The Professional aka Pro the Leader debuts with this effort in 2001. In 2023 Black Stone of Mecca and Know the Names Music Group revived and re-released it. Even Deeskee's modern remastering in Los Angeles fails to clean up the original record's raw sound. Entirely produced by Pro the Leader, the tape features Warcloud as the main guest alongside Bootface, future member of American Poets 2099 with The Professional, and Sobretti.
The production is minimal, dry skeletal downtempo drums, a rough, grumpy bassline, and a few side instruments to provide support for The Professional's battles. Warcloud ignites "Battle Me You Won't Win", on a production similar to the previous ones, with a harsh bass line and a clear midtempo drum: the main rapper's delivery is steady, while the guest rips the cut with an irregular and overwhelming flow. Sobretti goes back n forth with Pro the Leader on an unusually cheerful production for "Beautiful Smile Girl", the boys boast a pleasant style on an excellent beat: dusty midtempo dirty drum, dotted bass line, dirty horns, dark strings. Absurdly the finest production of the tape doesn't reach a minute.
The author then trades verses with Bootface in "My House", on a similar rhythm to the others. "Hip Hop's Not What You See On Tv" features a subdued, steady, almost spoken delivery from The Professional on one of the best-crafted soundscapes on this record: deep, vibrant, robust bass line, metallic, clear, downtempo drum. After a minute, the beat is accompanied by a second drum line. Warcloud returns as a guest on "Life's Mysteries" on a dark rhythm, dropping bars with a slow, energetic style. A sweet instrumental and a solo piece from The Professional follow.
"Mics, Turntables, Spray Cans and Records" boasts a solid bass line, electric guitar riffs, midtempo dusty dirty drums, Pro the Leader delivers one of the best beats on the tape. Warcloud opens the cut with the hook before the intro, announcing himself as part of West Coast Wu-Tang Killa Beez and the track as part of American Poets — originally, a [never released] disk by Skarekrow with tracks composed by rhythms discarted from Warcloud's "Nightmares that Surfaces from Shallow Sleep" (2002), recorded in the same period; in the next years it becomes the name of the group composed by Warcloud and Pro the Leader, among others —, then the Black Knights rapper delivers bars with a hardcore blast.
The rhythm is left to breathe, then The Professional comes in with a nice smooth flow and Sobretti drops on the soundscape with a raw, ragged, loose, inspired style. Hook by Warcloud, the emcee close the cut reciting lyrics in breathless style and killing the beat. Pro the Leader returns solo on "Everyone's a Fuckin' Critic", on a minimal rhythm, followed by an instrumental. The following track features a somewhat cinematic, b-movie-esque, production to provide the soundtrack for the author's braggadocious battle. Warcloud freestyles for nearly eight minutes, with a brief contribution from Pro the Leader, before the final instrumental.
Consisting of 15 cuts for an offering of about 52 minutes of material, Pro the Leader packages a compact record spitting bars over a series of similar rhythms with little variation and in which one of the main strengths is the early Warcloud that deserves to be rediscovered by fans.
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