Known Associates 2 track by track review
posted this in the Apt.3/DNA forum but i thought it should be in B.A.R.T. as well..
i'll use a 1-5 scale with 5 being the best, 1 being the worst.
1. Northern Warriors - a lil intro at first, kickin off the album. a few seconds later, Mac-10 of Totally Insane rips it, after his verse a narrator similar to the one in 2 Ill Even's song "Out The Jacket" comes on to introduce Louie Loc, he comes proper as well. then to my suprise, S.O.S. of Triple 6 comes in to spit that sick shit. Baldhead Ric follows with his usual rapid fire flow. This song is pretty much about Black & Brown unity in Northern California. Big Drawz on the beat delivering that familiar mob sound. = 4/5
2. Be Easy - Cellski kicks that G shit, Dutch continues and tells Malice to put the pills down haha. then that man Ad Kapone of Totally Insane spits that O.G. shit he's known for. this song is kinda mellow. i'm really feelin this beat, it's got those steel drums, the cd booklet says Cellski produced it. = 5/5
3. Mr. 187 - I was lucky enough to see Malice perform this song before at a show, i liked it from the first time i heard it. the title is self explanitory, Malice kills it, Mars is up next with that kill-a-bitch style he's notorious for. Malice even laced the beat, it's got an evil feel to it. = 4/5
4. Cash - Woodie starts it off on the political tip, 11-5 is all bout the money for the rest of the song, TC on the production.. but this beat is kinda simple to me, other people will probably feel it more than me. = 3/5
5. Younger Days - San Quinn has a nice line, "conversation didn't lead to confrontation, fuck the hatin, paper was our obligation." JT and the GLP rap bout the old days, but for some reason i never got into the GLP so i was anxious to skip to the next song when i saw who was next.... JT had a mafioso type of beat for this one. = 3/5
6. Mr. Walgreens - now this is what the fuck i'm talkin bout, the King Of The Devil Block, bka ADR Lavey of Triple 6, murders this perfect TC beat.. what else could this song be about? this song is the devil.. this song is an instant classic! = 5/5
7. Make Some Noise - C-Fresh givin it up for the Bay, Ad Kapone gets down on this song.. and what the fuck, it ain't over yet. Tony Francis of the Young D Boyz spits a quick one at the end, he has a style like no other. the beat is slappin thanks to TC again. = 4/5
8. Fast Lane - for a minute i thought it switched to some old school Totally Insane.. but nah Mac-10 sets it off with that gritty grindin shit. Taydatay is perfect for this hook. TC had the beat a bit slower but this song still slaps. = 4/5
9. Really Tho - i wasn't really feelin this one.. i'm not too familiar with Big Mack. of course TC makes beat slap but it didn't stand out much. = 2/5
10. Interlude - C-Fresh givin shout outs to Apt.3 for helpin him out and fellow Bay Area rappers = N/A
11. Clap To This - holy shit when i heard this on my subs i thought i was in Jurassic Park with a goddam T-Rex stompin behind me.. i'm feelin this beat to the max. C-Fresh comes with that mob style flow.. TC at his finest. = 5/5
12. Crazy Shit (Remix) - Mac-10 again, flawless again, and damn is this beat smooth yet clean, it has a lil Cougnut scratch mixed in it. Ad Kapone is realer than real on this one. Baldhead Ric makes another appearance, he keeps up with the beat just right. Big Drawz is the man for this one. = 5/5
13. Solano County Blues - the song starts off with no time to waste, Tony Francis, the Young D Boy, the real mccoy talks bout county jail lifestyle. the beat was alright, the cd booklet says produced by "No One Important" i'll get back to you on that one. = 4/5
14. Off Top - ain't nuthin wrong with 11/5 but this song didn't stand out much to me, Hennessy's voice got me into it. TC had an alright beat for this one. = 3/5
15. Keeps It Gangsta - i like S.C.C.'s older material and this beat is as gangsta as it gets but it just seemed out of place to me. produced by Big Prod, nuthin wrong with the beat, just not my song. = 2/5
16. Set Your Block On Fire - damn though, C-Fresh AND Spice 1? their flows compliment this straight mobbish beat, there's even a "Shinin Star" clip mixed in. they both put it down to the fullest on this song. Donte Johnson is responsible for this joint. = 5/5
17. Malice's Panic Attack - Dush Tray has a unique voice and flow, Malice can be hilarious in a song and still have me listenin, Baldhead Ric spits fast as fuck on this one. this beat by Ghazi was influenced by "Smoke On The Water" i believe. it all works out in the end. = 5/5
18. My .45 - Black Madness is up first, they flow in a nice pattern. this one is a goodie to Cougnut fans, it's sad about his music's situation but to stay on topic, he shreds this song. what can you expect from the godfather of Bay Area mob shit? Big Drawz makes it happen with a tight beat. = 5/5
19. Cougnut Tribute Outro - At first i thought everyone was guna start rappin over Merciless, but it's ok because Big Drawz kicks some old stories and real shit bout Cougnut's impact on him and 2 Ill Even. Ad Kapone tells his story of how the Nut influenced him. Seff The Gaffla talks bout how him and Coug did time together. Chunk gives his shout outs. Baldhead Ric talks bout a show Cougnut had with Mac Dre, when Cougnut gave Cellski his a chance to shine in his own spotlight. and what's this? yup, even E-40 via phone pays respects to the legend. that's beautiful, one legend to another, E-40 speaks the truth. and to top off this excellent compilation there's a clip of "Scandalous" being performed live in concert..
= overall this is an extremely solid cd, there's not one completely terrible song on it, i couldn't enjoy a cd anymore than this. 5 out of 5 in my book. i only reviewed Known Associates 2 but damn, that alone is the reason everyone should go cop this, and support Apt.3/DNA for making it happen, and for keepin Bay Area mob shit alive!