Delinquent Habits - Delinquent Habits (June 4, 1996)

Introduction: The Year of the Horns and The Spanglish Invasion

So here it is, boy/girl (pick one). We are taking a trip back to 1996, a year that many—including myself—consider the absolute zenith of the Golden Era, or at the very least, the moment just before the shiny suit era ruined everything. You know the drill. It was the year of All Eyez on Me. It was the year of The Score. It was the year Nas dropped It Was Written and irreversibly stamped his brand into hip hop's corporate consciousness. But while the East Coast and West Coast were busy aiming artillery at each other in a media-fueled war that would end in tragedy, there was something brewing in the sub-strata of the Los Angeles underground that was arguably just as interesting, if not as publicized.

We are talking about the "Latin Rap" explosion. Now, don't get it twisted. Latinos had been in hip-hop since day one—shout out to Ruby Dee, Charlie Chase, and the whole Rock Steady Crew. But the West Coast scene in the early 90s saw a specific crystallization of Chicano identity on wax. You had Sen Dog of Cypress Hill infamy & Kid Frost setting the table. You had Mellow Man Ace following his brother's footsteps and proving you could rhyme bilingually and get radio play. And then, the monolithic cypress tree cast its shadow: Cypress Hill. Sen, B-Real, and the Soul Assassins overlord DJ Muggs changed the game. They weren't just a "Latin rap act"; they were hip-hop giants who happened to have Latino members.

Enter Delinquent Habits.

Hailing from the "Lower Eastside" of Los Angeles (specifically Norwalk, for those of you with a Thomas Guide and too much time on your hands), Delinquent Habits—often referred to as Los Tres Delinquentes—crashed onto the scene in June 1996 with a self-titled debut that, on the surface, looked like it was engineered in a lab to capitalize on the Cypress Hill wave. You had the Spanglish rhymes. You had the funk-laden beats. You even had Sen Dog himself acting as Executive Producer and lending his gravelly vocals to the project to give it that Soul Assassins stamp of approval.   

But to dismiss Delinquent Habits as mere Cypress clones is lazy journalism (and I’m a lazy bum, but even I won’t go there). This album, released on the RCA/Loud imprint PMP Records, stands on its own two feet as a masterpiece of "Mariachi-Hop." While DJ Muggs was moving into the dark, dusty, psychedelic rock textures of Temples of Boom, Delinquent Habits’ producer O.G. Style (Alejandro R. Martinez) decided to go brighter, brassier, and funkier. He tapped into the crates of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, obscure 60s soul, and folk-rock to create a soundscape that felt like a lowrider cruising down Whittier Boulevard at sunset.   

The group consisted of two emcees: Ives Irie (Ivan S. Martin) and Kemo the Blaxican (David L.K. Thomas), with DJ OG Style (Alejandro R. Martinez), not to be confused with Houston duo OG Style (RIP Eric "Original E" Woods), handling the decks and the boards. Together, they crafted an album that sold over a million copies of its lead single, "Tres Delinquentes," and managed to invade MTV and mainstream radio without compromising the essential "boom bap" elements that heads like me crave.   

This is going to be a long post. I know, I know. I’m not the most prolific writer in the world, and I take hiatuses that last longer than some rappers' careers, but when I dive in, I dive deep. And this time, I'm switching up my formula: We are going to dissect this album track by track, beat by beat, and rhyme by rhyme. We are going to look at how OGS constructed these beats, how the Spanglish interplay works, and why this album deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the classics of '96.

So grab a glass of water (drink water, bitch), sit back, and let’s explore this lower east side LA experience. And if you don't like it? Well, S.A.L.T. (Shit Ain't Like That).

The Production: DJ OG Style's Crates and The Mariachi-Hop Aesthetic

Let's address the elephant in the room: The production on this album is absolutely stellar. In 1996, the production landscape was fractured. The East Coast was dominated by the RZA's basement grit and Premier's chop-shop precision. The West Coast was caught between Dr. Dre's G-Funk synthesizers and polished basslines on one end and the alternative dusty obscure samples & loops by DJ Muggs, Hiero & the like on the other. Given that, it's amazing that OGS carved out a lane.

The "Digging in the Crates" Ethos

DJ OG Style is clearly a student of the game. He didn't rely on the standard P-Funk samples that everyone in California was using at the time (no "More Bounce to the Ounce" here). Instead, he dug into the "Easy Listening" sections of the record store—the bins most hip-hop producers skipped.

The most defining sonic characteristic of this album is the use of brass samples. The lead single, "Tres Delinquentes," is built around a loop. Now, sampling Herb Alpert wasn't entirely new, but making it sound hard? That takes skill. O.G. Style took those bright, triumphant trumpet blasts and layered them over dusty, snapping breakbeats that felt more like New York boom bap than LA G-Funk.   

But it wasn't just mariachi horns. The man had taste.

He sampled The Mohawks' "The Champ" for "Lower Eastside," flipping one of the most overused breaks in history but pairing it with a melancholic loop from Juan Torres' "Flor de Azalea" to give it a uniquely Chicano tragedy vibe.   

He went to the church with The Stovall Sisters on "Break 'Em Off".   

He even touched the untouchable Donny Hathaway on "Juvy".   

And perhaps most audaciously, he sampled The Byrds' "Lay Lady Lay" (a Bob Dylan cover) for "Good Times," turning a folk-rock ballad into a cruising anthem.   

The Drum Science

The drums on Delinquent Habits are what save it from being a novelty act. If OGS had used cheap drum machine presets, this album would have aged like milk. Instead, he used breakbeats. Dirty, analog, swinging breakbeats.

On tracks like "What It Be Like," he utilizes the Cold Grits "It's Your Thing" break, giving the track a pocket that is impossible not to nod your head to. The engineering (mixed largely by O.G. Style and Dorian "Doe" Johnson, with help from Jason Roberts) kept the drums forward in the mix. They knock. They slap. They do all the things drums are supposed to do in a boom bap track. There is a "lo-fi" dustiness to the sound—you can hear the crackle of the vinyl, the air in the room where the original drummer played. This texture grounds the album in the streets, contrasting the sometimes pop-friendly melodies of the horn loops.   

The Soul Assassins Connection

While O.G. Style produced almost the entire album (tracks 1-5, 7-14), we have to acknowledge the one outsider: Eric Bobo. The son of jazz percussion legend Willie Bobo and a member of Cypress Hill, Bobo produced "The Realm". His contribution brings a completely different energy—live percussion. Bongos, congas, and timbales rattle through the speakers, reminding us that "Latin Rap" isn't just about samples; it's about rhythm.   

Sen Dog's Executive Producer credit is also crucial. It likely meant he was in the room, guiding the vibe, ensuring the rhymes stayed tight, and lending his "marijuana-soaked" credibility to the project. You can hear the Cypress Hill influence in the vocal deliveries—the nasal intonations, the aggressive flows—but Delinquent Habits managed to avoid sounding like a tribute band. They sounded like the younger, hungrier cousins from the next neighborhood over.   

The Lyrical Analysis: Spanglish as a Weapon

Now, let’s talk about the rhymes. Ives Irie and Kemo the Blaxican aren't Rakim or Nas. They aren't trying to be lyrical miracle workers, solving the mysteries of the universe with multi-syllabic rhyme schemes that require a PhD to decipher. They are party rockers, storytellers, and street reporters.

The Code-Switching Flow

The genius of Delinquent Habits lies in the linguistic fluidity. This is Spanglish in its most natural form. It’s not just inserting the word "amigo" or "senorita" to rhyme with "mosquito" (looking at you, pop rappers). It’s about using Spanish phonetics to create percussive patterns that English can’t achieve.

Spanish is a syllable-timed language, while English is stress-timed. By switching between the two, Ives and Kemo can alter the speed and rhythm of their flow mid-sentence. They use the sharp consonants of Spanish (the rolled 'r's, the hard 't's) to lock in with the hi-hats.

Themes on the album generally fall into three buckets:

The Party/The Flex: "Tres Delinquentes," "Good Times," "Break 'Em Off." These are tracks about drinking tequila, lowriding, and being the coolest guys in the room.

The Struggle/The Streets: "Lower Eastside," "What's Real Iz Real," "Juvy." These tracks deal with police harassment, poverty, and the "delinquent" lifestyle imposed by their environment.

The Addiction Metaphor: "I'm Addicted," "Another Fix." A recurring motif where hip-hop culture is equated to a narcotic dependency.

Now, let's get into the meat of this report.

Track-by-Track Breakdown

1. Tres Delinquentes

Producer: O.G. Style Samples: Brass Loop   Length: 4:16   

This is it. The big one. The song that paid the bills. If you were alive in 1996 and owned a radio or a television, you heard this song.

The track opens with that iconic trumpet fanfare from Herb Alpert. It’s majestic. It sounds like a bullfight is about to break out in the middle of a house party. Then, the beat drops—a funky, mid-tempo boom bap groove that instantly gets your neck snapping.

The Lyrics: The chorus is simple, repetitive, and undeniable: "Get funky, get funky, get funky / Get funky, get funky, get funky". It's a mantra. Ives kicks it off establishing the identity: "Tres Delinquentes / Rockin' the firm / Hittin' it hard / Watch it burn." The verses are a mix of braggadocio and cultural flagging. They aren't just rapping; they are planting a flag for the "Lower Eastside." The Spanglish is heavily integrated here. They weave Spanish phrases into the rhyme scheme so tightly that even non-Spanish speakers find themselves rapping along phonetically.   

The Vibe: The video featured the guys driving around in a classic convertible, sipping tequila, with Sen Dog making a cameo. It perfectly captured the aesthetic: distinctively Chicano but universally cool. This track broke the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #35. That’s huge for a debut rap group in '96. It proved that you didn't need to be Dr. Dre or Comby the drooling weirdo to move units; you just needed a killer loop and an infectious vibe.   

My Take: It’s a classic. You can’t hate on it. Sure, it got played to death, but listen to it now, 30 years later. It still knocks. The production is crisp, and the energy is infectious. It’s the perfect opener.

2. Lower Eastside

Producer: O.G. Style Samples: The Mohawks "The Champ", Juan Torres "Flor de Azalea"  Length: 3:45   

After the fiesta of "Tres Delinquentes," things get a little darker. "Lower Eastside" is the hood anthem. It anchors the group geographically. They aren't from "LA" in the abstract; they are from the Lower Eastside (Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs area), a specific cultural enclave.

The Production: O.G. Style flips "The Champ"—you know, the "Champ!" vocal sample that everyone from Onyx to KRS-One has used. But he slows it down, stripping it of its usual frantic energy and turning it into a slow-rolling cruiser beat. The addition of the "Flor de Azalea" sample adds a layer of mariachi tragedy—a weeping string/horn melody that floats in the background.   

The Lyrics: This is storytelling time. Ives raps: "In this little session of the promised land / I gots the 6 where I lounge wit my homeys and I'm freakin' my friend". He paints a picture of the "dip"—the cruising strip. But it's not all fun. He talks about police harassment: "So while the swiney guy be lookin' around / because the cuffs won't click / I be flippin' a frown". The chorus is a chant: "We're bringing up the lower eastside / Side... big... Back... Bitch.". It's territorial. It's about pride in a place that society usually looks down upon.   

My Take: This is arguably better than the lead single. It has more grit. It feels more "hip-hop." The beat is heavy, and the lyrics are grounded in reality. This is the track you play when you're driving slow with the windows down, mean-mugging everyone you pass (even if you're just going to the grocery store to buy milk).

3. Juvy

Producer: O.G. Style Samples: Donny Hathaway "Voices Inside (Everything is Everything)"  Length: 3:45   

"Juvy" tackles the theme of juvenile delinquency directly. The title refers to Juvenile Hall, the detention centers where many young men from their neighborhood ended up.

The Production: Sampling Donny Hathaway is a power move. "Voices Inside" provides a soulful, pulsating bassline and rhythm that drives the track forward. It’s less "mariachi" and more "soul funk," showing O.G. Style's range.

The Lyrics: The song explores the cycle of incarceration. "1 Adam 12" references (police codes) and tales of running from the cops. The lyrics discuss the inevitability of the system: "Y las palabras de mi boca empezaron enlocesos" (And the words from my mouth started crazy). They aren't glorifying "Juvy" as a fun place; they are describing it as a rite of passage that hardens you. The lyrics suggest a fatalism—"born to lose" energy—that permeates a lot of West Coast gangsta rap.   

My Take: A solid album cut. The Donny Hathaway sample carries it. The flow here is aggressive, matching the frustration of the subject matter.

4. What It Be Like

Producer: O.G. Style Keyboards: Dorian "Doe" Johnson  Samples: Cold Grits "It's Your Thing"  Length: 3:57   

This is the "chill" track. The tempo drops. The vibe mellows out.

The Production: Using the "It's Your Thing" break by Cold Grits is a classic hip-hop trope, but it works every time. The drums are spacious and snappy. Dorian "Doe" Johnson adds some subtle keyboards that give it a slight G-Funk atmosphere, linking the sound to the broader West Coast aesthetic without drowning it in high-pitched sine waves.   

The Lyrics: This is an introspective track. "What It Be Like" is a rhetorical question about the state of their lives. They rap about "Diggin' up and out the ghetto, hard raised and rockin' / From back spinnin' from freakin' the beat and pop lockin'". It’s a nostalgia trip, looking back at the culture that raised them (breakdancing, graffiti) and how it saved them from the streets. It’s a love letter to hip-hop culture as an escape route.   

My Take: One of the smoothest tracks on the album. It’s perfect for smoking (if that’s your thing) or just vibing. The interplay between the sample and the live keys is seamless.

5. I'm Addicted

Producer: O.G. Style Samples: The Lonely Bull (replayed), For De Azalea, Voices Inside (Note: The snippets  suggest this track might share sample credits or citations in the database are jumbled, but lyrically it's distinct). Length: 3:37   

The addiction metaphor. It’s a staple in rap. Rakim had "Microphone Fiend." Delinquent Habits has "I'm Addicted."

The Lyrics: The concept is simple: The music is the drug. "Come on, man, give me a dime / I got fienders for flavours of beats and rhymes". "I feel the rushin' of your funk injection." They describe the physical symptoms of withdrawal when they aren't making music. It’s a clever way to frame their passion for the art form. "I'm addicted, I'm a junkie / That's why I got to fiendin' for the shit that's funky".   

The Production: The beat is frantic, mirroring the jittery feeling of an addict in need of a fix. It’s busy, with scratches and vocal samples layered on top of each other. It has a high-energy, almost chaotic feel that contrasts with the laid-back groove of "What It Be Like."

My Take: The metaphor is a bit cliché, I won't lie. But the execution is energetic enough to make it work. It serves as a good tempo change in the middle of the album.

6. The Realm

Producer: Eric Bobo  Length: 2:53   

Here comes the curveball. The only track not produced by O.G. Style.

The Production: Eric Bobo brings the heat. As a percussionist, he builds the track around live drums—timbales, congas, shakers. It has a tribal, organic feel. It sounds like a jam session in a basement in Havana, but with rhymes. The lack of a heavy, looped breakbeat makes it stand out; it’s loose and swinging.

The Lyrics: This track is about skills. It’s about entering "The Realm" of the Delinquentes. The flow changes here. Ives and Kemo ride the percussion with staccato deliveries, bouncing off the conga hits. It’s a technical showcase, proving they can rap over anything, not just 4/4 loops.

My Take: I love this track. It breaks up the monotony of the sample-based production. It feels alive. It’s short (under 3 minutes), so it doesn't overstay its welcome. It acts as a perfect interlude/energy booster.

7. S.A.L.T. (Sh*t Ain't Like That)

Producer: O.G. Style Length: 3:34

The "Reality Check."

The Lyrics: The title is an acronym. "Shit Ain't Like That." This is the group pushing back against the stereotypes or the "haters" who think they made it overnight. They talk about the struggle: "Hair on the counter becomes salt in the wound" (metaphorical reference found in snippets, possibly misattributed or thematic resonance). Actually, looking at the vibe, it's more about dismantling the "studio gangster" image. They are asserting that the reality of the streets isn't the glamorized version you see on TV. "Shit ain't like that." It's ugly, it's hard, and it's dangerous.   

The Production: A stripped-down beat. Heavy bass. Minimal melody. It forces you to listen to the lyrics. It’s a "head-nodder" but in a serious way.

My Take: It’s a solid album cut, but maybe not the most memorable compared to the horn-heavy tracks. It serves a purpose in the narrative (establishing authenticity), but I probably wouldn't put it on a mixtape over "Tres Delinquentes."

8. Good Times

Producer: O.G. Style Samples: The Byrds "Lay Lady Lay"  Length: 3:27   

This is the hidden gem of the album.

The Production: O.G. Style samples The Byrds' cover of "Lay Lady Lay." That guitar riff! It’s incredible. It’s distinctive, melodic, and evokes a specific feeling of nostalgia. Pairing a folk-rock guitar riff with a hard hip-hop drum break is a stroke of genius. It creates a "summertime" vibe that rivals DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, but with a Chicano twist.

The Lyrics: The title "Good Times" suggests a party track, and it is. "Get funky, get funky" vibes again (thematic consistency). But there’s a sadness to the sample that makes the lyrics feel fleeting. They are celebrating the moment because they know it might end. It’s about enjoying the ride, the women, the drinks, because tomorrow you might be back in "Juvy" or dealing with "S.A.L.T."

My Take: This track is flames. It’s the perfect example of how a sample choice can elevate a song. If you only listen to one non-single from this album, make it this one. It captures the bittersweet nature of the West Coast lifestyle perfectly.

9. Break 'Em Off

Producer: O.G. Style Samples: The Stovall Sisters "Sweeping Through The City"  Length: 3:20   

We take it to church—but a rowdy church.

The Production: The sample from The Stovall Sisters provides a high-energy, gospel-shout hook. "Sweeping through the city!" (flipped to sound like "Break 'em off" or thematically linked). The drums are aggressive. This is a battle track.

The Lyrics: "Break 'Em Off" is slang for hurting someone, beating them in a battle, or breaking off a piece of something (money, product). The energy is aggressive. Ives is in attack mode. It’s a "put your hands up" track.

My Take: It’s a banger. It wakes you up after the mellowness of "Good Times." The vocal sample carries the energy.

10. What's Real Iz Real

Producer: O.G. Style Length: 3:20

The Vibe: The title is a tautology, and the track is a manifesto. This is Boom Bap purity. No flashy samples here (at least not obvious pop ones). Just drums, a bassline, and rhymes. It’s about integrity. Keeping your word. Staying true to your roots. "What's real iz real" implies that everything else is fake. It’s a direct shot at the commercialization of rap (ironic, given their massive radio success, but hey, cognitive dissonance is part of hip-hop).

My Take: A respectable track for the purists. It proves they can rap without hiding behind a Herb Alpert trumpet.

11. If You Want Some

Producer: O.G. Style Length: 4:05

The Lyrics: "Never givin up I got wisdom persistence / Two clips loaded in a Glock for resistance". This is the most explicitly violent track. It’s about self-defense and territory. "If you want some (trouble), come get some." The flow is rapid-fire. They sound ready for war.   

My Take: It fits the "Delinquent" persona. It adds teeth to the album. You need a track like this to balance out the party songs.

12. Another Fix

Producer: O.G. Style Samples: Paul Nero "This Is Soul"  Length: 3:42   

The Concept: A sequel to "I'm Addicted." They need "Another Fix" of the funk.

The Production: The Paul Nero sample ("This Is Soul") brings the horns back!. It’s a groovy, brassy beat that recalls the energy of the opener. It feels like a victory lap. They are addicted to the success, the music, the lifestyle.   

My Take: If "I'm Addicted" was the withdrawal, "Another Fix" is the high. It’s a fun, upbeat track that gets the head nodding again as we approach the end of the album.

13. Underground Connection (feat. Hurricane G & Sen Dog)

Producer: O.G. Style Featuring: Hurricane G, Sen Dog Additional Musicians: Paul J. Thompson (Trumpet)  Length: 4:52   

The Grand Finale (sort of).

The Guests: Hurricane G (RIP). She is the MVP of this track. The Nuyorican queen brings that East Coast aggression that contrasts perfectly with the West Coast laid-back flow of the hosts. Her voice is raspy, loud, and commands attention. Sen Dog. The OG. He’s in the background, he’s on the hook, he’s ad-libbing. His presence validates the "Underground Connection"—the link between the Latin rap scenes.

The Production: Live trumpet by Paul J. Thompson gives it a classy, jazz-club feel. It elevates the beat. The chorus: "Motherfucker what? I don't give a fuck / You can bring the rock we can get buck". It’s raw. It’s hard.   

My Take: This is a posse cut done right. It bridges the gap between East and West. Hurricane G’s verse is legendary. It’s the hardest track on the album.

14. When The Stakes Are High

Producer: O.G. Style Length: 3:25

The Outro.

The Vibe: After the chaos of "Underground Connection," this track brings it down. It’s somber. The lyrics reflect on the consequences. When the stakes are high, you can lose everything. It’s a moment of clarity after the party. "See I'm not the bad boy built for the murder". It shows vulnerability.   

My Take: A fitting end. It creates a complete narrative arc: from the party ("Tres Delinquentes") to the struggle ("Lower Eastside") to the consequences ("Stakes Are High").

The Remixes & B-Sides: The Leftovers

We can't leave without talking about the 12"s. In the 90s, the B-sides were essential.

Tres Delinquentes (Cubano Remix): This version leaned ALL the way into the Latin vibe. More percussion, more salsa piano. It was designed for the clubs.   

Tres Delinquentes (Rock Mix): Featuring Sen Dog. This was the era of the Judgment Night soundtrack. Rap-Rock was happening. This remix added distorted guitars. It hasn't aged as well as the original, but it captures the zeitgeist.   

Lower Eastside (Clicc Remix): A G-Funk makeover for the hood anthem. Smoother, more synth-heavy.   

Final Thoughts: The Verdict

Delinquent Habits (1996) is often unfairly labeled as a "one-hit wonder" album because "Tres Delinquentes" was such a monster smash. But if you actually listen to the whole record (which I just forced you to do), you realize it’s a cohesive, well-produced, and culturally significant body of work.

O.G. Style (Alejandro Martinez) deserves his flowers. He created a sonic universe that was distinct from Dre and RZA. He merged the "Mariachi" sound with "Boom Bap" drums in a way that felt authentic, not gimmicky. He dug for samples that told a story—from Herb Alpert to The Byrds to Donny Hathaway.

Ives and Kemo were the perfect vessels for this sound. Their Spanglish flow wasn't a novelty; it was a rhythmic device that added percussion to the rhymes. They repped the Lower Eastside of LA with pride, giving a voice to a community that was often overlooked in the coastal rap wars.

Is it perfect? No. The "mariachi" formula gets a little repetitive by track 12. The lyrics aren't going to win a Pulitzer. But does it knock? Hell yes.

This album is a time capsule of 1996. It’s the sound of a house party in Norwalk with tequila flowing, lowriders bouncing, and the smell of carne asada (and other herbal substances) in the air.

Worth It?

If you like Cypress Hill, Funkdoobiest, or The Beatnuts, this is mandatory listening.

DJ Muggs - Soul Assassins Chapter 1 (March 4, 1997)

 

Told y'all since my very first review on this site: I'm not gonna be the most prolific writer in the world.

Welcome back to my continuation of my grueling attempt at finishing the Soul Assassins run I have in mind. I'm currently aware that I haven't written about these dudes in a few years. So there's that elephant addressed.

1995 came and went. The Soul Assassins brand, established by Lorenzo Cavassi aka Larry Muggerud aka Grandmixer Muggs bka the legendary DJ Muggs of the iconic Cypress Hill, has been experiencing somewhat of a downturn. First, fellow Hillmate Sen Dog was experiencing severe burnout which was fucking the Hill's dynamic up big time. Then, Muggs was trying ad failing to establish a collective from Harlem, NY by the name of Call O' Da Wild, comprising of Barron Ricks and Chic Moleek. Yeah, unfortunately it wasn't happening, even though the music was flames. (More on that later) Top it off, Muggs caught feelings because fellow Soul Assassins lynchpins House of Pain wanted to make their 3rd (and final, unbeknownst to everyone) album on their own, ignoring the fact that said album wasn't really a House of Pain album in the truest sense because Danny Boy was damn near MIA. Muggs quickly slapped himself outta that funk and entered his usual proactive state: He was gonna further the Soul Assassins brand no matter what, even if he had to do it for dolo.

Which he did.

Alright, it was never gonna be that straightforward. Muggs caught on to what Erick Sermon was doing with his Insomnia compilation in 1996 and realized that that's how he was supposed to do it: Follow the Marley Marl blueprint. Only he needed to call in a few favors to make sure the album reception was ideal. So he basically opened up his phonebook (Gasp! Remember those?!) and called in a favor from a who's who of the popular rap acts of the day. Y'know, alongside fellow Hillmate B-Real cuz we can't have a DJ Muggs album without B-Real, can we?

Soul Assassins Chapter 1 was released in early 1997 and, while it did well, Columbia wasn't happy enough to issue another, forcing Muggs to turn elsewhere for the future entries.

But was it any good? Find out, boy/girl (pick one):

THE TIME HAS COME

Not gonna front, Muggs is solely responsible for my exposure to Ralph Bakshi, noted eccentric animation director, through his samples of the movie Wizards, from which many of Muggs' early signature soundbites were taken. That being said, this is still an instrumental intro. Skip.

PUPPET MASTER (DR. DRE & B-REAL)

You read correctly: Andre Rommell Young, fresh outta his widely-publicized Death Row exodus, was desperate at this time to find the next creative lane he was going to inhabit. Read: Them checks weren't hittin like that no more, so he links with Muggs and a very dialed-in B-Real. Muggs chefs up a live interpolation of one of the Bomb Squad's fine soul loops for B-Real and whoever wrote Dre's bars to get busy. And get busy they did: This shit is napalm! Dre's verse has a reference to how people looked at the late icon Michael Jackson in the 90s. Like it or not: In the 90s, the man wasn't as popular within the black community as he was in the 70s & 80s. B still made his presence felt in a manner that's undeniable:

We're pullin strings, killin kings

Countin all pinky rings, seizin control of the whole game

I took a pull from the blunt, inhaled and blew the smoke from my lungs into the world of hip-hop

Civilians turn into soldiers by the millions

Assassins, we multiply, by the masses

Masters of the game

Every move you make through manipulation is the move I choose for you to take!

You see, what I want you to see

And you turn into whatever I want you to be

Whether it be, enemy or ally

The Aftermath results in Soul Assassins, worldwide

From coast to coast, I got soldiers on post

Injecting you with the high funk overdose

Dre and the Hill, stayin' Real

All you non-believin' ass figures, get your cap peeled

Executive order make your time shorter

Get your recorder, play it back, puff your chronic sack

Your mind, body and soul have been captured

And taken captive by the motherfuckin' puppet masters!

DECISIONS, DECISIONS (GOODIE MOB)

Muggs heads to the Dungeon where Goodie Mob oblige his call to violate this grimy funky instrumental. This is the song where CeeLo Green established that he had bars if need be, as he lays claim to the coveted Source Hip Hop Quotable of April 1997. His fellow Mobsters sure did bring it, but CeeLo wasn't to be denied here. This song serves a special purpose for me personally, for it was my personal introduction to the Dungeon Family. It was through Goodie Mob that I was introduced to OutKast! This ain't the first time this happened, either, as Mobb Deep introduced me to Nas, Method Man introduced me to Redman, etc. I guess living in the motherland had to come with a price.

THIRD WORLD (GZA & RZA)

DJ Muggs reconnects with the Wu for the second single of this producer compilation and I must say: These two camps mesh well! Muggs recreates the ethereal feeling RZA invoked when he produced Killa Hill N****s off Temples Of Boom with the classical music intro into this battle-themed track, but you'll find that Muggs produced a superior bloddpumping beat once it kicks in and you hear someone's muffled speak in the background. That's when, boy/girl, GZA swoops in with a contender for the best verse he's ever written outside of Wu-Tang Forever. No, seriously:

Via satellite from the Wu-mansion

Still branchin' off the tree that sparked any MC

And the fruit that fell far was the ripest

It was Cypress, let the media hype this

Promotion figures snipe this

Push it like tray bags of 72

Kept figures in suede rags

Microphone psycho, who flips the mic so well

Held without bail, in jams packed like jail-cells

There's no escapin' once my blade starts scrapin'

Figures flakin', wannabe MC's is shakin'

My sword indeed make more figures bleed

So swift, naked eye couldn't record the speed

I lost ya with that offer, figure that'll cost ya

Feel the strings of torture

Must've been the half-gal

That's the shit he drinkin' that got him thinkin'

That he could trash the ship and get me sinkin'

I told him, "Come back when you're sober"

Drunk-ass punk, on the motherfuckin' Hunt for Red October

Don't even catch me when I'm blunted

Rhymes start runnin' like loops on a SP-1200

Instruments of terror on warship, its corporate

Visual figures paint portraits

RZA injects himself into the proceedings with a verse that's passable and makes do with the right delivery and flow which also serves as a message for an unknown recipient ally. Muggs is not playing around here as this is clearly intended as a medley with the next track!

BATTLE OF 2001 (B-REAL)

B-Real involves himself in the intro to this track as the officer who receives RZA's message from the previous song and then describes in rhyme form the attack on the base he's commanding for a brief few bars when his transmission is cut indicating their defeat. Then, Muggs includes a short outro where you hear an announcement of martial law where "all constitutional rights have now been revoked". Eerie conclusion.

DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (LA THE DARKMAN)

Back to regularly scheduled hip hop, we find our old pal La The Darkman, who debuted a year earlier with the I Want It All promo single on Big Beat which went nowhere, receive his first real exposure to the masses with this timeless masterpiece of a song. As I've already stated here, La makes his shot with a haunting Muggs instrumental count with his greatest solo performance yet:

I'm from a long breed of stick up kids, coke and hustlers

Gods, foreign cars, strong arm tec' tusslers

The streets got me in a hole chin-deep

Quantum leap, a bum told me life is cheap

My lyrics dancing lamping eating fish in a Wu mansion

A park place I'm advancing and only my wiz I'm romancing

Posted, all you chicken figures get roasted

I read manuscripts in 97 whips, Ls is toasted

I said something, I meant it

Your Benz'll get dented

My guns get more open than a envelope with money in it

Where I live it's only crack, fiends and dirty jeans

Shorties on the block with the platinum drug dreams

Everything an hour seems, I got bagged at 14

On a highway running guns outta New Orleans

It's La, what you think them figures trembling pink

Stumbling, you a cat that turn tough when he drink

Keeping you lifted, reminisce on what Chris did

Pull out the mac and shot five cats and a civilian

Right in front of the building with kids playing, shells is spraying

On the second floor Shelly moms praying

Got caught by a stray in a window in broad day

And she died, fucked up it had to be that way

It was a drunk figure who done it

Simply arresting!

HEAVY WEIGHTS (MC EIHT)

Compton's Most Wanted frontman MC Eiht continues his fruitful collaborations with Muggs and this song further proves that this man is simply more comfortable on East Coast sounding beats, which Muggs is more than happy to provide! He blazes through Muggs' string-based beat with ease. Props for Eiht interpolating the late Craig Mack's hook from his MC EZ & Troup b-side Get Retarded in the background a year before LL & Dre would do so on Zoom. Dope song! This wouldn't be the last time Eiht & Muggs connected as their fruitful collaborations keep dropping in the 90s. Moving ahead.

MOVE AHEAD (KRS-ONE)

Well damn, KRS! Don't you want the review to shed light on your song? No? OK.

Seriously, you can feel Muggs excitement at working with the hip hop icon as he cooks a bloodpumping instrumental which KRS, still in his prime, absolutely shreds to ribbons. I always respected the fact that KRS, when not referencing some asinine quasi-spiritual bullshit, had the ability to interweave lyricism with subject effortlessly and this song may be his best example yet as he tackles the hot topics of the time: Region bias, selling out, dumbing down, etc. You will love this track. KRS & Muggs go on to connect a further two times and it's all thanks to this song.

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU (MOBB DEEP)

Way before current production darling The Alchemist ever established the fruitful relationship with Mobb Deep that shot him to superstardom, the seminal NY duo connected with Muggs to complete this gem here. And best believe you're getting the prime Mobb Deep experience as Hav & the late great P utterly violate Muggs' apt tribute to their sound. That's another thing that doesn't get mentioned enough about what Muggs is doing on this album: You'll find that each song so far has established Muggs' identity as a production powerhorse while simultaneously staying true to the identity of each featured artist.

LIFE IS TRAGIC (INFAMOUS MOBB)

After another obscure sample from a classic 1930s movie, Muggs turns to the Mobb's fam Infamous Mobb, comprising Twin Gambino, Godfather pt. 3 & Ty Nitty, where he commissions yet another faithful Mobb-esque instrumental. And the trio respond by pretty much shitting all over the opportunity: Ty sounds straight up unintelligible. No surprise there as he has always been the worst member. Twin disappoints with a subpar verse that, while housing genuine emotion, fails to meet his standard that he set on songs like All Pro & Animal Instinct. Godfather pt. 3 or Trip has always been the anchor of this crew, and while he brings a competent flow to close proceedings, it's not enough to save this from being a designated smoke break on the album. Next.

NEW YORK UNDERCOVER (BARRON RICKS)

And here, boy/girl (pick one), I finally get the chance to talk about one of my favorite underground shelved rap acts ever: Harlem's own Call O' Da Wild, comprised of Barron Ricks and Chic Moleek. These two, well... mostly Barron, had a short tenure of 3 years under DJ Muggs where they made some timeless music, but we'll get to that later. On this track, Muggs lays down a sparse, sinister piano loop that allows Barron to unload. And the moment you hear him, you realize he sounds almost exactly like Prodigy and yet still retains his Harlem cadence. They somehow make it work. This only serves as a painful reminder of the potential that was wasted when their debut LP got shelved.

JOHN 3:16 (WYCLEF JEAN)

The album closer for the US edition features none other than the Refugee Camp all-star himself. Now, Clef being ambitious ain't new, but damn can it backfire in the worst way possible. Muggs flips a classic pop rock sample in a manner that was supposed to aid Clef in giving a sermon on street morality. It also showcases how much Muggs was influenced by Havoc's production. Clef was clearly aiming for a dramatic & theatrical feel, singing and rapping about biblical retribution and the struggles of the "field". Problem is, Clef is way too scatterbrained with his writing to establish any form of cohesion. Production value by Muggs is undeniable but it pains me to say: Skip this barf.

RUNNIN WILD (BARRON RICKS)

The first of two tracks exclusively released outside of the US, Muggs would later reuse this beat for the lead single of the aforementioned Grandmasters project with GZA, although this piece stands perfectly on its own two. Barron Ricks absolutely devours this soundscape, abandoning his Prodigy impression completely and proving once again how much he was the unsung predator of the Soul Assassins camp at this time. Any Muggs fan owes it to themselves to hear this.

THE LAST ASSASSIN (B-REAL)

Second outside-US track, although this one was strictly a Japan exclusive. I swear Japanese hip hop fans had it good. This is quintessential Cypress Hill chemistry: Muggs provides a haunted cathedralic soundscape for B to eschew existential poetics about life in a gangbanging environment, from initiation in verse 1, the come up in verse 2, and loneliness in verse 3. This track, like many Cypress tracks before it, flies in the face of any naysayer who can't seem to get past the superficial stoner image & nasal tones they exhibit. Fantastic way to close the album out.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Looking back, Soul Assassins Chapter 1 is more than just a compilation; it's a manifesto. In 1997, while Comby was busy whoring himself out with the cheapest 80s pop loops and violating the LOX by forcing them to acquiesce to his shitty whims, Muggs chose the Marley Marl route by piling a list of his favorite rap acts and making magic with each one, creating a sonic underworld that was cohesive enough to house Dr. Dre, Goodie Mob, KRS-One & Mobb Deep under the same roof without any of them sounding out of place. This album marks is an indelible entry in DJ Muggs' "Cathedral Era" and remains one of the best producer-led projects in hip-hop history. It’s consistent, it’s moody, and aside from missteps with the Infamous Mobb & Wyclef, it’s wall-to-wall timelessness.

WORTH IT?

You bet your doughy and warty posterior, boy/girl (pick one). This is mandatory listening for anyone who claims to love hip hop. If you don't have this in your collection, you probably listen to NLE Choppa. Have fun explaining why him & NBA YoungBoy matter to people who won't believe you

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN: Since we touched on Call O' Da Wild, you'd be a fool not to dig for the scraps of their shelved legacy.

INTELLECTUAL DONS
Even though this was the b-side to the Ruffturrain promo single, I heard this first. Judging by the eerie violin loop that still manages to preserve a soundscape festive enough for a rap song, DJ Muggs seemed to have an affinity for the church aesthetic when producing music for street acts back then. And Chic Moleek takes full advantage of that opportunity by coming completely unglued on this entire song: He bookends a lone verse from Barron Ricks (who's obviously playing catch up) with two verses chock full of unorthodox flows that you can't help but rewind the songs multiple times. I still fail at repeating either of Chic's virtuosic displays

RUFFTURRAIN

This was supposed to be the single that put Call O' Da Wild on the map. Alas. DJ Muggs loops a brilliant psychedelic raga rock classic and somehow manages to make it sound impressively adjacent to the trance-induced Sanskrit vibe that prevailed on Temples of Boom. Barron Ricks was clearly intended to be the star of the duo as he's the one who remained upholding the flag, and he's the one who bookends Chic's lone verse on this gem.

ANDREWS AVE

When a producer loops something without programming the drums due to the percussion on the loop being more than enough? That's OK. It's that complete absence of percussion that pisses me off. Thankfully this unheralded short storytelling monolith is the former. Ricks & Leek tag team this jawn one verse apiece something proper with a short horrific tale of vengeance. This is somber in retrospect as it perfectly illustrates what Muggs could've done with these two had the deal materialized right.

URBAN WILDERNESS

Another loop with the percussion integrated within, this one sounding like Muggs' own hip hop tribute to Ralph Bakshi's cinematic visions. Ricks & Leek turn on the imagery switch to 100, with Leek naturally exhibiting his unique flow that still mystifies me. Flow changes like a chameleon, word to Masta Killa!

NINTH SYMPHONY (FEATURING B-REAL)
This should've been the triumphant victory lap for everyone involved. A menacing, bloodthirsty Muggs beat & three very hungry MCs. The mixing ruins any chance for anyone to decipher the verses spit here. A real shame because it sounds like B & the Call were really going in. I still somehow get a helluva kick outta bumping this.

And after damn near four years, we're done! For more on the Soul Assassins, click their name, BITCH!

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.

Das EFX - Generation EFX (March 24, 1998)

It's very interesting when you're on top for only a moment, isn't it?

Many bands tried to reach the top of the hip-hop food chain by themselves, but very few actually succeed in doing so.

When you picture acts like Jay-Z, Biggie, 2Pac & Nas,  you find that they've all established themselves as businesses, one way or another from the very get-go.

While other acts, such as Onyx, Naughty By Nature & Das EFX, they've reached the top with only their primary team behind them.

Das EFX, to be particular, relied on their in-house production crew, Solid Scheme, of which the late Chris Charity, a.k.a. C-Dog, ran the entire operation in a close knit group.  These types of teams are molded strictly for underground audiences & rarely make an impact in the mainstream industry, let alone shoot straight to the top of it.  But, shoot to the top they did.

It didn't happen overnight, though. In '91, Brooklyn-born Teaneck-raised Andre Weston bka Krazy Drazy and Brooklyn-born-&-raised William Hines bka Books In Reverse (Skoob for the challenged) were buddying it up in Virgina State masquerading as students along with their two producers when a small hip hop contest was advertised. The winner would get 100 dollars. Only top dollar for the top talents. The crucial details to this otherwise-boring-ass origin story is that the judges of said competition were none other than one Erick Sermon and one Parish Smith, or for the uninitiated, EPMD. Our duo, prior to even calling themselves by their now-household moniker, performed a routine that would later be known as Klap Ya Handz. Needless to say, both E&P were blown the hell away. So naturally, they rigged the competition so that our two protagonists wouldn't win. Parish then came up to the duo and issued the following: "You want a hundred bucks or a record deal?" Which was literally the one thing P could've said to stop Drazy, Books, Solid Scheme member Derek Lynch & ringleader C-Dog from shooting up the place.

As a result, Dead Serious, the duo's debut, executive-produced by EPMD (an obvious step), was the pure definition of a sleeper hit in 1992, gaining vast critical & commercial success, resulting in it rightly gaining classic status in later years.  Stuff of fairytales. Really.

However, things began to spiral out of control once the big EPMD fiasco hit that very same year.  To top it all off, the two snots actually ditched what made them so popular in the first place, "the iggedy" or the "sewage" gimmick.  As a result, it didn't really matter if their sophomore effort, the very underrated Straight Up Sewaside, was a better album in all aspects. The critical & commercial success ship has long sailed.

So, they did the only thing they could do at that point & tried the underground route.  Their 3rd opus, Hold It Down, was a sort of calling in favours from fans within the industry, resulting in a 20-track album with very different musical backdrops, most of which were pretty damn good.  Yet, critics & sales still slumped.

So we come to the year 1998.  The new millennium's on the horizon, boom bap is thought to be long dead and our protagonists are out of favours in the industry.  They had only one option remaining.

Parish Smith, whom the duo sided with after his temporary breakup with Erick Sermon, released his 2nd album in 1996 that somehow gave his camp an identity. "Business Is Business" was basically a PMD Squad album (I refuse to call that clique the Hit Squad. To me, that moniker is reserved for the reunited camps of Erick and Parish respectively), with productions from Solid Scheme, Charlie Marotta, DJ Scratch and the excellent Agallah, or 8-Off the Assassin as he was known at the time, along with rap appearances by M.O.P., Nocturnal, Prodigy from Mobb Deep & our headliners today, who appeared on 4 songs on the album.  They later collaborated with EPMD on the reunion album, "Back In Business" on the awesome track, "Intrigued".

So, in-house was the way to go.  This time around, PMD felt like he had to have more of a hand in the sound of the album, given that he was once an extraordinary producer himself.  So, he geared up with his production affiliates from his sophomore LP, along with a few additions, and set off making the final Das EFX album in many people's eyes.

Anyone bringing up How We Do would be wasting his goddamn time.

Here's Generation EFX:

INTRO

.

RAW BREED

The second single & the first song of the album is a collaboration between Agallah & Solid Scheme, crafting a 50-themed classical music beat that is very easy on the ears.  A very contrasting style to what we're accustomed to from Solid Scheme, but that's merely due to Agallah's input.  The lyrics, however, are a different story.  The duo has seemingly lost all sense of fun in recording by themselves, resulting in a very paint-by-the-numbers lyrical display.  This aspect was very disappointing.  I dunno, I still enjoy this because of the beat.

SHINE

It was bound to happen.  The fucking sewer rats are now attempting a track for the fucking radio.  It's not even a fucking single.  Was this what the streets wanted to hear from the guys who made Hard Like A Criminal and Kaught In Da Ak??!!  On here, these two sound like they were the inspiration for the Beavis & Butthead cartoons.  They hear fucking Comby on the radio, they whimper to themselves: "Hey!!  We can have a good time, too!!  We can look good in a fucking club, too!!!"  Some sewage (pun motherfucking intended) that calls itself Tony L produced this horseshit, by the way.  Important note: Drazy's delivery has become even more annoying than usual this time round.

SOMEBODY TOLD ME (FEATURING 8-OFF & NOCTURNAL)

8-Off returns behind the boards by himself this time & crafts a beat that successfully washes the remnants of the previous song outta my ear. However, his verse is the only somewhat decent verse on this whole song, with the worst offender being Nocturnal, who sounds like a fucking mafioso-rap reject. Lord Almighty, this album's off to a bad start. By the way, who in the FUCK played Sega Genesis back in 98? (I’m assuming they’re not talking about the Saturn or the Dreamcast. Ah, the Dreamcast.) Talk about some false advertising.  Overall, the beat saved this.

SET IT OFF

By far, the worst song on the album.  Rashad Smith & Armando Colon are with us to bring us this pig shit.  Believe me, my fellow lonely soul, it's much worse than the crap that was "Shine".  I mean, it reeks, reeks of sounding like something Mase aka Pastor Betha would’ve left on the cutting room floor when he was making the abysmal Harlem World. For their part, Das EFX have now officially transformed into the poor man's M.O.P.  Scratch that, actually.  They're the de-fucking-prived-of-every-fucking-privilege-known-to-fucking-humankind man's M.O.P.

NO DOUBT (FEATURING M.O.P. & TEFLON)

Speak of the devils.  Solid Scheme return with the very original M.O.P. with their kinfolk, Teflon, to show our hosts how they're supposed to sound if they're gonna make an M.O.P. song. First, you need a beat worth demolishing, and Solid Scheme provide just that. Then, you need some competent MC's, and M.O.P. succeed in bringing our hosts into that special Onyx/M.O.P. vibe of furniture & limb tornados. This was a much-needed breather from all the shit we've been swimming through.

RAP SCHOLAR (FEATURING REDMAN)

The lead single & yep. You read this right. Redman's here. And he's fitting to wreck some shop. Armando & Rashad handle a sample of Brick's "Dazz" that was very famously sampled in Ice Cube’s scathing demolishment of his former NWA brethren, "No Vaseline". This song is originally produced by Parish Smith, with the original popping up later on the album. And, somehow, he thought his version wasn't good enough to be the lead single, so he brought us the dynamic duo of pop at the time. One that isn't called The Trackmasters nor the Neptunes.  Anyway the fuckers were brought in to spice things up a little.  Well, I'm very pleased to tell you that, while their take is clearly the inferior one, they still provided a competent enough spin to justify making this the lead single. Redman naturally steals the track from our hosts by sticking them up with a lollipop. Well, actually Books put up some kind of a fight. Drazy went off rambling absolute gibberish. But don't hold it against him. Too much stress from shitting out all those chimichangas from yesterday apparently fried his wires. We'll get someone to fix him later.

GENERATION EFX (FEATURING EPMD)

It should be notable this is the sole completed EPMD guest appearance released on record, shouldn't it? Well, thank God this song fucking knocks, then.  Parish & Agallah collaborate on this track to produce a brilliant take on "Eye Of The Tiger", which is then demolished by both duos with infectious energy. The sound of Erick & Parish back together on another record just can't be denied. Plus, any song where BOTH members of Das EFX are awake & carrying each other's backs is a big step in the right direction. The hook sucks walrus balls, though. Courtesy of Books In Reverse who's drunk off his ass. Why did you piss him off so, Drazy?

RITE NOW

Some dude named Mike Lowe provides us with East Coast beat #2458842, which does nothing for our hosts, as Drazy's drunk again. Leaving Books as the only sober dude in the booth.  I'm telling you that through his delivery, you can hear him getting angrier at Drazy for being such a fucking bum so far on this album.

WHUT GOES AROUND (FEATURING MISS JONES)

The Sugar Hill songstress is here, and lil Jonesy is so much the wrong companion for a group like our kings of sewage.  Nevertheless, she & PMD, who's on his own behind the boards, do enough with what they can.  This might attract some listeners, but it's merely meh for me.  The beat sounds like it came straight from an 80s pop song. Not bad, I guess?

MAKE NOIZE

The very final Solid Scheme production EVER. Chris Charity aka C-Dog, who was the leader of the whole Das EFX movement, would pass away 2 years later, effectively ending any sort of real Solid Scheme comeback. RIP. Kinda wish the beat was more fitting. It's not bad, per se, but if you're a fan of the group's earlier work, you kinda feel wanting a little bit more than a Nightmare Before Christmas-type of beat. Oh well, the rhymes were somewhat good, at least. I'm almost sad it had to end for them this way. Almost.

NEW STUFF

PMD & Agallah return to give us a more uptempo beat than the previous one, but with very similar lyrical results. Also, Books shows his first signs of lyrical fatigue, as he's slowly but surely become the workhorse of the duo. Meanwhile, in between takes at the time of this song's recording, Drazy's slurping on his third fudgesicle while watching Mulan for the umpteenth time. He sure does love Eddie Murphy's family phase. Don't ask me why.

TAKE IT BACK (FEATURING PMD)

Parish is again left to his own devices behind the boards, which results in a beat that’s the most reminiscent of the Jeep-rattling EPMD sound I've heard in a long while. He appears on the song as well, raising the chemistry of every rapper involved to an enjoyable level. That's all I got.

CHANGE

So, you two fucks. You give us an entire album of mediocre rhymes before bringing us something that resembles interesting writing?  Anyway, Agallah's behind the boards for dolo again.  And this time, he freaks a friggin' somber sample of Queen's "Sail Away Sweet Sister" that sets the mood for the duo to spit. Luckily, they turn in their best lyrical display on the album, As Drazy is speaking to a girl he loves, and Skoob's speaking to a mentor of sorts in a parenting tone. Of course, both of these subjects are metaphors for hip-hop. Ah, well. Count me entertained. They do as well as they can in this point of their career, with Books finally catching up to Drazy in the storytelling department, yet still not passing him. This shit was nice!

RAP SCHOLAR (ORIGINAL VERSION) (FEATURING REDMAN)

I told you that the original version would pop up later on the album, but nooooooo: You had to insist on listening to all this shit first. Suit yourself, my fellow knucklehead.  Anyway, Parish wasted his motherfucking time by commissioning Ringo & Armando to remix this shit earlier, as this version is by far the superior one. Reggie’s lyrics are the exact same while our duo’s pen game is different enough than the single version, but PMD's take elevates this song to very entertaining, as his use of the very same Dazz sample is much better than how those two laced it earlier.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Das EFX's fall from grace was swift & painful. This is the worst album in their real catalog, and you know what? They have no one to blame but their own goddamn selves. For the most part, no one can fault the beats, as they are a continuation of Parish's 2nd LP's successful run. No producer from Parish's in-house team came with a bad beat,and Solid Scheme tried their damn hardest. The same can NOT be said for the guest productions. However, most notable is that the duo's laziness, especially Drazy's, leaves this album falling flat on its shnoz. The commercial & critical no-shows this time were very well-deserved. Bottom line: Aside from the posse cuts and Change, this was a major letdown & a waste of my motherfucking time.

WORTH IT? Oh, by all means, stay away from this shit.  I can not, with a clear conscience, recommend supporting this album to anyone. Scratch that. You know what? Just give Change & the posse cuts a spin. And if you don't like 'em, I implore you to ignore this album as if it never happened.