S.S.C. Presents Murder Squad — Nationwide

This collaborative project by the South Central Cartel crew is a kind of collective party with gunshots and various gangsterisms. The goal was originally to launch Havikk's new group, Murder Squad, also made up of Hot Dolla, Powerlord Jell and Mr. Wesside, nevertheless, the end isn't successful, so much so that the title is believed to be "Murder Squad Nationwide", instead of the correct "Nationwide".

Prodeje is the main producer, GS Money, Ant Banks, DJ Gripp, Tootie and Riddler also collaborate on the rhythms. The main performers are the members of SCC Young Prod / Young Prodeje aka Cali Pitts (9; he's the younger brother of Big Prodeje), Havikk the Rhime Son (8), Big Prodeje (6), Spice 1 (3), Sh'Killa (3), Ant Banks (2) and Mr. Wesside (2). Powerlord Jell and Hot Dolla participate with an appearance, as well as guests Ice-T, Boss, Treach, The Chi-Lites, Dori, LV, Big Mike, G-Nut, 187 Fac, Mr. 3-2, Mel-Low, Dee tha Mad Bitch, Gripsta, Godfather, Laywiy Street Soulja, LP, Portia, Evil Skeem, BG Knocc Out, Dresta and Jayo Felony.

Prodeje behind the keyboards ensures a velvety soundscape, made up of funk, rnb, and soul samples, by dry and hard, dusty and scarce midtempo drums and plaintive and shrill g-funk synths, festive, often accessible. Music is pleasant, the man did a good job. Lyricism, what to add, it's about South Central Cartel and friends, you know what to find. The album is kicked off by "It's an S.C.C. Thang", a song that was one of the best on the group's recent album and is replayed here, then it's a gangsta party, some performers choose a relaxed style, others deliver hardcore. In the midst of over thirty different performers, I personally feel that the young rapper Sh'Killa stands out, arriving much hungrier than the others, and she spits bars with an energetic flow, hardcore, urgent, aggressive, without grace, devastating the beat of "Why Must G'Z", flowing well also in the midst of the plaintive synths, smooth flutes and midtempo drum of the remix of "Knock on Wood".

Released by GWK Records, a label founded by Havoc, the only member of the SCC not to be present in this effort, the album is distributed by DJ West, an acronym for Def Jam West: it ends up just outside the top 100 of pop records, just off the top 10 of rap albums, and is #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. The Murder Squad project is soon abandoned and today it's pretended that the album is unofficially another SCC record, the third.

Rating: 7.5/10.