Second studio album by 5th Ward Boyz, it comes out one year after the previous EP and two seasons after their debut. The production is handled mainly by the Houston group and Mike Dean, also contributing Derek Edwards with two rhythms and, with one beat each, Roger Tausz, Scarface and Pimp C. Guests are 3D, Flesh-N-Bone, Wildchild, UGK, Daddy Lo, Mr. Slimm, Nickelboy, Kaos and Gotti.
In 1995, not even Rap-A-Lot can do bad thangs as much as usual. This record sounds really good and is enjoyable, for these reasons, I personally don't consider it a Rap-A-Lot album in its classical sense. Mike Dean and the trio do a great job behind the keyboards: the beats are funky and dark with a relaxed and dark mobb mood, good melodic samples, dirty, dusty, dry, harsh and raw downtempo drums, and meager, sparse and accessible g-funk synths. On this musical mat, the guys drop thug-n-gangsta bars with an effortless, slow, velvety, even hardcore style.
Released by Underground Records and Priority, the album is one of the funniest and most enjoyable to come out of Houston in the golden age, thanks to an exquisite blend of production and rap that both sound fluid and relaxed. I have no idea why these guys don't get more credit among aesthetes and professional critics, neglecting simplistic lyrics, quite average for a Rap-A-Lot effort. The album, supported by a distribution provided by Virgin / EMI via Noo Trybe, ranks at the bottom of the pop chart and reaches the top 40 of rap records. Recommended, 7.7/10.

No comments:
Post a Comment