Fourth album for MC Lyte, comes two years after the criticized "Act Like You Know", a pop-oriented album that made its way through the hardcore crowd: the public didn't appreciate the veteran rapper's attempt and demanded a return to the origins, which arrived here.
After distancing herself from the gangsta scene, Lyte risks getting too close to it, in an attempt to make a hardcore album that is as raw and tough as possible. Her lyrics aren't particularly inspired and the production is simply decent, made by a dozen different people, including Backspin, Audio Two, Franklin Grant, Markel Riley, Walter Scott, Tyrone Fyffe, K-Cut and Sir Scratch. Aided by functional hooks and a few guests (KRS for the two intros, plus the intro on "Steady Fucking", Audio Two on this latter track and Big V on "Fuck That Motherfucking Bullshit"), the rapper presents an album of an exact hour.
On simple boom baps, jazzy samples and a hard, thumping skinny drum machine, Lyte delivers with a powerful and flowing hardcore style, doing some relief tracks ("Brooklyn", Ruffneck", "Steady Fucking") and many generic and tasteless choices, culminating in commercials ones "I Go On" (ballad) and "Who's House" (hip dance cut with Audio Two).
Released by First Priority Music and Atlantic Street, distributed by Atlantic and Time Warner, the disk is promoted by a couple of singles, among which "Ruffneck", third #1 hit on rap chart by MC Lyte in three albums in a row, after "Cha Cha Cha" ("Eyes on This") and "Poor Georgie" ("Act Like You Know"). The same tune is the first record certified gold by RIAA, six months after the release. The LP picks #16 in the rap chart and is one of the best-selling rap albums of 1993, being welcomed in a mixed way by critics. It's not a terrible record, but it has no replay value and Lyte's three previous albums are all better, which is why I don't recommend listening to it.
Rating: 6/10.
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