Cormega - Mega Philosophy (July 22, 2014)

This is the last time I'm importing a review from my mentor Max's Hip Hop Isn't Dead blog. I promise only all-new content from now on.

Quick question: How many rappers have caused you to change your mind about their work? We're talking a shift from, "Oh, he's absolute cow dung!" to, "God DAMN, this dude can spit!"

Ever since 2009, I can confidently say that Cory McKay, who joined a lucha libre stable under the name Cormega, has changed mine.

For years, Cormy has struggled under the shadow of his former foe Nas: his then-disagreement with Escobar resulted in him getting mysteriously kicked the fuck out of the hip hop supergroup The Firm, whose remaining members (AZ, Foxy Brown, and Nas, obviously) then rushed to sign with Dr. Dre, Ph.D, who replaced him with a different Queensbridge rapper who called himself Nature for some reason I'd rather not research.

Everything kept going downhill from there, as Cormy went on to be kicked out of another faction, this time Def Jam Records, who shelved his first attempt at a debut solo album, The Testament. This forced him to escape to the underground, where he released project after project of varying degrees of quality. Not to say that Cormy is a shitty emcee, of course: far from it. Mega has slowly moulded himself into one of the sharpest writers: his lyricism and effort are undeniable. But the main problem I've had with him is his inconsistent beat selection, since I believe using too many no-names causes consistency to drop considerably. Each and every one of his previous albums contains a bunch of tracks that you really can't take seriously (e.g., “Montana Diary”, “Rap's A Hustle”, etc.).

During the recording sessions for his second album, The True Meaning, Cormy came face-to-face with the man who helped shaped Nas's career, because whether anybody likes it or not, producer/rapper Large Professor is equally responsible for the awesomeness that is Illmatic as Nas is himself, since he was the unofficial A&R/executive producer of the iconic album. I've long held an admiration for the man's work in this genre, which was renewed when I came across his shelved debut, The LP. Bottom line: William Paul Mitchell is the fucking man.

Their lone collaboration on that project, “The Come Up”, didn't necessarily set the hip hop world on fire, it paved the way for future link-ups such as “Sugar Ray and Hearns”, which, despite how much I hoped, LP did not produce, and “Journey”, off of Cormy's fifth album Born & Raised. Although he had collaborated with other high-caliber producers such as DJ Premier, Pete Rock & Buckwild on that album, Mega sensed that he was on to something with Extra P. “Journey” was a flawless track that ranks right up there with the other classic tracks in Large Professor's production championship belt. So, since being called a “professor” implies you possess certain degree of intelligence, LP contacted our host to propose a full album-length collaboration. What he didn't expect was that Cormy was just about to call him to propose that very same idea. And the hip hop multiverse storyline was officially underway.

Seriously though, after promising the fucking thing for years, Cormy finally dropped Mega Philosophy, with its wall-to-wall production from Large Professor, onto the unsuspecting masses in July 2014. With this album, he claims he will earn his rightful place among the hip hop elite. So, does he?

Mega Philosophy, boy/girl (pick one):

1. A NEW DAY BEGINS

We begin with some dude passionately shouting about something about outsiders claiming to be hip hop scholars while ignoring some of the key people who helped shape the art form. Whatever. After the speech, Cormy spits a single verse over a smooth musical backdrop with no drums to grab on to. Hey, at least it's not an intro or spoken word.

2. MARS (DREAM TEAM) (FEAT. AZ, REDMAN, & STYLES P)

Huh. The sequel to a similarly structured song on Extra P's 2012 opus (Professor @ Large's “M.A.R.S.”, which featured Mega Montana alongside diet Ghostface Killah Action Bronson, current underground darling Roc Marciano, and Saigon, whom I didn't like for the longest until I heard his work with Just Blaze) shows that our host isn't fucking around. He certainly knows that once people merely glance at that guest list that this track will become an instant priority. So, yeah, this song is the tits. Everybody on here comes correct, and I'm very happy with Redman's first outing over an XP production. His Bruh Man reference produced a chuckle out of me that I don't usually get from most hip hop records these days. Props to AZ's diss to George Zimmerman, too.

3. INDUSTRY

The lead single. This cut got a lot of love from the Interweb back then, and with good reason, as Cormy steps up his ever-present critique of the music industry. This is a big step forward from the guy who wrote “Testament”. Props for mentioning Lauryn Hill and Styles P's respective predicaments, though. I have to think Nas was inspired to let Lauryn remind us of her greatness on KD2's Nobody after he listened to this once him & Cormy mended fences. And points have to be awarded for the single's cover art, especially as he includes the late Guru and Pimp C in that group. Not that we don't miss everyone we've lost in hip hop, but those two don't get mentioned nearly as often as the rest for some reason. I wish LP would have spit some bars on this, as he's been fucked over by the industry even more than our host.

4. MORE (FEAT. CHANTELLE NANDI)

Cormy gets his preach on over a dope LP production that utilises his strong ear for bass along with some soft strings sprinkled here and there, along with our host's new vocalist, whose singing I couldn't really decide on. The end result does the job surprisingly well, because although Cormy's preaching comes off as a bit forceful, it weirdly suits him. This album is slowly becoming quite the force. This is also the second song in a row where LP would've fit in nicely.

5. REFLECTION

Another Cormy acapella, a continuation of his one-acapella-per-album trend. The lyrics are good, though. Next!

6. D.U. (DIVINE UNITY) (FEAT. NATURE)

The working relationship between Cormega and Nature is one of the absolute funniest things I've ever seen in hip hop. First, your friend kicks you out of a group you helped form, and replaces you with some other random dude. Then you dis the shit out of both of them. And finally, you make up with your replacement, but not your longtime friend. Glad both of them squashed that, seriously. Anyway, these two have hooked up in the past on a remix of an Alchemist cut called “Professional Style” that also featured common Firm relation AZ. That track was even remixed by Cormega and The Revelations for his compilation album, Raw Forever, complete with redone lyrics from all parties involved. As for this song? Well, the chemistry is surely there, but the star of the show is the instrumental, which elevates the street imagery and boasts to a truly respectable scale. This shit was stupid nice.

7. HONORABLE (FEAT. RAEKWON)

Cormy's pulling out all the stops on this, huh? The Chef comes correct on his second Extra P outing following his showout 14 years prior on Busta Rhymes's The Heist, alongside fellow Wu General GFK and aforementioned underground darling Roc Marciano, whom I preferred way better during his Flipmode/UN days. Rae and our host use the same formula as "C.R.E.A.M.", in that Rae is once again the party enamoured with the street life while Cormy plays the Inspectah Deck role of the cat who thanks his newfound spirituality for getting him the fuck out of that life. In no way am I saying this is as good as “C.R.E.A.M.”: I'm saying the formula is a tried and true one that works on this track.

8. RAP BASQUIAT

Aside from “MARS (Dream Team)”, this song has the beat that stuck with me the most so far on Mega Philosophy. LP's drum break samples are fucking awesome, and he even plays with the breaks during Cormy's performance to amplify the energy of the track. Accordingly, Mega steps his delivery up to a fever pitch, which gives his boasts a certain authority that improves the overall product. True shit: I haven't heard Cormy sound this aggressive since The Testament. The guy at the end, though? Annoyingly unnecessary to the proceedings.

9. RISE (FEAT. MAYA AZUCENA)

Maya Azucena reunites with Cormy after their stellar posse cut to benefit Haiti, “I Made A Difference”, from 2010, which also marked the first time I had ever heard Reggie Noble spit conscious rhymes. LP and Maya prep the track nicely enough for Cormy to go in full introspective mode, and seeing as I love me some introspection when done right, this shit is right up my alley. This is the second time in a row a track ends in a crappy way, though, as LP brings down the beat, leaving Maya sounding pretty paranoid as she hums on to the end of the track. Still, this was the third song on here where Extra P's bars could've fit like a glove.

10. HOME (FEAT. BLACK ROB)

Even when his Life Story album being an absolute gem that sold one million copies Stateside and his sophomore The Black Rob Report being satisfyingly consistent, I've always felt like the late Black Rob was quite underpromoted. That, and I’ve mistakenly dismissed his solo work for the longest because of his staunch loyalty to the human serpent that is Sean Comby Combs (A dismissal that thankfully didn’t last long). But ever since he left prison in 2010, he's been making moves with the right people: I enjoyed his showing on Smif-N-Wessun and Pete Rock's Monumental collaboration album. He's always had a talent for painting a picture you can believe. On “Home”, he gives what can be argued as his most memorable showing since he became a free man again, although I could probably credit that to XP moulding the beat to fit his heavy voice. Oh, and Cormy's his usual self here, as well. Ever since Rob passed, this has become the track I revisit the most from Mega Philosophy despite its brevity.

11. VALUABLE LESSONS

A quick sample from The True Meaning's “Take These Jewels” precedes a somber acoustic-sampling beat that provides the canvas for the final track on the album, where Cormy spits three verses, each one about a different type of relationship: friendship, family, and love, respectively. He ends his album on a very personal note, and LP's beat is a very fitting musical backdrop for the proceedings. And with that, we're done.

FINAL THOUGHTS: With Mega Philosophy, Cormega has finally delivered what has been missing from his catalogue: A damn fine album that is complete with excellent performances and quality beats from a bonafide legend. Large Professor has finally collaborated with an artist who has shown time and again to be worthy of his beats. (LP, I know Neek The Exotic is your man, but he hasn't delivered on his “Fakin' The Funk” potential for over twenty years now. Maybe he should quit rapping. And L.E.O.? Really, William? You fucked up on that one. Fucked up bad.) The only thing would have made Mega Philosophy perfect are some bars from Extra P himself, and trust me, many opportunities presented themselves. But make no mistake about it: this is a fucking awesome album. The guests, rapping and singing alike, were also equally stellar, lending the album an air of fine quality control and ensuring it as a body of work one will revisit for years to come.

WORTH IT? You bet your doughy and warty posterior, boy/girl (pick one). Cormega, you may now take your rightful place among the elite in hip hop. Very well done, sir.

 

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN

INDUSTRY (JUICE CREW REMIX) (FEATURING KOOL G RAP, MASTA ACE & CRAIG G)

Over the same beat as the regal original, Cormega returns and brings with him one hell of an all-star show as Craig G, music man Masta Ace and the Kool motherfucking Genius of Rap of hip hop royalty the Juice Crew catch wreck. And boy, do they ever! Each MC delivers a critique that will remain true until God takes this Earth over. This shit slaps!

INDUSTRY (DELUXE REMIX) (FEATURING INSPECTAH DECK, ROC MARCIANO, SADAT X & LORD JAMAR)

Over an entirely different instrumental from the Extra P, Cormega invites my favorite Wu General Excalibur aka Inspectah Deck, Roc Marciano (I'm really mentioning him a lot in this interview, aren't I? Speaks to his workrate) and members of hip hop royalty Brand Nubian Sadat X & Lord Jamar (DJ Vlad's former BFF) to showcase yet another critique of the business side of music. While everyone else, including our host, did their best to leave a lasting impression on the consumer, there’s a reason the other Wu Generals feared the Rebel. With my favorite outing on the song, Deck perfectly exhibits why he’s one of the most potent MCs to ever write lyrics with:

"I strive to be the type to fight to lead them right

From the brainwash, same songs daily that they playin'

And if you disagree with the mass, then you're hatin'"

Preach on, good brother.

And we’re done.

For more on the recently-reinstated Firm member, lookit. For other Queensbridge luminaries, check this out. And for extra Extra P, follow this.

Cormega - The Testament (planned release: September 1, 1998; actual release: February 22, 2005)

So, tell me if you heard this one before: This is a story about a rapper who was fucked over by the industry. Thought so.

OK, so first there was this dude called Marley Marl. He was a DJ. He was from Queensbridge. He rolled with a bunch of rappers from there. To name a few: MC Shan, Craig G, MC Poet (nka Blaq Poet) and Tragedy. That last dude influenced a lot of similar-minded QB MCs, including one who called himself Nas. That last dude would release his debut, Illmatic, in 1994. It would cause many perfectly sane people who are either fans of hip hop music or contributors to that very genre to lose their shit on a regular basis at exactly how good it was as far as albums go. On that hip hop landmark, Nas would write a song called One Love, produced by Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, which would be imitated to the end of time, as it's basically a letter to incarcerated loved ones. Nas drops a line in One Love that goes: 'What up with Cormega? Did you see him? Are y'all together?

Naturally, back then nobody knew who this Cormega person was. So, hip hop nerds went crazy looking for any info on him. Turned out that a dude who went by the name Cory McKay did some pretty impressive spitshine-cleaning in various grocery stores as Cormega. The store owner told him not to spitshine the vegetables numerous times, but Cormega McKay absolutely insisted on doing so. 'What would I tell Mommy?' was his excuse. So, the store owner fired little Cormy and kicked him out in the street, telling him in a fit of anger to go be someone useless, like a rapper or something.

Little did he know.

Cormy took those words to heart and began writing like crazy. Thereby appearing on DJ Hot Day's debut album, then Phd's debut album. (Phd is the aforementioned Blaq Poet's group. The first of several.) By the time the masses heard the second Cormega appearance on wax, he had become a local rap superhero. Unfortunately however, Mega got himself locked up for armed robbery and did 4 years time. The Nas shoutout was during said jail time, so by the time he was released, a shitload of people knew who he was. Naturally, the two became steadfast friends after he recognized this. They would later form a supergroup with Brooklynites AZ & Foxy Brown and call it The Firm. You know. Because mafioso stereotypes weren't rampant enough back then. The Firm, including Cory, would appear on Nas' second album, It Was Written, and later sign with a certain West Coast producer named Dr. Dre and his then-fledgling label Aftermath. In the midst of all this, Mega was signed as a solo artist to the grandaddy of all labels, Def Jam. All seemed to be good in Cormy's life.

Keyword: seemed. Following Cormy's refusal to sign a bullshit contract with Steve Stoute, Steve-O would launch an extensive campaign to blackball Mega throughout the entire industry, beginning with kicking him out of The Firm and replacing him with an MC with zero prior history with the remaining Firmmates. Some dude called Nature. Cormy blew a gasket, of course. So much so that it affected his own solo deal with Def Jam in the middle of his solo debut album's crafting process. By the time he finished it and called it The Testament, his relationship with Def Jam and his then-manager, the late Chris Lighty, had soured irreparably. Def Jam then gave him his second kickout in his career and shelved his intended debut. All seemed to be over in Cormy's career life.

Keyword: seemed. Mega would gather his act together, found an independent label called Legal Hustle, release his 2nd debut The Realness and become one of the forefathers of the fledgling hip hop independent scene, and would establish a career that is still going pretty damn strong now. He would find enough success to enable him to buy his original shelved debut and release it in its unaltered form. These types of albums usually come with much fanfare, and truthfully? Not all of it's justified. You're reading this review to see if this album earns it, though. Am I right or am I right? Thought so.

I must confess: My love for Nas' artistic output so far has initially caused me to dislike Cormega. But, after listening to his numerous collabs with people such as Large Professor & the Wu, I gradually warmed up to his work. I officially became a fan of his when I heard his album Born & Raised. He has simply grown so much as an MC during his career. Add that with the fact that, while not perfect, he has a fairly good ear for beats.

What better place to start diving into this dude's material than his debut? It's readily available, so it shouldn't be a problem if you decide it's worth your time. Let's go.

INTRO

Cormy starts his tradition of opening up albums with rhymes to an instrumental with no beat here. Cory is, without question, one of the better writers of introspective rhymes. As such, this was when he still didn't have a good grip on that aspect of his lyrics, so this falls flat.

62 PICKUP

Cormy starts his career out with a beat produced by himself? Pretty risky. Unfortunately it doesn't pay off as his one-verse wonder, while sound, doesn't mesh with the whimsical beat at all. The waste of good lyrics will only annoy you. I know it did me.

ONE LOVE

RNS, a Wu-Tang affiliated producer, backs Mega's reply to Nas' shoutout with a decent instrumental. You knew Cormy was gonna write this, obviously. And honestly, it speaks volumes about the depth of Nas and Mega's on-off friendship that he still kept this on his album, even though they were beefing at the time. Plus, the rhymes on here match Nas' original extremely well. I loved this song.

INTERLUDE

Cormy also starts his tradition of acapella verses here. Unlike some of his later iterations, this was pretentious as all fuck.

ANGEL DUST (FEATURING HAVOC)

Featuring Havoc as a rapper on a song he didn't produce completely mystifies me. Especially when he's relegated to hook duties. Furthermore, having Prodigy shout Mega out uncredited adds only to the frustration, which should be settling in quite nicely as you're reading this. However, Sha Money XL (whom I never knew was a producer, in all honesty) brings our host a cinematic beat that would've fit on The Infamous & Hell On Earth, and Cory definitely adds to the comparison by spitting thuggery that would've fit perfectly on said albums, as well. This wasn't bad. I honestly feel like he's pushing the limits to what he can do with mafioso imagery, though. He needs a concept, fast.

DEAD MAN WALKING

Right on cue! This was one of Mega's best-known songs, simply for the fact that he actually performed it regularly live back in 1998 on the Survival Of The Illest tour with DMX, Onyx & Def Squad. This song is a classic hip hop revenge tale with the details interwoven by Mega making this song a must-hear. It doesn't hurt that the instrumental by DJ Hot Day & Jae Supreme fits the rhymes like a glove. This was intense.

MONTANA DIARY

A continuation of Angel Dust. And this time, the hook ruins the entire song. I told you Mega was running out of gas.

TESTAMENT

Or is he? This Dave Atkinson production bangs appropriately in a way we haven't heard yet on this album so far, and it influences Cormy to step up his imagery & flow schemes to admirable heights. Nicely done, indeed. By the way, this version of the song does not contain any type of diss towards Nas. It's pretty damn annoying to see people interpret lyrics that were never intended to mean anything because of simple personal agendas.

TESTAMENT (ORIGINAL)
This is the version Nas haters should be looking for, as it contains a brief-yet-clear dig at Mega's former friend. The beat and many of the rhymes are the same, though.

EVERY HOOD (FEATURING HUSSEIN FATAL)

Even though Cory's first verse is scorching hot, everything else about this song's execution is absolutely repulsive. No matter how much you try, Cormy. If you don't have chemistry with another rapper, you just don't. Stop trying to force that shit down my fucking throat. All joking aside, RIP Hussein Fatal. My deepest condolences go out to his family & friends.

COCO BUTTER

An even worse song where Cormy's feeble attempt at love-rapping falls flat on its hideous, Deadpool-ugly-ass face once he decides to compare his infatuation with a certain boo to various drug-dealing imagery. Fuck this song.

KILLAZ THEME (FEATURING MOBB DEEP)

Many Mobb Deep & Cormega fans are already familiar with this song. Doesn't change the fact that this song is trademark Mobb Deep in its awesomeness. Many fans also know that the Mobb & Cormy were confused between this song and Mobb Deep's What's Ya Poison as to who would take which song. I wish the Mobb would've taken this song, because I feel it's a better showcase for Prodigy, while What's Ya Poison showcases Mega better.

LOVE IS LOVE

This composition by Nashiem Myrick, sampling the same exquisite Ohio Players song as Killah Priest's overrated B.I.B.L.E., brings out a side in Cormega that would be very thoroughly and beautifully fleshed out later in his career: Introspection regarding hood life. Whether it be the innocent, the dealers and people who share his current position in life, Cormega drops jewels in a way that has since made fans out of absolute legends such as the late Guru, Chuck D & PMD of EPMD, among many more. And with good reason, too, as his rhymes here are brilliant. This was a highlight, no fucking doubt.

DEAD MAN WALKING (REMIX)

Utilizing a slightly different take on the same beat as the original, Cormega presents to the listener the sequel to this story. He describes going to his victim's funeral and the thoughts going through his head while doing so. The attention to detail matches, if not eclipses, the original, which is pretty awesome. And we're done.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Obviously, Mega shows without question that he's an MC of talent. However, it's my belief that had this album been released on its intended 1998 date, Cormy's career would still be the exact same as it is now. The album as it stands is pretty hit or miss, as would be the case for most of Cory's subsequent releases. The highs, however, are definitely must-hears. Mega reaches heights that can only be reached by MCs who deserve to be called such. Even some of the bad songs that aren't worth your time aren't horrendously bad. That classification only fits two songs here.

WORTH IT? Pretty much. You are guaranteed more than a few songs of sheer enjoyment, and most of the rest won't truly piss you off. The album is worthy of being in your collection. You still don't want it? Then why in the fuck did you read the whole goddamn review?! Go spread your negative energy somewhere else, it's not welcome here. What do you mean, I'm being negative too? Are you crazy?

For more Cormega, check here.