Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

RAP NATION

Top 10 CD's of the Month (June 1, 1998)

The best hip-hop sites on the net, plus a place to make your own homepage!

Angelfire - Easiest Free Home Pages
Wu-Tang Forever!
A bout it site for all the No Limit Soldiers! UGHHH!
Back to the Old School
Death Row Records
Meet the Def Squad!
Hieroglyphics! West Coast undergound
Boot Camp Clik
Is 2Pac Dead???
Previous CD Reviews! The Archive! MY OTHER WEBPAGE!!!

CHECK OUT THE ARCHIVE OF PAST CD REVIEWS AND RELEASE DATES AT MY OTHER WEBPAGE!!! CLICK ABOVE!

CD REVIEWS!!!!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-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-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+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: ALaFace 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 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+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)
  1. Moment of Truth---Gang Starr
  2. Capital Punishment---Big Punisher
  3. Still Standing---Goodie Mob
  4. Revenge, Retaliation, and Get-Back---Daz Dillenger
  5. My Homies---Scarface
    TOP 20 CD'S OF 1997
  1. Life After Death---Notorious BIG
  2. Bow Down---Westside Connection
  3. Ghetto Dope---Master P
  4. Wu-Tang Forever---Wu-Tang Clan
  5. The Art of War---Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
  6. Back in Business---EPMD
  7. Tha Hall of Game---E-40
  8. Ironman---Ghostface Killah
  9. Muddy Waters---Redman
  10. Hell on Earth---Mobb Deep
  11. When Disaster Strikes---Busta Rhymes
  12. No Way Out---Puff Daddy and The Family
  13. Based on a True Story---Mack 10
  14. The Untouchable---Scarface
  15. The Carnival---Wyclef Jean
  16. Ill Na Na---Foxy Brown
  17. I'm Bout It---Soundtrack
  18. The War Report---Capone-N-Noreaga
  19. Hardcore---Lil Kim
  20. Don Kiluminati---Makaveli

    Email: str8thugg@webtv.net