Debut for Artifacts, Newark's hip-hop duo composed of rappers Rahem "Tame One" Brown, cousin of Redman and William "El da Sensei" Williams, sometimes producer Shawn "DJ Kaos" Perry is credited as part of the group.
T-Ray of Soul Assassins and Buckwild of DITC handle most of the production, while Redman and Drew provide a rhythm each. Jay Burns Jay and Busta Rhymes are the only guests on the disc. The two boys are discreet writers and their lyricism is simple, it's a sort of return to the past, with typical eighties rap themes such as bravado, weed, graffiti, to represent: the duo perform with an energetic and competent style, not impressive.
If the lyrics don't help the duo stand out in the crowded mid-nineties hip-hop scene, the production helps keep them high among the best acts of the year: Buckwild and especially T-Ray, who takes care of more than half of the beats, make a simple and essential boom bap production that works very well, consisting of dry and hard midtempo drums, excellent bass lines, horn samples and scratches on the hooks. There are so many great moments in these 54 minutes, "Wrong Side of da Tracks" is the best song: jazzy boom bap, perfect drum, great bass line and samples, sweet sax, smooth slow delivery. Released by Big Beat, the album allows the two MCs to start a solid career in the underground circuit, without stopping them from obtaining a good commercial success, entering the pop chart, reaching the top 20 among rap records and the second place on the Billboard Heatseekers.
Highlights: "C'Mon wit da Git Down", "Wrong Side of da Tracks", "Heavy Ammunition", "Lower da Boom", "C'Mon wit da Git Down (Remix)".
Rating: 7.5/10.
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