Method Man - 4:21 The Day After (2006)

Ever since the release of the somewhat disappointing Tical 0: The Prequel, Method Man has been trying to prove that he really is the MC he was on his fantastic 1994 solo debut. So maybe the fact that he decided to name his fourth record 4:21...The Day After has less to do with marijuana (though of course that is never completely forgotten) and more to do with moving away from all the comparisons to his first album, Tical (and the subsequent Tical-themed titles that came after). And while 4:21 may be an improvement over his previous releases, Method Man's not quite the funny yet insightful rapper he was on his debut. To his credit, however, there are still some pretty good tracks on the album, including "Say," with a Lauryn Hill-covering- Bob Marley sample; "Dirty Mef," which has a verse from deceased Clansman Ol' Dirty Bastard; and "Walk On" featuring cohort Redman, and when Method Man spits out "Me and my soldier, we're taking over/taking payola from all those stations and record labels" over a beat by RZA and Erick Sermon (both of whom appear multiple times), you almost believe that he's going to make a comeback. Unfortunately, there are enough songs on 4:21 that are so utterly boring that the claim of redemption can't be made quite yet. "Got to Have It" is trite and almost hypocritical; the balladic "Let's Ride," which features a chorus from Ginuwine, is completely uninventive; and the closer, "4 Ever," with labelmate Megan Rochell, sounds as if it's trying to capture the energy he and Mary J. Blige had on "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," but ends up seeming more like an empty radio track. There is some good production on the album (besides RZA and Erick Sermon,Scott Storch, and Mathematics all contribute beats), and there are some decent verses as well, both from Method Man and his myriad of guest stars, but they're lacking some of the punch and ingenuity of Tical. Longtime fans should be happy to hear that he's sounding better, but he's going to have to keep making improvements if he wants to win over many new ones.

01. Intro 2:11
02. Is It Me 3:44
03. Problem 3:30
04. Somebody Done Fucked Up 3:18
05. Shaolin Soldier (Skit) 0:21
06. Fall Out 3:24
07. Dirty Mef (Feat. O.D.B.) 2:59
08. 4:20 (Feat. Streetlife & Carlton Fisk) 4:34
09. Let's Ride (Feat. Ginuwine) 3:10
10. The Glide 3:05
11. Kids (Skit) 0:47
12. Got To Have It 4:13
13. Say 3:49
14. Ya'Meen (Feat. Fat Joe & Styles P) 4:21
15. Konichiwa Bitches 2:59
16. Everything (Feat. Inspectah Deck & Streetlife) 3:34
17. Walk On (Feat. Redman) 2:46
18. Pimpin' (Skit) 0:31
19. Presidential M.C. (Feat. Raekwon & The Rza) 4:30
20. 4 Ever (Feat. Megan Rochell) 4:04

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Special Teamz - Stereotypez (2007)

Special Teamz is a Bostonian supergroup as multi-faceted as they are multicultural, led by the O.G. of Boston hip-hop, Edo G; Jaysaun, a former member of the Kreators; and fellow Boston stalwart and transplant Slain (The White Man Is the Devil, Vol. 1). Collectively having worked with a deep pool of some of the finest mainstream and underground hip-hop words and beatsmiths (KRS-One, Common, Black Thought, Masta Ace, Guru, Cappadonna, Royce da 5'9, and others), the Boston representatives signed with Duck Down, the indie label run by Boot Camp Click henchmen Buckshot and Dru Ha. Their label debut,Stereotypez, featured production from legends Pete Rock and DJ Premier, as well as rising stars like Marco Polo.

1.) Get Down (produced by Young Cee)
2.) Three Kingz (produced by Young Cee)
3.) Stereotypez (produced by Ill Bill)
4.) Boston To Bucktown feat. Sean Price & Buckshot (produced by Pete Rock)
5.) Classical (produced by DJ Shocca)
6.) Main Event (produced by DJ Premier)
7.) Long Time Comin feat. Devin The Dude (produced by Xplicit)
8.) Home 2 feat. Akrobatik, Dre Robinson, JY, Twice Thou & Frankie Robinson (produced by Young Cee)
9.) Clap Your Handz (produced by Young Cee)
10.) Story Of My Life feat. JY (produced by Yomo)
11.) Fallen Angels feat. D Guest (produced by Jake One)
12.) One Call (produced by Marco Polo)
13.) Fight Club (produced by Moss)
14.) Dirty Money feat. Ill Bill (produced by Young Cee)
15.) Pushaman (Produced by D Boyz)
16.) Race Riot (produced by Good Will)
17.) Gun In My Hand f/Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed (produced by Jamey Jasta & Matty Trump)

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Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle (1993)

If Snoop Dogg's debut, Doggystyle, doesn't seem like a debut, it's because in many ways it's not. Snoop had already debuted as a featured rapper on Dr.Dre's 1992 album, The Chronic, rapping on half of the 16 tracks, including all the hit singles, so it wasn't like he was an unknown force when Doggystyle was released in late 1993. If anything, he was the biggest star in hip-hop, with legions of fans anxiously awaiting new material, and they were the ones who snapped up the album, making it the first debut album to enter the Billboard charts at number one. It wasn't like they were buying an unknown quantity. They knew that the album would essentially be the de facto sequel to The Chronic, providing another round of P-Funk-inspired grooves and languid gangsta and ganja tales, just like Dre's album. Which is exactly what Doggystyle is -- a continuation of The Chronic, with the same production, same aesthetic and themes, and same reliance on guest rappers. The miracle is, it's as good as that record. There are two keys to its success, one belonging to Dre, the other to Snoop. Dre realized that it wasn't time to push the limits of G-funk, and instead decided to deepen it musically, creating easy-rolling productions that have more layers than they appear. They're laid-back funky, continuing to resonate after many listens, but their greatest strength is that they never overshadow the laconic drawl of Snoop, who confirms that he's one of hip-hop's greatest vocal stylists with this record. Other gangsta rappers were all about aggression and anger -- even Dre, as a rapper, is as blunt as a thug -- but Snoop takes his time, playing with the flow of his words, giving his rhymes a nearly melodic eloquence. Compare his delivery to many guest rappers here: Nate Dogg, Kurupt, and Dat Nigga Daz are all good rappers, but they're good in a conventional sense, where Snoop is something special, with unpredictable turns of phrase, evocative imagery, and a distinctive, addictive flow. If Doggystyle doesn't surprise or offer anything that wasn't already on The Chronic, it nevertheless is the best showcase for Snoop's prodigious talents, not just because he's given the room to run wild, but because he knows what to do with that freedom and Dre presents it all with imagination and a narrative thrust. If it doesn't have the shock of the new, the way that The Chronic did, so be it: Over the years, the pervasive influence of that record and its countless ripoffs has dulled its innovations, so it doesn't have the shock of the new either. Now, Doggystyle and The Chronic stand proudly together as the twin pinnacles of West Coast G-funk hip-hop of the early '90s.

01. Bath Tub
02. G Funk Intro
03. Gin N Juice
04. Tha Shiznit Intro
05. Tha Shiznit
06. Lodi Dodi Intro
07. Lodi Dodi
08. Murder Was The Case
09. Serial Killa
10. Who Am I (Whats My Name)
11. For All My Ni**az
12. Aint No Fun
13. Doggy Dogg World Intro
14. Dogg Dogg World
15. G'z & Hustlaz Intro
16. G'z & Hustlaz
17. Pump Pump Intro
18. Pump Pump

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Guru - Baldhead Slick & da Click (2001)

Guru is a model of understated consistency -- from "Manifest" to "Just to Get a Rep" to "You Know My Steez," he can always be depended on for thoughtful and innovative material, if not outright classics. But Baldhead Slick & da Click, his first non-Jazzmatazz solo effort, veers from this course, with just about nothing notable on the entire disc. Guru sounds obsessed with fake thugs and gangsters, and at 21 tracks without an updated flow or much variation in theme, the record becomes a struggle early on. His usual insight, storytelling, and clever swagger are replaced by a punchless braggadoccio, and his guest artists only offer the same. For longtime fans who counted on the monotone to never become monotonous, Baldhead Slick & da Click is nothing short of a disappointment.

1. Guru - Wheres Our Money (3:23)
2. Guru - Back 2 Back (Feat. Mendoughza) (2:59)
3. Guru - Rollin Dolo (3:57)
4. Guru - No Surviving (3:31)
5. Guru - Underground Connections (4:31)
6. Guru - Niggaz Know (4:03)
7. Guru - In Here (Feat. Timbo King, Killah Priest, Black Jesus) (4:34)
8. Guru - The Come Up (3:39)
9. Guru - Cry (3:31)
10. Guru - O.G. Talk (4:08)
11. Guru - Pimp Shit (4:56)
12. Guru - Never Ending Saga (4:19)
13. Guru - War Tactics (4:26)
14. Guru - Collectin Props (3:24)
15. Guru - Revolutionist (3:37)
16. Guru - No Grease (3:37)
17. Guru - How You Gonna Be A Killa (3:31)
18. Guru - Stay Outta My Face (2:50)
19. Guru - The Anthem (3:01)

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Recordkingz - Heavyweight (2009)

Heavyweight piles into the hip-hop fray in a very similar way to Jake One’s White Van Music last year. By this I mean that it finds a talented producer hooking up with a host of talented MCs and dropping dope phatness. It’s even possible that Juliano (formerly one half of 90s duo The Creators), arguably has the edge on Jake One and that this has the potential to give a kick up the arse to a few flagging careers, proving once again that the music industry (and to some extent the public’s) obsession with rapper-cult-of-personality is forgetting one vital thing. It doesn’t matter how good the lyrics, nobody ever danced to poetry. When was the last time you heard a proper jump-up hip hop track anyway? The underground has been plagued by masturbatory production for too long - even if there has been some lyrical insanity. On the other hand, the mainstream shits out club beats like its got diarrhoea – but is plagued by lyrical inanity. This isn’t to say that everything on here will light fires under people’s feet – simply that Juliano remembers one of the key original premises of hip-hop. Move the crowd.

01. The Heavyweight Muthaf**ka (Feat. Portobello Dave) (Skit)
02. I Cried (Feat. Tragedy Khadafi)
03. Take A Walk With Me (Feat. Joell Ortiz)
04. Do You Feel It (Skit 1)
05. Rock Ya Shoulders (Feat. The Beatnuts)
06. Hip Hop Throwback (Feat. Guilty Simpson)
07. Playin To Lose (Feat. Little Brother)
08. Scratch And Chop (Skit 2)
09. This Is 4 My Peoples (Feat. Evidence)
10. Heat (Feat. Mobb Deep)
11. Da Money (Feat. Glasses Malone)
12. Pay Your Respects (Feat. Problemz)
13. Keep It Coming (Feat. Craig G Will Pack And K Major)
14. Get High (Skit 3)
15. Bad Cats (Feat. Phil Da Agony Montage And Mo Money)
16. Juliano On The Cuts (Skit 4)
17. You Been Warned (Feat. Aasim)
18. Keep On (Feat. Chalice And Ruk)

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Tragedy Khadafi - Against All Odds (2001)

1. Intro (The Conflict)
2. Against All Odds
3. Crime Nationalist
4. Lift Ya Glass
5. Skit 2: The Jump Off
6. Bing Monsters
7. Live By The Gun
8. They Force My Hand
9. Permanently Scarred
10. Sidewalk Confessions
11. Say Goodbye
12. Blood Type
13. What Makes You Think
14. Skit 3: More Thugg More Names
15. Never Bite The Hand
16. T.M. (Message To Killa Black)
17. 2-5 Radio
18. In Memory Of

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Kollabo Brothers - For My Peoples (2006)

01- intro feat. craig g

02- no equal feat. craig g

03- for my peoples feat. donald d

04- way back feat. tim dog

05- watch the game feat. the gambit

06- lovin this shit feat. afura

07- my flows to blow feat. diamond d

08- hip hop blues feat. grandmaster caz

09- two kool brothers

10- i got soul feat. zion

11- words i wrote feat. paris

12- glad to be me feat. b.i

13- my melody feat. b.o.dubb

14- im a real emcee feat. donald d

15- outro

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Cocoa Brovaz - The Rude Awakening (1998)

Once the Smith & Wesson gun company realized there was a pair of rappers performing under the name "Smif-N-Wessun," the duo had to change their name. They chose Cocoa Brovaz and released their second album, Rude Awakening (possibly a reference to their legal troubles), under that moniker in the spring of 1998. All things considered, the legal mishap was little more than a speed bump for the duo; the end result is every bit as good as their first effort, if not better. The pair of hardcore gangstas are still hurt by their reliance on clichés -- when it comes right down to it, they aren't offering any new insights, they're simply redoing the standard dope-money-guns-n-hoes line -- but they're saved by their energy and hard-hitting delivery. Usually, that makes the standard-issue music fairly compelling, but there are moments that drag on Rude Awakening, although not as many as on Smif-N-Wessun's Dah Shinin'. In other words, it's an improvement and a step forward in Cocoa Brovaz developing their own identity.

01. Off the Wall
02. Still Standin Strong
03. Won on Won
04. Live at the Garden (Skit)
05. Blown Away
06. Money Talks
07. The Cash
08. Black Trump
09. Dry Snitch
10. Game of Life
11. Back 2 Life
12. Bucktown Usa
13. What They Call Him (Skit)
14. Hold it Down
15. Spanish Harlem
16. Myah Angelow
17. Memorial

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Craig G - This Is Now (2003)

Craig G.'s first solo album in over a dozen years, This Is Now isn't a postcard to the golden age, though that's the period when classics like "Droppin' Science" made his name famous. Instead of dropping out of circulation after he lost his contract with Atlantic in the early '90s, Craig stayed in the business, working as a New York radio DJ and making mix tapes on the side. Propelled by excellent beats from friends both old and new (Marley Marl, Large Professor, DJ Premier, Rockwilder, Da Beatminerz), it's clear that he's still got the skills and the instincts to make a relevant record nearly 20 years after his debut. Although his best track is a brief Biggie soundalike ("Words From Warbucks"), most of the time Craig's most comfortable with a style similar to that his fans remember -- one that influenced next-wave rappers like Jeru the Damaja and Afu Ra, the latter of whom appears here -- though he's slightly more aggressive for a post-hardcore age. Nothing here leaps out of the gate like his '80s classics, but he does hit plenty of highs, like the Large Professor jam "Love Is Love"; the Afu Ra collaboration "Dribble or Shoot"; and a rare taste of hip-hop normalcy, "Damn This Day."

01 Don't Care Who We Bang
02 Wrong Chick
03 Ready Set Begin
04 Place Ya Bets
05 Now That's What's Up
06 Words from Warbucks (Skit)
07 Stomped
08 Let's Get Up
09 Damn This Day
10 Frostbit (Skit)
11 Love Is Love
12 Dribble or Shoot
13 Do It Over Again
14 Make You Say Yes
15 Executioner Song
16 Say What Ya Want
17 Freestyle Bonus (Skit)

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Cormega - The Testament (2005)

Cormega's long-unreleased debut album, The Testament, finally got an official release in 2005 after nearly a decade of bootlegging. It's not quite the masterpiece it's been rumored to have been, but it's a great album nonetheless, especially for a debut -- a fascinating relic of the mid-'90s East Coast gangsta scene that spawned a number of classic debut albums, among them those of the Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, and Raekwon. The back-story goes like this: Cormega burst on the scene in 1996, when he guested on "Affirmative Action," a high-profile posse cut from Nas' sophomore album, It Was Written. He was fresh from prison, in a gangsta state of mind, and lyrically gifted. Def Jam brought him aboard quickly, and The Testament was the result, except it never saw the light of day, shelved for years until Cormega obtained the rights to the tapes and finally released the album on his own Legal Hustle label in 2005. Clocking in at a dozen songs in 40 minutes, the released Testament is unchanged from its original version. Cormega wanted it released as it had been intended, and the result is a raw, emotional work by a young man with a lot on his mind and blessed with the means of rapping it eloquently. The production is handled by an array of beatmakers, among them Nasheim Myrick, Sha Money, and Havoc, and the pervading aural mood is somber and foreboding, very much in step with the mid-'90s East Coast gangsta style, especially that of Mobb Deep. Though there aren't any particularly standout tracks here (perhaps why Def Jam balked), there isn't any filler either. Every track here is part of the bigger picture, exploring a different mood and telling a different tale, and guests are few and far between. Again, though The Testament isn't quite up there alongside the half-dozen or so masterpieces of its era, like Ready To Die or The Infamous, it's definitely up there -- one of the best mid-'90s gangsta albums, no doubt. Too bad it took so long to get the album released -- too bad for Cormega above all, for one senses that The Testament would have made a strong impression during its time, even if it wouldn't have been a big commercial hit (it lacks a pop edge -- again, not unlike Mobb Deep in particular). Heads would have loved it, for sure, as would have the streets, and thankfullyThe Testament can now get its due, albeit belatedly.

01. Intro
02. '62 Pick Up
03. One Love
04. Interlude
05. Angel Dust (Feat. Havoc)
06. Dead Man Walking
07. Montana Diary
08. Testament
09. Testament (Original Version)
10. Every Hood (Feat. Fatal Hussein)
11. Coco Butter
12. Killaz Theme (Feat. Mobb Deep)
13. Love Is Love
14. Dead Man Walking 2

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Da Youngsta's - I'll Make You Famous (1995)

The precocious Philadelphia trio consisting of Tajj, Tarik, and Qu'ran may have been the most talented teen rappers ever to grace a hip-hop stage. However, the untimely release of their March 1992 debut Something 4 Da Youngstas coincided with the preteen pop/rap phenomenon that was Kriss Kross. Da Youngstas' first release showed the trio's incredible promise, especially considering that they penned their own lyrics in stark contrast to the Mack Daddy and the Daddy Mack. The trio's amazingly advanced skills raised the eyebrows of many a hip-hop luminary and their sophomore release, The Aftermath, unleashed an angrier lyrical style combined with a variety of sparkling beats. The all-star production squad included the likes of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, CL Smooth, and the Beatnuts. The track "Wild Child" best represented Da Youngstas newfound brasher leanings, but it was the rough, rhythmic "Crewz Pop" that rewarded the group with a respectful following. The strength of The Aftermath brought praise to Da Youngstas from their much older peers. The trio recorded their third album in three years in 1994, this time on a larger label, Atlantic Records. For No Mercy, the Illy Philly threesome called upon the production talents of Marley Marl and K-Def as they continued to develop their styles. The trio continued to paint grim pictures of urban life through clever wordplay and storytelling, but it was the smoothed out "Hip Hop Ride," an ode to the hip-hop tradition, that turned out to be the most successful cut on the album. After collaborating with Mobb Deep for the single "Bloodshed and War" in 1995, Da Youngstas mostly disappeared from hip-hop radar screens.

01. I'll Make U Famous
02. Bloodshed And War Featuring Mobb Deep
03. Everyman 4 Theyself
04. Gotta Get Da Cheese
05. U R Everything
06. Bloodshed And War (Remix) Featuring Mobb Deep
07. Bad 2 Da Bone
08. Verbal Glock
09. 24 Hrs. 2 Live
10. Incredible
11. Murda
12. If I Had A Million
13. I'll Make U Famous (Remix)

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Cormega - The Realness (2001)

With a fresh batch of new material, Cormega's "official" debut, The Realness, manifests under stealth-like conditions. Yet, it successfully conveys what his aborted Def Jam debut,The Testament, implied three years previously -- that Mega is one of the most promising thug poets to emerge in quite sometime. Though the usual live-guy repertoire and topic matter is recycled, Cormega paints with a broader lyrical brush then most hood aficionados, as his articulate verses far surpass the limitations of what the typical halfway crook is capable of expressing. Displaying a gripping range of vocal gifts, "The Saga" and "Fallen Soldiers" offer vivid street mathematics with Kool G. Rap-like narrative abilities. Likewise, Mega's ode to hip-hop, "American Beauty," is a continuation of Common's "I Used to Love Her," where his love for the art is evident: "Primo treated her good, made her the queen of my hood." Though the sonic landscape of The Realness is headlined by the Infamous Family members Havoc and Alchemist, it is a handful of upstarts (Jay Love, Big Ty, Sha Self) who carve out the LP's sound identity. This cast of rising and unknown names turns in a yeoman's job behind the boards, meshing a diverse assortment of ominous synth and keyboard arrangements around Mega's deep lyricism. While Mega has had to weather Def Jam's businessman ways, and his own inner demons (jail time) to get here, he may never taste redemption this sweet again.

1. Dramatic Entrance
2. American Beauty
3. Thun & Kicko feat.Prodigy
4. The Saga
5. R U My Nigga?
6. Unforgiven
7. Fallen Soldiers
8. Glory Days
9. Rap's A Hustle
10. Get Out My Way
11. You Don't Want It
12. 5 For 40
13. They Forced My Hand feat. Tragedy Khadafi
14. Fallen Soldiers (remix)

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UB Presents : Real Raps Vol.1 (2008)

1.Classified - This is for

2.Craig G & Marley Marl - Open Ya Eyes

3.The Game - Cali Sunshine f. Bilal

4.EPMD - Listen Up f. Teddy Riley

5.The Game - My Life f. Lil Wayne

6.Method Man , Redman & Damien Marley - Lyrical 44

7.Little Brother - Knock Knock

8.Saukrates - 2999 (Unreleased)

9.Pete Rock - The Best Secret f. The Lords of the Underground

10.Soul Purpose - The Product

11.Statik Selektah - For The City f. M.O.P & Jadakiss

12.X3M - Never Give Up f. O.Brown,John Lerdadi & DJ Raid

13.Earatik Statik - Fam & Friends feat. Sadat X (Unreleased)

14.Hiltop Hoods - Working The Mic

15.P.Casso - Best In Show f. Von Pea & Homeboy Sandman

16.King Syze - And Now f. Vinnie Paz & Apathy

17.Wax Taylor - Where my heart's at f. The Others

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