Third studio album for C-N-N, nine years after the last. Production is handled by Hazardis Soundz, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, SPK, Havoc, Ron Browz, Streetrunner, The Inkredibles, Mike Beatz, Big Drain, Hangmen 3 and The Alienz. The guests are Ron Browz, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep, Uncle Murda, Clipse, Maino and Tha Dogg Pound.
The intro mixes some of their best hits, then, the first cut is "United We Stand": decent boom bap rhythm by Hazardis Soundz, fine delivery by Capone and Noreaga. Ron Browz produces track number three: bouncy beat, Busta Rhymes rips the track. The Inkredibles brings out a digitized boom bap in an ethereal beat attempt which is a great achievement, despite the rappers' extravagant and mushy style: they sound better than usual, although, with a hardcore execution it would have made a clean banger. This sounds like a dirty banger. The Inkredibles did a great job. Who he sampled? Moroder? I really think it's Giorgio Moroder, from the main theme of "Scarface" (1983). "Bring It Here" features a hard beat, good delivery of C-N-N. DJ Premier blesses the project with a beat in "Grand Royal": boom bap cold, shiny, heavy, hardcore, Capone and Noreaga deliver bars with determination, however, the track doesn't stand out among the others, which is a shame as this is a potential banger.
Hazardis Soundz realizes the two subsequent productions: "The Argument" has a good light jazz rhythm and there's a performance worthy of the group, while "Mirror" has a heavier than usual kick drum and snare, and the guys spit in a normal style. "Wobble" is Havoc's somber boom bap, honest CNN rap in this Queens joint that credits Mobb Deep, but none of the rappers are making an effort to take the track to the bottom, not even Prodigy. The title track features SPK's synthesized heavy rhythm and mediocre delivery from the duo, with a weak hook. "Beef" has a simplistic Streetrunner rhythm, yet another shoddy puck hook, poor delivery by Capone and Noreaga. Hangmen 3 doesn't improve the overall production of the tape, its rhythm is light and this is one of the few songs in which Capone stands out positively on Nore, perhaps the only time it happens on this LP.
"Stick Up" has one of the worst rhythms, thanks to The Alienz: bouncy, shoddy, digital production seems to have been stolen from a low-level late eighties video game. It's pretty bad, CNN delivery is weak, but even if it wasn't, it would have been hard to pick up such a cheap beat. "My Hood" is a tight cut: poor jazz boom bap, hard and anti-melodic loop, weak piano, SPK did a very mundane and cheap job. Immense posse track in which they deliver all in back n forth, Capone and Noreaga, Uncle Murda and Maino, Kurupt and Daz, Pusha-T and No Malice: CNN sounds clunky, forced, they can't get right with back n forth delivery, Uncle Murda and Maino are easily superior to them. Tha Dogg Pound well, Clipse close the cut with a effortless, relaxed style. It's an interesting song because, in addition to presenting three different groups and a total of eight rappers, it sees in the same track Dogg Pound and CNN, which in the mid-nineties helped fuel the East Coast - West Coast feud with the latest flare-ups and incendiary dissing shortly before the death of 2Pac & Biggie.
In "Follow the Dollar", The Alchemist creates a skeletal, essential, dirty, fat and gloomy musical carpet, Capone and Noreaga deliver badly, crookedly, without too much desire. After making a good musical carpet, The Inkredibles falls incredibly out of a quick production that is greeted by a ridiculous delivery from the duo and a bad hook, aborted track. Big Drain has a good boom bap, the group spits hardcore in a way that never came through the second half of the album, then there's the usual lame hook. With great sarcasm, Hazardis Soundz held the best rhythm for the bonus track "Dead Broke": anthological boom bap, great production, Capone decides this is a rap ballad, his hook sucks and his voice is terrible, he completely ruins a great beat. CNN deliver hardcore on this energetic production, shame about the hook, this is a solid cut, and one of the few times Capone and Noreaga manage to deliver worthily in back n forth. Hangmen 3 creates an honest soundscape for "SORE", good rap by the group, then Hazardis Soundz returns with his fifth production for "Happy Birthday": heavy and dark rhythm, his work is good, the duo's rap is ignorable, it's not done well.
After the last release from prison, Capone and Noreaga are reunited, again. The title of their new record is "Channel 10", named after one of their debut tracks. With the Empire State Building behind them, Capone and Noreaga try to mentally return to their beginnings. The lyrics are generic and bland, revolving around thug, crime, violence and personal themes. The rapping is a little focused, dull, a poor imitation of East Coast hardcore rap, it sounds subdued, dull: both performers aren't at their best and have almost completely lost their alchemy, even the few times they're on a good beat, they fail to take the track to the next level. Mobb Deep disappoint, the other guests happen on uninspired productions. The album is distributed by SMC and gets an honest commercial return, it's not essential and there are a few gemstones that don't have much value. This is one of their most irregular and least successful works, it's completely lost in the second part. 4.5/10.
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