BayUndaground.com reviews thread
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I.K. - Kash Me Out
Street Level Records (2001)
Rating: 4.5/5
01. Kash Me Out - B.D., BG No Joke, Brazy J, J Dub, Smoke & Byrdie
02. Independent Kash - B.D., J Dub, Brazy J & Smoke
03. Money Hungry - B.D., Brazy J, J Dub & Suga T
04. Do Ya Thang - Sarkastik, B.D., Brazy J & Byrdie
05. Somebody Like Me - B.D., J Dub, Tuff Nitti & Brazy J
06. Take My Time - B.D., J Dub, Brazy J & Syko
07. Soggy - YG Red, Madd Dogg, B.D. & Brazy J
08. 2 The Track N Back (skit)
09. Makadoshis - B.D., BG No Joke & Byrdie
10. I Know Where They B - B.D., Creep Lo & Brazy J
11. Money's The Issue - Brazy J, J Dub, B.D. & Smoke
12. R.I.P. 2 My G'z N Thugz - B.D., Brazy J, J Dub, 211 & Popsykle
13. I'm A Hustler - Smoke, B.D. & J Dub
14. Sumthin' Vicious - Brazy J, Smoke, J Dub & B.D.
15. Ride Right - Brazy J, B.D. & J Dub
16. Forgive Me - B.D., BG No Joke, D-Sane & Syko
I rarely have a chance to grab other rap albums than the ones from northern or central California. If there is one, it's most often marked with some Bayish features like guest performances, producers or label based in the Yay. The truth is, the reviewed project by Seattle, WA representatives has no significant connections with Cali rap scene. I bought I.K.'s project called "Kash Me Out" a couple of years ago and I still don't remember why I decided to cop this CD. Nonetheless it appeared to be so unique and excellent that we awarded these 206 area code artists with a guest appearance on BayUndaground.com.
I.K. (Independent Kash) is a sub-group of Full Time Soldiers (FTS), which formerly included 10 members - Smoke, J Dub, D-Sane, B.D., Madd Dogg, Mr. Villain, Byrdie, Brazy J, Drama and YG Red. "Kash Me Out" features almost the whole original squad, but it was B.D., Brazy J, J-Dub and D-Sane who handled the groundwork of this project. The first three of them supported it vocally, while D-Sane served as their chief producer and a CEO of Street Level Records. Let's get back for a while to the FTS times, when they released 2 official projects - a self titled one in '98 and the album called "Money Motivated" in 2000 - both considered local classics. That's not all from this Seattle group as they left a lot of unreleased material behind them. In other words they've never had a chance to drop two full length albums - "The 4-Track Sessions" with tracks from years 1998-1999 and "The Final Chapter" with 2000-2001 material. That's why their whole discography, including both official and unofficial music, is now available for free, legal download on their MySpace page. FTS group split in 2001 to turn into I.K. just for a moment and eventually become enitrely dissolved.
These Seattle rappers record extremely original and remarkable music, which is characterized by inimitable beats and splendid vocals. The major part of verses was delivered by a great trio - B.D. (appeared on 15 tracks), Brazy J (12) and J Dub (10) - who present uncommon (for the West Coast) fast-paced flows and at the same time they keep their lines melodious and rhythmical. It's not just them as the rest of the featured artists also left a solid material. B.D., who appeared on every track, is easily recognizable by his charismatic and original, yet regular, common voice, Brazy J with a little bit more youngish tone and J Dub with most high-pitched and energetic one. A really amazing vocal performance was complemented with even better production, entirely composed by D-Sane. He was only once supported by Syko, however I wanted to thank Josh Flack who played a guitar on 3 cuts. The excellence of the beats just confirms D-Sane's professionalism and inborn talent. Street Level's producer brought both heavy, street tones in faster tempos as well as slower ones with more sophisticated and soft samples. His music reminds me of West Coast golden era from the 90's, as it abounds in diverse instruments and sample loops. What's more, it still sounds fresh even though it's almost a decade old. The high quality of the project wasn't lowered by the lyrics or topics, as they seem to be quite decent. Of course the leitmotiv refers to dead presidents and it's shown from different angles like the story about record labels and the consequences of signing to a major one or when it's presented as a motive force for many of us. There is also a cut about sexual adventures, one for passed out homies or a deeper one about committed evil from the past. "Kash Me Out" is a product you'll listen to from front to back, not skipping a single track; maybe except for a long skit. As you can see, BayUndaground.com is not strictly devoted to northern Cali rap, as we can also appreciate talents from other areas.
Street Level Records (2001)
Rating: 4.5/5
01. Kash Me Out - B.D., BG No Joke, Brazy J, J Dub, Smoke & Byrdie
02. Independent Kash - B.D., J Dub, Brazy J & Smoke
03. Money Hungry - B.D., Brazy J, J Dub & Suga T
04. Do Ya Thang - Sarkastik, B.D., Brazy J & Byrdie
05. Somebody Like Me - B.D., J Dub, Tuff Nitti & Brazy J
06. Take My Time - B.D., J Dub, Brazy J & Syko
07. Soggy - YG Red, Madd Dogg, B.D. & Brazy J
08. 2 The Track N Back (skit)
09. Makadoshis - B.D., BG No Joke & Byrdie
10. I Know Where They B - B.D., Creep Lo & Brazy J
11. Money's The Issue - Brazy J, J Dub, B.D. & Smoke
12. R.I.P. 2 My G'z N Thugz - B.D., Brazy J, J Dub, 211 & Popsykle
13. I'm A Hustler - Smoke, B.D. & J Dub
14. Sumthin' Vicious - Brazy J, Smoke, J Dub & B.D.
15. Ride Right - Brazy J, B.D. & J Dub
16. Forgive Me - B.D., BG No Joke, D-Sane & Syko
I rarely have a chance to grab other rap albums than the ones from northern or central California. If there is one, it's most often marked with some Bayish features like guest performances, producers or label based in the Yay. The truth is, the reviewed project by Seattle, WA representatives has no significant connections with Cali rap scene. I bought I.K.'s project called "Kash Me Out" a couple of years ago and I still don't remember why I decided to cop this CD. Nonetheless it appeared to be so unique and excellent that we awarded these 206 area code artists with a guest appearance on BayUndaground.com.
I.K. (Independent Kash) is a sub-group of Full Time Soldiers (FTS), which formerly included 10 members - Smoke, J Dub, D-Sane, B.D., Madd Dogg, Mr. Villain, Byrdie, Brazy J, Drama and YG Red. "Kash Me Out" features almost the whole original squad, but it was B.D., Brazy J, J-Dub and D-Sane who handled the groundwork of this project. The first three of them supported it vocally, while D-Sane served as their chief producer and a CEO of Street Level Records. Let's get back for a while to the FTS times, when they released 2 official projects - a self titled one in '98 and the album called "Money Motivated" in 2000 - both considered local classics. That's not all from this Seattle group as they left a lot of unreleased material behind them. In other words they've never had a chance to drop two full length albums - "The 4-Track Sessions" with tracks from years 1998-1999 and "The Final Chapter" with 2000-2001 material. That's why their whole discography, including both official and unofficial music, is now available for free, legal download on their MySpace page. FTS group split in 2001 to turn into I.K. just for a moment and eventually become enitrely dissolved.
These Seattle rappers record extremely original and remarkable music, which is characterized by inimitable beats and splendid vocals. The major part of verses was delivered by a great trio - B.D. (appeared on 15 tracks), Brazy J (12) and J Dub (10) - who present uncommon (for the West Coast) fast-paced flows and at the same time they keep their lines melodious and rhythmical. It's not just them as the rest of the featured artists also left a solid material. B.D., who appeared on every track, is easily recognizable by his charismatic and original, yet regular, common voice, Brazy J with a little bit more youngish tone and J Dub with most high-pitched and energetic one. A really amazing vocal performance was complemented with even better production, entirely composed by D-Sane. He was only once supported by Syko, however I wanted to thank Josh Flack who played a guitar on 3 cuts. The excellence of the beats just confirms D-Sane's professionalism and inborn talent. Street Level's producer brought both heavy, street tones in faster tempos as well as slower ones with more sophisticated and soft samples. His music reminds me of West Coast golden era from the 90's, as it abounds in diverse instruments and sample loops. What's more, it still sounds fresh even though it's almost a decade old. The high quality of the project wasn't lowered by the lyrics or topics, as they seem to be quite decent. Of course the leitmotiv refers to dead presidents and it's shown from different angles like the story about record labels and the consequences of signing to a major one or when it's presented as a motive force for many of us. There is also a cut about sexual adventures, one for passed out homies or a deeper one about committed evil from the past. "Kash Me Out" is a product you'll listen to from front to back, not skipping a single track; maybe except for a long skit. As you can see, BayUndaground.com is not strictly devoted to northern Cali rap, as we can also appreciate talents from other areas.
Mo-X & Lil G - Angry Souls
Unknown Territory Records (2003)
Rating: 3.5/5
01. Learn The Name
02. Angry Soul f. Sarkastik
03. How Many
04. At It Alone f. Half-Sane & Pain
05. Losin' Control f. Notes
06. Watch Yo Back
07. Victimized f. Crytical
08. Worst Of The Worst f. Mr. Villain
09. Gotta Make It - Lil G
10. Stayin' Real
11. Rock The Mic - Mo-X
12. That's Life f. Skuntdunanna
13. Murder He Wrote
14. Think About It
15. Poppin' Thangs
16. Where Were You
17. Worst Of The Worst (remix) f. Mr. Villain
Seattle in Washington state is one of the most north-west situated cities in US. Although California and Washington are separated by Oregon, they are not so distant to each other as we often see guest appearances by 206 area code representatives on Bay Area rappers' albums. The truth is, "Angry Souls" project has nothing in common with northern California, but we thought that as an exception we'll invite this Sea-Town duo to BayUndaground.com pages.
The album was brought by Mo-X and a very young cat Lil G (17), both hailing from Seattle, WA. Even though they are far from looking like twins - just give a glance to the cover - their rap delivery is quite similar or at least on the same level. The first, older one has a more mature, yet not that deep voice, which he usually puts into fast-paced, distinct verses. His younger comrade spits words in the same tempo, yet his voice is much more high-pitched. I guess they're both trying to cover their lack of experience and practice (as far as I know it's their only release) with sophisticated words, complex rhymes and uncommon structure of lines, which can be proved for instance by a chorus from "Murder He Wrote" by Lil G:
Witness us as we killing verbally
Disturbingly
Ripping ear drums as we murder deep
Murdering
The competition with heat
The competition is beaten
When you fuck with Mo and G
Vocal part of the album is at least decent or even very good, yet it is sometimes outshined by non-sophisticated topics or should I say little concrete. We'll hear a bit about negative emotions whirling inside a man, a few threat type of tracks and cuts about rap game and artists - how magnificent and original they are among the phony, imitative and weak competitors. The content was short of something more authentic, taken straight out of rappers' lives. The material from "Angry Souls" is good to be simply listened to rather than deeply examined, if you know what I mean. The musical pleasure was guaranteed mainly by beat makers, who really increased the quality of this project. You'll definitely recognize a great production by the well known artist and Street Level CEO - Mr. D-Sane - who composed 6 cuts. Four other tracks were delivered by Sho Down, while Ill3K did 3, Pain did 2 and Rober King & Mo-X a single one. The music itself made most of the songs more vivid, lively and catchy, which was mainly assured by distinct bass knocks and melodious instruments played in the background. I remember that I bought this CD just because I was feeling the cover (props to Essqubed Media), yet the inner side of the album wasn't that specific, unique and peculiar as its graphics. Nevertheless I'm looking forward to something more sophisticated from this Seattle duo. Unfortunately as of now they didn't drop anything new.
Unknown Territory Records (2003)
Rating: 3.5/5
01. Learn The Name
02. Angry Soul f. Sarkastik
03. How Many
04. At It Alone f. Half-Sane & Pain
05. Losin' Control f. Notes
06. Watch Yo Back
07. Victimized f. Crytical
08. Worst Of The Worst f. Mr. Villain
09. Gotta Make It - Lil G
10. Stayin' Real
11. Rock The Mic - Mo-X
12. That's Life f. Skuntdunanna
13. Murder He Wrote
14. Think About It
15. Poppin' Thangs
16. Where Were You
17. Worst Of The Worst (remix) f. Mr. Villain
Seattle in Washington state is one of the most north-west situated cities in US. Although California and Washington are separated by Oregon, they are not so distant to each other as we often see guest appearances by 206 area code representatives on Bay Area rappers' albums. The truth is, "Angry Souls" project has nothing in common with northern California, but we thought that as an exception we'll invite this Sea-Town duo to BayUndaground.com pages.
The album was brought by Mo-X and a very young cat Lil G (17), both hailing from Seattle, WA. Even though they are far from looking like twins - just give a glance to the cover - their rap delivery is quite similar or at least on the same level. The first, older one has a more mature, yet not that deep voice, which he usually puts into fast-paced, distinct verses. His younger comrade spits words in the same tempo, yet his voice is much more high-pitched. I guess they're both trying to cover their lack of experience and practice (as far as I know it's their only release) with sophisticated words, complex rhymes and uncommon structure of lines, which can be proved for instance by a chorus from "Murder He Wrote" by Lil G:
Witness us as we killing verbally
Disturbingly
Ripping ear drums as we murder deep
Murdering
The competition with heat
The competition is beaten
When you fuck with Mo and G
Vocal part of the album is at least decent or even very good, yet it is sometimes outshined by non-sophisticated topics or should I say little concrete. We'll hear a bit about negative emotions whirling inside a man, a few threat type of tracks and cuts about rap game and artists - how magnificent and original they are among the phony, imitative and weak competitors. The content was short of something more authentic, taken straight out of rappers' lives. The material from "Angry Souls" is good to be simply listened to rather than deeply examined, if you know what I mean. The musical pleasure was guaranteed mainly by beat makers, who really increased the quality of this project. You'll definitely recognize a great production by the well known artist and Street Level CEO - Mr. D-Sane - who composed 6 cuts. Four other tracks were delivered by Sho Down, while Ill3K did 3, Pain did 2 and Rober King & Mo-X a single one. The music itself made most of the songs more vivid, lively and catchy, which was mainly assured by distinct bass knocks and melodious instruments played in the background. I remember that I bought this CD just because I was feeling the cover (props to Essqubed Media), yet the inner side of the album wasn't that specific, unique and peculiar as its graphics. Nevertheless I'm looking forward to something more sophisticated from this Seattle duo. Unfortunately as of now they didn't drop anything new.
Second Family - Caskets and Funeral Homes
25th & 3rd Entertainment (2010)
Rating: 4/5
01. Intro (Hell's Gates)
02. Bout A Swag f. Jay Barz
03. 253 In Us f. Knuckles
04. Filthy
05. I Know
06. On My Toes
07. The Game
08. Caught Up (extended) f. JussTHUG
09. Dreamin
10. Superhero (extended)
11. It's On Me
12. Inappropriate
13. In Tha Trunk
14. For You
15. Thats The Business f. JussTHUG, Knuckles & Key-C
16. How Ya Feel
17. Closer
18. Plague Your Mind
I have already written about it on another occasion, but it's all good if I repeat myself: we will also support music from the Northwest regions, as there's a quality rap coming out of this place as well; and at the same time kind of similar to what northern Cali fans are used to. So far I had an opportunity to listen to a couple of projects from Washington, but they were all handled by Seattle representatives. While the group Second Family hails from Tacoma in the 253 area code. It consists of two talented rappers: NoQuezt and Element. The currently reviewed "Caskets and Funeral Homes" originally dropped in 2009, however the limited pressing was quickly sold out, so no wonder that the artists decided to come up with a re-release before a year passed. And not your average one! Even if you own the OG version, it's worth purchasing the refreshed one, because two songs were extended, plus there are 3 additional bonus cuts.
Don't be fooled by the sepulchral feel of the album title, as it has nothing to do with horror, gore or whatsoever. It may also seem so due to a cemetery visible behind both artists on the front cover. Truth be told, the very first track - "Intro (Hell's Gates)" introduces a little disturbing atmosphere, but it's more of an exception; later on you will hear equally peculiar "Dreamin" that talks about inability to deal with one's life, dissatisfaction, an attempt to escape into dream - all in a distressing manner. Indeed, song themes are undeniable advantages of the hereby album. "Bout A Swag" is a both hard and at the same time modern track talking about not giving a damn about current fashions or trends, just being real about oneself, "253 In Us" is a calm yet very good Tacoma anthem, "On My Toes" advices you to be cautious, as world is full of fake people down to stab you in your back, because your fall may be an origin of their success. I'm also fond of these songs that are somewhere in the middle of sex and love, for instance "Caught Up" that is about an affair gone wrong, where one of the parties got too much involved; or a great "Superhero", where Second Family members clearly state that they may be women's lovers, give her some satisfaction in bed, but that's it, don't count for anything more - it's not a real love after all. You'll hear plenty of such soft, melodious cuts out here and they all come out really impressive, mainly thanks to ear-catching hooks performed by RnB singers - Cun David, Latin Rose, Christina and Dice. Choruses play a significant role in remaining tracks as well, as they can be memorized pretty quickly, perfectly match the music and normally last long - not due to being repeated, but because they are extended. Thanks to that rappers tend to record only 2 verses per song, it may seem not much, but they still exceed 3 minutes and you don't feel that it's insufficient. Let me tell you a little something about the vocal side of the project, here's a piece of NoQuezt's lyrics:
As soon as I'm through your doorway
It's more than foreplay
I hit it hard enough to catch a court case
Undoin' blouses
I've ruined couches
Let the superheroes move the mountains
I'm not the one to save you from the shoutin'
Don't call my house when
Your nigga goes to actin'
You can clearly notice that these rhymes are way above average and you should also note that such nontrivial sets can also be found in Element's performances. Both rappers are evidently experienced craftsmen and it is also easy to distinguish them, because NoQuezt has younger, high-pitched voice, while Element sounds more angry and mature. More often than not they have no problems with following the rhythm, however I found a couple of moments where they lose their smoothness. Audible glitches can be heard on "I Know", "It's On Me" as well as "Inappropriate". These are my only reproaches towards "Caskets and Funeral Homes". I doubt anyone would consider the served production not to be at least good, in my opinion it is of a very high quality. You'll often find additional stringed instruments playing in the background (props to Isaak Meek), plus - what's extremely important - numerous songs feature catchy leading motives that make them stand out and distinguishable in future. Beats were handled by MoBucks (7), Baked Beatz (3), Tryfe (4), Ounces, Element (2) as well as The Crate Crooks. Second Family usually lace you with calm and nice sounds and it's only occasionally a bit harder or rough, like in "Filthy" or "Inappropriate". What is more, there are hardly any party slappers out here, club-like hits that force crowds to bob their heads; only single one "In Tha Trunk". But that was not the artists' goal after all, because the currently reviewed project is directed to people who are looking for something else than a carefree entertainment. More towards those who care for word selection, serious lyrics and instrumental production, far from computerized vibrations. This album also proves that Northwest does have an untapped talent and at the same time puts Tacoma on the map.
You can either listen to or purchase this cd at following places: CD Baby, CD Universe, MySpace and ThaNorthwest.com.
Trmndus, thank you for submitting the album for the review.
25th & 3rd Entertainment (2010)
Rating: 4/5
01. Intro (Hell's Gates)
02. Bout A Swag f. Jay Barz
03. 253 In Us f. Knuckles
04. Filthy
05. I Know
06. On My Toes
07. The Game
08. Caught Up (extended) f. JussTHUG
09. Dreamin
10. Superhero (extended)
11. It's On Me
12. Inappropriate
13. In Tha Trunk
14. For You
15. Thats The Business f. JussTHUG, Knuckles & Key-C
16. How Ya Feel
17. Closer
18. Plague Your Mind
I have already written about it on another occasion, but it's all good if I repeat myself: we will also support music from the Northwest regions, as there's a quality rap coming out of this place as well; and at the same time kind of similar to what northern Cali fans are used to. So far I had an opportunity to listen to a couple of projects from Washington, but they were all handled by Seattle representatives. While the group Second Family hails from Tacoma in the 253 area code. It consists of two talented rappers: NoQuezt and Element. The currently reviewed "Caskets and Funeral Homes" originally dropped in 2009, however the limited pressing was quickly sold out, so no wonder that the artists decided to come up with a re-release before a year passed. And not your average one! Even if you own the OG version, it's worth purchasing the refreshed one, because two songs were extended, plus there are 3 additional bonus cuts.
Don't be fooled by the sepulchral feel of the album title, as it has nothing to do with horror, gore or whatsoever. It may also seem so due to a cemetery visible behind both artists on the front cover. Truth be told, the very first track - "Intro (Hell's Gates)" introduces a little disturbing atmosphere, but it's more of an exception; later on you will hear equally peculiar "Dreamin" that talks about inability to deal with one's life, dissatisfaction, an attempt to escape into dream - all in a distressing manner. Indeed, song themes are undeniable advantages of the hereby album. "Bout A Swag" is a both hard and at the same time modern track talking about not giving a damn about current fashions or trends, just being real about oneself, "253 In Us" is a calm yet very good Tacoma anthem, "On My Toes" advices you to be cautious, as world is full of fake people down to stab you in your back, because your fall may be an origin of their success. I'm also fond of these songs that are somewhere in the middle of sex and love, for instance "Caught Up" that is about an affair gone wrong, where one of the parties got too much involved; or a great "Superhero", where Second Family members clearly state that they may be women's lovers, give her some satisfaction in bed, but that's it, don't count for anything more - it's not a real love after all. You'll hear plenty of such soft, melodious cuts out here and they all come out really impressive, mainly thanks to ear-catching hooks performed by RnB singers - Cun David, Latin Rose, Christina and Dice. Choruses play a significant role in remaining tracks as well, as they can be memorized pretty quickly, perfectly match the music and normally last long - not due to being repeated, but because they are extended. Thanks to that rappers tend to record only 2 verses per song, it may seem not much, but they still exceed 3 minutes and you don't feel that it's insufficient. Let me tell you a little something about the vocal side of the project, here's a piece of NoQuezt's lyrics:
As soon as I'm through your doorway
It's more than foreplay
I hit it hard enough to catch a court case
Undoin' blouses
I've ruined couches
Let the superheroes move the mountains
I'm not the one to save you from the shoutin'
Don't call my house when
Your nigga goes to actin'
You can clearly notice that these rhymes are way above average and you should also note that such nontrivial sets can also be found in Element's performances. Both rappers are evidently experienced craftsmen and it is also easy to distinguish them, because NoQuezt has younger, high-pitched voice, while Element sounds more angry and mature. More often than not they have no problems with following the rhythm, however I found a couple of moments where they lose their smoothness. Audible glitches can be heard on "I Know", "It's On Me" as well as "Inappropriate". These are my only reproaches towards "Caskets and Funeral Homes". I doubt anyone would consider the served production not to be at least good, in my opinion it is of a very high quality. You'll often find additional stringed instruments playing in the background (props to Isaak Meek), plus - what's extremely important - numerous songs feature catchy leading motives that make them stand out and distinguishable in future. Beats were handled by MoBucks (7), Baked Beatz (3), Tryfe (4), Ounces, Element (2) as well as The Crate Crooks. Second Family usually lace you with calm and nice sounds and it's only occasionally a bit harder or rough, like in "Filthy" or "Inappropriate". What is more, there are hardly any party slappers out here, club-like hits that force crowds to bob their heads; only single one "In Tha Trunk". But that was not the artists' goal after all, because the currently reviewed project is directed to people who are looking for something else than a carefree entertainment. More towards those who care for word selection, serious lyrics and instrumental production, far from computerized vibrations. This album also proves that Northwest does have an untapped talent and at the same time puts Tacoma on the map.
You can either listen to or purchase this cd at following places: CD Baby, CD Universe, MySpace and ThaNorthwest.com.
Trmndus, thank you for submitting the album for the review.
Cin'atra - Rhymez Emphasizing Actual Life
Deep Groove Entertainment (2007)
Rating: 4/5
01. Survivin' Iz Ah Must
02. Dats Whasup
03. We f. X Caliber, Mo Suntzu, Ashes & Overflow
04. Microphone Mutilation f. Mo-X & Lil G
05. Tha Ghetto
06. Sunny Dayz
07. Down 4 Me
08. Know About It
09. R.E.A.L. Gangstaz (skit)
10. U Ain't No Psycho f. F-Dux & Overflow
11. When U Comeup Missin' f. F-Dux & V Tha Noble 1
12. Punk Police
13. Am I My Brothaz Keeper Or Killa? (skit)
14. Strugglin' f. Mo Suntzu
15. Friend Or F.O.E. f. F.O.E.
16. Take Ah Look @ Your Life
17. Git Drunk, Git Hype f. Overflow & F-Dux
18. Tha Commission f. F.O.E.
Even though the name of the website clearly suggests that we deal with the Bay Area rap, we've always supported also artists out of central as well as generally northern California. We decided to expand our network to the northern states of the West Coast and that's how we reached Seattle in Washington. I'm not fully familiar with its local music scene, however I've already had an opportunity to review the album by Turf Grindaz duet - Cin'atra is a part of it. Before he recorded this project, he had also released two solos: "It'z Official" in 2004 and the currently handled "Rhymez Emphasizing Actual Life" in 2007.
Strange thing is that I'm getting familiar as well as reviewing Cin'atra's discography in a reversed order, yet I think that it doesn't really matter in this case, since this particular solo is something entirely different than the 2009 Turf Grindaz debut. That one was dominated by entertainment, once the ambitious one, the other time more mundane, but eventually its main purpose was to amuse the listener and make him bob the head. However out here the artist focused on delivering certain thoughts, sharing his history and views on various subjects. Indeed the title itself accurately describes the feel of the cd: "Rhymez Emphasizing Actual Life". Cin'atra is comfortable with the mic in his hand, as he has absolutely no problems with following each and every rhythm, he changes pace of his flow or even the tone of voice. What is more, you should note that he polished his lyrics on a word level and cared for rhymes to be unique and of high quality. Here's the sample of his verse from "We":
Actin' real suspicious
Actin' just like my mistress
Thinkin' because we kick it
They got the best of interest
You ain't puttin' no dough
You ain't my kid, ho
Therefore your ass ain't on my payroll
Let's get back to the mentioned above song themes. The artist shares with us his experiences, both current ones as well as stories from adolescence. He talks about growing up, fake rappers on the scene and constant fight for welfare among citizens from lower classes of the society. I'm especially fond of these more personal tracks, the calm, slower-paced ones, with instrumental, ear-catching leading motives. Among such you will definitely find "Tha Ghetto", "Sunny Dayz", "Down 4 Me" (this particular one tells of love towards a woman) and "Strugglin'". The first two mentioned are in fact excellent masterpieces, songs brilliant in every aspect, in my opinion one of the brightest parts of the whole solo. Significant work was put in by RnB singers, the hooks simply wouldn't be so exquisite without their vocals; don't diminish the role of choruses, it's thanks to them that you memorize a melody of a particular track. Props to TyShawn, Mr. Rossi, Marioso and Amanda Dunn. Cin'atra shows off his skills not only in those melancholic, calm songs, as he's also able to come up with equally absorbing, yet dynamic and way harder "U Ain't No Psycho" or "When U Comeup Missin'". I should also point out the thought-provoking "Punk Police" that includes substantial, rich in merit disses towards police. What's interesting, there are also a couple of cuts that feature a hip-hop type of braggadacio - word jugglery, sprinkled with verbal threats, smart similes, metaphors and sophisticated vocabulary. I mainly mean "Microphone Mutilation", "Friend Or F.O.E" and "Tha Commission", out of which the latter ones were dominated by the megagroup F.O.E., that's why they easily exceed 5 minutes without even having hooks. On one hand these are some really decent recordings, but on the other I'm not fully convinced whether they actually match the album as a whole. The production on "Rhymez Emspasizing..." is generally of high quality, especially the first half of the project, where sounds tend to be even brilliant - musical setting full of samples and rich in instruments. On the contrary, I think that "Strugglin'" lacks bit more distinct drum hits, "Take Ah Look @ Your Life" could be more serious and I wasn't necessarily satisfied with the "Git Drunk, Git Hype", seemed just too lively and carefree. Nevertheless these are just exceptions, as Cin'atra generally cared for a surprisingly polished production. It was handled by Funk Daddy (4), Mo Suntzu (3), Maniac The Siouxpernatural (3), Pain, Supaman, Big Ice, Apoulo, Red Head Steve and JooneBug. California rap fans would better know that this record is a thoroughbred West Coast piece and it only proves that untapped Northwest artists do make quality music with familiar vibes. I recommend you this cd, as it provides a really noteworthy dose of hard sounds.
All of you who are interested should visit following links: CD Baby, CinatraMusic.com as well as MySpace.
Cin'atra, thank you providing the album for the review.
Deep Groove Entertainment (2007)
Rating: 4/5
01. Survivin' Iz Ah Must
02. Dats Whasup
03. We f. X Caliber, Mo Suntzu, Ashes & Overflow
04. Microphone Mutilation f. Mo-X & Lil G
05. Tha Ghetto
06. Sunny Dayz
07. Down 4 Me
08. Know About It
09. R.E.A.L. Gangstaz (skit)
10. U Ain't No Psycho f. F-Dux & Overflow
11. When U Comeup Missin' f. F-Dux & V Tha Noble 1
12. Punk Police
13. Am I My Brothaz Keeper Or Killa? (skit)
14. Strugglin' f. Mo Suntzu
15. Friend Or F.O.E. f. F.O.E.
16. Take Ah Look @ Your Life
17. Git Drunk, Git Hype f. Overflow & F-Dux
18. Tha Commission f. F.O.E.
Even though the name of the website clearly suggests that we deal with the Bay Area rap, we've always supported also artists out of central as well as generally northern California. We decided to expand our network to the northern states of the West Coast and that's how we reached Seattle in Washington. I'm not fully familiar with its local music scene, however I've already had an opportunity to review the album by Turf Grindaz duet - Cin'atra is a part of it. Before he recorded this project, he had also released two solos: "It'z Official" in 2004 and the currently handled "Rhymez Emphasizing Actual Life" in 2007.
Strange thing is that I'm getting familiar as well as reviewing Cin'atra's discography in a reversed order, yet I think that it doesn't really matter in this case, since this particular solo is something entirely different than the 2009 Turf Grindaz debut. That one was dominated by entertainment, once the ambitious one, the other time more mundane, but eventually its main purpose was to amuse the listener and make him bob the head. However out here the artist focused on delivering certain thoughts, sharing his history and views on various subjects. Indeed the title itself accurately describes the feel of the cd: "Rhymez Emphasizing Actual Life". Cin'atra is comfortable with the mic in his hand, as he has absolutely no problems with following each and every rhythm, he changes pace of his flow or even the tone of voice. What is more, you should note that he polished his lyrics on a word level and cared for rhymes to be unique and of high quality. Here's the sample of his verse from "We":
Actin' real suspicious
Actin' just like my mistress
Thinkin' because we kick it
They got the best of interest
You ain't puttin' no dough
You ain't my kid, ho
Therefore your ass ain't on my payroll
Let's get back to the mentioned above song themes. The artist shares with us his experiences, both current ones as well as stories from adolescence. He talks about growing up, fake rappers on the scene and constant fight for welfare among citizens from lower classes of the society. I'm especially fond of these more personal tracks, the calm, slower-paced ones, with instrumental, ear-catching leading motives. Among such you will definitely find "Tha Ghetto", "Sunny Dayz", "Down 4 Me" (this particular one tells of love towards a woman) and "Strugglin'". The first two mentioned are in fact excellent masterpieces, songs brilliant in every aspect, in my opinion one of the brightest parts of the whole solo. Significant work was put in by RnB singers, the hooks simply wouldn't be so exquisite without their vocals; don't diminish the role of choruses, it's thanks to them that you memorize a melody of a particular track. Props to TyShawn, Mr. Rossi, Marioso and Amanda Dunn. Cin'atra shows off his skills not only in those melancholic, calm songs, as he's also able to come up with equally absorbing, yet dynamic and way harder "U Ain't No Psycho" or "When U Comeup Missin'". I should also point out the thought-provoking "Punk Police" that includes substantial, rich in merit disses towards police. What's interesting, there are also a couple of cuts that feature a hip-hop type of braggadacio - word jugglery, sprinkled with verbal threats, smart similes, metaphors and sophisticated vocabulary. I mainly mean "Microphone Mutilation", "Friend Or F.O.E" and "Tha Commission", out of which the latter ones were dominated by the megagroup F.O.E., that's why they easily exceed 5 minutes without even having hooks. On one hand these are some really decent recordings, but on the other I'm not fully convinced whether they actually match the album as a whole. The production on "Rhymez Emspasizing..." is generally of high quality, especially the first half of the project, where sounds tend to be even brilliant - musical setting full of samples and rich in instruments. On the contrary, I think that "Strugglin'" lacks bit more distinct drum hits, "Take Ah Look @ Your Life" could be more serious and I wasn't necessarily satisfied with the "Git Drunk, Git Hype", seemed just too lively and carefree. Nevertheless these are just exceptions, as Cin'atra generally cared for a surprisingly polished production. It was handled by Funk Daddy (4), Mo Suntzu (3), Maniac The Siouxpernatural (3), Pain, Supaman, Big Ice, Apoulo, Red Head Steve and JooneBug. California rap fans would better know that this record is a thoroughbred West Coast piece and it only proves that untapped Northwest artists do make quality music with familiar vibes. I recommend you this cd, as it provides a really noteworthy dose of hard sounds.
All of you who are interested should visit following links: CD Baby, CinatraMusic.com as well as MySpace.
Cin'atra, thank you providing the album for the review.
We do have a separate topic in the B.A.R.T. section and waaaay more reviews up on BayUndaground.com itself.
Mr. D.O.G. - Wet (re-release special edition)
Bow Wow Records (2010)
Rating: 3/5
01. Intro (skit)
02. Playa Playa f. Cool Nutz, Have Not & Squeek Nutty Bug
03. Get Off My Line f. Agerman & Keak Da Sneak
04. Str8 Smashin
05. Sammy No Scrilla
06. 4 Da Homies f. Mississippi
07. Gettin Paid f. Have Not
08. Kennel Music Thang
09. Car Show (skit)
10. I'm A Boss f. Shaolin
11. Betta Have My $$
12. Wet
13. Cold World f. A-Wall
14. Aquaman
15. Get It Craccin f. Mac Money & Have Not
16. Crab Buccet Theory
17. Certified Playaz f. Playa Shane
Mr. D.O.G. is one of the most known Northwest representatives, meaning such states as Oregon and Washington. The artist hails from Tacoma, Wa and you can definitely say that he's a rap icon of this small town. Both D.O.G. himself as well as his Bow Wow Records label have numerous projects under their belt, including solos "Wet" (1998), "Ghetto Politics" (2000) and "Backstreets & Boulevards" (2006). There's a brand new one scheduled for the end of Summer 2010 - the long-awaited, fourth solo album entitled "Streets Of Tha Tac". Before it drops though, the rapper decided to re-release his debut cd and in the middle of June came out with the hereby limited edition that features new, clear and crispy artwork as well as five bonus, unheard tracks.
Let me tell you off top that I haven't heard the original version of "Wet" from 1998, which is most probably considered classic by Northwest fans. To make things worse, I wasn't even too much of a listener of this particular region until this year. In other words, I mainly focused on northern / central California music and, truth be told, haven't had an opportunity to listen to any of Mr. D.O.G.'s endeavors so far. Many other critics before me have already compared him to the Vallejo trendsetter - E-40. Indeed, this Tacoma representative is characterized by a similar style, meaning fast-paced flow, frequent voice changes, squeeky screams from time to time, untypical vocabulary etc. You can never be sure what this rapper will bring up on the next track. He might as well record his verse as per traditional canon, smoothly following the beat, clearly blending with a melody, just like in "Crab Buccet Theory" or "Certified Playaz". But he can also come up with some twisted vocals and rap irregularly, change the tempo in an unpredictable way, lower the tone, dub his rhymes with screams or the opposite - pronounce them a bit too quiet, as if he ran out of breath. Then as a listener I start feeling awkward, as I don't hear a rhyme in the end of a bar, which by the way tends to miss the beat, causing a loss of rhythm and make ma unable to bob my head properly. These types of experimental deeds are more typical of D.O.G.'s earlier recordings, meaning the original tracks from "Wet". Unfortunately I'm not fond of all of them, exclusively to these odd voice stunts, which distort melodies. You can hear it for example on such cuts as "Get Off My Line" (even Keak Da Sneak and Agerman rap off-beat on it!), "Str8 Smashin" or "Betta Have My $$".
As far as production is concerned, it will most definitely be appreciated by West Coast 90's fans, the ones who love nice g-funk vibes. Tempos range from fast to slow ones and you will get some hard tracks ("Playa Playa", "Sammy No Scrilla"), more serious, melancholic ones ("4 Da Homies") as well as these more party-like ("Kennel Music Thang", "Get It Craccin"). Listening to these beats is a pure pleasure and as long as Mr. D.O.G. manages to match them right, you'll obtain a really noteworthy recording. The major part or production was handled by Big Squeeze and Eugenius who did 7 and 5 tracks respectively. The remaining part was served by Mike Wingo, Funkdaddy and D-Luv. I won't deny, I'm particularly fond of these bonus cuts. Due to vocal changes (for the better in my opinion) they sound way different than the ones from over a decade. Additional joints include "Sammy No Scrilla", "I'm A Boss", "Get It Craccin", "Crab Buccet Theory" as well as "Certified Playaz". I have come to such a conclusion: I would have probably not liked Mr. D.O.G.'s music if I had listened to it once it was originally released. However right now I clearly see that the artist kept his originality and all the best aspects of his earlier style, but at the same time developed and fixed the flaws. I'm glad he did, as it bodes well for the nearby future and yes, I definitely mean the upcoming "Streets Of Tha Tac".
The hereby album can be bought for instance at CD Baby. I also encourage you to visit record label's MySpace page.
D.O.G., thank you for providing a copy for the review.
Bow Wow Records (2010)
Rating: 3/5
01. Intro (skit)
02. Playa Playa f. Cool Nutz, Have Not & Squeek Nutty Bug
03. Get Off My Line f. Agerman & Keak Da Sneak
04. Str8 Smashin
05. Sammy No Scrilla
06. 4 Da Homies f. Mississippi
07. Gettin Paid f. Have Not
08. Kennel Music Thang
09. Car Show (skit)
10. I'm A Boss f. Shaolin
11. Betta Have My $$
12. Wet
13. Cold World f. A-Wall
14. Aquaman
15. Get It Craccin f. Mac Money & Have Not
16. Crab Buccet Theory
17. Certified Playaz f. Playa Shane
Mr. D.O.G. is one of the most known Northwest representatives, meaning such states as Oregon and Washington. The artist hails from Tacoma, Wa and you can definitely say that he's a rap icon of this small town. Both D.O.G. himself as well as his Bow Wow Records label have numerous projects under their belt, including solos "Wet" (1998), "Ghetto Politics" (2000) and "Backstreets & Boulevards" (2006). There's a brand new one scheduled for the end of Summer 2010 - the long-awaited, fourth solo album entitled "Streets Of Tha Tac". Before it drops though, the rapper decided to re-release his debut cd and in the middle of June came out with the hereby limited edition that features new, clear and crispy artwork as well as five bonus, unheard tracks.
Let me tell you off top that I haven't heard the original version of "Wet" from 1998, which is most probably considered classic by Northwest fans. To make things worse, I wasn't even too much of a listener of this particular region until this year. In other words, I mainly focused on northern / central California music and, truth be told, haven't had an opportunity to listen to any of Mr. D.O.G.'s endeavors so far. Many other critics before me have already compared him to the Vallejo trendsetter - E-40. Indeed, this Tacoma representative is characterized by a similar style, meaning fast-paced flow, frequent voice changes, squeeky screams from time to time, untypical vocabulary etc. You can never be sure what this rapper will bring up on the next track. He might as well record his verse as per traditional canon, smoothly following the beat, clearly blending with a melody, just like in "Crab Buccet Theory" or "Certified Playaz". But he can also come up with some twisted vocals and rap irregularly, change the tempo in an unpredictable way, lower the tone, dub his rhymes with screams or the opposite - pronounce them a bit too quiet, as if he ran out of breath. Then as a listener I start feeling awkward, as I don't hear a rhyme in the end of a bar, which by the way tends to miss the beat, causing a loss of rhythm and make ma unable to bob my head properly. These types of experimental deeds are more typical of D.O.G.'s earlier recordings, meaning the original tracks from "Wet". Unfortunately I'm not fond of all of them, exclusively to these odd voice stunts, which distort melodies. You can hear it for example on such cuts as "Get Off My Line" (even Keak Da Sneak and Agerman rap off-beat on it!), "Str8 Smashin" or "Betta Have My $$".
As far as production is concerned, it will most definitely be appreciated by West Coast 90's fans, the ones who love nice g-funk vibes. Tempos range from fast to slow ones and you will get some hard tracks ("Playa Playa", "Sammy No Scrilla"), more serious, melancholic ones ("4 Da Homies") as well as these more party-like ("Kennel Music Thang", "Get It Craccin"). Listening to these beats is a pure pleasure and as long as Mr. D.O.G. manages to match them right, you'll obtain a really noteworthy recording. The major part or production was handled by Big Squeeze and Eugenius who did 7 and 5 tracks respectively. The remaining part was served by Mike Wingo, Funkdaddy and D-Luv. I won't deny, I'm particularly fond of these bonus cuts. Due to vocal changes (for the better in my opinion) they sound way different than the ones from over a decade. Additional joints include "Sammy No Scrilla", "I'm A Boss", "Get It Craccin", "Crab Buccet Theory" as well as "Certified Playaz". I have come to such a conclusion: I would have probably not liked Mr. D.O.G.'s music if I had listened to it once it was originally released. However right now I clearly see that the artist kept his originality and all the best aspects of his earlier style, but at the same time developed and fixed the flaws. I'm glad he did, as it bodes well for the nearby future and yes, I definitely mean the upcoming "Streets Of Tha Tac".
The hereby album can be bought for instance at CD Baby. I also encourage you to visit record label's MySpace page.
D.O.G., thank you for providing a copy for the review.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mister D.O.G. - Streets Of Tha Tac
Bow Wow Records (2010)
Rating: 3/5
01. They Don't Know (skit)
02. Mr. D.O.G.
03. Hilltop
04. Sidewalk Executives (skit)
05. It's Nothing f. Certified
06. She's 100
07. Criptastic f. Combat
08. Fucc W/ Cuzz Intro (skit)
09. Fucc W/ Cuzz f. Crooked I & Snoop Dogg
10. Bieeaaatch f. Have Not
11. Dear Dad
12. On Ya Own (skit)
13. Aquaman 3
14. Yall Don't Know f. Cool Nutz & Luni Coleone
15. Say Dat Then f. Crooked I & Skuntdunanna
16. Holla @ Ya Guy
17. She's 100 Remix f. Mistah F.A.B., Cool Nutz & Outrageous
18. Rollin 26's f. West Coast Stone
19. Business Men f. Leezy Soprano & Key Loom
On one hand Mr. D.O.G. is probably the most known Tacoma, Wa - 253 area code - representative, but on the other he didn't spoil his fans with a glut of released cds after 2006. That is when when a very good compilation "Backstreets And Boulevards" dropped, however subsequent years didn't bring anything new from the independent Bow Wow Records label except for a promotional mixtape. Until 2010 when finally two new projects hit the store shelves. The first one was the thirst-quenching limited re-release of the classic solo "Wet" (read the review), yet fans kept on waiting for the anticipated third official album entitled "Streets Of Tha Tac", which was finally released in the end of August.
At the beginning I'd like to take note of a beautiful graphic artwork. In the times of Internet and more frequent "digital onlies" pressing seems to be gradually less important to certain people. I could write numerous essays on it, nevertheless I'm really happy to see such nice work on the front and back cover as well as disc itself and booklet. Big props to 3rd Eye Dezine and obviously to Bow Wow Records who once again decided to use their services. Back to music though; you should know that Mr. D.O.G. is in the game for over 10 years now, so there's simply no way for him to have any stumbles as far as vocal part is concerned. This artist smoothly flows over various beats, perfectly follows each and every rhythm, blends with melodies, comes up with catchy phrases... He basically makes a very good impression and is one of the brightest sides of the hereby album. Let me focus on other aspects as well, for instance selection of subjects. In terms of lyrics "Streets Of Tha Tac" comes out pretty decent. You will obviously receive more or less classic set of motives including self-presentation ("Mr. D.O.G." track), representing one's territory ("Hilltop"), Crips affiliation ("Criptastic", "Fuck W/ Cuzz") and flossing ("Rollin 26's"). Take notice of the "She's 100" single - great TV-friendly hit about women, available in two versions. More ambitious joints include "Bieeaaatch" (lyrically close to 2Pac's "Wonder Why They Call U Bitch") as well as "Dear Dad" talking about son-father relationship in broken homes.
You will mostly hear nice production - classic West Coast type of vibes skillfully mixed with facilities of modern technology. The cd is dominated by mild tempos and street related themes, however you will also get faster, more party-like cuts (the already mentioned "She's 100") or even back to basics with "Aquaman 3" that is sort-of a "Boyz N The Hood" pastiche. Production was handled by Eugenius, Kuddie Fresh, Klypso, DJ Roc, Funkdaddy and West Coast Stone. You start seeing slight glitches on "Streets Of Tha Tac", once you pay attention to details. For example the listed above "Dear Dad" has a very poor bass line, where drum hits were replaces by feeble taps. Whereas "Hilltop" features one of the loudest beats I've ever heard, so intense that with my basses turned up I can barely understand the words fading out in the background. "It's Nothing" has a limited production, while "Criptastic" discourages a listener with emotionless, impassive verses by Combat - big pity, since the track itself would be really nice if this artist didn't perform on half of it. What is more, I have already heard "Yall Don't Know" on Cool Nutz and Luni Coleone collaboration project "Every Single Day" from 2007. Lastly, I'm irritated by screwed verses on "Rollin 26's". I really don't know why the vocals got slowed down, this song would be far better without it. In other words I do think that the currently reviewed solo has its ups and downs. Among several recorded cuts you will easily find the good ones that make you bob your head. Yet you will also get these distressing glitches that had an impact on the final rating.
The hereby album can be bought for instance at CD Baby. I also encourage you to visit record label's MySpace page.
D.O.G., thank you for providing a copy for the review.
Bow Wow Records (2010)
Rating: 3/5
01. They Don't Know (skit)
02. Mr. D.O.G.
03. Hilltop
04. Sidewalk Executives (skit)
05. It's Nothing f. Certified
06. She's 100
07. Criptastic f. Combat
08. Fucc W/ Cuzz Intro (skit)
09. Fucc W/ Cuzz f. Crooked I & Snoop Dogg
10. Bieeaaatch f. Have Not
11. Dear Dad
12. On Ya Own (skit)
13. Aquaman 3
14. Yall Don't Know f. Cool Nutz & Luni Coleone
15. Say Dat Then f. Crooked I & Skuntdunanna
16. Holla @ Ya Guy
17. She's 100 Remix f. Mistah F.A.B., Cool Nutz & Outrageous
18. Rollin 26's f. West Coast Stone
19. Business Men f. Leezy Soprano & Key Loom
On one hand Mr. D.O.G. is probably the most known Tacoma, Wa - 253 area code - representative, but on the other he didn't spoil his fans with a glut of released cds after 2006. That is when when a very good compilation "Backstreets And Boulevards" dropped, however subsequent years didn't bring anything new from the independent Bow Wow Records label except for a promotional mixtape. Until 2010 when finally two new projects hit the store shelves. The first one was the thirst-quenching limited re-release of the classic solo "Wet" (read the review), yet fans kept on waiting for the anticipated third official album entitled "Streets Of Tha Tac", which was finally released in the end of August.
At the beginning I'd like to take note of a beautiful graphic artwork. In the times of Internet and more frequent "digital onlies" pressing seems to be gradually less important to certain people. I could write numerous essays on it, nevertheless I'm really happy to see such nice work on the front and back cover as well as disc itself and booklet. Big props to 3rd Eye Dezine and obviously to Bow Wow Records who once again decided to use their services. Back to music though; you should know that Mr. D.O.G. is in the game for over 10 years now, so there's simply no way for him to have any stumbles as far as vocal part is concerned. This artist smoothly flows over various beats, perfectly follows each and every rhythm, blends with melodies, comes up with catchy phrases... He basically makes a very good impression and is one of the brightest sides of the hereby album. Let me focus on other aspects as well, for instance selection of subjects. In terms of lyrics "Streets Of Tha Tac" comes out pretty decent. You will obviously receive more or less classic set of motives including self-presentation ("Mr. D.O.G." track), representing one's territory ("Hilltop"), Crips affiliation ("Criptastic", "Fuck W/ Cuzz") and flossing ("Rollin 26's"). Take notice of the "She's 100" single - great TV-friendly hit about women, available in two versions. More ambitious joints include "Bieeaaatch" (lyrically close to 2Pac's "Wonder Why They Call U Bitch") as well as "Dear Dad" talking about son-father relationship in broken homes.
You will mostly hear nice production - classic West Coast type of vibes skillfully mixed with facilities of modern technology. The cd is dominated by mild tempos and street related themes, however you will also get faster, more party-like cuts (the already mentioned "She's 100") or even back to basics with "Aquaman 3" that is sort-of a "Boyz N The Hood" pastiche. Production was handled by Eugenius, Kuddie Fresh, Klypso, DJ Roc, Funkdaddy and West Coast Stone. You start seeing slight glitches on "Streets Of Tha Tac", once you pay attention to details. For example the listed above "Dear Dad" has a very poor bass line, where drum hits were replaces by feeble taps. Whereas "Hilltop" features one of the loudest beats I've ever heard, so intense that with my basses turned up I can barely understand the words fading out in the background. "It's Nothing" has a limited production, while "Criptastic" discourages a listener with emotionless, impassive verses by Combat - big pity, since the track itself would be really nice if this artist didn't perform on half of it. What is more, I have already heard "Yall Don't Know" on Cool Nutz and Luni Coleone collaboration project "Every Single Day" from 2007. Lastly, I'm irritated by screwed verses on "Rollin 26's". I really don't know why the vocals got slowed down, this song would be far better without it. In other words I do think that the currently reviewed solo has its ups and downs. Among several recorded cuts you will easily find the good ones that make you bob your head. Yet you will also get these distressing glitches that had an impact on the final rating.
The hereby album can be bought for instance at CD Baby. I also encourage you to visit record label's MySpace page.
D.O.G., thank you for providing a copy for the review.