This mixtape is also one of the first projects of 60 Second Assassin, who has been in the industry since the mid-nineties. RZA puts 5 beats, the same as 4th Disciple, behind the keyboards are also True Master, Supreme, John the Baptist, Bronze Nazareth, DJ Woool, Linx, Inspectah Deck, DYP tha Goldynchild, Platinum Brothers, Anno Domini and Trackmasterz. Among the guests, there's the Wu-Tang Clan represented by Ol' Dirty Bastard, RZA, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck and Method Man, the Sunz of Man with Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn and Hell Razah in addition to the main emcee, the Brooklyn Zu with Shorty Shit Stain and the Killarmy with 9th Prince and Kinetic, in addition to the Wu affiliates M-80, True Master, La the Darkman and Popa Wu.
After an intro produced by DYP tha Goldynchild, the record is actually opened by 4th Disciple with his beat for "Angel of Death", which is actually another name for the Sunz of Man track "Five Arch Angels" from the never released album "Nothing New Under the Sun": to compile this mixtape, the artist takes his verse from the track, which is also the opening one. The tune, in addition to being later included in its entirety in the compilation "The Old Testament", is the only one to feature all the members of the group after the release of 7th Ambassador. Beautiful rhythm created by the Wu-Element, splendid bass line, dark samples, impeccable dusty drum: on this rare quality rhythm, 60 Second Assassin makes a great entrance and delivers with a loose and flowing style, fantastic.
The next track is a rarity from 1996 where Ol' Dirty Bastard drops bars next to 60 Sec on a tight boom bap by RZA: drum sustained and tight, haunting samples in the background, good bass, uptempo rhythm on which ODB is comfortable with his easy-going style, 62nd delivers with a more robust, energetic flow, Dirt McGirt returns for the third verse with his style, it comes out a fresh cut. The song never came out and in 2002 the two BZA stanzas were used to create a piece of the same name for his album "The Trials & Tribulations of Russell Jones" on a different production than RZA's, with an outrageous beat by One-Eye and a guest appearance by the group Insane Clown Posse that totally ruins the track, as if that awful beat wasn't enough.
"I Can't Believe" is an oldie, with vintage 4th Disciple production on what sounds like a piece left off some late 90s album. The beat sounds a little incomplete: there's a phat bass line at the start, shimmering piano keys, someone humming in the background, then a stinging hi-hat hits and 60 Second brings down the rhythm with a crazy style more or less clearly inspired by his friend Ol' Dirty Bastard. The guy actually has an affiliation and collaboration with Brooklyn Zu prior to joining Sunz of Man.
The next cut is then inserted in a Killah Priest album, "The Infinite Vendetta" (2016), made with Vendetta Kingz on a wonderfully ethereal production by Anno Domini, often uncredited. Shaking keyboard, tough, hard, dusty, midtempo, iconic drum, echoing bass in the background, heavenly melodic sample. Killah Priest himself makes a clean entrance and delivers spectacularly, silkily and unstoppably on a beautiful Renaissance soundscape. Hook by King David, then the author cuts the contributions of the original guests King David and The Holy Ghostman and keeps only his own, also a guest, to close the track as if it were a duet between him and Masada on a phenomenal production that is certainly among the best of the year in hip-hop. 62nd's attack on the beat is more raw than that of the other Sunz of Man, nevertheless he also goes away in a loose way, without effort, in good style, lulled by the rhythm.
"You Don't Know Me" is an original cut by American Poets 2099, specifically by Nova-Kane made with guests 60 Second Assassin and Prodigal Sunn of Sunz of Man, Shorty Shitstain of Brooklyn Zu and 5 Foot Hyper Sniper of Zu Ninjaz. Heavy, synthesized boom bap production by DJ Woool, sparse drums, eerie, phantasmagorical samples, dark, scary, loud drums, good delivery by Prodigal Sunn who develops an irregular, effortless flow that fits quite well with the rhythm chosen by DJ Woool, who has worked with Killah Priest of Sunz in the past. Hook, straight-forward hardcore delivery by Shorty Shitstain, the other contributions are cut. "The Grandz" is a track featured on the official debut of Sunz of Man, "The Last Shall Be First". Intro by 62nd and Sunzini, hook by Hell Razah, good flow by 60 Second Assassin on the first verse over a simple boom bap production by True Master, hook by Hell Razah featuring P Sunn (not credited as a guest here, also because his verse isn't included in this mixtape).
The next choice is another vintage Sunz of Man choice, this time destined for "Nothing New Under the Sun", the group's album that was supposed to be released in 1996. The track boasts all four members who would have been part of the group on the first official album, Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest, Hell Razah and 60 Second Assassin. Thick bassline, elegant piano keys, dusty downtempo drum, great rhythm realized by Su-Preme. Intro and hook of 60 Second Assassin, opening verse of Prodigal Sunn with a calm, smoothness, clean flow, as elegant as the piano keys, then 62nd and Priest drop short verses in back and forth, Hell Razah at the last verse with good energy.
"Bankstaz" is borrowed from "Saviorz Day", the second official CD of Sunz of Man. On a simple production by Wu affiliate John the Baptist, the author cuts half a track, keeps his second hook short and immediately brings back the contribution of the only guest on the tune The RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, who spits hardcore on this raw and cheap beat. Then, 62nd joins his first hook and his verse, which in the original track precede that of Steelz, making a solid tune that advances for three minutes, even if it's not exactly on par with the rest of the material proposed by the emcee on this tape. Frederick Cuffie Jr. takes the bravado a step further on the next choice, featuring a live performance of Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” as an interlude on the tape, specifically Raekwon’s opening verse over The Abbot’s original rhythm.
The Brooklyn rapper therefore offers the title track of his first LP. Elegant production by Bronze Nazareth, fresh bass, lively dry midtempo drum, good violins, intro by Popa Wu. Masta Killa makes a calm entrance, as elegant as the beat, he's calm, he flows effortlessly on a production that accompanies him, seasoned with a chopped and looped sample of half a second. At first, I thought that this sample, which everyone has already heard, was by Popa Wu himself, which is why I couldn't trace its origin. Only after a couple of listens did I understand that it's actually a "now" taken from "Could I Be Falling In Love" by Syl Johnson, which is the sample that makes up "Heaven & Hell" by Raekwon, the penultimate joint of his debut album that precedes a historic collaboration between Chef and Popa Wu. Scratched hook paying homage to Jay-Z from "Cashmere Thoughts" from his classic debut album. M-80 on the second verse with a battle lyrical-miracle contribution, precedes the main emcee, who offers a good entrance, slows down the pace of the track and follows the beat, much like Noodles did before him. Hook by 62nd, outro by Popa Wu.
Pick number twelve is "The Plan" from Sunz's debut album. The piece is launched by an Ann Peebles sample from "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down", then 60 Second Assassin laces his second verse (fifth on the original cut) over this exquisite production by 4th Disciple, who lays down one of his best beats here. After Peebles' hook, Cuffie comes back to drop his first verse, completing the tune in a couple of minutes and excluding his friends' verses, also closing with his outro from the original track.
A gem follows, "I Shot Ya", which is actually the basis of the LL Cool J remix of the same name on the same Trackmasterz production. Inside in freestyle Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin for a couple of minutes destroy the beat. There's a remix of "Verbal Intercourse" later, on the same original Bobby Digital production for the Purple Tape icon that boasts Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and Nas at their best on an immortal rhythm. DYP tha Goldynchild is credited for the remix, although I have no idea what the differences are, except that after the iconic sample “If You Think It (You May as Well Do It)” by The Emotions, the mix is clearly lowered to make room for 60 Second Assassin’s contribution to the historic track, which replaces Esco. In order to remedy this problem, a sample from a kung-fu movie is inserted at the beginning, however, the difference is too obvious when 62nd’s verse ends and Raekwon’s comes in, despite other random sounds of sampled punches. Tony Starks completes the cut.
There's a second consecutive production by Bobby Steels with the next piece, taken from the soundtrack of "Afro Samurai" (2007): in "Take Sword Pt. II", the Sunz of Man rapper is joined by True Master on a pretty good ballad rhythm, unfortunately both performers choose to deliver almost in spoken word. The next choice is produced by Shawneci, light boom bap, another ballad, lulling piano keys, downtempo drum, deep bass in the background, good line, sad samples, slow delivery of 60 Second Assassin. 9th Prince on the second verse with a slow, regular, average flow in a choice that unites Sunz of Man and Killarmy, the first in this tape.
"Illusions" is a track from "The Last Shall Be First". Amidst honest boom bap production by 4th Disciple, Cuffie holds the hook of Hell Razah, then immediately places his contribution by cutting the first verse of the Red Hook emcee. 62nd boasts a good effortless flow on this dark and plaintive beat, Masta Killa follows with a precise, attentive, calm, quiet, regular flow. The next choice is an interlude built from an original cut of the same name that comes from "Saviorz Day": over an average Platinum Brothers production, the artist cuts his hook and outro by removing the verses of Prodigal Sunn, Hell Razah, guest MC Eiht and the hook of guest Madam D. Next comes the remix of "Stay True", an iconic track from Ghostface Killah's second project, "Supreme Clientele", Tony Starks takes the beat from "Elevator" by Inspectah Deck, included in the debut album of Rebel INS "Uncontrolled Substance" (1999).
Again, the author decides to propose a remix of the piece, which has the same (negligible) flaws that the remix of "Verbal Intercourse" has, with the substantial difference that 60 Second Assassin is present as a guest on the original, performing the outro. This edit starts with Ghostface's intro to which half of the Sunz of Man rapper's outro is added, then the instrumental is lowered again to make room for a verse of 60 Second Assassin, with a pretty questionable transition, but worthy of a mixtape whose mixing remains quite rough. The guys still place the outro of 62nd as if it were a hook, and it's one of the things that work, to launch the original verse of Ghostdeini. If you haven't been paying too much attention, it's Ghost's contribution that seems to be glued here, because it comes later and his voice echoes on the beat, unlike that of 60 Second, whose voice has not been given the effect. Closing hook of 60 Second. Inspectah Deck is credited as a guest but he's not actually here, except for the production.
Over a quality boom bap beat by True Master, 60 Second Assassin opens "Next Up", in accordance with the original cut. Good energetic and steady delivery by the Brooklyn emcee, who welcomes Method Man as a guest, great flow from one of the best ever in the game. Fantastic cut in a couple of minutes, Tical flies on this production. The contributions of Sunzini and Hell Razah are removed from the original, although you can hear the latter's voice launching the guest's verse here. For the next choice, the author takes his intro from a self-titled track by Almighty taken from "Original SIN", on one of the best productions of Bronze Nazareth, which isn't offered on this tape, because on the original piece Cuffie only performs the intro, leaving room for other emcees.
In "She Said" Shawneci offers an ethereal soundscape, heavenly, phantasmagorical, otherworldly, fantastical samples, deep bass line, finger snap in the background replacing the drum in this drumless track, simple hook in spoken, slow delivery in spoken of 60 Second Assassin. On a cheap and mediocre production by RZA, the author offers "Take Sword Pt. III" directly from "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" (2009), keeping his verse, that of Kinetic of Killarmy and that of RZA of Wu-Tang, excluding the contributions of Leggezin, Crisis, Christbearer and Rugged Monk of Black Knights, Tré Irie, and Reverand William Burk of Achozen, all present in the original cut, long over ten minutes and exhausting on a forgettable and very poor production.
"Time" is a solo by Cuffie featured on "Saviorz Day" on a bouncy, bouncy production by Linx, where the Sunz rapper also sings the hook, sometimes credited with the moniker Black Satin. The 60 Second Assassin mixtape ends on track number twenty-five, "Let It Rain", a piece by La the Darkman produced by 4th Disciple: boom bap production with an extravagant bass line, curious samples, very poor drum that doesn't beat and is almost not heard, almost replaced by bass and poor samples. Intro by P Sunn, uncredited, his verse is removed, hook by 60 Sec, verse by La the Darkman who enters hardcore in his cut, focused, energetic, good flow. Outro by 62nd. Skit that closes the tape.
Released by Illegit Records, the tape is distributed as a pre-release mixtape for 60 Second Assassin's first official album, "Remarkable Timing". Overall, it's a decent tape, though not essential for fans of the double v. 6.5/10.
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