Jay-Z - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

Shawn Carter's 1997 release In My Lifetime, Vol. 1's title implied that there would be further so-called "volume" albums to come, and since he had now officially (in his mind) taken up the position of "King of New York" (a distinction that, at the time this album came out in late 1998, probably belonged solely to DMX and not Hov), there was no question of another release. By now, Jay-Z was gaining more and more hype around the world, helped by his radio hit single "Can I Get A..." with Ja Rule and Amil, released for the Rush Hour soundtrack earlier in 1998, and by the time he dropped the lead single for this album "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)", he was pretty much a household name, for the Americans at least. This track was heard on the radio from Boston to Bangladesh, and everywhere in between, and as such, Jay decided to capitalise off of this by naming his album after the track, an album that, predictably, charted at no. 1 on the Billboard charts. This was something that would become a trend throughout the rest of Jay's career, as he slowly but surely transitioned from the cool, young drug dealer into the old, fat bloke jumping into a swimming pool.

Now, it's all well and good appealing to the casual radio audience, but to really maintain any kind of longevity in the rap game, you have to appeal to the hip-hop heads as well, and Jay knew that he hadn't entirely succeeded in that area on his last effort, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Therefore, he effectively ditched the Bad Boy/Hitmen team for all but one track on this album, instead opting for some of the more respected producers in the game - DJ Premier, Mark the 45 King, Erick Sermon - as well as some (back then at least) up-and-coming producers that he thought he would mesh well with, such as Timbaland (known at the time for his work with Missy Elliott) and Swizz Beatz (known at the time for his work with DMX). He also got rid of the Babyface and BlackStreet type features, and included names such as DMX, The LOX, Too $hort (who admittedly showed up on the last album too) and, most importantly, Big Jaz, the man who got Jay into the game in the first place, yet sadly had an absence of verses on the last LP (although he did produce "Rap Game/Crack Game"). He also invented some new nicknames for himself, the now notorious "Jigga" and "Jay-Hovah" pseudonyms, which are hilariously listed out on the back of the booklet as if each was an executive producer. So, boom-bap and hardcore producers and no R&B features in sight. A recipe for success, then?

Well... no.

1. Intro - Hand It Down (feat. Memphis Bleek) (prod. Premier)

So, Jay's planning on retiring AGAIN? How many times is he going to do this in his career? This track starts with an interpolation from that same film scene sampled at the end of Ghostface Killah's "The Soul Controller" from Carlito's Way. After this and the obligatory "OK! I'M RELOADED!!", the only DJ Premier beat kicks in, and Jay gives it all to Memphis Bleek for some reason. I guess the concept of this is that Jay is handing down his position in the game to Bleek, quite the step down it must be said. Memphis does OK on here, and his vocal samples from Jay's own "Coming Of Age" sound nice, but if Jay had blessed this Preemo gem, then the song would have been better.

2. Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) (prod. Mark 45 King)

The aforementioned lead single, and, yeah, it's a classic. The vocal sample from the film Annie in the chorus is legendary, and Jay flows very nicely over this dope Mark the 45 King beat. I like the way he actually predicts his future here, too - "and drop albums non-stop for ya, nigga" is something Jay would actually do, up to 2003 at least. Shame Marshall Mathers couldn't keep a similar promise he made on his song "Criminal". Threatening to "murder everything moving" is probably not the best thing to state on your lead radio single, but otherwise, this is easily one of Jay's best singles, and it shits all over "(Always Be My) Sunshine".

3. If I Should Die (feat. Da Ranjahz) (prod. Swizz Beats)

Bloody hell this beat is annoying. You could listen to this on mute and it would still give you a headache. It does allow for the rappers to spit some nice flows, though, and Da Ranjahz (whoever the hell they are) actually sound pretty nice on here, even though they don't have many stand out traits. Also, "and how was Kennedy killed?" is one of the stupidest questions one could ask. Everyone knows how he died! He was shot! This song could have been good, but it's too long, and the beat is annoying as shit.

4. Ride Or Die (prod. Steven "Stevie J" Jordan)

The only song on here provided by one of The Hitmen, and it's actually good, even if the repetitive hook heavily encourages the listener to use the CD as a meat slicer. Jay sounds a little more chilled out on here, and the beat is quite menacing. Shawn also appears to be dissing someone on this track, and although it's unclear, the line "I probably make more money off your album than you" narrows it down somewhat (remember, this was well before Jay took over Def Jam, and so people like Method Man and Ghostface Killah weren't handing over their sweet, sweet dough over to Jay quite yet, and the list of those who were was probably minuscule at the time).

5. Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99) (feat. Big Jaz) (prod. Timbaland)

Those that like to research hip-hop history, and are fans of Shawn Carter, may have heard songs from the early '90s such as "The Originators", where Jay-Z appears to have taken an inadvisable amount of caffeine, or perhaps is being held at gunpoint and being asked to say as much as he possibly can within one minute. These old speedy tracks are what inspired the speedier flow of this track, the first of many Jay-Z/Timbaland collaborations to make it to Hov albums. This is also the final collaboration between Jay and Jaz, as the latter took Jay's appalling lines at the end of the second verse here to be a sign that Jay wasn't a very nice human being (I would make the same assumption - just LOOK at that content), and decided to leave his side and later on diss the shit out of him, which was nice of him. I do like this, though - Jay sounds slick, the beat is great, and Jaz-O sounds pretty excellent. Amil's uncredited vocals are horrific, though, a trend that will continue on the next couple Jay albums.

6. Money, Cash, Hoes (feat. DMX) (prod. Swizz Beats)

One of the more notorious tracks on this album, and it's also one of the best. The chorus is repetitive, but catchy, unlike the one on "Ride Or Die", which makes you want to reach into the speaker, pull out Jay's enormous lips, and give them a good old stomping. DMX's ad-libbing on said chorus is also quite hilarious. The beat on here is kind of annoying, but Jay's verses and especially X's performance make up for that. "Fuck, all, ya'll, haters, blow dick" is just a good line, as is "I know they gon' criticise the hook on this song, like I give a fuck, I'm just a crook on this song". That "fuck you, pay me" skit on the end was nice as well. The Game later attempted to remake this song on his soap opera-length album Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind that he dropped a few years ago, and we'll talk about THAT stupid idea at a later date.

7. A Week Ago (feat. Too $hort) (prod. J-Runnah)

The second $hort Dawg feature on a Jay album, and this one is a hell of a lot better than the snooze-fest that was "Real Niggas". Too $hort thankfully only performs on the hook here, as Jay handles the verses that address the issues with snitching in the streets. The beat on this one, produced by one of the few producers on here that are pretty much unknown, is quite powerful, and Jay's verses are easily the most interesting on this album, which has been suspiciously short of substance so far. The "you rat bastard" at the end is hilarious too.

8. Coming Of Age (Da Sequel) (feat. Memphis Bleek) (prod. Swizz Beats)

Bleek is back, and for what is easily one of the worst tracks on this album. The beat on here is fucking terrible, and the verses, that detail Memphis and Jay's anger at each other as they are coming up in the game following the events of the original "Coming Of Age", are not enough to take away from this. The hook, which is screamed by Bleek at an ear-piercing volume, is also godawful. What the fuck is up with Swizz Beatz on this thing? Maybe he was upset that the "z" at the end of the word "Beatz" in his name is spelt wrongly in the booklet (as "beats").

9. Can I Get A... (feat. Amil (of Major Coins) & Ja Rule) (prod. Irv Gotti & Lil' Rob)

Since this song made for the Rush Hour soundtrack was so successful, Jay decided the best thing to do in order to get this album selling some more units was to chuck the track onto the album. Why this was such a hit, though, I don't know. The hook is quite bloody annoying, and Ja Rule delivers the first of many terrible verses that he would tarnish the rap game with throughout the next six years or so (this was the first hit track he appeared on, I believe). I will confess that I like this beat a LOT, though - but Ja Rule, and the predictably terrible Amil, as well as the dismal hook, mean that this track remains as one of Jay's weakest hit singles.

10. Paper Chase (feat. Foxy Brown) (prod. Timbaland)

Foxy Brown's first correctly listed credit on a Jay album is also her last credit full stop - in fact, she went surprisingly cold with both Jay AND her other chum Nas, around the time the two started their infamous beef. Weird that. Timbaland's second and final beat on the project is actually really smooth, and Jay and Foxy both sound solid - I like this a lot more than I did when I first listened to the album. The hook is all kinds of dismal, though, and this track severely lacks in replay value. And what the fuck is up with Foxy's horror-movie style laughing? 

11. Reservoir Dogs (feat. The Lox, Beanie Siegel & Sauce Money) (prod. Erick Sermon, co-prod. Darold "POP" Trotter)

The first so-called "posse cut" to appear on a Jay album (which should be defined as a track with more than three rappers in my opinion, so therefore "Bring It On" doesn't quite count). Surprisingly, Erick Sermon came through and blessed this one, and you can tell, as this sounds VERY much like an average Sermon beat at the time. Notable for being both the first appearance by Jay's future replacement for Memphis Bleek as a sidekick, Beanie Sigel, and also the last appearance by his old friend Sauce Money on one of Jay's albums. This is one of the earlier LOX features, and as such Jada doesn't has his gruff voice yet, and also, they all sound great, especially Sheek. Apparently Styles dissed Jay on this one, similar to Craig Mack and B.I.G. on "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)", only less effective, as Styles' repetitive opening lines are the worst moment of this song - well, except Beanie's line "y'all niggas nuts like testicles" of course, which is just SO predictable. Jay also kills it, making this easily one of the best tracks here. Classic posse cut.

12. It's Like That (feat. Kid Capri) (prod. Kid Capri)

Hova can always be counted on to end his album in a bit of a slower fashion, and as such, this. This song is probably the only one here that wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of Jay's first two albums (I feel like people don't acknowledge how this record as a whole doesn't sound anything like Jay's albums before), and that's a good thing, as I of course love those two records. This track is pretty chilled out, and aside from the female vocals on the hook, which are horrible, it works excellently as a smooth outro track. Definitely a highlight, although Kid Capri's shouting was entirely unnecessary.

The following tracks are listed as bonus tracks, as they both were made for other projects, not this one.

13. It's Alright (feat. Memphis Bleek) (prod. Damon Dash & Mahogany)

This was made for that Streets Is Watching soundtrack that Jay put out in early '98, but I can't see why it had to go on here - it sounds dismal. This beat is horrific, as is the hook, and neither Jay or Bleek come across as particularly interesting on this track. Definitely a misstep.

14. Money Ain't A Thang (feat. Jermaine Dupri) (prod. Jermaine Dupri)

The biggest hit single to Jermaine Dupri's album Life In 1472, released earlier in 1998. Aside from the fact that this should definitely not be here, as it's Jermaine Dupri's bloody song, I do quite enjoy this, even though Jermaine's annoying-ass voice gets in the way. The beat on here is fun, and the chorus, that interpolates lines from Jay's own "Can't Knock The Hustle", is also rather good. This track does get more and more dull as you run through it though, so be wary as you go into it.

So, was Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life the much-needed return to the streets that Jay obviously hoped it would be? Well, not really. First of all, this album, for the most part at least, sounds even more commercial and "jiggy" than In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, which is definitely NOT what Jay was going for. Perish the thought. The beats on here mostly sound ready-made for the clubs, and the ones that don't are either bloody SHIT, or the best on the whole album (see "A Week Ago", "It's Like That"). The hooks on this thing are also rarely enjoyable, and the run from tracks 8 to 10 is rather painful. The bonus tracks were also entirely unnecessary - it's like Jay was going for 14 tracks every album, but ran out of time to record, so just chucked two songs that everyone already had on the end. There are also way too many features on here - I come to a Jay album to hear Jay-Z, thanks, and so having only two solo tracks on the whole thing was definitely a mistake, even if some of the collaborations worked very nicely. Yes, there are more than a couple genuinely great songs on here, and there is also nothing on here that's outright horrific, so I'll give it that. However, this album is overall too boring, and there are too many bad hooks for me to ever recommend a listen. Check out some of the best tracks, for sure, but avoid the rest of this - there's a lot more worth to be found in Jay's catalogue than this effective compilation.

Best Tracks: Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), Money, Cash, Hoes, A Week Ago, Reservoir Dogs, It's Like That

Worst Tracks: If I Should Die, Coming Of Age (Da Sequel), It's Alright

For other Jay-Z write-ups, make sure to click here

Xzibit - 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz

Following his surprisingly brilliant debut album At the Speed Of Life, Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner almost immediately began work on a follow up project (although not until he'd caught up on all the episodes of The X-Files he'd missed, of course), and, since his debut had been so successful, he decided that, in order to build off of his already established greatness in the game, he would keep things similar to how they were before. At the Speed Of Life, while making X enough money to support his marijuana addiction (something all late '90s rappers had if we're honest here), didn't quite chart well enough to make X a true force to be reckoned with in the game, and so for the time being he was, much to his displeasure, made to stay around his old friends Tha Alkaholiks and King T, and their circle of producers, in order to put together this project. The album therefore has a reasonably similar sound to the debut, although there is a lot more West Coast influence this time, and is as such widely considered far from what is commonly referred to as the "sophomore slump".

However, the album wasn't entirely made up of Alkaholik beats and guests - as well as the predictable track with his Golden State Warriors buddies Ras Kass and Saafir, X managed to secure a track with two of Def Jam's more prominent artists at the time - Jayo Felony (a name that probably means nothing to casual hip-hop fans) and Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan (a name that should probably mean something to casual hip-hop fans). The latter's contribution isn't so strange, however: remember, both X and the Wu-Tang Clan were signed to Loud Records at the time - I'm surprised X didn't do more Wu-Tang features if I'm honest (although the quality of the Method Man featuring track might have something to do with the lack of subsequent meet ups). Production was provided by a plethora of beatmakers, some of whom - E-Swift and DJ Pen One - were carried over from the last album, but most of whom were new to the world of Alvin Joiner, and we'll discuss more of that later, although I should say now that X did invite some of the most potent producers in '90s West Coast hip-hop, such as Bud'da, Sir Jinx and Soopafly, to the recording studio, so that does show that he was starting to leave the very East Coast sound we found on his debut.

This album is considered by a lot of people to be Xzibit's finest work, but by those that don't see it as such, it is seen as the weakest of his first three albums, so going into this one it's difficult to know what we are going to find. I did love X's debut, but it was a little inconsistent, so maybe X will improve that this time. Let's take a little gander...

1. Intro (The Last Night) (prod. Sir Jinx, co-prod. Xzibit)

Of course proceedings couldn't begin without the obligatory intro skit. This one introduces us to a concept that inevitably will never be discussed again, but the "Paparazzi" beat plays out in the background here, so that makes it a little easier to stomach.

2. Chamber Music (prod. Sir Jinx, co-prod. Xzibit)

Wu-Tang Clan also had a song called "Chamber Music" (the opening song on their third effort, The W), something that surprises me since Xzibit released this song just three years earlier, and on the same record label. Odd, that. This track is bloody phenomenal - the marching band type beat is brilliant to listen to, and Xzibit sounds even more hardcore than he did on a large proportion of the last album. When X says quietly "and we out" towards the end, it just somehow gives me goosebumps, as does the dramatic introduction to the song as well. The line "I think it's funny how motherfuckers think I'm supposed to share/Cher like Sonny" is goofy, but otherwise this is a brilliant opening track.

3. 3 Card Molly (feat. Ras Kass & Saafir) (prod. Bud'da)

I don't know if it was an intentional move to have track 3 as "3 Card Molly", but if it was, then that's pretty damn cool if you ask me. This is the second Golden State Project collaboration on an Xzibit album, and it's light years ahead of the first (apologies to fans of "Plastic Surgery"). The beat is haunting and intense, and all three rappers deliver some of their best verses ever. The delivery from Saafir on the chorus of "pull your spine through your mouth and watch your body drop" genuinely sounds like a legitimate threat, and his verse might honestly be the best as well. "Ripping up tracks like immigrant Chinese" is a both impressive and hilarious line. Brilliant track.

4. What U See Is What U Get (prod. Jesse West, co-prod. Xzibit)

A lot of readers who don't research this sort of thing would be surprised to learn that "X" is not Xzibit's highest charting single - this is. This track, which is today about as forgotten as the art of not capitalising every goddamn song title on your album, is deserving of this accolade, though. Xzibit's rhymes are some of the best on this whole LP, with certain lines such as "who said you can't have your cake and eat it too? Fuck you!" being as memorable as the moment you receive your GCSE results, and a whole lot more enjoyable (well, unless you passed them all, of course, like ME! Hahaha...). The breakdown towards the end of this track is also one of my favourite production touches of all time - shoutout Jesse West, whoever you are. The music video is always heralded as one of the best of all time, and though there are better ones (such as Eminem's "Stan" and every Busta Rhymes video from the 1990s), I do agree it is pretty entertaining. The song itself is fantastic. 

5. Handle Your Business (feat. Defari Herut) (prod. DJ Pen One, co-prod. Thayod Ausar)

Oh yeah, Defari is on here. I always forget that dude even exists, and I don't know why. I think I get him mixed up with Devin the Dude, but whatever. His performance on here is good, but X steals the show with some more somber rhymes, and the production from DJ Pen One and the highly underrated Thayod Ausar just seems tailor-made to suit X-to-tha-Z. The melody on this one always reminds me of Common's "Nuthin' To Do" beat, although listening now I realise that was quite the obscure connection to make, since the songs are about as similar as snakes and cheese. 

6. Nobody Sound Like Me (feat. Montageone) (prod. A Kid Called Roots)

Apparently Xzibit's first album did enough numbers for Loud Records to give X his own weed carrier, a man known, ridiculously, as Montageone, and one who pops up twice on this record. This track right here samples Ghostface Killah's vocals from Raekwon's classic interlude "Shark Niggas (Biters)", from the Loud release Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., which probably saved quite a bit of money in X's sample clearance budget (since he's also on Loud Records, of course). The sample sounds quite annoying if I'm honest, which is a shame as this beat is wavy and funky as hell, and Xzibit rides it like he does his pet horse on the weekends whilst he's NOT recording a new album. Montageone sounds decent too, if not standing out much. Very good track.

7. Pussy Pop (feat. Jayo Felony & Method Man) (prod. Soopafly)

This is the song I was talking about in the introductory paragraphs, that features vocals from Jayo Felony and Method Man, and as such would probably be the song people were most hyped about in '98. This song is pretty solid, but also surprisingly misogynistic, even for a song with a title as heinous as "Pussy Pop". Jayo Felony does his best to make us all think he's the most ignorant arsehole on Earth with lines such as "if you ain't talkin' about shit, then I'ma smash, bitch" and "You got titties and ass, but I got a dick and some cash" (I did find his delivery of the line "I ain't no simp or a wimp, I'm a motherfuckin' pimp" pretty fucking hilarious though). Meanwhile, X attempts to remind us that he can do worse than this, with a reference to At the Speed Of Life's "Hit & Run (Part II)", something that I'm sure no-one wanted to be reminded of. Jayo ALSO references his own song on here, with the lines "I'm hard on my hoes, that's how it goes, bitch, get up off your toes and get my six-four", lifted from his own "Finna Shit On 'Em", released the same damned day as this track on his own album Watcha Gonna Do. Method Man delivers a catchy hook, but, yeah, the lyrics here are largely unbearable.

8. Chronic Keeping 101 (Interlude) (prod. Xzibit & Sir Jinx (even though it says "beat performed by Thayod Ausar" - what is that supposed to mean??))

Can't he just call it a skit? Why is it an "interlude"?? The beat on here is nice, but otherwise this skit is boring and unnecessary, like most skits that last over a minute, come to think of it.

9. Shroomz (prod. Sir Jinx, co-prod. Xzibit)

Bloody excellent. This beat is hilariously goofy, but in a good way, unlike, say, The Meth & Red Show, which is hilariously goofy in a horrible, horrible way. Meanwhile, X finally decides to do a nice bit of storytelling, telling the tale of how he met some white people, who gave him some "shroomz" (I would normally abhor the "z" in the title, but I think it fits the silly nature of the song in this instance), only he stupidly decided to take way too much, trip the fuck out, and finally blame it all on the white boys, and blast them the fuck away. Apart from the fact that X plainly stole this plot line from an unreleased episode of Dora the Explorer, it is pretty compelling, and more hilarious than you would probably expect from the harrowing events. This is a really fun track.

10. Focus (prod. D.J. Glove)

Alvin decides to get a bit serious again after that strange (but wonderful) excursion, and record "Focus"over an instrumental that sounds rather intense and dark, in other words the perfect beat for an aggressive MC such as Xzibit. The hook on here is memorable, despite the random and intrusive vocal sample, and the verses work wonders over this excellent beat. X also would later feature on an Erick Sermon song of the same name, and only two years later at that, which I think is worth mentioning.

11. Jason (48 Months Interlude) (prod. Sir Jinx & Xzibit, "beat performed" by E-Swift)

*Insert dope beat covered with unnecessary skit vocals here*. Isn't it odd how X once again separates two solo tracks into the middle of the album by interludes, just like on At the Speed Of Life? I wonder if that was intentional.

12. Deeper (prod. Bud'da)

Aside from the fact that the previous skit appears to have nothing to do with this song, rendering it even more pointless than it otherwise would have been, this song is fantastic. The production, the second and final one from Bud'da, is excellently creepy, with the occasional violin screeches making this almost seem like some kind of horrorcore beat. Xzibit also kicks some of his best rhymes yet. One of the best songs on the album.

13. Los Angeles Times (prod. MelMan)

Also appeared on the Soul In the Hole soundtrack. While Xzibit's rhymes and delivery are pretty hilarious on here, I always found this to be easily one of the weaker moments on this LP. The beat, provided by Mel-Man of all people, is pretty bloody dull if I'm being honest, meanwhile the "welcome to LA" vocal sample throughout the track is simply annoying. The line "if hand determine dick size, I'm palming the Earth" was also unnecessarily vulgar. This is still a pretty good song, mind you - Xzibit's comical verses keep me entertained, and also this may have been a big help in securing X and Dr. Dre's relationship, what with Mel-Man being one of Dre's many assistant producers. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you.

14. Inside Job (prod. Sir Jinx, co-prod. Xzibit)

A-nother storytelling track? That's pretty exciting, and this song was pretty damned hilarious as well. What happened to Xzibit's sense of humour on his releases after this?! (well, Full Circle had a bit, but you'd have to be tickled non-stop throughout to even crack a smile during Weapons Of Mass Destruction). X's tale of being robbed in his home, shooting at the robbers, and then getting arrested, before finally being released and deciding he's going to sleep at the police station anyhow, just for the hell of it (he may have realised this was a foolish decision when he was given a recently-urinated on blanket, though) is exciting as hell, and there are a lot of funny moments too. The beat on here isn't particularly engaging, but the storyline sure as hell is.

15. Let It Rain (feat. Tha Alkaholiks & King T) (prod. E-Swift)

Of course X wasn't going to be so selfish as to leave out the people that made him famous in the first place! What kind of selfish bastard would do that? This track is very good, if not one of the best on the album, and does stand a little higher than both "Positively Negative" and "Bird's Eye View", the collaborations with these characters from the last album. The bass is intense on here, and very exciting, even if the drums don't work quite as well as they want too. This is still an excellent posse cut, mind you, and I think King T especially destroys his verse. 

16. Recycled Assassins (feat. Montageone) (prod. Montageone)

X invites his short-time buddy Montageone back into the studio, and this time lets him have a little go behind the boards as well, a bloody good idea, as the beat on this one is harrowing and haunting, the perfect soundscape for such a track. The hook on here is powerful, but the verses more so, with both rappers recounting the incredibly difficult times they faced whilst growing up in poor neighbourhoods. Xzibit's verse is especially powerful, talking about his older brother, who was shot "in cold blood", before being arrested. The line "but as I marinated thinkin' about the hood, I really can't remember anybody doin' good for long" is also incredibly powerful, a reminder that, even if these places can often be glorified by rappers, they really aren't all that fun. This is easily one of the best tracks on this album, and one of the best X songs I have ever heard, full stop.

17. Outro (prod. Sir Jinx, co-prod. Xzibit)

X's father gives a small speech about him over the "Chamber Music" beat from earlier. And it's under a minute! Take notes, Common, take notes.

The following is a bonus track only included on certain pressings of the album, including mine.

18. Don't Let the Money Make You (feat. Soopafly & King T) (prod. Soopafly)

After a (probably fake) interview clip with Xzibit, the song starts up, and you can already see why it was relegated to bonus track duties - it ain't that good, my friends. As well as the hook being ridiculously contradictory (you can't say "the meaning of life is stack chips", and then seconds later state "don't let this money make you". Practice what you preach, fellas), the beat is honestly quite boring, and King T doesn't even get to kick a verse! The hell?!

Overall, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz, stupid title and all, is actually a rather incredible album. The project improves on the already excellent At the Speed Of Life by being more experimental, and at the same time a hell of a lot more consistent. Xzibit is slightly more improved for the most part on this album as well, and with nothing anywhere nearly as bad as "Hit & Run (Part II)" to be found here, this was bound to be somewhat better. X is thankfully not let down by any (well, almost any) of his collaborators, with every beat being solid at worst ("Pussy Pop", "Inside Job"), and bloody phenomenal at best ("What U See Is What U Get", "Shroomz"), and all rappers not named Jayo Felony provide great verses on their appearances. And the best thing is that this album isn't too feature heavy, either, with over half of these songs being kicked by X alone (7 out of 13 to be precise, not counting skits or the bonus track). This album easily stands as my favourite Xzibit album, as his previous work was too inconsistent (even though its highs surpass anything on here), and his work after this was too polished and/or terrible (we'll cross that bridge when we come to it). So, yes, this IS Xzibit's finest hour, and a classic album at that - it's easily worth a listen, and you don't even have to outright skip anything here either!

Best Tracks: Chamber Music, 3 Card Molly, What U See Is What U Get, Nobody Sound Like Me, Shroomz, Focus, Deeper, Recycled Assassins

Worst Tracks: Pussy Pop (and it ain't even that bad)

You may also enjoy:

Xzibit - At the Speed Of Life

Images for "3 Card Molly", "Pussy Pop" and "Los Angeles Times" taken from Discogs

Nas - It Was Written

After the release of the indisputable hip-hop classic Illmatic, Nasir Jones was thrust into the spotlight of the music world, with every fan wondering "what is he going to do next? How can he follow up such an album?". And, indeed, Nas was now in a very difficult position. He basically had to make an album that was as good as the last, and yet sounding different and building upon it, rather than just making an outright copy. And this was exactly what Nas attempted to do with his second LP, It Was Written, released in the middle of 1996, around the same time a certain Shawn Carter was making his debut in the game as well... 

The album was, inevitably, met with quite poor reception from fans at the time of its release, since all the heads were after, apparently, was Illmatic Part 2, and weren't concerned with anything else that Nas could cook up. Nasir wasn't concerned with expectations, though, as he clearly didn't want this one to ape Illmatic (musically at least): the project was largely done by The Trackmasters, who were steadily rising to prominence at the time of this album's release, and there were only small contributions from previous collaborators DJ Premier and L.E.S., meaning that the project inevitably had a slightly more mainstream sound than his last effort. It also had a lead single that was far more fitting for radio than anything on Illmatic - "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" with Lauryn Hill, which today remains one of Nas' most notorious songs. The album itself, despite a lot of fans criticism of it, was a complete success, charting at no. 1 on the Billboard 200, and becoming the highest selling album of Nasir's entire career. The fact that the album cover showed a clear evolution of the artwork of a certain Illmatic probably helped with this, but we can't say for certain now, can we? 

And, as the clock ticked on through the new millennium, and quickly after into the 2010s, people slowly but surely started warming up to this album, to the point where there are a lot of people nowadays (including Cordae, apparently) who think that this is Nas' finest hour. Quite a turn around from the days when this was referred to as "ehh" by Jay-Z of all people, then (at least it wasn't referred to as "doo", whatever that means). But, how does this album stand up to yours truly? Well, let's take a look.

The features aren't really listed properly in the booklet (except for The Firm), so I'll just be listing whatever vocalists are present as the features on this one (rather than what I usually do, which is follow the liner notes to a tee, spelling mistakes and all).

1. Album Intro (prod. Nas & Trackmasters)

Why is it that rap albums not by Shawn Carter always seem to start with some kind of goofy and pretentious intro skit? What's the bloody point? The bit with the slaves seemed unnecessary, mainly because it relates to barely any of this album's actual content, but the second half of the intro with AZ was fine, I guess...

2. The Message (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))

Even though it takes its title from the classic hip-hop track "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, this still stands, to me at least, as arguably THE BEST HIP-HOP SONG EVER MADE. The beat (which samples "Shape Of the Heart" by Sting, later sampled in Juice WRLD's "Lucid Dreams", a song that makes this one sound even better if that's possible) is poignant, menacing, and you can nod your head to it - basically the perfect hip-hop instrumental. The high-pitched synths in the hook are probably attempting to recapture that "N.Y. State Of Mind" magic, but he needn't have bothered - this song is better. The storytelling in the second verse is intense and exciting, and also introduces us to the new, mafioso-focused Nas that was probably influenced by his time recording a verse for Raekwon's "Verbal Intercourse" the year before. The scratches on the hook from Kid Capri (mostly taken from the aforementioned "N.Y. State Of Mind", as well as "Halftime") are just the cherry on top. If someone asked me my favourite song of all time, then this song would be my answer - it's truly incredible.

3. Street Dreams (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))

Following up that masterpiece was a difficult job, and I think Nas pulled it off pretty well. The production on "Street Dreams" is wavy as hell, and just smooth, you know? Meanwhile, Nas sounds just as good as he always seemed to back in this era, and the hook (which interpolates Eurythmic's "Sweet Dreams"), which should sound awful, manages to work incredibly well. The music video is entertaining too. Another track to prove Nas as a worthy addition to the mafioso era, and that single cover is bloody lovely as well (I love the '90s BMW 8-Series). Is that 50 Cent echoing Nas in the final chorus?

4. I Gave You Power (prod. DJ Premier)

Nas decides it's time to bridge the gap between his "conscious rapper" and "mafioso rapper" sides, making a track that refers to himself as a "motherfuckin' gun", and it's yet another iconic song. That final verse is easily the best, as Nas' storytelling is engaging as hell, as well as actually being quite shocking, even if he does lose the metaphor for himself as a gun pretty quickly, and this changes to simply a song about imagining being a gun. The beat from Preemo is a little headache inducing if you have headphones on, but it does sound a lot better on the speakers. I won't look past the line "my abdomen is the clip, the barrel's my dick uncircumcised, pull my skin back and cock me", but that final verse more than makes up for it. Classic track.

5. Watch Dem Niggas (feat. Foxy Brown) (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))

Surprisingly only alright. Nas sounds good over this instrumental, and the beat itself is pretty chill, but it invokes not even the tiniest bit of replay value. I also feel like Foxy Brown should have been given a verse, rather than just speaking over the hook that Nas is already performing. Damn, Foxy used to get fucked over a lot (see Jay-Z's first two albums, where her credit was messed up both times). This ain't bad, but the gap in quality between this and the last three tracks is noticeable.

6. Take It In Blood (prod. Live Squad, Top General Sounds & Lo Ground)

Definitely one of the best songs on this whole album. The beat (from Live Squad, famous for their work with 2Pac among others) is rather unsettling, yet still chilled out, and the "I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin' like that" hook is pretty smooth if I'm honest. Nas sounds more energised on here than he did on the last track as well. I do hate the line "you be aight like blood money in a pimp's cum", though - I don't really like the thought of blood and cum at the same time, thanks very much.

7. Nas Is Coming (feat. Dr. Dre) (prod. Dr. Dre)

Dr. Dre pops up for an interlude to let listeners know that Nas is too busy masturbating to get his arse in the studio and start recording (hehehe!).

That was a cheap joke, I know.

This is one of the songs on this album that most people seem to hate the shit out of, and not just because Dr. Dre showed up on here, which probably angered the blood up of those that cared about the fully active at the time East Coast vs. West Coast beef (read: idiots). No, people hate this because apparently it's boring, something I don't understand at all, as I find this beat to be smooth as a muh-fucker, and Nas sounds very engaging over this decidedly more futuristic sounding production than the other material we've heard so far. The outro with Dr. Dre was also necessary, as it fully addressed the (at the time) controversial meet up of NY's Nas and LA's Dre. Dope track.

8. Affirmative Action (feat. The Firm) (prod. Dave Atkinson & Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))

The infamous introduction of The Firm, who at the time consisted of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown (who actually is allowed to kick a verse this time) and Cormega, the latter being kicked out of the group before they recorded an album, replaced with the decidedly less impressive Nature, but that's a story for another day. I do find it interesting how Dre popped up on the last song, and then would go on to executive produce The Firm's only album. Hmmmm. This track is very good, despite Foxy's apparent incompetence at simple mathematical equations, and it does sound very much like "Action" is taking place, with the lack of a hook allowing for the energy to be kept all the way through. Great stuff, and Foxy, annoyed at her minimal appearance on "Watch Dem Niggas", actually steals the show, and on a track with Nas and AZ, which is quite shocking. Sadly, in the booklet (which, in an odd move, has all the lyrics printed in it), half of Foxy's verse is credited to Nas for some reason. The fuck?!

9. The Set Up (feat. Havoc) (prod. Havoc)

Having appeared on Mobb Deep's track "Eye For A Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)" the previous year, Nas returns the favour by allowing not one but TWO Mobb Deep collaborations on his sophomore effort, this being the first (well, it only features Havoc and not P, but you get the point). The beat on here is as rugged and guttural as it gets, and sounds like an outtake from Mobb Deep's The Infamous album if I'm honest, which makes sense, as Havoc was behind the boards on this one. The hook from Havoc is very long, but that just makes it seem like a verse, so that's alright (until he repeats it again at the end). Nas' rugged rhymes are nice as well, making this stand out as a lot better than I had thought when I had first listened to the album. Also, Foxy Brown is back, speaking on the outro (and over the final hook), so that's interesting.

10. Black Girl Lost (feat. Jojo Hailey of Jodeci) (prod. L.E.S., co-prod. Poke and Tone)

Put simply, what is the damned point?! This album has so far been all about being a thuggish criminal, and hearing this radio-friendly beat with some R&B crooning from Jojo Hailey (the fuck is that name?) sounds about as out of place as the sounds of someone being sick all over the microphone would on such a hard album. Nas' singing on the hook is also pretty unpleasant, and this track just doesn't feel... enjoyable. Still, could be worse. Could be "Big Girl".

11. Suspect (prod. L.E.S.)

The beat on here is nice as hell, and Nas manages to engage the listeners with his rhyming during the song's runtime, even if the long-ass skit at the start heavily stunts replay value. The drawly, moaned hook is also very sinister, and this is probably the most convincing hardcore track on the whole record. This track gets better and better with every listen, and Nas fits so well over this instrumental it's unbelievable. I can't believe L.E.S. produced this AND the last track as well - it doesn't make any sense! Oh, right - Trackmasters co-produced the last song. I see...

12. Shootouts (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters) & Kirk Goddy)

This is fine, but I'm left completely unsatisfied listening to this song. The beat is just, well, there, and Nas just doesn't sound like he's bothered, which is the complete opposite of the last song. Probably the most dull song on this album, but it isn't terrible either, so that's good.

13. Live Nigga Rap (feat. Prodigy & Havoc) (prod. Havoc)

The second Mobb Deep track, and this time they are thankfully both featured. The beat on this one is OK, but the rapping from the three is really stellar. I definitely think this is one of the least replayable songs on the album, but in the moment it's very impressive, and Nas especially KILLS this one. Good track.

14. If I Ruled The World (Imagine That) (feat. Lauryn Hill) (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters), co-prod. Rashad Smith)

The aforementioned lead single, which also appears as the final song on the album, and it's absolutely excellent. The beat from Trackmasters is catchy and intense, and Nas flows over it as if that was specifically what he was birthed to do. Lauryn doesn't do any rapping on this one sadly, but she more than makes up for it with her wonderful singing throughout the track. Nas' opening line of "Imagine smoking weed in the streets without cops harassing" sets the perfect tone for the song, and his conscious rapper side is at its most potent here. Very good and catchy way to end the album.

The following bonus track was only included on European pressings of the album, which means I have it of course. Take that, Yanks!

15. Silent Murder (prod. Live Squad, Top General Sounds & Lo Ground)

This beat is quite menacing, and Nas brings back his mafioso and murderous side on this one with some seemingly effortless rhymes about how he'll "smoke a nigga like a Hughes Brothers motion picture" - pretty scary stuff. The beat on this one is quite weird, and might take some getting used to, but this song should probably have replaced "Black Girl Lost" on this tracklist if we're being perfectly honest.

Overall, It Was Written IS a slight step-down from Illmatic, but that's with emphasis on the word "slight". This album is still bloody GREAT, and could easily be considered a classic - it has my favourite song of all time on it, for God's sake. I do think that it does have its weaker moments, though, especially the ill-advised "Black Girl Lost" - who told him THAT was a good idea? The album does start to lose a bit of steam in the second half, specifically around the time "Black Girl Lost" starts scraping its way past your eardrums, and you can probably see my lack of enthusiasm with tracks 10 to 13 in the writing (with the exception of "Suspect", of course). This album is a mixed bag, then, but when it's good, it's REALLY good, and I feel that the first 9 tracks, teamed with "Suspect" and "If I Ruled The World" are enough to push this one into "classic" status. And whether or not it's a classic, it's still worth your time - I think every hip-hop fan should introduce themselves to this one at some point. Just don't expect Illmatic 2, and you'll be perfectly satisfied by this diverse and exciting album. This is a great sophomore effort.

Best Tracks: The Message, Street Dreams, I Gave You Power, Take It In Blood, Nas Is Coming, Affirmative Action, Suspect, If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)

Worst Tracks: Black Girl Lost, Shootouts

You may also enjoy:

Nas - Illmatic

Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes...

Following his classic (no, I will not argue that, it IS a classic) solo debut album, Busta Rhymes was inevitably cast into the spotlight as one of the hottest rappers on the planet, and his moves after the release of The Coming were surprisingly selfless coming from the man who thinks he's important enough to warrant five minute introductions on each album. Instead of immediately putting out a follow-up, he let his boy Rampage record and then put out an album, on Elektra Records no less, titled, rather stupidly, Scouts Honor... By Way Of Blood, an album that, while surprisingly good, went under the radar for most rap fans. This album is sure to be covered on here at a later date, but for now, I want to get to talking about the solo effort that mr. Rhymes put out only a couple of months after, the ominously titled When Disaster Strikes...

For his second effort, Busta had taken his time crafting each song, and it wasn't until about a year-and-a-half after the release of The Coming that the album hit shelves, so it's safe to say that there was a decent amount of hype around the record, especially after the release of the classic single "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See", a track surely every hip-hop fan over the age of 25 knows and loves (none of my friends at college even knew who Busta WAS until I started talking about him). As such, the album became the highest selling album of Busta's career, and achieved platinum status pretty quickly. The album is also considered to be on the same level as Busta's debut, which is interesting, as when this album was released, hip-hop was going through its "Jiggy" phase, an era where Bad Boy ruled the radio, and were involved with every mainstream record out there (including this one). You'd expect this one to have been a bit weaker and more radio friendly, then, as were the albums from artists such as Jay-Z and others that released in '96 and '97. Alas not, the public said, and Busta was able to continue his successful run into the next year, culminating in a top 5 Billboard single, but that's a story for another day.

It was easy to see why this was well-received - the features were kept minimal, with appearances being limited largely to members of Flipmode Squad, with a little input from more well-known artists such as Erykah Badu, Ma$e and... Diddy (sigh...). Production was handled by such legends as DJ Scratch, J Dilla, Easy Mo Bee and even a young Rockwilder, and the large amount of solo tracks was a sure-fire way to showcase Busta's incredible ability without letting other, more mediocre vocalists get in the way. In fact, there isn't a feature on this one until track 9, which is quite an achievement for an early rap album (Busta would do something similar with the less successful Anarchy album, which we'll get to later). This one was certainly an exciting prospect then, but would it deliver?

Once again, Busta is my favourite rapper of all time, so bear that in mind during this inevitably quite positive review.

1. Intro (prod. Busta Rhymes, Omar Glover & D.J. Scratch)

I didn't think it could get any more pretentious than the intro to The Coming, but I guess I was wrong. This still sounds exciting as hell, though, and Lord Have Mercy is easily one of the most interesting vocalists in hip-hop. 

2. The Whole World Lookin' At Me (prod. D.J. Scratch)

Bloody incredible. DJ Scratch's beat is quite phenomenal, being haunting and bloody banging as well, and Busta Rhymes sounds utterly brilliant - "Motherfucking shame when you DIEEE!!" is one of my favourite quotes from Busta, full stop. The only minor issue for me on this one is Busta's need to shout about feeling "imperial" and "supreme" over the hook. Busta, we know you're great - you ain't gots ta tell us! Otherwise, an incredibly impactful intro.

3. Survival Hungry (prod. D.J. Scratch)

Later replaced on represses of this album by the non-album track "Turn It Up (Remix)/Fire It Up", an odd decision, not only because this is way, WAY too good to deserve removal, but also because the remix would therefore show up before the original "Turn It Up" on the album, something that just makes no sense to me. Whatever - my pressing has this song, and it's brilliant. The beat is intense and sinister, and Busta sounds absolutely phenomenal on here. My favourite line is "corny nigga crash into a motherfuckin' tree!", but there's a lot more on here that is quotable as hell too. The hook is a little goofy, but this is still excellent in my opinion.

4. When Disaster Strikes (prod. D.J. Scratch)

The title track, which features some of the more profound bars Busta ever spit, at least until he became a little more conscious on Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath Of God. The lines "Practice your rhyme or be the local practitionist. Well, you can try bein' a doctor or bein' a local obstetricianist, see, you can be somethin'. Quit tryin' to work so fuckin' hard towards nothin'. This rhymin' shit was never designed for every swollen muffin, yo!" may just be a diss to aspiring MCs, but it's still pretty interesting to hear these seemingly motivating bars from the usually silly Busta (even if there is no such thing as an "obstetricianist"). Busta's shouting over the hook sounds a bit better here, and the verses are once again brilliant. The beat is also the third great one in a row from DJ Scratch. Excellent stuff.

5. So Hardcore (prod. The Ummah)

One of the most incredibly lyrical displays ever released by Trevor Smith, "So Hardcore" works as one of the most impressive tracks on the whole album. "Roller skate backwards when the beat start reversin'" is possibly the best Busta Rhymes line EVER, and his delivery is what really makes it. The hook, which takes lines from the last album's "Everything Remains Raw" is actually a bit of an annoyance, as it slows down the track, and makes you just want to get back to Busta's constant bars, but the subtle beat teamed with the incredible verses makes this surely one of the best on this album. The skit at the end was unnecessary, though.

6. Get High Tonight (prod. D.J. Scratch)

Or not, I guess? This song could easily have been a Redman track, which is interesting, as I'm probably one of the few people that think Busta definitely did NOT steal his style from Redman - in fact, it's a ridiculous accusation if you ask me. However, the subject matter, and the line "weed smoking got me moving slow motion like we floatin' on relax ocean", both sound very Redman-esque. This track is also nowhere near the calibre of the first few tracks, as the beat is dull, and the hook is bloody horrible. Verses are still stellar, though.

7. Turn It Up (prod. Busta Rhymes)

Not as famous as the Knight Rider-sampling remix, and also not as good in my opinion. The old-school beat (done by Busta himself - Busta does like making simple, percussion-based beats, doesn't he?) is not particularly brilliant, and the hook goes on for too long in my opinion. Busta's rhyme schemes on here are very impressive, though, and this one is at least more entertaining than the last track.

8. Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See (prod. Shamello & Buddah, co-prod. Epitome)

The aforementioned lead single, which surprisingly did not enjoy anywhere near as much chart success at the time as the second single, "Dangerous", which appears later on in the album. Nowadays, it's seen as a classic track, and my God it is. Busta finally decides to stop screaming every single bar as if he's been off his meds for days, and instead uses the low-key, chilled out flow that he would start to utilise a lot more later on on albums such as The Big Bang. The results are phenomenal, with Busta spitting more quotable lines than a time-stamp Drake song, quite a feat. It's worth noting that Busta utilises the same rhyme at the end of every bar on each verse, which is not only incredibly impressive, but also the exact thing he did on his first single, "Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check". 

9. It's All Good

I haven't heard this song, and I'm saving it for when I get the pressing that does contain it - it was removed from US pressings of the album due to its sexual content, and I, stupidly, bought the US pressing of this one on Discogs, rather than the UK version, which would have been cheaper and would have had this track too. *puts hand to head in regret and shame*.

I'll come back and edit this once I've heard this track, I promise!

10. There's Not A Problem My Squad Can't Fix (feat. Jamal) (prod. Busta Rhymes)

Very odd choice for a feature, as even the title is giving Bus-a-Bus a clue as to who should really be featured on here (hint - who met Def Squad on the last album?). Speaking of Def Squad, Jamal does show up on here for some reason, and delivers a pretty nice performance over yet ANOTHER percussion-based beat by Busta himself. This track is very enjoyable though, despite the fact that's it's on the thin line between a new song and a cover of "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life", one of the early hit songs to feature elements of rap music. The skit on the end is ridiculously long though, although I appreciated the fact that Rampage's track "Wild For Da Night" was playing in the background.

11. We Could Take It Outside (feat. The Flipmode Squad) (prod. D.J. Scratch)

Oddly, there is a "The" before the words "Flipmode Squad" on the back cover of this album, a distinction that they lost by the time their group album came out the next year. This track features arguably the best DJ Scratch instrumental OF ALL TIME, with the piano loop being catchy and haunting at the same time, something that can also be said about the chorus. Serious, who was booted straight out of the Flipmode Squad office's door like Jazzy Jeff in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air shortly after this song's recording, proves to actually be rather promising on here, sounding like an early Danny Brown of sorts. The line "and sip fresh squeezed milk from the titties of llamas" (rapped by Lord Have Mercy, and not the last strange lines he'll speak on this album) won't be forgiven, but otherwise this is an incredible posse cut track.

12. Rhymes Galore (prod. Rashad Smith)

Featured at the beginning of the video for the non-album "Turn It Up (Remix)/Fire It Up", this song is rather exciting, even if the Rashad Smith production is a little annoying. This track shows Busta at his most maniacal, especially during the random sung bars that come up occasionally in the background. "That got me fillin' in by the million, FUCK-a yo' opinion!" is one of my favourite Busta Rhymes bars of all time, and the hook is exciting and intense. The track length is just the right amount too - any longer and this would have been too much, but as of now, this is perfect.

13. Things We Be Doin' For Money Part 1 (prod. Easy Moe Bee)

Busta decides to put two hats on for this one - one for storytelling, and the other for making himself believe he is a more menacing character than he really is. On this track, Busta raps about being a broke dude living in a dangerous neighbourhood, and robbing people purely to survive, and he comes off as surprisingly threatening. This track is entertaining enough, but the inclusion of the next song makes it a whole lot more interesting...

14. Things We Be Doin' For Money Part 2 (feat. Rampage, Anthony Hamilton & The Chosen Generation) (prod. 8-Off, co-prod. Clay Da Radier)

This surely goes down as one of the best sequel songs in the history of hip-hop. On this track, Busta raps from the perspective of the dude that he robbed on the last track, a dude who, we now figure out, was not to be fucked wit. Said dude decided to grab his crew, and proceed to blow the robber and his friends the fuck up. Or at least that's what it sounds like to me. The ending makes me believe that Bus at some point switched back perspective to the original robber, but I don't know really. The inclusion of Rampage's perspective on here makes this already intense track even more engaging, and the final lines of "So much drama over this fuckin' money, the way the situation end, it wasn't even funny. Tried to rob this nigga because I was fuckin' hungry, but if you try to test, we blast a nigga in a hurry. Me and my squad bounce and left the fuckin' scene ugly" are incredibly harrowing. The skit at the end also provided an entertaining twist, so that was nice.

15. One (feat. Erykah Badu) (prod. Rockwilder)

One of about a million other songs with that title, this track is very good in my opinion. The beat from an almost-famous Rockwilder is easily the most passive on this album, making the track seem a little out of place in between such intense and sinister company, but as a single, this song works. The back and forth verses between Bus and Erykah are entertaining as hell, and the hook is damned catchy too. Pretty nice song.

16. Dangerous (prod. Rashad Smith & Armando Colon)

The most successful single from this album, one that was even nominated for a Grammy, not that any fan of hip-hop should give a shit. Even though this song nabs its hook from a 1980s commercial for prescription drug safety, it's still bloody brilliant, possibly the best song on this whole album. This is one of those songs that you can learn off by heart almost immediately, especially with lines such as "Stayin' alive, you know only the strongest survive" and "Cuttin' you up, the new shit ruckin' you up, fuckin' you up, my black hole suckin' you up". The beat is also excellent in a weird and zany way, and is a beat that seems ready-made for Busta. Absolutely brilliant song.

17. The Body Rock (feat. Rampage, Sean "Puffy" Combs & Mase) (prod. Chuckie Thompson)

"Flipmode and Bad Boy collabo! Makin' all of you niggas all say "what is the point of this collaboration?!"". Busta Rhymes absolutely KILLS this song, absolutely blowing the other verses off the face of the Earth as fast as that fidget spinner trend. Sadly, the beat is quite repetitive, and God do Mase, Puffy and (surprisingly) Rampage SUCK on this song. Busta's verse is solid, but that's all that this song is worth playing for. 

17.5. Fuck That (Get Off My Block Interlude) (prod. Pete L)

In the liner notes, that is the supposed name of this track, which is pretty interesting, as I somehow only just noticed that now, despite having this album for ages at this point. The hidden Spliff Star track is also pretty worthless, and, ironically, makes us less wanting of a solo from the man (ironic as this hidden track was a teaser for his album, as Busta states at the end).

18. Get Off My Block (feat. Lord Have Mercy) (prod. D.J. Scratch)

Very menacing final song. The beat here sounds spacey, ominous and utterly horrifying, and the first verse from Busta Rhymes is about as brilliant as you can expect at this point on the album. Lord Have Mercy's verse has some very odd lines about "wrecking more kids than pedophiles", and later on about someone pissing on him from above, things that sounds very strange when said in his drawly, video-game announcer style voice. The screams of "GET OFF MY BLOCK!!" on the hook sound excellent, though.

19. Outro (Preparation For The Final World Front) (prod. D.J. Scratch)

Busta screams at us about the end of the World over a beat that was also heard during the intro of this album, and it's pretty haunting, if seeming a little stupid now that we know the world didn't end in the year 2000. No more dramatic classical music at the end, sadly.

Overall, When Disaster Strikes... is a difficult one to rank in Busta's catalogue for me. On one hand, the project contains the absolute best rapping Busta ever delivered, with songs like "So Hardcore" and "Rhymes Galore" (hey, that rhymes!) showing phenomenal lyrical abilities that seem more technically impressive than anything we heard on The Coming. However, the album is nowhere near as consistent as that project (or, for that matter, the one that came after), and hasn't aged as well as that album at all. Whereas most of The Coming could be put out today and no-one would bat an eyelid, this album seems purely a project of the late 90s, whether you're looking at the 19 (or 18 in the US and my bloody pressing) track long runtime, the Puffy and Mase feature song, or simply the general production styles used here. That's not really a bad thing, as the 90s were the best era for hip-hop, but at the same time, this still doesn't feel as easy to sit through as The Coming. But, enough negativity. This album is still phenomenal, and easily a classic album, as well as the best that I have yet heard from the year 1997. The rapping on here is brilliant, and Busta never fails to deliver, and the production is engaging all the way through. There are definitely a couple of dips in the tracklist, but those dips are worth sitting through to get to the good stuff. Yes, I'm definitely recommending a listen - hell, you should have had this one on before I even started this final paragraph.

Best Tracks: The Whole World Lookin' At Me, Survival Hungry, When Disaster Strikes, So Hardcore, Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See, We Could Take It Outside, Things We Be Doin' For Money Part 2, Dangerous, Get Off My Block

Worst Tracks: The Body Rock

You may also enjoy:

Busta Rhymes - The Coming

Tech N9ne - The Calm Before the Storm: Part 1

Yes, I am reviewing Tech N9ne on here as well. 

Kansas City native Aaron Yates, better known to followers of the independent rap scene as Tech N9ne, is widely regarded as the most successful independent rapper of all time, quite a feat considering that he came from Kansas City, Missouri, a place where you would expect the most successful independent hillbilly to come from, not a hardcore rapper. However, Kansas City was and is a big place, and therefore there was bound to be someone coming from it at some point, and that person was the speed-flow king Tecca Nina. Since his debut album, released all the way back in 1999, Tech has released a total of 24 solo studio albums, as well as over 10 EPs and mixtapes, and has also started a hugely successful record label, Strange Music, that has spawned such artists as Jay Rock, umm, err... well, the average rap fan probably hasn't heard of any of the members, but that's something we're bound to discuss at a later date. 

Back in the '90s, however, Tech was a struggling artist desperate for a record deal, and by the time 1999 came around, he had already been signed to and then dropped by Qwest Records, having recorded a whole album for the label, Be Warned, only for it to be shunned the moment it was complete as if it were a big bag of scorpion eggs. Despite never releasing an album for them, Tech was able to get out of the deal, and his debut album (released after a few singles during the mid '90s) was put out through the very, VERY underground KC label, MidWestSide Records. Despite Tech previously having a song on the popular soundtrack to the film Gang Related (entitled "Questions"), the album, titled The Calm Before the Storm: Part 1, may has well have been played to the inner core of the Earth, as no-one outside of KC heard it at the time of its release (it would only later pick up recognition after Tech gained his large fanbase in the 2000s). However, nowadays the project gets more and more love from Tech N9ne's fans, and is regarded as a bit of a gem (even though the larger hip-hop audience have never heard the album - Tech has always had a problem reaching the hip-hop heads, something we'll also discuss more in later reviews). Me being a massive, massive Tech N9ne fan, I of course have listened to this project, and so I guess we'd better start with his ridiculously long catalogue here, then. A pretty tough assignment, I know, but I'm sure we'll get there in the end...

Apologies for the shorter write-up, too, but since this is effectively a glorified demo tape, I didn't think as much effort needed to be put in on my part.

All tracks produced by Don Juan, except where noted.

1. Planet Rock 2K (Down South Mix) (prod. Don Juan & Polar Bear)

Now, as with a lot of early Tech N9ne music, this track's origin story is a little hard to work out. The track wasn't released as a single prior to the album, but I think I recall seeing someone say that there was an original version (not the so-called "Original Version" from Tech's next album, but a real original release) on a soundtrack, which I don't actually recall the name of (EDIT: I just worked out that the original was on the soundtrack to the film "Thicker Than Water"). Therefore, I suppose this is a remix to that song, and it's bloody good. Apart from the fact that starting your album with a remix is a sure-fire way to make listeners think this is nothing more than a fake mixtape, the rapping on here is actually incredible. The lyrics say pretty much nothing, but the way they are delivered is just impeccable. This is definitely one of the tracks that made me fall in love with Tech in the first place, and I still see why listening today. The beat is pretty dope as well, although the "Original Version" that appears on his next album has slightly better production in my opinion. That long-ass outro needs to be cut the fuck out though - there's no way anyone wants to hear three minutes of repetition of the same line, so why include it? What's the point, I ask?

2. Cloudy-Eyed Stroll (Remix)

Now, this one I do know the history behind. It's a little known fact that Tech's first hit, "Mitch Bade" (which appears later on on this album) was actually the B-Side to the original version of this song right here (sometimes, I even impress myself with my own genius). This track is solid, and the storytelling is pretty funny, but the subdued G-Funk beat is a little dull, and the hook is not great. Still, pretty enjoyable track.

3. Flipside (Rough Version) (prod. QDIII)

Wow, Tech really wants this to appear like a demo, huh? Titling something as a "rough version" makes this seem as far from a studio album as you can get, but it's my belief that this was actually a joke - this is a rather vulgar sex song, so therefore it is the "rough" version, as it is about rough sex! Get it? Haha!! The first in a long line of unreasonably graphic Tech N9ne sex songs has a dope beat, and the hook is reasonably catchy, but man, these lyrics are a turn off. Maybe the fact that he regularly says stuff like "you and your homegirl rollin' with me, jerkin' my dick off" is why so many hip-hop heads don't listen to him? Just a theory.

4. Mizzizy Gets Bizzy (feat. Don Juan)

Don Juan was Tech N9ne's main producer back in the early days, before he started pissing around with Tech's money, and he also used to rap, albeit in one of the most dreary fashions you can imagine. He ain't bad, but can't he at least act like he wants to be in the studio? This beat is once again pretty dull G-Funk, something that can be found frequently across this LP, and the only thing to really come back to this for is Tech's incredibly impressive performance. 

5. On Our Way To L.A. (feat. Don Juan)

A lot more interesting than the previous track, as this one actually tells some pretty interesting stories about Tech and Juan's adventures on their trip from KC to LA. The beat on here is actually pretty smooth as well, and while nothing too memorable, it does keep you grooving while it's playing through. Good track.

6. Spend The Night (feat. Paul Law & Rock Money)

Around now is when we start to realise how many goddamn features there are on this project. If you are one of the people that thought this, don't keep your hopes high - it gets a lot worse after this, to the point where in the 2010s, there would be around one solo track on each of his 20-plus song albums. Jesus. This song? It's shit.

7. Clueless (feat. Larone Burnett & Sole)

The problem with there being so many features on these early Tech albums is that no-one knows who the fuck any of these people are. And that's a good thing, as listening to Larone Burnett's performance on here is akin to slowly peeling your ears off with your bare hands. The beat is good, however, and Tech and Sole (who is actually a female MC) both do a nice job. That singing is godawful, though.

8. Questions (Rough Draft) (prod. QDIII, co-prod. Don Juan)

Not a "Rough Version" this time, no. This time, it's a "Rough Draft". Get it right, wankers. This is the aforementioned song that appeared on the Gang Related soundtrack, and therefore a lot of people's introductions to Yates. With that in mind, I don't know why he didn't get more fans, as this song is excellent. It's easily one of the best tracks here, with Tech's flows being impeccable, and the content of him asking himself questions like some kind of psychopath is actually very interesting. The hook is pretty iconic in the world of Tech as well. The outro goes on for a bit long, but it's at least a lot better than whatever the hell they were doing on "Planet Rock 2K (Down South Mix)". A classic track.

9. Now It's On (feat. Lejo) (prod. DJ Style (aka The Wierdo))

Nowadays, this is the most well-known tracks on this album, and actually one of Tech's most streamed songs, full stop. I don't know how this happened, but I'm sure there's a reason somewhere. The song itself is actually very good, with the synthy beat being pulsating and intense, and both rappers delivering electrifying performances over it. The hook, that samples a line from Tech's "Mitch Bade", is alright too. Apparently Tech and Lejo fell out after the release of this song, a shame, as more songs like this would certainly be appreciated. Get on with it, men!

10. Bitch Sickness (feat. Fats Bossillini & Rame Royal)

When I first listened to this album, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this song - the title was what worried me. "What the hell does "Bitch Sickness" mean", I thought. Today, I still don't really know, but at the same time I do very much enjoy this song, as the beat is pretty interesting, and I can enjoy the verses from all the rappers, even though Tech clearly steals the show. This is also easily one of the best hooks on the whole album. Very good track.

11. Soldiers At War (feat. Don Juan, Big Scoob, Short Nitty & L.V.)

NOT the L.V. from "Gangsta's Paradise", but instead one of many random Kansas City rappers to make an appearance on this album. This track has always been quite dull to me, even if I have warmed up to a it a bit more recently, and the beat is pretty dull if we're being honest. The rappers at least deliver on here, and it's nice to hear a bit of Big Scoob on the album (someone who would collaborate with Tech a lot more frequently later on, even signing to his record label). FUCK Short Nitty, by the way.

12. Cotton Soldier

A poor sequencing idea to list two songs with the word "soldier" in the title if you ask me, but then again I am a bit of a petty fucker. This song is dull as hell, and the synths in the beat are especially unpleasant. Skip this one.

13. Relish

According to Tech, "Relish" is a slang word for "money", but in all honesty, I don't really care. This is interesting as the first of many times that Tech would attempt to introduce a new phrase to the public, but not in any other way unfortunately.

14. Mitchell Bade (Interlude)

A bloody skit? You do those as well, Tech? You're supposed to be against silly mainstream trends! DWAMN you!! (See, it doesn't work!)

15. Mitch Bade (feat. Bakarii)

In case you're too damned stupid to figure it out, "Mitch Bade" is Tech's euphemism for "Bitch Made". Since this song was released in 1996, I guess THIS was the first time that Tech attempted to introduce a new phrase, rendering the only interesting part of "Relish" null and void. This song BANGS, and is refreshing after a few terrible songs in a row. The beat on here is nice, the bars are dope, and the hook is damned catchy as well. "What up Mitch? Is it an everyday thing, for you to act just like a bitch?". Dope way to close the album right here.

Overall, The Calm Before the Storm: Part 1 is an interesting listen, but at the same time not really particularly essential for anyone, and certainly not the project to start with if you want to get into Tech N9ne's music. A lot of the songs on here sound like rocks clanging against each other (read: bloody horrific), and the lyrical content is very rarely actually interesting. Some of the R&B features were hugely unnecessary too. Tech N9ne is the redeeming feature of this album, as his flows are almost always entertaining. A lot of the featured rappers bring little to the table, though, and the beats all sound very, very similar. However, there are a handful of highlights, so be sure to check the "best tracks" listed below, as they are actually fairly stellar. Most of the songs here should be left to be withered away by Father Time though, and as such, I wouldn't recommend a full listen here (surprisingly the first time I've said that if I remember correctly - I think I forgot the recommendation entirely with Common's Can I Borrow A Dollar ?, so that's clever). This album would be heavily improved upon later, though, so don't worry - things with the Nina will get a lot better from here. 

Best Tracks: Planet Rock 2K (Down South Mix), On Our Way To L.A., Questions (Rough Draft), Now It's On, Bitch Sickness, Mitch Bade

Worst Tracks: Spend The Night, Cotton Soldier, Relish

Ghostface Killah - Ironman

Following his incredible appearances on the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and all over Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (which, yes, I will get to, but I wanted to do this one first), Dennis Coles, known to avid viewers of The World According To Pretty Toney as Ghostface Killah, started work on a project of his own. Him getting a solo album certainly made a lot of sense - he was easily one of the standout members on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and as Meth, ODB, Raekwon and GZA had all released classics so far, it was inevitable that an album from Ghostface would keep the Wu-Tang momentum going. Ghost already had a little hype around him, thanks to his songs appearing on a couple of soundtracks throughout 1996 - the song "Winter Warz" appeared on the soundtrack to the ridiculously titled film Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice In the Hood, released in January 1996, and the song "Motherless Child" featured on the soundtrack to the decidedly less ridiculously titled film Sunset Park, released in April 1996. These songs were both well-received, so much so that Ghost got himself a deal with the big-time Epic Records, which probably seemed like a good deal at the time, even though they would later go on to royally botch up his first three albums, the mistakes getting worse and worse each time. But that's a story for another day.

Ironman, led by the popular singles "All That I Got Is You", "Camay" and "Daytona 500", was released in October 1996 to critical acclaim from the fans and the critics, and the project begun what would prove to be easily the most consistently great solo catalogue of any of the Wu-Tang members. Not that this album should really be considered "solo" at all though - quite apart from the fact that Raekwon and Cappadonna are credited as features on the cover, and are both pictured, there are two songs on this project that Ghost doesn't even bother to show up on! Remove the last three tracks, and this could easily be mistaken for a collaborative album between Rae and Ghost. That's how much Corey Woods shows up on here. Despite this, the project was still incredibly well-received at the time. Today, though, there are more and more people who are rating this album lower in Ghost's catalogue, and saying it has aged poorly, and doesn't hold up as well as the pre-Wu-Tang Forever solo albums. So is this album really the classic that it was once unanimously considered to be? Let's take a look.

All songs are produced by The RZA, except where noted.

1. Iron Maiden (feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna)

After a fairly hilarious and not entirely unnecessary clip from a film is played, the RZA beat comes in, and we immediately know we're in for a banger. Raekwon's first verse is very impressive and memorable, even the quite hilarious line about sitting back "jollying", whatever that was supposed to mean. Obviously something important, as Rae repeats it many more times in the chorus. Speaking of which, the fact that Raekwon handles the first verse and chorus makes this seem much more like his track than Ghost's, even though Ghostface pops up with an incredibly impressive verse on here too. Cappadonna sounds pretty good, but he has better verses later. This is easily one of the best songs on the album though - that beat is just phenomenal.

2. Wildflower

Ghost is clearly quite pissed at his girl, who apparently cheated on him whilst he was on tour, and this shows through his incredibly angry and graphic verse that he spits here, which uses various slightly misogynistic terms throughout to express anger. Pretty much the polar opposite of the last song, which was just a chill banger, this aggressive rant at least feels like a Ghostface song, and a very good one at that. That beat is goddamn CLEAN as well.

3. The Faster Blade (feat. Raekwon)

Ghostface clearly became so angry at his (now ex) girlfriend's infidelity that he had to leave the studio for a lie down, leaving Rae to lay down vocals for this track all by himself. He does a good job, though, even if the xylophone beat is a tad underwhelming. The homophobic slur was unnecessary (but what else can we expect from an early Ghostface album?), but otherwise this track is still good. Time to get back up now, Dennis!

4. 260 (feat. Raekwon)

Thankfully, Ghost is back on here, spitting over what almost sounds like a slowed-down version of the "Iron Maiden" beat from earlier. This track is very good, and the first instance of many storytelling tracks that appear on Ghost albums ("Wildflower" was more of a rant, rather than a story). Raekwon's line "We need the shotties n-id-ow, when we get back, throw you a th-id-ou'" sounds stupid as hell, but the beat is nice, and Ghost kills it. Very good stuff.

5. Assassination Day (feat. Raekwon, The RZA & Inspektah Dek)

Ghostface once again has left the studio, probably to attack the person who messed up the track credits here - Masta Killa appears on this one, but goes without the credit, even though he has a full verse, and the hook also consists of his vocals. The hell? Whatever - this song is still incredible. This sinister and dark production is one of the best beats on what is one of the best produced albums I've ever heard, and everyone brings their best on here. Masta Killa might have the best verse, too, which further makes it annoying that he didn't get credited. RZA, Rae and INS (who's name is also misspelled here) all kill their verses too, though. However, Ghostface is sorely missed - ain't this supposed to be his album?

6. Poisonous Darts

Ghost returns from delivering a satisfying knuckle sandwich, and decides he actually wants a track all to himself! The nerve! This track is good, even though its being so short makes it almost feel like an interlude. Ghost's aggressive delivery over the intense beat is perfect, and Method Man actually delivers a pretty damn catchy hook. I liked the callback to his "Bring Da Ruckus" verse too - "goin' through mad phases, of all ages, Killa Beez locked the FUCK up behind cages!". Pretty great song.

7. Winter Warz (feat. Cappadonna, U-God & Masta Killa)

The aforementioned song from the soundtrack to the film I can't be bothered to type the name of again. This one is most remembered for Cappadonna's incredible verse, which is admittedly one of the best on the whole project. Sure, he has more screen time than the other MCs, but still - his flow and aggression is absolutely phenomenal - the line "and smoke a blunt and dial 9-1-7, 1-6-0-4-9-3-11" is a personal favourite. The beat on here deserves some credit as well - it's pretty low-key, but still sounds very intense. Also, Raekwon does the hook on here, because god forbid he goes too long without appearing on this album.

8. Box In Hand (feat. Method Man & Street)

This song is the most obvious mistake made on this particular tracklist, mainly because this song is not actually "Box In Hand". The track is actually titled "Wu Will Survive", and features Method Man and Raekwon, not Streetlife as the liner notes state. This is apparently because the label changed things at the last minute, but it was too late for the art to be changed. Still, better than fucking up the whole damned tracklist, I suppose. This song samples Blue Raspberry's vocals from Method Man's "Release Yo' Delf" at the start, and the beat at that point sounds quite incredible. The track gets weaker after the beat change though (the sample appears throughout), and normally I'm more interested by the story surrounding it than the song itself.

Also, the original "Box In Hand" did get released eventually on a later compilation, which we'll cover when we get to it.

9. Fish (feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna) (prod. True Master)

The only non RZA beat on this album, and it's surprisingly incredible. The chords in the instrumental are pretty powerful, as are the drums. This song is sadly not actually about fish, but rather, predictably,  drugs - using "fish" to describe cocaine is something Ghost did more frequently on later albums Fishscale and More Fish, both of which came out 10 years after this album. The rapping on here outside of Ghost's first verse isn't too interesting, but I do think the beat is enough to make this one a standout.

10. Camay (feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna)

One of the singles for this album, and also EASILY one of the best love songs of all time in rap. Common is the best rapper when it comes to this subject matter, but I feel that Ghost should be bought up in that conversation just for his verse here - it's incredibly powerful, and also slightly haunting if I'm perfectly honest. This BEAT is haunting too - hell yeah. Raekwon delivers one of his best verses on the whole album here, and Cappa does a good job as well. Ghost easily steals the show though, as he has on most of these songs so far - putting the stuttered lines "you sexy motherfucker, DAMN, what's the recipe? You make a nigga wanna... GodDAMN!!" into a rap verse is hugely impressive to me. I know people will disagree with this, but for me, this is one of the best tracks on the album.

11. Daytona 500 (feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna)

Released on the same 12" single as "Camay", this track is certainly a lot more energetic, the type of celebratory single that Ghost would do quite a bit in the future (see "Apollo Kids"). When I first listened to this, I hated (and still hate) the SHIT out of Force MD's opening acapella vocals, but thankfully they're removed on the single version. Sampling vocals from and/or about the MC spitting the next verse was creative, and this beat is musically very impressive. Verses are predictably excellent, too. I wish it didn't cut off so abruptly, but otherwise this is a great track.

12. Motherless Child (feat. Raekwon)

The other aforementioned song that appeared on a soundtrack prior to popping up on this album, and it's actually one of my favourites on here. The soulful sample from an older song of the same title sounds excellent, and the bass-filled beat is powerful. Raekwon doesn't do that much on here, leaving Ghost to handle most of this himself - and frankly, he SHOULD be getting on with the job himself: it's his damned album after all! Ghost's harrowing verse is surprisingly dark for a simple soundtrack song, but fits in with this album perfectly. Excellent song.

13. Black Jesus (feat. Raekwon & U-God)

Raekwon's last credited feature according to the liner notes, but you should know to never trust those when it comes to Ghostface Killah albums. After an annoyingly long intro from the infuriating Popa Wu, who later would go on to appear on the offensively horrific "Wu-Revolution", the disastrous intro to Wu-Tang's second group album Wu-Tang Forever, the beat comes in, and it's easily the worst on this whole album. The rapping on here is solid, but this beat is just... well, a bit shit. A shame, really, as the lyrics aren't terrible. Still, you'd be better off skipping through this.

14. After the Smoke Is Clear (feat. The Delphonics)

I don't know how the Wu managed to get an old, apparently dead (even at the time) soul group on a song, but they did. The beat on here, and angelic chorus, all sounds excellent, and Ghost delivers a great verse, but then the second verse is delivered by... Raekwon and The RZA? Why the hell are they not credited? That's that shit I DON'T like. This song is still excellent, but is it so hard to get the credits right, guys? Why is this such an issue in hip-hop? AAARGGHHH!!!

Ahem.

15. All That I Got Is You (feat. Mary J. Blige)

Classic single. The slow, surprisingly familiar beat is perfect, and Ghost's truthful storytelling is incredibly vivid and powerful. You just can't imagine growing up with two disabled younger brothers. It doesn't bear thinking about. Ghostface shows true emotion on here, and Mary J. Blige brings the track to a height with her beautiful sung vocals towards the end. The fact that this only needed one verse to stand out as one of the most powerful rap songs of all time goes to show how damned good this is. Even Popa Wu doesn't fuck this up - his outro is quite impactful. Also, there was a rather odd remix of the song which contained new drums and that weird boinging sound effect from the hook of A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum", and, to put it plainly, you don't want to hear that one.

16. The Soul Controller (feat. The Force MD's)

This track was removed from most later pressings of this album due to sample clearance issues, but I made sure to pick up the original pressing when I bought this CD on Discogs. And that was a good decision, as this song is simply EPIC. The beat is unsettling and weird, but it works well for Ghost to spit on, and the way it frequently changes up throughout the song makes things that much more interesting. Force MD's deliver the only good performance they ever did, and it's definitely a hell of a lot better than what they could have cooked up (we'll discuss more of that when I get to a certain song on RZA's debut album). The film samples at the end put the cherry on the cake as well, and are arguably the best film samples used on a rap song ever. Full stop.

The following is a bonus track only included on the CD.

17. Marvel

Even though he is uncredited, RZA actually does more rapping on this track than Ghost, but that isn't saying much. After about two minutes of rapping from the pair, the vocals stop, and the instrumental plays out alone for the remaining three minutes of the track, with the occasional sample playing out in the background. This track is still very good though, and the beat is one of the best on the whole album. Ghost and RZA deliver some nice verses, too. Pretty good way to end the album, all in all.

Overall, despite what Max of Hip Hop Isn't Dead, Ghostface Killah himself, and I'm sure many others say, Ironman is easily a classic album to me. The instrumentals are almost uniformly exceptional, with the exception of a couple of beats, such as "Black Jesus" and "The Faster Blade", and the rapping is absolutely incredible throughout. This album was definitely the most experimental (musically at least) of the first wave of Wu-Tang albums, and the experimentation almost always works, making this an incredibly entertaining and exciting listen. I think it was a mistake to condense all of the non-rap features right into the final third of the album, and the errors made inside the booklet do piss me off a lot (although that is something that will become a lot worse with Ghost albums). There's too much Raekwon here too - damn, is Ghost not allowed more than 50% of screen time on his own album? Overall, however, I see little wrong with this effort. It's definitely worth a listen, and the fact that Ghost was able to match this with subsequent releases is testament to the man's phenomenal talent at putting together albums. This is an excellent project. 

Best Tracks: Iron Maiden, 260, Assassination Day, Winter Warz, Camay, Motherless Child, After the Smoke Is Clear, All That I Got Is You, The Soul Controller, Marvel

Worst Tracks: Black Jesus

You may also enjoy:

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Method Man - Tical

Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords

Image for "Motherless Child" single taken from: Discogs