Alphonso Bailey wasn't eighteen years old when he made his debut in the rap game with the demo "Lyrical Driveby" under the name of Ska-Face Al Kapone, or two references to the criminal of the twenties-forties, Scarface was the nickname of the Chicago boss and the film is a remake of a 1930s movie about Al Capone. Bailey, from Memphis, Tennessee, decides to eliminate the reference to the De Palma film (and to the Ghetto Boys rapper) and keeps Al Kapone as his moniker, releasing his first solo album in the same year.
The intro cut has a fresh beat, close to g-funk, cheerful intro, and light-hearted delivery on a beat close to the West Coast style. The next track presents a cheerful and easygoing delivery on a rockin' production, lean, fresh and minimal. SMK, the producer, begins to compose a great work with the third cut, sustained rhythm, skinny and effective syncopated drum machine, jazzy sample on the functional hook that gives value to Al Kapone's cheerful syncopated delivery.
"When Revenge Ends" boasts an introductory sax sample to introduce the gangsta track, simple rhythm, the rapper delivers his lyrics with a cheerful and light style, before "Livin' Ass Out", good samples and almost hardcore slow syncopated delivery by the MC of Memphis. "The Way I Gotta Live" is among the best choices, the rapper maintains gangsta / drug themes, while SMK offers harsh rock / metal production, heavy and lean drum machine, then cheery delivery of the rapper, functional hook and outro with hard rock solo.
A splendid instrumental with a light and elegant dope piano follows. A scratched sample on a lean rhythm opens the B side of the tape, "For Ya Bad-Ass Kids" has a simpler, leaner rhythm, and light-hearted bars by Kapone. In "Gotta Think to Myself", the performer returns to his gangsta themes on a slow, simple groove, played with a light delivery. For "Lyrical Drive-By", the producer delivers a beat close to g-funk, Al Kapone offers another cheerful and light-hearted delivery.
The music is darker in the next joint, but the rapper lightens the mood with his delivery style and doesn't complete what could have been a good dark song. "Down Muthafuckas" is the classic record-breaking posse, with 211, Skinny Pimp and SMK in the guests role: hard, dark, dry and shiny beat, skinny and syncopated drum machine, rockin' rhythm but somehow close to the West Coast, vibrant and fresh, the trio delivers hardcore slow and deeply flowing, dope. The tape is closed by "Choices", amazing sax sample, simple rhythm, g-funk synth and vicious female sample looped in the background, hardcore smooth delivery, simple hook.
SMK brings out one of the best hip-hop productions of the year and Al Kapone doesn't disappoint most of the time. Pretty hidden and obscure tape, straight out of the neglected Memphis scene. Recommended, this rapper may have come up with one of the best rap projects of 1992.
Rating: 7.5/10.
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