BayUndaground.com reviews thread

[LethaFace]

Troublez presents Tha Allstarz
Troublez Music
Rating: 3.5/5

01. I Luv The Block - Troublez, Boogie Locs & Young Trone
02. Day By Day Remix - Bay Mafia, C-Locs, Big Oso Loc & Troublez
03. Holla Out My Name - Cali Grown & Miles High
04. We Gon' Ball Remix - Game & Lil Coner
05. B.A.Y. - Frank Gucci
06. Holdin' It Down - Young Trone
07. In Your Best Interest - Nsanity
08. Side That Be The Sickest - Baby Boy Ene, Cisco & Loco C
09. Goons Stay In Motion - Evil, Leno & Hittah
10. I'd Rather - C-Locs, Bullet G & Mike D
11. 5150 - No Remorse & Troublez
12. Didn't I - Troublez, Boogie Locs & C-Locs
13. The Block I Love Pt. 2 - J-Dogg-4-Lif' & Young Tank
14. Whoa - Ace Of Spits
15. Hustlin' To Survive - Troublez, Thugzy & Select
16. 408 To The 510 - Big Oso Loc & Troublez
17. If I Die Tonight - C-Locs & Troublez
18. Fuck U Haters - Tekpot, Scrilla Mac & Fada J

In the last few years the local San Jose rap scene was very prolific, introducing to its fans talented artists and bringing worthy projects, often compilations, where one could hear new, interesting rappers. Troublez, as one of them, is repping West Side San Jose and after over a 5-year long career he wants to support less known emcees, unite the Latin rap scene and pay homage to his turf. Therefore he releases a compilation entitled "Tha Allstarz", which includes both famous Shark City representatives as well as underground figures from his hometown and vicinity of Bay Area.

The reviewed project was preceded by 5 other albums by Troublez: a debut EP, two full length solos, a mixtape and another compilation called "The Network". That's why performances by such hood celebrities as Big Oso Loc, C-Locs or Criminal Records members don't seem a big surprise. The host didn't forget to promote independent and unknown artists though, who had a chance to show off their talents. We'll hear verses by Young Tank and Boogie Locs of the up-and-coming SJ group Bay Mafia, who appeared on 3 tracks in total, presenting quite decent delivery. Except for them I was very pleased with never-before-heard Young Trone, who brought a very good solo track, and also a local trio on "Goons Stay In Motion". C-Locs (the CEO of M.A.E. label) also had his contribution in the reviewed project as he was featured on 4 cuts. I didn't only feel his lines on "If I Die Tonight", because they sounded like a freestyle. I was also deeply contented to see Frank Gucci, who's also repping western part of San Jose. This Latin gangsta rapper vanished from the scene after dropping a debut cd in 2004 called "What Goes Around Comes Around" and suddenly he brings an unheard, great, representative track. Props go to artists who I was already familiar with as they didn't disappoint me at all. Hereby I should thank Big Oso Loc (one of a few not representing SJ in here), Ace Of Spits, Cali Grown and boys from CR label. Quite an effort was also put by the album's host himself - Troublez - who was rapping on third part of the cuts leaving decent verses filled with soft, yet mature voice and slow, calm flows. What disturbs me a little in the overall cohesion of the project is a remix of "We Gon' Ball" track, whose original version was already featured on "Portraits Of A Gangster", plus it generally didn't amaze me with its sound. To the very few flaws of the album I'd also like to add kind of a wack delivery on #17 and a couple of average beats. Speaking of which, I must say that in general they present a solid quality, yet not always equal. Most often the production was rather laidback with those characteristic gentle tones usually featured on songs with Troublez, for instance "I Luv The Block", "Day By Day Remix", "Didn't I" or "Hustlin' To Survive". If you want to hear some heavier street melodies you'll find them on slaps like "B.A.Y.", "In Your Best Interest" or one of my favorite - "Whoa" by Ace Of Spits. The production was usually handled by the authors of songs themselves, therefore you'll get beats by Tekpot, Baby Boy Ene, Lil Man (of Nsanity), Frank Gucci, Lil G (of Cali Grown), Young Trone, Lil Coner, No Remorse and J-Dogg-4-Lif' plus a few from people like Sean Ross, Big Reed, Gabereal, Young Savi and others. The musical background fits to the lyrical content of the album quite accurately. The major part of themes refer to tough street life, representing one's city and hood, plus there are a few don't-fuck-with-me type of cuts.

Quite often a compilation somehow loses its inner homogeneity; its balance is almost always far from the one presented on solo projects. Fortunately "Tha Allstarz" experienced this drawback in a small part, nonetheless you'll hear both some splendid as well as more average tracks. I'm glad that there are no recycled songs nor any bummer cuts, which often appear on compilations. I'd also like to emphasize that Troublez has really improved the quality of his projects as comparing to the last, not the greatest one entitled "The Network", the reviewed album presents surprisingly good. I recommend it to all fans of Latin rap and local San Jose scene.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

San Joe - The Blood Is On Our Hands
Carry The Cross Music (2007)
Rating: 4/5

01. Intro
02. All I Know
03. Ride With Me
04. It Ain't A Game
05. Where My Soldiers f. C-Flo, Big Head Ed & E-Dogg
06. If He Didn't Do Another Thang For Me f. Joshua Wright & Brad
07. Cross Up
08. La Sangre f. DJ Clay, Stable & Roni
09. Still Waters f. Brother Rob
10. Didn't Have Time (remix #2)
11. Tomorrow's Not Promised f. E-Dogg & Brother Rob
12. Leaning Back f. Pastor Bone
13. Like We On One Boy (remix)
14. Wash These Hands (remix)
15. Hear The Roar f. Brother Rob & Peniel
16. The Word (skit)
17. The Blood Is On Our Hands
18. Outro (skit)

San Joe is definitely the most prolific and at the same time hard-working Christian rap representative out of northern California. I'm always impressed when I see his schedule for upcoming weeks that includes concerts, sermons, testimonies and other various venues aimed to propagate faith and good among society. Obviously this San Jose artist can also be proud of his rich discography: two solos (yet only "My Savior" is strictly religious) as well as many compilations like four parts of "Price Paid" series and his own one entitled "Carry The Cross Volume One" released in 2007. Shortly after he drops the currently reviewed, third solo "The Blood Is On Our Hands".

If you haven't had a chance yet to get familiar with San Joe's music, then you should note that he's far from being labeled as a church mouse. Some may think that just because he raps about God and love his recordings will be dull, sweet and monothematic. However the artist is known for expressing lots of emotions in almost every verse - he raises voice, sometimes shows anger, but above all he can really spit rhymes at an uncommon speed. In extreme cases the host serves amazingly hardcore vibes and if you weren't listening carefully, you could think that he was calling for a gang violence. Indeed, as there's a room for hatred, encouraging to fight, resist and ultimately destroy the enemy. However San Joe obviously sees the evil in Satan, not in another human being. Such exceptionally hard, typically West Coast songs include great "It Ain't A Game", "Where My Soldiers", "The Blood Is On Our Hands" and other. There's also another set of tracks that I consider equally fine, namely these calm, slow, laidback ones, where hooks usually feature soft RnB performed by such people as Sister Wanda, Brother Willie or R.S.J. Among these you will find the noteworthy "If He Didn't Do Another Thang For Me", where San Joe talks about God, whom he'll praise even if he didn't do anything more for him. These type of cuts can be recognized by polished instrumental loops like guitars on "Still Waters" or piano on "Didn't Have Time". I'd also like to emphasize that despite various paces the artist smoothly follows each and every rhythm with an enviable experience, at the same time avoiding played-out rhymes. Here's a brief quote:

It's still hot
Hotter than the third degree
It's 911 emergency
The enemy lookin' to murder me
Can you feel the urgency?
Cause now's the time
I'm a ride, do or die
Boy it's Christ on mind

The whole production was handled by a known San Jose composer by the name of G-Rock. It's also important to note that you can't feel bored even for a moment, so he really did hell of a great job. Nevertheless I wasn't entirely into those jumpy, modern type of melodies that would rather suit some party-like joints. And indeed that's what they sound like, instead in-between the lines you'll get lyrics praising the Lord. On one hand tracks like "Leaning Back" or "Ride With Me" introduce a nice, positive mood, yet on the other "Cross Up" is a little too much for me - it's definitely too fast, lively and generally not fitting the album's overall concept. Second half of the solo features a couple of titles labeled as "remix". These could already be heard on other projects by the artist - "Price Paid Volume 1", "My Savior" as well as "Carry The Cross". What is more, a few other already showed up on remaining parts of "Price Paid" series, for example "It Ain't A Game" or "Hear The Roar". Those of you who collected all volumes will probably be disappointed. I only felt that the remix of "Like We On One Boy" was redundant, as I wasn't able to find any distinct differences in comparison to the original. All in all, the hereby solo contains lots of outstanding material, but also slight glitches that lower the final rating a bit. I recommend this album to all fans of West Coast music. It's sometimes good to listen to something less mundane, something that depicts disadvantages of violence, hatred and egoism.

This project can be bought at CD Baby on-line store. I also encourage you to visit San Joe's MySpace page.
Joe, thank you for providing the album for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

Various Artists - Savulation Part Two
Savage Pro'z Ent. (2007)
Rating: 4.5/5

01. Da Intro Part II - Young Savi, Apz, C-Buggz, Paco Locz, Chinzo Smokes, J Black, unknown people & Joksta
02. We Keep It Movin - Young Savi & J Black
03. Make It Bounce - Young Savi, Ace, C-Buggz & J Black
04. (skit)
05. Go Dumb With Me - Apz, C-Buggz, Jimmy Roses & Young Savi
06. Wicked Westside - Paco Locz, Young Savi & Chinzo Smokes
07. Hard Hittaz - Young Savi & Frogger
08. Hood Buidness - Twin Brothers, Young Savi & Joksta
09. Hustla's Ambition - Paco Locz & Young Savi
10. We Dip Through - Young Savi, Nicc Nasty & Face The Factor
11. We Gonna Ride - Young Savi, Young C & Young Hi-Fee
12. Ughhhh - Conspiracy, Profit & Young Savi
13. Let Me Holla At You - Young Savi, C-Buggz & Conspiracy
14. The Savage Anthem - Young Savi, Conspiracy, Sandman, J Black, C-Buggz & Face The Factor
15. Scraperz N Lowlows - Young Savi, Frogger, C-Buggz, Lowky, Mystere & Paco Locz
16. Mission - Young Savi, Big Mic & Joksta
17. Black N Whites - Paco Locz
18. We Livin Hyphy - Young Savi, Face The Factor, Conspiracy, C-Buggz, J Black & Apz
19. Open They Eyez - Young Savi & Chinzo Smokes
20. Central Coast - Young Savi, Paco Locz, Frogger & Chinzo Smokes
21. Gettin It - Young Savi, C-Buggz & Paco Locz
22. A Letter To Heaven - Young Savi, Paco Locz & C-Buggz

The Central California rap scene slowly begins to spread its wings. So far not too many albums from this region hit the streets, yet it steadily gets more fertile. One of the symptoms is a founding of Savage Pro'z Entertainment record label (with Young Savi as the CEO) that unifies an impressive number of artists. It has already released an underground compilation entitled "Savulation", which I haven't had an opportunity to listen to due to its limited availability. Fortunately these guys didn't retire and in 2007 brought the hereby second part of the series that features a lot of 21 tracks showcasing untapped talents bred on the Central Coast.

It only takes a glance at the tracklist to notice that the second part of "Savulation" is indeed a huge project. 21 tracks with (mostly) at least 3 verses each is not something common these days. All joints feature appearances by the Savage Pro'z representatives that include Young Savi (20 performances!), C-Buggz (9), Paco Locz (8), J Black (5) and Chinzo Smokes (4). Other than that you'll see people from affiliated labels Double M as well as Lil Town Ent. - Conspiracy, Sandman, Joksta, Ace and others. The majority of them are Latins and you can even hear Spanish notes in their accents. It's astonishing that none of these rappers has been known to a larger audience so far, yet even though you can hear that they are all experienced craftsmen. No one out here has any problems with sounding natural or properly following a rhythm. What is more, every verse is polished and doesn't disappoint at all. Yeah, I know, I was also surprised at first, however I still think that everybody has something to offer on this one. As far as lyrical content is concerned get ready for a street medley and representing one's area. The artists will often let you know that they hail from such Monterey Bay cities as Castroville, Salinas or other like Hollister. These are the leading motives of songs like "The Savage Anthem" or "Central Coast". Producers cared for a modern production that at the same time refers to West Coast roots, that's why you'll hear slow or medium tempos and mob type fashion on "Hard Hittaz", "Hustla's Ambition", "Mission" and many many more. Among these serious cuts you'll also find "Open They Eyez" as well as "A Letter To Heaven" dedicated to dead homeboys.

Approximately a half of the album is a more or less ambitious entertainment. There's a room for an ode to vehicles ("Scraperz N Lowlows"), laidback pimping that should appeal to female part of the audience ("Let Me Holla At You") and a little more party-like, sometimes on the verge of hyphy movement type of vibes. What's interesting, even when these people occasionally talk about getting dumb, dancing or bragging who's the flyest and the dopest, they are far from doing it in the trashy way. Vocal side - as I've already mentioned - is of high quality, plus the rappers cared for proper wording and at least decent rhymes. Truth is, you won't be flooded with ground-breaking metaphors, but it's definitely above the average. Moreover the production team did hell of a job and served a beautiful musical setting - providing both entertainment as well as traditional West Coast vibes. Strict fast paces and computerized, electronic samples were only used on a couple of tracks: "Make It Bounce", "Go Dumb With Me", "Ughhhh" (one of a few bad joints) and "We Livin Hyphy". By the way, this song features - as an exception - a worse quality than the rest of the project. Nevertheless even the above listed examples usually don't irritate with their simplicity, rather provide a really huge dose of head-bobbing entertainment. Big props to versatile Young Savi who's responsible for 13 beats. Other than that the production was handled by Street Muzik, J Black, Frogger and Conspiracy. Altogether "Savulation Part Two" brings classic, California street melodies mixed with the modern, care-free ones, plus it all lasts almost 80 minutes and doesn't bore for even a second. I highly recommend to look for this compilation, it is worth it.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

PoeticCc Tha Prophet - This Is Me
Mid South Musicc (2010)
Rating: 4/5

01. Blood Splatters
02. This Is Me (skit)
03. Been Out Grindin f. Lyrical Dre
04. Wanna Battle?
05. Keep It Real
06. This Is My Life f. Lyrical Dre & R.I.P.S.Y.C
07. Catch That Fade f. M.T.G.
08. Inside Out
09. Boiling Point f. Semi-Automatic
10. Heard Her Say f. R.I.P.S.Y.C
11. Letter 2 My Father
12. You A Lie f. J Cynical & Okie
13. It's Nuthin f. Lyrical Dre, E-Moe & J Cynical
14. Snake Eyez f. Lyrical Dre
15. Angels & Demons
16. This Is Mine... (skit)
17. History

The hereby review is sort of a precedent for the website, an exception from a hitherto rule that we'll slowly change. PoeticCc The Prophet represents Oklahoma City and Norman (also located in the state of Oklahoma), yet we so far focused almost solely on the central or northern California rap scene. PTP has been active in the local underground for some time now. He debuted back in 2005 with the solo entitled "Death Before Dishonor" and a year later came out with "The Bastard In Blacc". What is more, he recorded a duo collaboration "K.O.M.B.A.T." with a fellow OKC artist Ninjaface in 2008. And finally he provided a free-for-download mixtape "Tha Mad Rapper" in 2009, meant to promote the upcoming, currently reviewed third full-length solo that hit the streets in March 2010.

So far I wasn't familiar at all with PoeticCc's recordings, but he quickly let himself be known as an artist showcasing unusual style. He can be recognized by an adult, deep voice and completely non-standard, rapid yet clear flow. In this particular matter he reminds me of Sacramento's G-Macc, however on the contrary to him PTP doesn't have any problems with smoothly following each and every beat or rhythm, so-called melodiousness. You should also note that even though he comes from Oklahoma (south), you won't hear any distinct accent or musical themes typical to such regions as Texas or Louisiana. "This Is Me" - as the title suggests - is a personal solo, where the host tells a couple of sorrowful stories. He talks about unsuccessful relationships and cheating ("Heard Her Say"), anger ("Boiling Point"), disappointment with the contemporary mainstream hip-hop ("Wanna Battle?"), contradictory feelings tearing people ("Angels & Demons"), he disses his father whom he's never really met ("Letter 2 My Father") and more. The currently reviewed album has definitely a lot to offer when it comes to lyrical content, as in fact every single track has a certain theme and you surely won't have an impression that you're getting the same old pulp, re-stirred for the hundredth time. It is also important to mention that PoeticCc really polished his bars on the word level and provided a solid dose of noteworthy, original rhymes (inevitable, incredible, let it go, perpetual), often spat in a fast-paced manner. You can't forget about the invited guests either, as they rose to the occasion and brought equally great verses. I was particularly impressed by Lyrical Dre (appeared on 4 tracks), who - just like the host himself - surprises with a smooth flow as well as a wide set of non-trivial rhymes.

I wrote before that there are numerous personal songs out here. That's when you'll mostly hear calm or hard-hitting, slow music that tends to feature ear-catching instrumental samples - "This Is My Life", "Inside Out" or a great piano on "Angels & Demons". The overall production is basically of high quality and it is mainly directed to fans of ambitious recordings that have nothing in common with a party or any other type of entertainment. Yes, "This Is Me" is generally deprived of any life joy, it won't put you in a positive mood, rather incline you to think and bob your head steadily. Significant number of beats were handled by PoeticCc himself (6 under his belt), but also by Jay Savvola (3) as well as Budd26, C.L. McCoy and Ovwarrior (2 each). I'd also like give big props to Okie who's responsible for an amazing Krayzie Bone-like hook on "You A Lie" - this cat has a major talent! I wasn't necessarily pleased with M.T.G.'s performance on "Catch That Fade". Even though he's a savage when it comes to astounding rhymes, he tends to miss a rhythm a couple of times. Among few glitches you will also find a bit silent recording. Don't take me wrong, it's not really that serious, however I sometimes have an impression that certain nice sounds were not emphasized the way they should have been. The hereby project is good enough it lets me point fingers at tracks that I would normally have nothing against. In such case I will mention "Wanna Battle?" as well as "Keep It Real" that in my opinion don't feature the same amount of charisma and catchy phrases as the remaining ones. I highly encourage you to get familiar with this cd, because it is a really solid piece of polished rap. Especially since it can be bought for only $7.99 at CD Baby (or $6.99 for digitals).

It's also good to visit PoeticCc's MySpace page and the official Mid South Musicc website.

PTP, thank you for providing the album for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

Yungpuppz - Bloc Monster
Bloc Monster Productions (2010)
Rating: 3.5/5

01. Intro (skit)
02. We Dont Give A Fuck f. Lil Teck & Bonkers
03. Public Announcement f. Big Rome
04. Why I Stay High
05. Daddys Last Words I
06. Smash On f. Big Rome
07. Homicidal Visions f. Drew, Lonely Boy & Lil Teck
08. Im A Monster
09. Eastside Connect f. A.K. & Bigg Spank
10. We Get Down f. Big Rome
11. I Love Kali f. Yung-T & Slump
12. Listen Up f. Spun Loc
13. Gangsta Funk f. JR
14. Up Da Bloc f. King & Spun Loc

A vast majority of you most probably have never heard of the Latin named Yungpuppz, representing Eastside Salinas in the 831 area code. And nothing's wrong with that, since this cat debuted in 2010 with the hereby solo "Bloc Monster". Before that he released only an underground, low-budget, home-pressed project entitled "Master Of Puppets". This artist is yet another proof that the Central California rap scene is finally expanding.

Dark and sinister front cover depicts to certain degree what you're about to hear on this album. The majority of the tracks are slow, disturbing, but at the same time hard, with traditional West Coast 90's sounds playing in the background. Therefore get ready for typical pipes, strings, unhurried yet distinct beats, vibrating basses or a distressing piano. Pretty many cuts (5) were prepared by the fellow 831 representative - King - who could already be heard on the underground cd he recorded together with Fury ("Talk Is Cheap"). Apart from that 4 songs were handled by Lil Teck, 2 by Yungpuppz himself and one remains of an unknown origin. I need to admit that the producers did hell of a job, directed mainly to fans of underground sounds. The truth is, music on "Bloc Monster" is nowhere near the mainstream, clean, party-like one. These are not ear-friendly vibes that you will hear on the radio one day. On the contrary, you can sometimes hear slight shortcomings, old school samples as well as not your best mastering resulting in lower than average loudness - and quality as a consequence. Nevertheless all these aspects ultimately create a unique feel which will be appreciated by the street gangsta rap fans. As I've already mentioned, this album is dominated with slow and middle paces, the only exception being a little more brisk "Im A Monster". The host himself perfectly fits the overall atmosphere, because he keeps on lacing us with unhurried, laidback verses. He is characterized by a bit high-pitched voice and smooth flow, plus he tends to use non-trivial vocabulary as well as rhymes (lungs / tounge, chronic / preposterous). In his lyrics he focuses both on personal and street, turf related aspects. That's why you will for instance hear an ode to smoking weed ("Why I Stay High"), a track about raising sons and being an example for them ("Daddys Last Words I"), but also "Eastside Connect" and "Gangsta Funk", whose titles are self-explanatory. You should also note that the artist once in a while mentions Norte gang related motives, but mainly in-between the lines. Yungpuppz is a good rapper in many aspects and it's a pity that he didn't decide to bring us more solo joints (only 3). Fortunately the invited guests presented something equally decent, moreover almost all of them represent the 831 as well; from what I know the only exception is Drew Bogart aka Tokztero. On two tracks you can sometimes hear an altered voice (slowed down, demon-like), but it only panned out on "Im A Monster", while it lasts way to long on "Daddys Last..." and eventually distorts a rhythm due to being off-beat. I also need to admit that I wasn't necessarily content with the "I Love Kali" song, lacking that original feel to it that can be noticed throughout the remaining cuts. Those slight glitches that I've just listed don't change the fact that "Bloc Monster" is a really solid album and fans of Latin street vibes should appreciate it.

If you're interested in pressed copies, then you should know that they are not that easy to acquire. This solo is available only locally, therefore I recommend to contact the artist directly via his MySpace page.
Puppz, thank you for providing the album for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

C-Dat - First Class Ride
So Gutta Records (2010)
Rating: 4/5

01. Harley
02. Blazing On A Track
03. Crazy f. Matt Blaque
04. Lets Get This Paper f. Turf Talk & INDI
05. Body So Soft
06. Getaway f. Husalah
07. Playa Like Me
08. Its Alright
09. Swagger Like Quagmire f. Andizzelle
10. Doors Wide Open
11. Sweet Dreams 2K f. Goldie Gold
12. Beautiful Bitch f. Matt Blaque
13. Doin Extra f. Matt Blaque
14. Stutin
15. Bounce Out f. Killa Klump & Matt Blaque

C-Dat is a San Francisco representative and at the same time a CEO of the local So Gutta Records label that has already released two projects. First was the "So Gutta Compilation" back in 2006 and a year later a solo by an artist ES-B Teda'Mean entitled "Grind It Out". Three years passed and in June 2010 yet another project hit the deck - the currently reviewed cd by C-Dat named "First Class Ride". There's a chance this one will attract listener's attention, as there are some big figures featured: Matt Blaque, Husalah, Turf Talk or Goldie Gold of The Federation.

Fortunately the invited guests are not the core of the hereby album, only a nice addition. Bearing in mind that Matt Blaque appears only on hooks, just have a look at the tracklist and become convinced that the "First Class Ride" is a thoroughbred solo. On 10 out of 15 tracks he needs to cope on his own. And truth be told he does it really well. This cat can be recognized by a high-pitched, sometimes even adolescent voice, plus by an extremely smooth and melodious flow. Regardless of the served tempo - these tend to change from slow to pretty fast ones - the artist impeccably follows each and every beat, matches each drum hit and leaves not your average rhymes. Yes indeed, the vocal side of this project is of high quality and even though I haven't heard C-Dat on any other album (I'm only aware of the ones mentioned in the introduction) I need to admit that he's an experienced and talented craftsman. He tends to sprinkle his verses as well as hooks with various voice alterations quite often. However don't be needlessly afraid, fortunately we were spared a redundant autotune. Instead get ready for a slight computerization, singing or an amazing Bone Thugs stylization on the great by the way "Body So Soft".

As far as production is concerned you'll mostly receive something modern, yet diversified in terms of feel. On one hand there are pretty many calm, melodious tracks dedicated and directed to females, for example "Crazy", "Playa Like Me", "Its Alright" or "Doin Extra". On the other there are also the ones with faster tempos, more party-like, encouraging the listener to bob his head intensively. C-Dat mentions in-between the lines that he's hyphy, but I really wouldn't generalize his endeavors with such a limiting word. To tell the truth, such songs as "Lets Get This Paper", "Doors Wide Open" or "Swagger Like Quagmire" are close to this stylistics, but even then don't expect any dumbed-down lyrics about going stupid or popping tablets. On such recordings the rapper more of provides a polished entertainment on a solid level. I also need to emphasize that he did the majority of the beats on his own - 10 cuts! - out of which 5 were co-produced by Andizzelle (2 by him only) and the remaining ones were delivered by J. Moe and Clypso. I also need to mention outstanding hooks which make certain cuts easy to memorize. It's a real pity though that this solo does have some minor yet significant drawbacks. Namely I wasn't satisfied at all with two songs: "Its Alright" as well as "Sweet Dreams 2K". The first one is slow-paced, while C-Dat spits out subsequent lines way too fast, therefore initial verses lose their rhythm. On the other hand the second cut features an extremely cosmic tempo as well as a little pop-type beat (it sounds like a remix of something from back in the days, but I can't recall), which automatically disqualifies it; it doesn't match the rest of the album anyway. The currently reviewed "First Class Ride" is mainly directed to people who are into ambitious but at the same time nice and entertaining rap from the XXI century, the one that brings a smile to your face and forces a vigorous head bob. Fans of street vibes dominated with bragging, threats and claiming one's set won't probably find anything noteworthy on this solo. The cd can be bought for instance on CD Baby, but I also encourage you to visit C-Dat on his MySpace page.

C-Dat, thank you for providing the album for the review.

 

[LethaFace]

Black C - 70s Baby
Rightway Productions
Rating: 4.5/5

01. Best Believe
02. I Got Money
03. Need Ya Luv f. Young Jun3 & A.R.
04. Mary Jane
05. What Could've Been
06. Players Anthem
07. I Get High!
08. The Life f. Moe Da Hustla
09. My BedRoom f. Devious
10. I'll Never Tell f. Simon
11. Where We All Began
12. Brand Nu f. Simon & A.R.
13. Why They Hate f. Young Shaad
14. Stay With Me f. Hermanata
15. Gave U My Luv
16. Can't Go Back f. Trouble Maker & Simon
17. I'm Alive f. Martha B.

Northern California rap scene is one of the most fertile spots on the whole West Coast, where the amount of released albums is beyond belief. Therefore it is even harder to find a quality product, which will please fans and bring its author deserved success at the same time. So what if there's a great underground cd, yet only pressed in a thousand copies or even fewer? Or what's the point of dropping a marvelous project, but only digitally? Fortunately once in a while the Bay Area turf yields a superb full-length official release with a decent marketing / promotion and - what's most important - with a fresh and original content.

A still steaming batch straight out of Rightway Productions label has just arrived to BayUndaground.com. It is a solo by the well known San Francisco, Hunter's Point representative and a member of the legendary group RBL Posse - rapper named Black C. I'll just remind you that the host of the reviewed material performs on Cali rap scene for two decades now! His career began in the early 90s, when the it dropped its first two projects. This crew managed to bring another pair of cds, yet without Mr. Cee, who was killed in 1996, same as Hitman - murdered 7 years later. The group's last man standing is fortunately still alive and he definitely didn't rest on his laurels. Black C continued the work of his fellow artists single-handed, yet it didn't stop him from recording a duet cd with Taydatay and two solo albums. Three years after dropping the last one ("City Of Gods") rapper is back with the third, official project entitled "70s Baby". The release date of the cd - June 16th 2010 - was preceded by premieres of four singles from this album. "Need Ya Luv", "Mary Jane", "Brand Nu" and "Stay With Me" also feature video clips, which can be watched in our Videos Section.

The reviewed project was named "70s Baby" not without purpose. Not only because Black C himself is the titled baby of the 70s, but also that the content refers to older recordings and reminds me of younger days. Just after the first listening I was amazed with its production, as it includes beautiful pipe tunes and other original instrumental samples. Major part of the beats sounds very fresh and is definitely far from anything that can be found in the flood of contemporary rap products. Clear and loud bass lines with delicate musical background take the listener to a magic, a bit archaic and dusted world - kept in quite old school vibes, yet still paradoxically up-to-date. The production on such tracks as "Best Believe", "Players Anthem", "The Life", "I'm Alive" and many others makes a really good impression. The joint work by its creators has to be commented, as it is even, uniform and unique. The beats were delivered by Rome aka Slapadelic (7), Blunt (5), The Reason (2), SoCratez, Sean T and The Cheffz. It's audible that the composers worked hard with the vocalist, as the production perfectly fits his deep, a bit stentorian voice and rather slower flow. Black C is a master of the rap craft and there's no chance he commits any microphone mistakes. He easily moves through the beat and the pace, plus he brings quite original rhymes, like for instance these two: hands up / extravaganza and moment / zoning. What's more, artist's lyrics are mature and sophisticated, which can be proved by such tracks as "What Could've Been", where he speaks about sins from the past, "I'll Never Tell" about trust and loyalty, but not only the one respected in the streets, but also connected with relationship with a woman; or the one called "Where We All Began" bringing rapper's memories from his early days. C has also brought a dose of entertainment, but the one far from a typical party/club fun. Weed and alcohol fans will definitely be pleased with fantastic cuts like "Mary Jane" and "I Get High!", while "My BedRoom" laces you with rapper's sexual adventures. Truth is I don't have any significant objections to the shape and realization of "70s Baby" project, but I think that one detail referring to choruses is important. They're quite often (I've counted 6) sampled and computer modified - something like Kanye West or Rob Lo used to do. I'm not trying to say they're poor, because they sound very professional and smooth, but some of you may not be feeling them that much. The third solo by Black C was really close to get the best rating, but a few a little bit worse tracks (like "Brand Nu" or "Why They Hate") or kind of average performances by most of the guests hold me from giving it the highest score. Undoubtedly it is yet one of the greatest projects from the first half of 2010. These kind of albums are really rare these days.

Curiosity: you won't find the Parental Advisory sign on the cover, as the rapper curses only when it's needed, if ever.
Visit Black C on: CD Baby, MySpace, Reverb Nation and the official Right Way Productions website.
Thanks go to Jay Grimm, Black C's manager, for sending us the album for the review.

 

[LethaFace]

AP.9 - Reality Check
Mob Shop Ent. / Mob Figaz LLC (2009)
Rating: 4/5

01. Streets
02. Payback
03. I'm That Nigga f. Jacka, Fed-X & Bobby Valentino
04. Automatic
05. Tonight f. T-Nutty & Frank Sticks
06. My Swag
07. Reality Check
08. Tricken f. Mistah F.A.B. & Al Casino
09. What It Is f. Aaron Carter
10. Wit The Shit f. Goldie Gold, Marvaless, T-Nutty & Killa Tay
11. The Afterlife
12. Mob Nigga f. C-Monsta & L-Money
13. Balanced
14. Fast Or Slow f. Sam'yell
15. Down f. Clyde Carson & Lee Majors
16. Good Die Young
17. Gettin Money
18. Anotha Day

No matter what you think about the rapper named AP.9 (of the Mob Figaz) you have to admit that he's one of the most hard working and famous Bay Area rappers of the new millennium. While reviewing "Reality Check" I'd like to stop and look closer at his discography, as he's celebrating a double anniversary of his career. First of all it is the tenth solo project by Bishop and what's more it's been a decade since a debut group album by the Mob Figaz was released. AP.9 earned the recognition and fame just after his first solo cd called "Headshotz" from 2001. The next milestone of his music output was the sequel of the mentioned project and even though the "Body Shotz" didn't have the best mastering, fans acclaimed it much better than other cds by this Oakland representative. More or less at the same time he had a beef with a known Pittsburg rapper, which eventually found its vent on the street album named "The Wax Museum", where he disses A-Wax from start to finish. In the meantime AP.9 dropped 5 duets, participated in a couple of Mob Figaz' group cds, presented compilations and other rappers' projects (Lil Cyco, Young Gasz, DC) and what's also important he founded his own record company - Mob Shop. Summarizing: after being 10 years in the rap game, dropping over 20 projects and cheating death on various occasions AP.9 is back with the latest solo called "Reality Check".

The artist didn't come up with this heading without a purpose, indeed he conducted the title control of reality or should I even say a life audit. He talks about his personal issues and how he avoided death ("Reality Check"), which he can't say about his cousin ("Good Die Young"). He also touches upon street themes and elaborates on it on tracks like "Payback", "Tonight" or "Mob Nigga". We'll hear a bit about bragging ("My Swag"), a car anthem ("Automatic") and something for a late night sex ("Fast Or Slow"). Anyway, the topics brought by the vocalist are very diverse: personal, yet still directed to the fans; a bit deeper and thought-provoking, but entertaining at the same time. AP.9 definitely won't bore you with his lyrics. You're probably more than curious about his vocals, as we could already experience major changes in his flows since the "Headshotz" times. In my opinion he delivered a lot better in his older material than in the present one. Maybe I'm a bit oversensitive about it, but I feel like Bishop emphasizes rhymes where he shouldn't or just simply ends up the line with an echoed rhyme, which is kind of disturbing. I'm not sure if you got me right, but his new rapping style seems as it's slightly late towards the leading melody. In other words his flow is very rhythmical, yet kind of badly synchronized with the music. His voice hasn't changed that much, but in his early recordings it was younger and more charismatic. I was yet positively surprised by his performance on "Reality Check". Not that he had completely got rid of his odd vocal habits, but it's definitely far better than it used to be. I should also mention the song called "Tonight", where the host effectively refers to his older flow, bringing a fast-paced and smooth verse and a chorus.

One ought to know that another vital assets of the reviewed project are production and guest appearances. Except for the track provided by Rob Lo ("Automatic") the rest of the beats sound really good and some of them even superb. Responsible for the musical background are: Kaos (4), Freddy Machete (3), Jallah Beats (2), J-Knoxx (2), Aktual, Aaron Carter, Traxamillion, Madd Hatter and 3rd Degree. These guys delivered melodious sample loops full of unique instruments and put much power into bass lines. There's a whole spectrum of musical genres here: heavy and street, yet still tuneful "Payback" or "Swag"; mob type "Wit The Shit"; a little bit futuristic "Tonight" and "Down"; kind of reflective "Reality Check"; soft and laidback, yet still forcing you to bob your head - "I'm That Nigga", "What It Is" and "Fast Or Slow". A similar diversity with the same great quality should be said about the features. We'll hear some mainstream RnB flows by Bobby V, Aaron Carter and Sam'yell, a nice dose of decent rap by people like The Jacka, Fed-X, Clyde Carson and a few raw, heavier verses by Goldie Gold, Killa Tay and Lee Majors. I admit that if it wasn't for the producers and guests I probably wouldn't appreciate AP.9's album that much, yet it's still a vital to select proper beat makers and invite suitable rappers. I think that the Oakland Mob Figa deserved a high rating and I'm really content to own this cd.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

Renz Julian - Armageddon
Field Of Dreamz Entertainment (2009)
Rating: 4/5

01. Intro (skit)
02. Armageddon
03. Draft Day
04. Friday Night Lights f. Big Rich & Hoodstarz
05. Pop N' Lock f. Twista & E-40
06. Customer
07. Grindtime f. Fed-X
08. One For The Money f. Mike Marshall
09. Run
10. Survive The Night
11. 3 Floors
12. Payback
13. Clap, Clap f. Clyde Carson
14. Get Work
15. I Can't Live f. Jacka
16. Purple Skies
17. Picture This
18. Pop N' Lock (remix) f. Twista

Renz Julian is a West Oakland representative, but he lived in various cities while growing up. This artist's biography is pretty rich, so I'll just focus on the most important milestones. The cat went through many things in his life, from pimping and drug dealing to a professional football. His music career began sometime around 1999 when he came out with a very underground, nowadays impossible to get album "Fingaz Of Gold" under the name Playa Renz. Then he took a hiatus, but returned after a couple of years and started polishing his style with a series of various mixtapes (I don't know whether any of them were pressed): "2 The League" and "Armageddon" with DJ Cali as well as "Legal Crack" with DJ E-Rock. 2008 brought a self titled EP presented by Field Of Dreamz Entertainment, the same label that after a year drops a highly anticipated solo entitled "Armageddon" - don't confuse it with the above mentioned mixtape, sharing the same name.

Renz Julian does have a criminal past, yet he turned back and focused his talents in something more advantageous. You can hear echo of this decision on the currently reviewed "Armageddon". Mainly due to the fact that it is a very personal record. Notice that it's been dominated by solo tracks, while guests appeared only on a couple of songs. I reckon nobody likes to be compared to other people, however I can't help myself to do so, as it's my first encounter with Renz' music. This cat combines sophisticated and thought out content typical for J. DaVinci with street delivery by T-Luni from Oakland. Other than that you can recognize him by a low-pitched, grown-up voice that reminds me of these artists. He at the same time doesn't show too much emotion, rather spits yet another middle-paced verse stuffed with picturesque descriptions. He generally smoothly follows the beat, which lets you steady bob your head to the rhythm from start to finish. However he sometimes does come up with a slightly longish line and then he kind of misses the drum hit. One of the most important aspects of the hereby album are polished and meaningful lyrics spiked with superb rhymes. After you hear such combinations as "commodity", "monopoly" or "epiphany", just don't think that this cd represents hip-hop, East Coast type of lyricism. Definitely not, "Armageddon" was based on solid, Bay Area foundation. Here's a little quote for you:

Bad business niggas doin' counterfeit deals
Actin' like they cannot be killed
(...) walkin' round with the force field energy shield
Same shit that got Kennedy killed

As I've already mentioned, echo of the street past resounds on numerous songs. However Renz Julian presents a mature insight of a grown-up man who is aware of mistakes he's made and now gives advices to to the younger generation. He comes up with social topics ("Draft Day"), talks about business, contacts and networking ("Customer", "Grindtime"), but also warns of shady females who are out there only for the loot ("One For The Money"). He reminds you that we are not able to run away from the ghosts of our past who will get us, one day or another ("Run"). What is more, I liked the way he depicted consumption and consumerism of the western society - he clearly says that he doesn't need a car, fancy clothes etc., but on the other hand he can't imagine life without them ("I Can't Live"). Such tracks are usually characterized by slow tempos and great production that skillfully mixes the elements of traditional West Coast music as well as some modern type of vibes. You can as well relax to a couple of easier joints, for instance party-like "Pop N' Lock" or "Clap Clap" - by the way this is the only track I wasn't satisfied with. Paradoxically, as it is a single that got serious radio play, yet I feel it doesn't musically match the rest of the project. Other than that you'll receive a few strictly street-related songs - hard, heavy-hitting "Survive The Night" as well as "Payback" with a gangsta feel to them. Production is undoubtedly a strong asset of this album and a the major part of it - 13 cuts - was handled by the Field Of Dreamz Ent in-house composer by the name of Salim. The rest was delivered by Mr. Collipark, Traxamillion, Rob Lo and C-Major. "Armageddon" is directed to a more demanding listener. You will mostly hear tracks with some merit, meaningful lyrics and brilliant, surprising rhymes. One could think that Renz Julian isn't a charismatic performer, yet for example "Friday Night Lights" proves that his seemingly impassive flow goes really well with the lively, modern music. If you're looking for some intelligent entertainment, then you'd better look for this one.

The hereby album can be purchased on rapper's official website: RenzJulian.com; I also encourage you to visit his MySpace profile.
I'd also like to thank Field Of Dreamz for providing a copy for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

Big Lou, Lil-O & Big Riggz - Life's A Gamble
Scripp Block Muzik (2010)
Rating: 3.5/5

01. Some How - Lil-O, Big Lou & Big Riggz
02. Trunk On Hitt - Lee Majors, Lil-O & Big Lou
03. Clubs Taken Over - Cris G, Lil-O & Big Lou
04. Muscle Carz - Big Lou, Mr. Kee & Big Riggz
05. Hussle Money - Big Riggz, Big Lou & Lil Zae
06. Life's A Gamble - Big Lou, Big Riggz & Lil-O
07. Coastin - Big Lou & Keyd
08. Soldiers Anthem - Big Lou, Big Rich & Lil-O
09. Crazy Life - Big Lou, Big Riggz & Lil-O
10. Wake Um Up - E-Rock, Big Lou & Big Riggz
11. California G'z - Big Lou
12. Keep It Crackin - San Quinn, Big Lou & Lil-O
13. Pipmps Holiday - Big Lou, Extreme & Lil-O
14. Moneys All I Know - Big Lou, Lil-O & Big Riggz
15. Light It Up - Lil-O
16. Haterz - Big Riggz, Lil-O & Big Lou
17. Long Road - Big Lou & Lil-O
18. My Life My Block My Hood - Big Riggz
19. Throwin Up The Stack - Plain, Big Turo & Big Lou

A year ago I haven't even heard about the Hayward representative by the name of Big Lou. I dare say that from a local performer this cat has a chance to turn into an important factor in the - still underground! - northern California music market. At least I wish him all the best. Not because of being prolific, as this artist released four projects in 12 months only, two in 2010 itself. I'm more concerned with the quality of his recordings, providing modern street rap fans a really solid dose of non-dumb entertainment. Same things can be said about the currently reviewed "Life's A Gamble" project that was released in July 2010.

This particular cd is in fact an endeavor by a Hayward trio. Right beside Big Lou you'll see Lil-O and Big Riggz who could already be heard on artist's previous discs: the debut "Mobb Affiliated" as well as compilation "Scripp Block Turf-Tape" (read the reviews). Other than that you will also hear guest appearances exposed on the front cover: San Quinn, Lee Majors, Mr. Kee and Big Rich. However they should be treated as a bonus, because the main burden was placed on the shoulders of the title three cats, who perform solo or in a full line-up on every track. Big Lou has already proven that he represents that better half of craftsmen. He can be recognized by young, arrogant and pissed off voice with a slight hoarse, plus he smoothly follows each beat and blends with melodies. I also need to emphasize the fact that the rapper indeed put much work into his lyrics, as rhymes and word plays are finer than they used to be. Well, Big Riggz is not strong in this area (for instance a simple hook on "My Life My Block..."), but he definitely grabs listener's attention and goes equally good with music. I remember that in the review of the "Scripp Block..." compilation I was complaining about Lil-O's vocals, who was notorious back then for coming off-beat, which ultimately spoiled me the overall feel and introduced unnecessary distractions. This cat evidently worked on his style which resulted in a positive outcome. He even sings from time to time now (brilliant verse on "Soldiers Anthem"), which gives a breath of fresh air. He only didn't come correct on the title "Life's A Gamble" joint; I wasn't satisfied with his solo "Light It Up" either, but it was possibly due to too modern production mixed with occasional autotune (you won't hear it anymore). Both Lil-O and Big Riggz could have sometimes polished their rhymes a bit though. Fortunately they are not played-out and are of decent quality, yet I wouldn't mind if they were better.

The hereby album is a mixture of ode to money, struggle to get it, street life, partying and claiming one's turf. You will hear a couple of cuts about cars, riding slow through the town and bumping music out loud from a rattling trunk - "Muscle Carz", "Wake Um Up", "Trunk On Hitt". The majority of joints have self-explanatory titles, so I suggest you just take a look at the above tracklist. "Life's A Gamble" is skillfully balanced between classic ghetto sounds and the ones more modern. I wouldn't like to strictly label the cd, so just get ready for something close to mob / club type of vibes. Fortunately there aren't many of the latter ones, however they are still far from shoddy hyphy movement. Such songs as "Clubs Taken Over", "Keep It Crackin" or "Pimps Holiday" are undemanding and pretty straight-forward, but they do provide a solid dose of entertainment that can move the crowd. On the other hand you will also find the 90's mannerism with notable "Muscle Carz" and "Coastin" in the foreground - my two favorite joints from the project. Another noteworthy piece is "Long Road" - exceptionally slow and personal. The production was handled by a numerous crew, so let me just mention only a few: Mr. Ball, Mister KA, Rob Baysicc, Track Legendz and Dark Syde. As I've already said, "Life's A Gamble" as a whole provides a large portion of entertainment - both grimy, street as well as positive one. Nevertheless I feel a lack of something more personal, real-life stories, sharing something original enough that it can't be heard elsewhere. Despite it, if you consider the flood of various projects, Big Lou and the fellow artists have something to offer and stand out from the crowd.

You can get yourself a copy of "Life's A Gamble" at RapBay and don't forget to check artists' MySpace profiles: Big Lou, Lil-O and Big Riggz.
Lou, thank you for constant networking and providing a copy for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

Young Boo - How I'm Rockin'
DLK Enterprise (2010)
Rating: 4/5

01. Tha Intro
02. Fresh Off The Block
03. We Out Here f. M-Kada & San Quinn
04. You Dont Know
05. What You Gon' Do f. Mac Mall
06. How Im Feelin'
07. Bye Bye f. M-Kada
08. Gettin' To The Money
09. Like The Mob f. AP.9
10. Do It f. Telly Mac & Boo Banger
11. Everywhere I Go f. J-Diggs
12. Tha Blacktop f. M-Kada & Homewrecka
13. Living That Life
14. Watch Out f. Young Ace & City Boi
15. (skit)
16. Niggaz Like Us f. Homewrecka & D-Moe
17. How Im Rockin'
18. It's Real f. Dirty J & V-Town
19. In My Lifetime f. Mistah F.A.B.
20. I Be Doing Me

Young Boo is so far an unknown Fillmoe, San Francisco representative to most of you. He's a part of The Taliban group, together with M-Kada and Homewrecka, however he's also affiliated with the Click Clack Gang. He has already released a local mixtape "Millionaire Mi$$ion" and I noticed him as a guest appearance on San Quinn's "Tonite Show" as well as a couple of albums and compilations by Messy Marv. I'm glad that DLK Enterprise record label invests not only in recognizable veterans (check out solos by Telly Mac and Reek Daddy that dropped in 2009 / 2010), but also in debuting artists. The hereby endeavor by Boo entitled "How I'm Rockin'" is already a fifth project by this young company and it came out in the end of July 2010.

DLK once again cared for a nice pressing of a project - professional cover plus a digipak. Obviously the most important is the presented music, but it's also of a high quality. Young Boo himself is characterized by a young voice and not too distinct style. To be honest, he kind of reminds me of Messy Marv from back in the days, yet in a more rhythmical version. In other words this cat sticks to medium paces, clearly pronounces each word and emphasizes the end of line. Well, it sounds like an absolute standard, but performed fine from start to finish. What is more, the artist goes really well with music and even when he sometimes doesn't match a beat 100%, he still keeps up with a melody. An undeniable advantage of his verses are polished rhymes. I'm not necessarily talking about ambitious lyricism or sophisticated vocabulary, rather about avoiding typical phrases and using interesting word combinations:

Try to ball like Kobe, nigga what it do?
Niggas act like they know me who the fuck is you?
Give me 50 feet mothafucka, clear the way
Tell me where the money at and I'll be here today
I put my life on the line everyday, nigga
Back seat ridin' with the AK, nigga
Click Clack, Taliban, Boo, Wreck and Kada
We gettin' to the paper

The truth is, Young Boo touches upon well-known topics, the ones that are in constant rotation on the majority of rap albums. He focuses on representing Fillmoe, San Francisco, The Taliban crew, talks about his hood, money, rough life, serves various threats, brags about being one of the finest around etc. It's kind of pity that he limited himself to that typical standard. His smooth flow could easily be used to come up with something more original. Nevertheless - despite the cliche - the currently reviewed "How I'm Rockin'" album has that something that makes it a real pleasure to listen to. Most probably thanks to many aspects, including nice and clear verses by Boo, catchy lyrics, interesting rhymes... and the production itself. I haven't said a word about it yet, but it's important to note that DLK one more time decided to network with talented composers. Many beats were handled by DLP (7 under his belt), the remaining ones were brought by Chris, Karizma, V.S.B., V-Town, Big A, D.E.O., Sea-Notes Productions and Melo Beats. They put much emphasis on a mixture of street sounds with modern vibes. Let me remind you that "How I'm Rockin'" is not a party type of solo, especially not hyphy. Only occasionally will you hear a bit clubbish samples playing in the background (for instance on the title song). Rather get ready for medium tempos, distinct bass lines, catchy melodies and hooks that can be easily memorized. All this ultimately makes you want to put this long solo on repeat and bump it again. Finally let me tell you something about guests, who consist of both known veterans (San Quinn, Mac Mall, AP.9, D-Moe, Telly Mac) as well as rookie cats (M-Kada, Dirty J, V-Town and more). Generally most of them came out pretty decent. As far as glitches are concerned, I wasn't necessarily pleased with the track "Watch Out", because of features and limited production. What is more, Dirty J and V-Town left too impassive verses on "It's Real"; they are so deprived of any emotion that it makes them boring in the long run. DLK proved again that they are concerned not only about quantity but also quality, so fans of street vibes should be satisfied with this one.

Be sure to visit Young Boo's MySpace page.
I'd also like to thank label's representatives for providing the album for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

I-5 Connect - The First 48
Royal Family Records / 2 Time Ent. (2010)
Rating: 4/5

01. Intro (skit)
02. Catch A Body f. Checkin' Trapps
03. Happy Hallooween
04. Addicted To You f. Goldie Gold
05. Full Time f. Checkin' Trapps
06. We Make Money Hustle f. Carrafa
07. Im A Hitter f. Crooked I
08. 24 Hours
09. Fuck Tha Police
10. Crime Scene (skit)
11. Make It Back Home
12. Git Up On It
13. Keep It Lit f. Young Dre
14. Sweet Up In My Suitte f. Goldie Gold
15. Play No Games f. Kurupt
16. The Interstate
17. High Speed Chase (skit)
18. The 47th Hour
19. Not Guilty f. Freeway

I-5 Connect is a brand new group that consists of both artists from northern California as well as the ones representing Seattle in Washington state. Members of the crew include following people: Outrageous, Dough, Killa Klump, Matt Blaque and Enormus Tha Ox. Outrageous has once lived throughout various cities in northern Cali, yet now resides in Seattle, just as Dough does. The other three rappers should already be known to Bay Area rap fans. Klump holds it down for South San Francisco, Matt reps Oakland and Ox hails from San Jose. All of them have already released their own projects (Outrageous has the richest discography so far), but now joined forces to show you that the West Coast rap scene is united and brings heat.

This coalition has already laced you this year with a promotional EP project entitled "Premeditated" (read the review) that was available for free download, however limited quantities have also been pressed. I highly encourage you to both listen to that album as well as to read the review, since it perfectly prepares fans for the hereby "The First 48" full-length LP. Especially since this one contains a set of 16 brand new, unheard tracks. Vocal side of this project is really on a top notch level. Both Outrageous and Dough appear on (almost) every song and bring continuous heat. You can hear that these artists are pretty experienced, as they always keep up with the beat and smoothly follow the melodies. Killa Klump also brought a set of nice verses, however you will see him on approximately half of the cuts. Right now I need to mention that he's not as rhythmical as the rest. His harsh voice and hard delivery do sound tight, yet sometimes don't blend that well with musical background. That's just his style, he always performed like that, so if you're a fan, then you shouldn't be concerned about it. Enormus Tha Ox appeared only on a couple of joints (about 6), nonetheless he always comes correct and lace you with surprising rhymes and catchy phrases. Last but definitely not least is Matt Blaque who is responsible for the R&B part of the project. The vast majority of hooks are done by him, but he also wrote a few melodious verses. If you're interested in lyrics, then you should know that "The First 48" is mostly dedicated to street rap audience. You will receive a mixture of turf business, representing one's territory, drug transactions, sex, dissing police, haters, snitches and showcasing one's swagger. Yep, truth is, you won't in fact hear anything brand new, however this meal right here has been cooked really great; mainly thanks to non-played-out rhymes, charisma and hunger audible in rappers' voices.

Production is yet another significant factor of the currently reviewed album. All 16 tracks are polished and well put together. Everybody did hell of a job in order to bring crispy clean music that blends well with verses and hooks. Composers include following people: Swerve (6), Sean T (3), D-Sane (3), Tryfe (3) and Checkin' Trapps aka Mindtrapp. "The First 48" is dominated by middle-paced beats that rather feature delicate instrumental samples (pianos or guitars) than electronic sounds typical for the contemporary rap scene. There are hardly any funny or party-like cuts, so expect serious vibes with hard-hitting drums. Mainly sex related joints tend to be more entertaining and a bit faster, still don't look for any traits of hyphy on such titles as "Addicted To You", "Git Up On It" or "Sweet Up In My Suitte". This album is a real solid banger from start to finish and I only wasn't satisfied with "We Make Money Hustle", as it featured a slightly worse production and irritating, looped chorus (not performed by Matt). I was also kind of surprised with a lack of quality in Kurupt's verse. One could think that such a veteran would bring something refreshing to the table, yet his weak rhymes and lack of merit got instantly outshined by I-5 Connect crew. All in all, Outrageous, Dough, Killa Klump, Matt Blaque and Enormus proved that they have a lot to offer. Plus they care both about quality and quantity, which is seldom seen these days. Anyway, I do recommend you to look out for this cd, it's really worth your money.

Visit the following MySpace profiles: I-5 Connect, Outrageous, Dough, Killa Klump, Enormus Tha Ox and Matt Blaque. Download the promotional EP from DatPiff.
Outrageous, thank you for providing a copy for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

I-5 Connect - Premeditated: The EP
Royal Family (2010)
Rating: 4/5

01. From The Street's
02. Runnin
03. What I Grind For f. Jay Barz
04. Strictly Business
05. How You Want It
06. Not Guilty (snippet)
07. Sweet Up In My Suite (snippet)

I-5 Connect is a new West Coast group that comprises of rappers both from California as well as Washington. Hence the name of the crew, as Interstate 5 is a main western highway, parallel to the Pacific Ocean, going all the way from Mexico to Canada. I-5 Connect consists of the following artists: Outrageous, Dough, Killa Klump, Enormus Tha Ox and Matt Blaque. Two first ones represent Seattle and already have a pretty large discography under their belt, however Outrageous was raised in Sacramento and all over the Bay. While the remaining three hail from South San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland respectively. If you follow Bay Area's music scene, then you should have already noticed mixtapes by Enormus, Killa Klump's collaboration project with Yukmouth as well as numerous hooks performed by Matt, including his duos with Guce and Chosen. In other words the whole quintet has a notable experience and its own fan base.

I-5 Connect cats cared for an appropriate promotion of their upcoming full-length "The First 48" project. That's why even before fans could lay their hands on it, the hereby promotional "Premeditated" EP was released. It was above all provided for free download off the Internet (links are below), however a limited amount of mixtape format units (slim case, CD-R) were also pressed. What's interesting, the currently reviewed album doesn't feature any songs that you will eventually hear on the forthcoming "The First 48". Instead you get 5 brand new, bonus tracks. What is more, I highly doubt that these are any kind of leftovers - if so, I'll even be positively surprised! I think that Royal Family record label did a great move with this EP, especially since it presents regular, full-length joints with all original production brought to you by Adam Trujillo, Sean T, Tryfe and Brainstorm.

In short: "Premeditated" definitely encourages its listeners to get in hold of the upcoming long play. All artists cared for polished verses that match the dynamic, lively and loud sounds playing non-stop in the background. On top of that they serve crafty rhymes, so there's no way you will hear any played-out lyrics. Hooks are obviously dominated by Matt Blaque, yet he provided two sung/rapped vocals as well. Each and every rapper evidently put much work into his performances, you can hear hunger and emotions in their voices. First four tracks feature a solid dose of turf business, bragging, representing one's region and getting paid by any means. Truth is, these themes aren't exceptionally original, nonetheless I-5 Connect cats did hell of a job, which ultimately resulted in very decent material; even though it lasts only around 20 minutes. I have already mentioned that the EP is dominated by dynamic, rich in sounds beats that are far from be labeled as party-like, therefore "Premeditated" is mainly directed to fans of modern, yet ambitious street rap. The last cut - "How You Want It" - is a little different than the rest. It's soft and laidback, talking about women and sex. This leaves me with two final songs that happen to be short previews of the forthcoming "The First 48". I'm glad they were put at the very end, as there's no point in listening to them more than once; in contrary to the rest of material. Check out on your own that Outrageous, Dough, Killa Klump, Enormus Tha Ox and Matt Blaque are a deadly combination - don't forget it's a free-for-download promotional album.

Visit the following MySpace profiles: I-5 Connect, Outrageous, Dough, Killa Klump, Enormus Tha Ox and Matt Blaque. Download this album from DatPiff.
Outrageous, thank you for providing a copy for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

Various Artists - Tha Bay Gon Crack Compilation
DLK Enterprise (2010)
Rating: 4/5

01. Intro (skit)
02. We The Shit Out Here - Seff Tha Gaffla, Bailey & Telly Mac
03. Drugs Guns Funds - San Quinn, Cellski & Mac Mall
04. Bout That - Jeneral Lee, Five & Jacka
05. Whispering - Rappin' 4-Tay, D-Moe & D-Shot
06. Gangsta Hyphy - Telly Mac, Willie Hen & Metro
07. Don't Like Rappers - Seff Tha Gaffla, Five & San Quinn
08. My Life - Dave Ice, Rappin' 4-Tay & Ray Luv
09. Pay Me - Mac Dre, Willie Hen & Don Toriano
10. Ya Hood Like Mine - Homewrecka & Young Boo
11. Im Ready - Spice 1, C-Fresh & Dubee
12. Ride Or Die - Game, Reek Daddy & AP.9
13. Check - Lee Majors, Screl & Lucci Seigal
14. Anything Goes - Rappin' 4-Tay, Telly Mac & V-Town
15. Get It & Ball - Dubee, Big Rich & Messy Marv

DLK is a new, prominent record label from the Bay Area. Not even a year passed since they managed to debut with the solo - sort of a comeback - by Telly Mac of Tha Gamblaz. 2009 has also brought the album by Homewrecka and in April 2010 you could grab yourself a fresh Reek Daddy's record. DLK is not done yet, as it is announcing more cds that are systematically released. The hereby "Tha Bay Gon Crack" compilation is one of the most recent endeavors by the label; it came out in June 2010.

The currently reviewed comp is definitely worth your attention. Firstly because of an impressive line-up of well-known northern Cali rap figures. They represent various regions of the Bay Area, yet mainly San Francisco and Vallejo. I highly doubt that there's anyone among our readers who hasn't heard of such people as Rappin' 4-Tay, San Quinn, Cellski, Mac Mall, C-Fresh, Dubee, Messy Marv, D-Moe... I could go on and on, but there's no point, simply have a look at the tracklist posted above. I really consider it an amazing enterprise - the fact of gathering such a large number of big fish on one single project. Let me remind you that the vast majority of them debuted way more than 10 years ago, some even more than 15! A typical recipe for a decent compilation is to mix veterans with rookies, approximately 50/50. It hasn't been done out here, as you will see only a handful of new cats: Young Boo, Five, Dave Ice, V-Town and others. The pioneers proved their talents and fortunately didn't come up with some leftovers found in the depths of their computers, rather presented highly professional vocals. It's good to hear - after so many years - brand new performances by Rappin' 4-Tay (3!), Seff Tha Gaffla (2) or Telly Mac; I know that the latter one dropped the "Project Celebrity" solo last year, however it doesn't change the fact that his hiatus was kind of longish and he returned in a really classy way. I was generally satisfied with everyone out here, surprised with a decent craftsmanship of all artists, in particular with Mac Mall and his verse all on one rhyme ("schola", "piranha", "impala" etc.) as well as with AP.9 who came up with his old school, rapid flow. The new generation doesn't stay in the back, as it also presented noteworthy verses.

What can you hear on "Tha Bay Gon Crack"? Well, it's one of the few flaws of this album. Unfortunately the truth is you won't receive anything new out here. It's already been featured on other projects, for many times. I'm talking about representing one's hood and city, bragging, self-presentation (so-called "braggadacio"), dissing snitches and phony MC's, getting money, a little something about bitches... You know what I mean: a really typical West Coast street rap mixture, this time dipped in modern, rich in sounds production sauce. And now we reach the point that will most probably decide whether some of you will search for this project. If you are an old school Bay Area mob shit music fan, then you may be disappointed as there are hardly any of such vibes on the comp. It is rather dominated by hard-hitting and ambitious XXI century sounds, lively ones, encouraging you to bob your head. Fortunately DLK record label is far from promoting the hyphy movement, so everything's classy, definitely not minimalistic. At first I wasn't impressed with production on certain songs, yet after a couple of spins I became more and more convinced and ended up really enjoying them - dynamic, slightly futuristic "Gangsta Hyphy", "Ya Hood Like Mine" as well as "Check". Beats were handled by DEX Beats, DLP, Karizma and Baltimore. In order to complain a bit, I'll just mention that "Ride Or Die" and "Im Ready" have slightly quiet verses in comparison to the rest of the album; pity. What is more, please note that "Pay Me" was originally featured on Don Toriano's solo "Gone Pimpin". All in all, DLK Enterprise moves with the times, skillfully and accurately presented you the current state of the contemporary northern California's music scene. If you are fond of modern street rap, then I highly encourage you to look for this compilation. Especially since it's filled with well-known figures who paid an important role in the history of this region.

Be sure to visit DLK's MySpace page.
I'd also like to thank label's representatives for providing the album for the review.

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

2 Left Feet - The Chase
Monstaville Music (2010)
Rating: 4/5

01. Main Attraction
02. Mond On A Million f. Playa Rae
03. Stop Hatin' f. Stik Gilatine & Lasrow
04. Work
05. Smokin' Mirrors
06. She's Nasty
07. The Chase
08. Hunger Pains
09. Game Face
10. Hit Em Up f. Eight Tracc
11. Around The World
12. All Day f. Marcus Weezy & Brycentenial
13. Times Ticking f. Stik Gilatine & Lello
14. Oh Baby
15. Half Full

South Bay Area rap fans should have already noticed appearances by the rapper 2 Left Feet. This San Jose representative has already featured on numerous more or less underground projects, including compilations "Killa Sharks 4", "Teal Town Boyz", many cds by Stik Gilatine as well as projects by Metal Mouth Records label. He has even hosted the mixtape "Bigga Than Most: Da Mixtape" prepared by DJ Destro. However he only recently, in June 2010 released the debut solo album - the currently reviewed "The Chase".

Maybe 2 Left Feet doesn't stand out immediately from the crowd with his young voice or flow, but I need to admit that he does his thing exquisitely. He impeccably follows various rhythms, each and every time perfectly matches the beat and with his melodiousness causes you to bob your head. As opposed to many contemporary rappers he doesn't try to bewilder listeners with imaginary advantages, rim size, jewelery weight or other trite attributes. He doesn't focus on filthy street business, doesn't threat to kill or hurt anyone. Quite the contrary, as this cat glows with optimism, which can be observed on the back cover photo where he presents his wide smile, holding a colorful shirt; while rappers normally greet us with a mean mug. On such tracks as "Work", "The Chase" or "Smokin' Mirrors" 2 Left Feet talks about hard work, love of music, focus on providing quality recordings and pushing forward, not minding obstacles life throws at us. The artist is self-confident, convinced of his success and this eagerness as well as determination can be heard in his polished verses. I also need to emphasize that he really put much work into the lyrical layer, as he cared for not your average rhymes that bring a breath of fresh air. Just have a look at the below quote:

Don't get locked up behind them walls
Become a lifer, and you sittin', watch your life dissolve
Be a winner like 2 Left's a straight shooter
Got my eyes on the prize, watch me maneuver
Through the thick and thin
Man I'll never bend
I'm on fire like a blaze, call me fireman

The album is dominated by mild paces with distinct and loud bass lines as well as ambitious, detailed production that features instrumental samples from time to time. The beats are obviously modern, it's clearly a XXI century, however they have nothing in common with club vibrations or minimalistic approach typical for hyphy vibes. Only two songs are more carefree than the rest: slightly party-like "She's Nasty" and "Around The World" about an overzealous female fan. Apart from these two exceptions you'll mostly hear fully serious, once hard, once laidback joints about haters ("Stop Hatin'"), money or how fast life passes by ("Times Ticking"). Big props to production team who provided splendid beats from the very start to finish. Rob Base, J 1, Leon Freeze, J Duece, Big Dru, DJ Episode, Lello & Phive and Brycentenial did hell of a professional job, therefore you can enjoy these top shelf melodies. The only slight flaw of 2 Left is a fact that he raps the same way for all the time, hardly shows any emotions. That is why the hereby "The Chase" doesn't really hype you up, rather relaxes and encourages to listen to lyrics. The greatest track of all is "Half Full", talking about the above mentioned optimism and disregarding temporary failures. This particular cut features lots of beautiful instruments: percussion, bass guitar, piano and saxophone. I'd really like to see more of such recordings in the future. 2 Left Feet prepared a debut that brings over an hour of very good rap, polished in many aspects. I truly encourage you to get familiar with it.

You can find more details on artist's MySpace page, while the cd itself can be bought for example at 408inc.com.
2 Left, thank you for providing a copy for the review.

 

[TAY CAPONE1]

DID U EVER REVIEW THE KILLA TAY AND SKIEM HIEM PROJECT???? THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROJECTS I WAS ON.(JUST CURIOUS)

 

[Lil Evil]

Fury - Ferocious
XL Entertainment (2004)
Rating: 4.5/5

01. Ferocious Intro
02. Alter Ego
03. My Life f. Yun-Gun
04. 707 To Da 831 f. Young Dru
05. Outsiderz
06. Break'em Off
07. Real Shit f. Young Droop & Ross Rock
08. Run A Muck
09. We Gone Ball f. Yung Cavi
10. Killa Weed
11. Mobb Like Dis f. Marvaless
12. Lost In The Beat
13. Dipped In Sauce f. Dubee & Big Rome, Lil Evil
14. Full Blown
15. Creepin f. T-Nutty, X-File & A.K.
16. Nightmare
17. All Time Superstars f. Yun-Gun, Jessica, Yung Heck, Bigg Spank & Stone Kold
18. **bonus track** f. unknown rapper

There aren't too many well known rappers out of the 831 area code, yet it has its talents. One of them is Fury who's representing Salinas. His sophisticated and unique style found a great response in the Bay Area rap fan base. Right now his first solo album "Ferocious" is considered a classic of this scene.

Actually, Fury debuted in 2002 when he released a duet album with King called "Talk Is Cheap", but it was his solo joint which brought him a bit of fame and success. Rapper is still an unknown figure in Northern California, but fortunately he invited a few bigger names to the studio, which definitely caught fans' attention. However the impressive quality of rap, which we're pleased to listen to for almost 80 minutes, is built on Fury's extraordinary talent, which refers both to his flow and lyrics. The reviewed album is full of complicated verses and catchy hooks filled with lots of emotions and artist's original voice. If you've already heard him on "Talk Is Cheap" cd you surely remember his fast-paced flow, which was rather flat back then, meaning that he didn't bother to enrich it with different styles. "Ferocious" is still kept in more rapid tempos, yet is more attractive due to various vocal experiments. The one might be heard for instance in "My Life", where he spits a long verse on almost a single breath. Fury's rap is far from being average, not only because of his exquisite rhymes, but also the fact he can easily switch the tempo or voice tone, constantly keeping it very melodious. What's more, even when he's touching on an ordinary topic his lyrics are full of similes and metaphors. You must be aware that Fury is more than a rapper, he's also a producer and he cooked most of the beats from the reviewed album. The musical background is also a diverse, vivid component of the project, which perfectly complements vocal side. 10 out of 18 tracks were produced by Fury himself, 5 were brought by Kasual Kreations and 2 other by King. I know I'm harsh, but I had to lower the final rating because of Marvaless' verse and a slightly worse track called "All Time Superstars" (I wasn't feeling the production and some of the guest performances). I'd also put more effort in the artwork, which is far from being clean. Yet don't be fooled by this project's outer shape as you'll find a real pearl inside it. Highly recommended!

Ya I was on the song with Dubee N the homie Big Rome checc yall facts

 

[LethaFace]

we only count as a "featuring" those artists who have a full verse

 

[Bart fka KhameNei]

DID U EVER REVIEW THE KILLA TAY AND SKIEM HIEM PROJECT???? THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROJECTS I WAS ON.(JUST CURIOUS)

Nah homie, unfortunately we don't own this cd. For the record: all reviews we write are based on actual, pressed albums. No downloading where we're at.

 

[TAY CAPONE1]

WELL I'VE NEVER HAD AN ALBUM THAT WASNT PRESSED SO.......