First and last album released by
hip-hop group 5th Ward Juvenilez (not to be confused with the near
namesake and fellow citizens 5th Ward Boyz), coming from Houston, Texas.
The trio consists of Daddy Lo, Mr. Slimm and Nickelboy. The production
is credited to Rap-A-Lot producers, Mike Dean, N.O. Joe, Krazy C, Derek
Grizz and Dewey Forker, while the guests are members of the
aforementioned 5th Ward Boyz E-Rock and 007, and Kaos.
The
production has nothing revolutionary: the guys from Rap-A-Lot mix
southern midtempo / downtempo drums and shrill synths that are
particularly annoying. There are practically no samples: in over an hour
of listening, if you pay attention, at one point you can hear a piece
of Blackbyrds, Funkadelic and Al Green each. Enough. Three in sixty
minutes. The record struggles to play, is cumbersome and could be a
difficult listening for anyone who isn't a fan of the south. It's
arguably one of the most forgettable records of the season and still
pretty discreet: dudes perform their own gangsta bars with a straight
rap, hardcore, energetic, at times dynamic and even fresh, supported by a
hard drum that at a distance is suffocating in this desolate sound
desert.
Distributed by Underground Records and Rap-A-Lot, the
album reaches number 200 on the Billboard 200 and enters the top 30
among rap records, selling a good number of copies. The group doesn't
publish any other material: in 1998, Mr. Slimm & Nickelboy formed
the Fifth Ward Circle (FWC) duo, changing their monikers to Gotti &
Frank Nitti, respectively, paying homage to the Gambino family boss and
Al Capone's henchman.
Rating: 6/10.
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