisher: Capital
Punishment
Loud Records
When Fat Joe put his boy on
Jealous One's Envy, I wonder if he knew how dope he
actually was. We've been waiting for this CD for a while,
and Big Pun doesn't disappoint. This is one of the best
debut CD's I've EVER heard! Big Pun spits fire on the mic
and his special guests add to the flavor. "I'm Not A
Player" is followed up with the 98 version "Still Not A
Player featuring R+B singer Joe. The second version is
even better than the first which was dope to begin with.
"Tres Leches" is possibly the best song of 98 as Mobb
Deep's Prodigy and Wu-Tang's Inspektah Deck rip it up over
a RZA beat. In a surprise move, Wyclef (he's been
everywhere lately) stops in on the reggae-based jam
"Caribbean Connection." Noreaga and Pun sound like they
could be the next Biggie and Jay-Z on "You Came Up."
Canibus, Fat Joe, B-Real, Guru, and Raekwon also lend a
hand. Big Pun really didn't need a hand though. His solo
cuts like "Capital Punishment are just as hard. Big Pun's
biggest challenge will be making a 2nd CD as tight as
this.
Best Song: "Tres Leches"
Worst Song:
"Glamour Life"
Grade: A-Daz Dillenger:
Revenge, Retaliation, and Get
Back
Death Row Records
Just when you thought Death
Row was done and over with, out comes an incredible CD.
Daz's new CD is about as good as Doggystyle and like The
Chronic in many ways. Daz's beats hit you like Dre did 5
years back. Daz chooses to bring in big name artists
instead of newcomers though. Snoop and Nate Dogg appear on
the albums best cut, "O.G.", and you forget all about the
recent Death Row problems. 2Pac and the Outlaw Immortalz
lay it down on "Initiated" and Kurupt makes a few cameos.
Too $hort, WC, MC Eiht, and B-Legit also appear, and this
CD will be one of the year's top releases. If it weren't
for 2 tracks, ("Only For U" "Thank God For Life") this may
have been a classic.
Best Song: "O.G."
Worst
Song: "Only For U"
Grade: A-DMX: It's Dark and
Hell is Hot
Def Jam Records
Best Song:
"F**kin Wit D"
Worst Song:
Grade: B+Suave House Records
Best Song: "Ball and Bun"
Worst
Song: "I Don't Want To Die"
Grade: B+Gang
Starr: Moment of
Truth
Noo Trybe Records
DJ Premeire is the best
producer in the game. Hands down. No ifs, ands, or buts.
He's done tracks for EVERY East Coast superstar, and has
taken Gang Starr into legendary status in the past. Who
would have thought that their best CD was yet to come. The
groups 5th CD is by far their best ever. Guru, who is
normally tight, has stepped it up even more, and Primo is,
well, Primo. Guru speaks on his gun charge on "JFK to LAX"
and well-placed interludes have the duo letting you know
what's up. Primo's production is on point the whole way.
"Moment of Truth" and "My Advice to You" both have a very
positive tone yet still represent. MOP and Inspektah Deck
show up for "B.I. vs. Friencship" and "Above the Clouds"
and only add to the flavor. But when Scarface and Guru
each rip the mic on "Betrayal" you get rap music at it's
best. Did I mention Primo's beats were tight?
Best
Song:
"Betrayal"
Worst Song: "Robin Hood Theory"
Grade:
AGoodie Mob: Still Standing
LaFace
Records
This has got to be one of the most under-rated
groups in the industry. 1995's Soul Food was one of the
best CD's of the 90's (plus it started the phrase "dirty
south") and this group never got the recognition they
deserved. Hopefully, this dope CD will change all that.
The first single "They Don't Dance" and the street-smart
"Gutta Butta" are tight and the whole CD is just as smooth.
"The Experience" is cool, while the self-explanatory
"Beautiful Skin" is pure poetry. And just when you're
ready to pop this CD out of the CD player, "Just About
Over" really makes you think about the year 2000. Just
think about the 4 CD's that the ATL's Goodie Mob and
Outkast have put out now. Kind of puts the whole
"East/West war" into perspective huh?
Best Song: "The
Experience"
Worst Song: "Greeny Green"
Grade:
A-Mo Thugs Family Scriptures: Chapter II: Family
Reunion
Mo Thugs Records
Best Song: "Mighty Mo Thug"
Worst
Song: "The Queen"
Grade: B+Rap-A-Lot Records
Scarface, who helped
pioneer gangsta rap in the late 80's, is one of those few
artists who remains consistantly dope on every release.
Last year's "Untouchable" in my opinion was one of the
best CD's of the year, yet few peeped it. This CD will
probably get more attention, due to the fact that everyone
from the South and the West show up. Scarface only has 2
solo tracks and about 6 or 7 tracks he doesn't show up at
all, thus the title, "My Homies." Disc 1 is bangin' as
Tela stops by on 2 of the CD's best cuts. "F**kfaces" with
Too $hort and Tela has Scarface out performing them both.
"Southside" is the Southern version of "California Love"
and Tela also blows up the spot here. The Ghetto Twins
appear on "Small Time" and pick up where they left off on
the bout it soundtrack. Disc 2 fades a little bit but be
sure to check out "Sleepin in my Nikes" with the late
Seagram if you haven't been exposed to his skills. The
original version of "Homies and Thuggs" with Master P and
2Pac is tight, but 2Pac's verse sounds like it was recorded
with Fisher-Price equiptment, and the remix on Disc 1 is
useless. The CD is definitely worth the money because of
all the special guests. Ice Cube, Too $hort, Master P,
2Pac, Do or Die, Ghetto Twins, UGK, Tela, B-Legit, The
Luniz, Seagram, FACEMOB, Menace Clan, and current and
former Geto Boys Willie D, Bushwick Bill, and Big Mike all
drop by. Also about 5 new artists are placed throughout
the CD. Face continues to bring it real.
Best Song:
"F**kfaces"
Worst Song: "Warriors"
Grade:
B+Soundtrack: I Got The Hook-Up!
No Limit
Records
Last year, Master P surprised a lot of people
when he released his "I'm Bout It" soundtrack and it turned
out to be one of the best CD's of 1997. This year P is
back and useing the same formula: No Limit Soldiers
everywhere mixed in with rap's biggest names. This time he
has some really big names too. P and Silkk start things
off with those Bone Thugs from Cleveland. The song is dope
but it's under 3 minutes long and is more of an intro if
anything. Ice Cube steps in with "Ghetto Vet" and shows
that this Predator isn't played out yet. (When his War and
Peace CD comes out this summer, I am expecting it to be his
best since Death Certificate) What seperates this from
last years No Limit soundtrack is the range of guests.
While "Bout It" had major talent from the South and the
West, this CD has Montell Jordan, Jay-Z, and Bone on it.
The Wu is even represented as Ol' Dirty Bastard and
Mystikal team up for "We Run This", the first ever pairing
of No Limit and Wu. You've gotta hear this one to believe
it. The Soldiers also lay down some hot cuts, as Soulja
Slim, C-Murder, Steady Mobb'n, and Skull Dugrey refuse to
be outdone by anyone. (Mia-X only has a 30 second verse on
1 track which is a shame) The CD's best cut is when the
newest No Limit Soldier Snoop Doggy Dogg grabs that mic and
lays down gangsta knowledge with "Hooked." This may be the
best CD you can buy if you're not familiar with NL, due to
everyone else who is on it.
Best Song: "Hooked"---Snoop
Doggy Dogg
Worst
Song: "Drama"---Skull Dugrey
Grade: BPayday Records
This the rapper who took
Westside Connection's Bow Down from a good CD to a great
CD. This is the rapper who out-performed Cube and Mack 10
and had people waiting for HIS CD. It's here and he
doesn't disappoint. "F**kin Wit A House Party" can kind of
sum up this CD. WC rhymes about getting a beat-down and
still you can't lose any respect for him. He's funny and
shows mad skills all thru this whole CD. "It's All Bad" is
str8 gangsterism as WC runs from the police. And if you're
thinking you've heard these gangsta tales one too many
times, think again. Remember, this is 1/3 of the group
that had kids in Brooklyn yelling WESSYDE!! last year.
"Call it what you want" is the 98 version of OPP, and
again WC shows off his talent for storytelling. As for
guest apperances, Daz Dillenger, E-40, Ice Cube, Mack 10,
and a couple others stop by, but WC usually raps tighter.
One exception is CJ Mac on "The Shadiest One." This cut
might make you think twice before you pull your next heist.
The beats are mostly West Coast funk, but they should pack
some nationwide appeal. If Coolio had any sense, he would
have never parted ways with WC.
Best
Song: "Call It What You Want"
Worst Song: "Better
Days"
Grade:
B+
TOP 5 CD'S OF 1998 (so far)
- Moment of Truth---Gang Starr
- Capital Punishment---Big Punisher
- Still Standing---Goodie Mob
- Revenge, Retaliation, and Get-Back---Daz Dillenger
- My Homies---Scarface
TOP 20 CD'S OF 1997
- Life After Death---Notorious BIG
- Bow Down---Westside Connection
- Ghetto Dope---Master P
- Wu-Tang Forever---Wu-Tang Clan
- The Art of War---Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
- Back in Business---EPMD
- Tha Hall of Game---E-40
- Ironman---Ghostface Killah
- Muddy Waters---Redman
- Hell on Earth---Mobb Deep
- When Disaster Strikes---Busta Rhymes
- No Way Out---Puff Daddy and The Family
- Based on a True Story---Mack 10
- The Untouchable---Scarface
- The Carnival---Wyclef Jean
- Ill Na Na---Foxy Brown
- I'm Bout It---Soundtrack
- The War Report---Capone-N-Noreaga
- Hardcore---Lil Kim
- Don Kiluminati---Makaveli
Email: str8thugg@webtv.net