Master P has been trying for a few years but hasn't yet found the right formula, so it's up to Ant Banks to make the first full-blown No Limit Records cover: central artist's name in evidence at the top covering the entire space, figure of the author in the center, title beside him.
The New Orleans rapper will perfect it in the following years, but this is one of the first interesting and probably unintentional examples. Second solo studio album for Ant Banks, it's not exactly a sophomore jinx nor does it revolutionize the genre. The boy plays in his comfort zone: funky beats, boom bap, slow pounding drums, mobb and g-funk samples, on these musical carpets, Banks delivers bars in a slow, syncopated, at times confident style, pulling out lyrics on gangsta, women, and party topics. He sometimes lets the rhythms breathe at the end of the tracks, and I don't mind, nevertheless, the sound is simply discreet.
The producer employs a few live instrumentalists to improve the rhythms, including Pee-Wee on keyboards throughout the record, and Shorty B on bass in a couple of tracks, as well as calling several backing vocalists, including which Stacy Hogg stands out with four appearances. The guys from the Dangerous Crew fill the stools of the guests, the only one outside is Boots Riley from The Coup: there are Spice 1, Goldy, Ant Diddley Dog, Rappin' Ron, Pee Wee, Father Dom, and Too Short, main guest of the edition with four appearances. Released by Jive Records, it gets honest commercial success, but stretches excessively to 55 minutes due to a dozen extended choices: recommended for fans of the artist, for the casual listener it's not an essential LP.
Rating: 6/10.
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