Mad CJ Mac — True Game

First studio album by Mad CJ Mac, South Central Los Angeles hip-hop duo composed by the producer Clement "Mad" Burnette and by the rapper Bryon "CJ Mac" Ross. The production is made exclusively by the duo, Poppa LQ is the only accredited guest. The cover shows us that GZA isn't the only chess fan in rap and is almost entirely blue on a black background, with the artist's name and title being represented in white and blue. So, Crips, I guess?

For once, the beats don't come from Rap-A-Lot producers, thankfully the rhythms don't come from Houston and are provided exclusively by Mad and CJ Mac. The work of the duo behind the keyboards is excellent: the album is a party of cheerful synths, amazing mobb samples, skinny, dry, hard, round downtempo drums, bordering on perfection, the overall soundscape is positive and relaxed, with some dark, I dare say almost "noir" undertones, which is a bit typical of the hip-hop scene of the period, even in LA. The g-funk synths in this effort are as whiny and shrill as those on many other West Coast LPs from the mid-nineties, but for some reason, they sound better here, greeted by splendid strings and accompanied by the dust and grime that the drum keeps pulling up at them with every loop.

CJ Mac's rapping contribution is worth noting: he favors a slow, effortless, relaxed and velvety delivery, without disdaining hardcore performance, pouring hard and tight bars with a perennially confident and thoughtful style. In just over fifty minutes, the young MC proves to have great talent and an inspired pen, writing texts that touch upon socio-conscious, political and criminal topics, with personal, melancholic and nihilistic cursive, which creating an interesting contrast with the carefree music chosen by the duo. Perhaps, perhaps, it's among the best acts of the year, certainly in Los Angeles.

Originally slated to be released by Ruthless, the album is welcomed by Rap-A-Lot and distributed by Noo Trybe, ranking just off the top 40 among hip-hop releases. Judging by the cover, it might look like a typical, generic gangsta rap record, and it might be placed alongside the rest of the hundreds of similar efforts that came out in the same season, but that would be a mistake. The whole project is a pearl that shines with its own light hidden in the depths of the golden age: it combines a pleasant production with a competent rap offered by one of the less regarded performers of the West Coast scene of the mid-nineties.

Rating: 8/10.