Capone-N-Noreaga - The War Report (June 17, 1997)

I am going through a shit time in my life, man. Give me a break.

In the hip-hop world, though, some different type of shit went down. Sean Price, member of legendary Brooklyn collective Boot Camp Clik as one-half of punchline duo Heltah Skeltah, and one-third of Random Axe, passed away in his sleep. If you're not familiar with his music, leave this page now and check out his Heltah Skeltah material and work your way up to his solo shit. I guarantee that you'll be blown away. Sean Price was an example of true dedication to the craft of MCing while staying true to himself, and I'm so sad I didn't get to sit down and have a deep conversation with him in his lifetime. RIP Ruck. Your punchlines and hilarious video skits will be missed. My deepest condolences go out to your family and friends.

Sean's always admirable approach to his profession always reminded me of another OG in the game: Tragedy, coincidentally one of our subjects for this evening. Now I don't want to run the risk of disrespecting a legend like Sean P by merely mentioning him in another group's review but it is my honest belief that if I focus on spreading good hip hop out there, I'm actually paying tribute to what Ruck stood for in his art: good hip hop. After releasing his sophomore effort Saga Of A Hoodlum in 1993, Percival Chapman the Fourth of Queensbridge, known in bowling alleys nationwide as the Intelligent Hoodlum yet secretly competed in juggling festivals under the aforementioned name Tragedy, found the critical and commercial reception lacking (despite the undisputed fact that it was a work of art) and decided, albeit for a minuscule period of time, that he didn't have what it takes to continue his chosen career path as an MC in the treacherous world of the music industry. Which so happened to coincide with the sudden dominance of a few fellow QB artists who were heralded as spiritual successors of his, some whom he even trained personally. You might know of them. Nas? Mobb Deep? Thought so.

So, our protagonist began entertaining the familiar 'Hey, I might actually be worth something after all in this game.' dialogues normally associated with such situations, leading into him beginning a different campaign in pursuit of hip hop glory and riches. Mostly riches, but glory's kinda nice. He went through his bowling buddies notebook (because nobody had cellular phones that could save more than a gajillion contacts with the easiest of ease back then. I think.) and found a certain Kiam Holley, who called himself Capone, truthfully one of the most unimaginative rap names imaginable in a mafioso-rap-saturated market. Numerous attempts as a duo yielded failure after failure, pushing Tragedy to look for another person to fill in as hype-man and add a little something more to the group. This time he went to fellow looking glass enthusiast Victor Santiago, who for some reason kept yelling Noreaga in his sleep so much that his folks started calling him that very name. It is of note that Noreaga was NOT from QB last I checked, thank you. Conveniently enough, both he and Capone choose this most opportune time to get themselves locked up. I'm guessing Tragedy might've been a tad miffed, but somehow they turned this into the best thing to happen to them at that time. See, the two snots didn't really click with each other until the shared jail time and by the time they got out, the two were inseparable. Corny enough to be a movie, really.

By this stage, Capone had already heeded Tragedy's tutelage and became a full-fledged MC. Unlike Noreaga, who was still struggling to lose an idiotic trait of his that would plague him fairly consistently throughout his own career: Many a time comes when the motherfucker simply refuses to flow. Inspectah Deck, Victor Santiago was not. However by then, Tragedy seemingly had enough of his bullshit. He most likely slapped him upside his fucking head a good one and knocked some sense into him. Hey, at least it kept him in check for this album, right? Or maybe it was Mr. Holley inexplicably getting himself locked up again, thereby forcing Mr. Santiago to step up and take his profession seriously, to the utter relief of Mr. Chapman the Fourth. The incarceration of Capone also led to the The War Report getting pushed back a full two years, which was a big deal back then as the hip hop climate was rife with change. Some was good, some was Diddy & Big Willie.

So now that Trag mobilized his forces, (You know. Aside from Pone thrown in the slammer again, of course.) Only two things remained on the agenda: 1. Acquiring some production suitable for his grand vision. 2. Forming a distinctive identity for this group.

I'll let the review talk about the first one while I address the second, for it is much more important to me seeing as I am a resident of the Arab World, and have been so for quite some time now: I personally find it incredibly ignorant, maybe even downright insulting at times, to imploy numerous Arab countries, phrases & ideals in a context of turmoil & thuggery as a metaphor for something as trivial as survival in the music industry or as a measurement of skill in the art form. Number one reason as to why is that I adamantly disagree with the stereotype that the entirety of this part of the world is in constant conflict is because read a book about these people, motherfucker. A book that serves no agenda whatsoever. Trust me, you'll quickly find one. Magic of Google 'n'all. Two: That fucking Arab terrorist image. Aren't you just SICK of going down this particular road? I know hundreds of Arabs here who, quite literally, only know of guns through the movies they watch or the video games they play. Also, statistics say that those terrorists rightly vilified in some media outlets are mostly of non-Arab origin, yet the media only focus on the Arabs in those situations. We all know that terrorism is inhumane but the focus should be on disassociating these criminals from ALL of humanity. Tragedy, you lost a lot of points in my book for that one. I get the 5% Nation babble & shit, but keep those thoughts about this place to yourself, thank you. And by the way: I know that's why you chose the name Khadafi and all but, seriously, the man was not the rebel the West perceived him to be. And, given the way he died, maybe it's time you took the path of your disciple Noreaga and change your name to Afi or some crap. Tragedy Afi, huh? Could work. You know what? Just stick to Tragedy, man.

I've digressed this album into the fucking concrete, apparently.

INTRO

...

BLOODY MONEY

EZ Elpee struck up an often fruitful partnership with Tragedy and his cronies (Well, namely one crony: Nore.) in 1997, starting with this very record. Nore sets the tone forthe rest of the album admirably, meshing well with EZ Elpee's now-signature piano looping, this time sampling from Philadelphia Morning, an instrumental from the classic Rocky OST composed by the legendary Bill Conti. This was proper in all the right ways as Nore sounds pretty convincing throughout.

DRIVER'S SEAT (FEATURING IMAM T.H.U.G. & BUSTA RHYMES)

Nashiem Myrick from Diddy's merry band of Hitmen scores a duet between Nore and Imam THUG, a nickname that does NOT compute in my part of the world, believe me. Imam was briefly one half of the Iron Sheiks along with this project's mastermind Tragedy, one which produced an absolute must-have in Trag's catalogue, Illuminati. Simply because Tragedy sounds like he's rediscovering his hunger for rhyming mid-fucking-song, which is awesome. This song? It moves things along, I guess. And Busta's cameo at the end infuriates me, because Busta: You’re supposed to rhyme on this shit, motherfucker!

STICK YOU

Capone & Tragedy's very first outing on this album is truly marked by an addictive song. Immediately, you're jarred by Capone's very different vocal tone. Dude sounds like he just drank sulfuric acid, and he sounds like that all the time. I don't mind it so much, though. Just thought I'd give you the heads up. The instrumental, by Naughty Shorts, (don't ask) strikes just the right balance between minimalism and melody. The skit at the beginning was entirely unnecessary, though. Other than that, this was awesome.

PAROLE VIOLATORS (FEATURING HAVOC)

Havoc's hook is standard issue. This duet between Nore & Trag is curious because the beat sounds so much like a Havoc beat, yet it’s actually credited to Tragedy as well. Perhaps Trag is a talented shaman when it comes to channeling other people. You know what I believe? I believe Havoc produced this beat for dolo, fuck the bullshit. He simply wanted to give a co-production credit to his lyrical mentor who might've been in a pinch when paying for the crew's dinner that night and Hav, super-producer that he was back then, just gave him that beat for free. Lyrically, Tragedy improves Nore's focus to impressive levels. This was a good follow-up.

IRAQ (SEE THE WORLD) (FEATURING CASTRO, MUSALINY, MENDOSA & TROY OUTLAW)

Nore, no matter how much love you're getting by this point, let me make one thing perfectly clear: You are not fit to lead a posse cut of weed carriers. This shit might fly on your own solos, but not on a goddamn Capone-N-Noreaga album. EZ Elpee does his job proper on the beat, but many people on here never should pick a mic up again. My opinion.

LIVE ON, LIVE LONG

Nore's tribute to his chum comes off as a bit cheesy, but somehow he pulls it off alright. At least, dude has some passion in him. Unlike the songs I hear today, which absolutely do not have soul whatsoever. Such as when whichever Fetty of the Wap tribe of the day blesses us with another of his "hits". It somehow helps that the beat, by something called a G-Money, is pretty fitting for this type of song.

NEVA DIE ALONE

Buckwild of the legendary DITC blesses the duo, or trio on this particular song as Tragedy comes out to play again, an eerie beat that loops a Herbie Hancock sample which inspires all three to rip the beat to shreds, especially Tragedy. He even states later on in his career that working on this album reignited his love for MCing. This was a definite highlight.

T.O.N.Y. (TOP OF NEW YORK)

Another song where all three get down, and this one's the second single. This jam is considered as CNN's signature song, and for an excellent reason. the 3 MCs' chemistry reaches one of its peaks on this album with every verse here complimenting the other well. Built around an exquisite Walter Jackson loop, the Nashiem Myrick beat is one that won't be leaving your subconscious anytime soon. More of this, please.

CHANNEL 10

Lord motherfucking Finesse brings CNN one of his best beats, a perfect atmospheric composition that was begging for Trag & co. to demolish. So of course Percival sticks with hook duties, although his hook is effective. But that's OK, believe me, for in his steed Capone unleashes an awesome contribution that made me seriously rethink my view of his abilities as an MC. Nore sounds more amped than usual, which is supposed to be a compliment. Side thought: I really miss Lord Finesse on the mic. Not saying he'd fit on this type of thuggery, though. I just miss his punchlines.

CAPONE PHONE HOME (INTERLUDE)

I get the sentiment, but it has no place on an album such as this.

THUG PARADISE

Tragedy & co. rip a freestyle to shreds. Sorry, but that's all I got on this one.

CAPONE BONE

Whoops. I may have spoken too soon regarding Poney here. For he wastes a perfectly banging Marley Marl instrumental on truly one of the worst sex raps I've ever heard. I mean, sex raps are by default repulsive, but damn, Poney, what the motherfuck?

HALFWAY THUGS

Another Nore solo. This one backed by a Charlemagne beat. (This Charlemagne is not that waste of human tissue you're probably thinking about from that radio show. I don't care how hard he's worked, that fuck wouldn't have the balls to contribute something meaningful to hip hop culture.) No lie, first time I heard this, I thought this was another EZ Elpee composition. So the fact that it isn't is a nice surprise. Nore takes the imaginary competition to heart with his grimy threats. Had he continued this approach, his solo career could've still interested me for a few more years. Instead, he chose to hook up with the fucking Neptunes. Nuff said. Anyways, this was pretty decent.

L.A., L.A. (KUWAIT MIX) (FEATURING MOBB DEEP)

The lead single, which began its life as a Tragedy single featuring CNN & Mobb Deep. Story time: Work on this album just so happened to coincide with the exact moment the East-West beef escalated: Some truly enlightened people decided in a moment of pure enlightenment (read: they were coked out of their minds) that it was a great idea to roll up and fire live gunshots at Snoop Dogg and the Dogg Pound while they were shooting a video for their East Coast hip hop tribute New York, New York. Yes, it was originally a fucking tribute, NOT a diss. Evidenced by DJ Pooh & Kurupt's approach to their product: Minimalist beat plus rhyming your ass off. Sounds East Coast to me. Anyway, Death Row, under the leadership of crazy person Suge Knight, decided it was an even better idea to insult the entire city in the song's video in retaliation by depicting Snoop & the DPG as giants wreaking havoc in NY. Needless to say, the NY hip hop scene didn't take too kindly to that. However, nobody replied from the big dogs. So, Tragedy took it upon himself & his CNN to record a "response" using the same DJ Pooh beat, while switching the hook to LA, LA. This response tackles the exact same formula as NY, NY, with no specific disses found on the track whatsoever. Later on, hip hop legend Marley Marl was brought on to commission an exclusive beat for said response, rechristened 'LA, LA'. This beat, complied of a ingenious mix of Al Green & the Magic Disco Machine among other elements, is by far the best Marley Marl beat I've ever heard. I don't care what I come off as when I write this, I consider this beat to be Marley's best work in hip hop to date. Of course the rhymes should be up to par, and thankfully, everybody brings their A-game & reach their absolute peak in their chemistry together. Especially Tragedy, as he spits as if this is the very last time he'll be allowed to rhyme. Ever. My only gripe with this classic is that despite the title stating that Mobb Deep will show up, only Havoc rhymes on the song, because Prodigy felt that his verse for this song fit Nas' Live N**** Rap better, thereby sticking to hook duties here. That might've made them more money, (because, come on, It Was Written sold a shit ton more than the The War Report) but he missed out on a critically acclaimed song that would remain in rotation till the end of time within my personal collection. Short answer: this shit is essential. Best song on the album, and my favorite CNN song by far.

CAPONE-N-NOREAGA LIVE (INTERLUDE)

Goddamnit.

ILLEGAL LIFE (FEATURING HAVOC)

Credited as a Havoc beat co-produced with Tragedy again, which I believe to be absolute bullshit by now. Trag probably wasn’t even around the studio when Hav cheffed this beat up. The song is a simple-yet-effective duet between the CNN parties, with Capone's lone verse eclipsing both of Noreaga's bookend contributions. Moving on.

BLACK GANGSTAS

Buckwild returns with one of his textbook magical atmospheric beats, comprised of a haunting xylophone loop taken from Gary Burton, which repeats my sentiments from Channel 10, for Tragedy is on hook duties once again. His hook, however, is better than the hook he provided on said song. As is Capone's verse which leaves Nore's in the fucking Sahara Desert as it soars straight into the moon. Seriously, Capone really showed a hunger that could've made him one of the greats. If it wasn't for his constant need to prove he's from 'tha streetz'. This was bittersweet in its awesomeness.

CLOSER

Ending an album like The War Report with a song from motherfucking Clark Kent?! I consider this to be one of the very worst decisions Tragedy has ever made in this hip hop game. Despite being a very credible producer, Clark Kent always has a nasty habit of looking for radio airplay in his beats and you know this for a goddamn fact, Trag. How could you allow this fuck within 10 feet of the studio at that time, man? And you're nowhere near the damn song! This bullshit attempt at positivity came off as all sorts of insincere. The Sam Sneed remix rectified some of the damage for me.

CAPONE PHONE HOME (OUTRO)

Enough with the Capone phone calls already!

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The War Report definitely qualifies as a headscratcher. One one hand, we have some truly abhorrent attempts at radio whoring, mixed with a lack of focus and too many goddamn skits. On the other, some bonafide classics that will stand the test of time. Most of the latter category has Tragedy's lyrical input, might I add. Tragedy's strange plan to re-enter the rap game apparently paid off though, as I always remember this album for containing a chunk of brilliant hip hop. The lyrical and musical high points on the joint are as high as any classic rap album I know out there, past or present. This thug rap example has truly enough goodness in it to forget that repulsive Closer abomination. What can I say? I love the word 'truly'.

WORTH IT? I'd say yes. If only for the thrill of hearing Tragedy rhyme his ass off again. The awesome beats on here might help sweeten the deal.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:

CALM DOWN (FEATURING NAS)

This gem right here was to feature Trag, Nas & both CNN members. Another missed opportunity resulting from Pone's stupid situation. EZ Elpee brings us a textbook piano sample of his (from a Bette Midler record, of all sources) that allows Tragedy, fellow QB native Nas & Lefrak outtatowner Noreaga to wreck shop. I honestly don't even mind Nas' appalling-as-always singing on the hook as these 3 really have a definite chemistry on here that still endures brilliantly. I still don't know why this was left off the album, as it fits perfectly within its context. Anyhow, it's incredibly easy to find, so git.

Believe it or not, there's more Tragedy stuff! I can smell your curiosity building from here...

Tragedy - Saga Of A Hoodlum (June 22, 1993)

This post is supposed to serve a double purpose. It's supposed to conclude my run in K-Def's discography, which I chose to tackle in reverse chronological order because fuck you, and start a new run into a bunch of discographies, all which I've categorized in my collection as the Queensbridge movement. And yes, there are many other movements. I must warn you, this run will be fairly long. And it will tackle a bunch of the most famous hip hop releases of all time, but I'm choosing to start with one of its most obscure.

Percival Coles the fourth (No, that's really his name) has a very interesting story in this hip hop game. See, he first gets with the legendary Juice Crew back when they were the fucking Juice Crew during which Marley Marl actually gave him the name MC Tragedy, with Trag inventing the word 'illmatic' on one of his two most famous songs of that era, The Rebel. The other is Live Motivator, and both of which can be found on Marley Marl's In Control Vol.1. However, in the midst of all that glory, he was locked up as a juvie, and at the same time, the Juice Crew fell from hip hop's eye. Like hard. During his term, Tragedy starts cramming about the 5% Nation and becomes very militant in his pro-black stance, coming out of jail and branded by his label as the Intelligent Hoodlum. That moniker fits Percival a lot better, in my honest opinion, as anybody who's listened to his music will attest that son is smart with his writing. His eponymous debut album, produced by Marl and an uncredited Large Professor, is cut from the cloth of the early 90s' best Afrocentric rap albums, a fact furthered by Percival's collaboration with Chuck D on America Eats The Young off Marley Marl's In Control Vol.2 album, even though Chuck sticks to ad-libbing on that particular song.

Yet, my post is intended to highlight an entirely different aspect of Trag's career: Whether anybody cares to admit it or not, Tragedy birthed the style that gave rise to fellow QB rap heavyweights like Nas, Prodigy, Cormega and the fairly obvious connection with Capone of CNN fame. Plus, he is solely responsible for the rise of Noreaga, who might not have been a rapper before meeting him. Don't know if I should thank Percival for that or smack him. Yes, there were rappers like MC Shan, Poet (now known as Blaq Poet) and Craig G, who's still very fucking nice with his pen. But nobody can argue with the fact that Tragedy was the first one who rhymed in a way those MCs related to in the aforementioned two songs. Anyways, there were many showcases in terms of the songs this guy's written, but never a full album that could be marked as the launching point for the QB sound that many classics were molded from. That is, until 1993 came along.

The Intelligent Hoodlum, despite receiving some critical acclaim for his debut, found that his brand was getting stagnant as most of the Afrocentric movements started dying down, unless you happened to be A Tribe Called Quest. Everyone was enamoured with the violent imagery coming from the West Coast scene and its domination of the airwaves back then, and the East Coast was just beginning to rebound using its own brand of grim street life with releases like 19 Naughty III & Bacdafucup. So, being that he actually rhymed about said street life when he first started, he thought that falling back to that setting would be truer to himself (read: keep him remotely relevant). But, he also considered the fact that he's still the Intelligent Hoodlum, so he has to throw in a message or two. Following that resolute resolution, he appeared as a contractual obligation for his label A&M Records on a soundtrack for a film that I'm sure no one saw, Mario Van Peebles' vanity project Posse, rapping impassionately about black cowboys, because they were relevant back in the early 90s. And even though the film failed as miserable a failure as you can picture, A&M still stuck by Mr. Hoodlum by green-lighting the budget to his album. So, now that Tragedy has all the elements lined up for him to make an album, he just needed to find a producer.

Enter K-Def.

Real name Kevin Hansford, K-Def was one of the few people who remained with Marley Marl when his Juice Crew venture went up in flames and vanished from the mainstream. He first gained exposure producing some joints along with Marley on the debut of then-underground darlings Lords Of The Underground, whom Kevin would maintain relations with throughout their respective careers. So, I'm guessing he and Mr. Coles hooked up through Marley. Add in a few other productions from various figures in the production game back then and you've got yourself an album, my friend.

Now quick note, the album's tracklist I'm reviewing today seems to match a Japanese rerelease in 2006, which featured a couple of tracks released alongside the 1993 original tracklisting. So, there's that.

Off we go.

1. SHALOM A LECK
No rap album intro to be found here! Awesome! K-Def sets shit off nicely with his sampling of Billy Joel's Piano Man, and I very much approve of Mr. Coles' effort to reintroduce himself with a quick verse backed with a proper beat, even though he veers heavily into shoutout mode after his verse. RZA would've been proud.

2. HOODLUM INTRO
Oh, here's the intro...

3. UNDERGROUND (FEATURING TRAG-LO)
Don't ask me what a Trag-Lo is. All I can think about at the moment is that the horns of Lou Donaldson's Pot Belly hit you in a way that would've made Pete Rock cry in appreciation. Tragedy sets shit off pretty nicely, with his by-now trademark depiction of violent imagery as vivid as ever while he brags about how he's tougher than you. Nice! His guest drops a single verse that's not that bad but is a significant step below Percival in quality. K-Def samples Run-DMC's Here We Go [Live at the Funhouse] effectively on the hook. Only quibble I have with the track is when Percival stops the entire track in the beginning of his second verse in a clear tribute to an old school hip hop act that I can't remember at the moment. The sentiment is sweet, but the execution was piss-poor. Other than that, this was pretty awesome.

4. FUNK MODE
K-Def showed mastery of the sampling art pretty early in his career, foreshadowing his works of art on The Turnaround. Meshing Lou Donaldson's It's Your Thing with the drums from Rufus Thomas' Do The Funky Penguin, Kevin puts the ball in Tragedy's court, and he takes advantage of the beat to deliver a punchline rap that's actually fairly decent. This Percival cat successfully proves he's pretty versatile. I have to say, I love the fact that there's no bullshit hooks, so far

5. GRAND GROOVE
This track is a bit confusing, as Tragedy dedicates this track to all his 'peoples who passed away', and trust me the amazing backdrop (in which K-Def samples DJ Hollywood's sample of Isaac Hayes' Ike's Mood I) fits the theme, yet he decides to drop a long one-verse wonder that has nothing to do with any type of tribute and doesn't fit the grim beat, even if it is really fucking good. So, yeah, I don't know what this was supposed to be. In my morbid sense of entertainment, though, I still liked it. Approach with caution.

6. AT LARGE
K-Def's take on using the Melvin Bliss Synthetic Substitution drum break, and he executes it beautifully. This is credited as a co-production with Marley Marl, but forgive me if I don't believe that for a second. You'll know why when you come across Marley's own beats on Saga Of A Hoodlum, and yes, he has a few. Tragedy uses this opportunity to direct three verses of politically charged venom at any government entity willing to listen, which I'm sure there's plenty. This sounds nothing like his material from the first album, as here he's letting loose a side of him that will stick to the present day. This shit was really good.

7. DEATH ROW
Another K-Def & 'alleged' Marley co-production. Tragedy's first bars grab you by the throat: "They got me hanging on death row, I should've squealed like a bitch" He then proceeds to delve into the final thoughts on said criminal on death row with haunting detail in one of Tragedy's best rhymes ever, no bullshit. Only criticism I have is the beat, which is technically pretty good. But yet again, it's so inappropriate for such rhymes. The beat sounds like something Biz Markie would use for one of his comedy raps. I'm currently doubting whether Tragedy, K-Def or Marley had anything to do with the mixing. Oh well.

8. SPEECH (CHECK THE TIME)
Skit.

9. MAD BROTHAS KNOW HIS NAME
See? I told you Marley had some beats on here. This track, like I said, is very clearly a Marley track, evidenced by the way his samples of Shades Of Difference by LaBelle and Veronica by Bad Boys are layered. Not to mention his, in this case, very effective use of keyboards. If you've listened to Marley's past work with any type of frequency, you'll know what I'm talking about. Percival takes full advantage of the opportunity presented to him by this track and gives us another smoldering two punchline verses. And this time, the beat and rhymes mesh together beautifully. This was awesome.

10. PASS THE TECK (FEATURING HAVOC OF MOBB DEEP)
Yes, that Havoc. Evidenced by the fact that I clearly wrote 'OF MOBB DEEP' above. Tragedy gives us his take on Das EFX' 'sewage style' flow, and he comes off as alright, if a bit gimmicky. I don't mind it because at least he's not spitting gibberish, unlike many Das EFX imitators back then. Havoc comes correct, his energy being the best thing about his verse, mirroring his contribution on Black Moon's classic U Da Man. K-Def's work behind the boards, with a Rapper's Delight sample & those damn sleigh bells, greatly amplifies the end product. The fucking knocking hook would've made Onyx proud. This shit bangs.

11. STREET LIFE
The Epitome Of Scratch gives you his lone contribution to the album. And it's one of the most depressing beats I've ever heard in hip hop to date. Somehow, that was intended to be a compliment. Tragedy usually flourishes on these tracks, and thankfully this one is no exception. Here, he continues to prove he's an effective storyteller with three stories about troubled ghetto people, each one more gut wrenching than the next. This was remixed into the third single, but the original is pretty good in itself.

12. PUMP THE FUNK
The second Marley beat, and if this wasn't a true Marley beat, I don't know what is. It's one of those beats where you're transported to a different time the moment you hear it & it bangs in all the right ways. I loved the MC Ren sample, as that motherfucker deserves all the shine he gets. Tragedy freaks another story, this time he describes how he's driving in his local 'hood with the sound system blasting out the car. Situations he comes across include some locals having a run-in with the police and street thugs & prostitutes scheming on him. I have to admire Percival's lyrical consistency, so far, and his patented imagery is ever present.

13. ROLE MODEL
Kool Tee & DJ Cory co-produce this song. Once again, Synthetic Substitution shows itself on the sample, but the beat is pretty fucking boring. This is the first beat on the album which I can confidently call a fuckup. It definitely doesn't affect lil ol' Percy, as he delivers the fucking goods with another trilogy of stories, ripping fake role models something proper. Too bad the beat is utter shit.

14. THE POSSE (SHOOT 'EM UP) (FEATURING BIG SCRAM)
The aforementioned single from that movie, produced by whatever the hell a Mr. Freaknasti is. This was promoted as the lead single for the album. First thing I have to say is that the drums sampled on this shit hit you in the goddamn chest and shatter both your ribs and your spine. The piano looped also adds an intense sense of energy, with both samples combining into a result which exemplifies the reason why I specifically gave this blog its name: Boom bap at its very finest. Now the rhymes, on the other hand, are one big, well-written history lesson about black outlaws in the Old West and how they're not as well portrayed in the media as white outlaws.

And therein lies my problem with the entire song. You see, I really don't get the glamorization of 19-century outlaws in the media, whether in past or present films. And I don't give a flying fuck what race they were. Were they really the exemplars of moral character that many, including Hollywood, made them out to be? Or is the whole phenomenon a romanticizing charade designed to arouse the petty and the simple-minded? And why are Tragedy and his guest that proud of the people they're rapping about? Was this pride simply out of association with these people's skin tone? Might I add that the hook sucks swine balls. And if that wasn't enough, Mr. Hoodlum starts shouting out his peoples in the absolute stupidest way possible. Oh, I don't have to describe it. You'll know it immediately.

Despite that last paragraph, I consider this a very sweet guilty pleasure. One with a wrecking beat and excellent rhymes, even if they're rhymes I don't really identify with.

15. GRAND GROOVE (BONUS MIX)
K-Def finally returns behind the boards for this brilliant song, after four tracks by as many producers. And he brings with him a song sampled & covered by a truckload of hip hop artists: Patrice Rushen's Remind Me. His take on it is truly befitting of the subject matter Tragedy brings to the table. For this time, Percival makes sure his rhymes are befitting of the intended tribute to his grandmother. He expertly sprinkles tributes to other people, though never named, and describes his struggles all in one. This is one song that is as gripping as any tribute in hip hop ever was. It's Dear Mama before Dear Mama was Dear Mama. (Objection? In the goddamn comments, please.) If you're reading this review and you haven't heard this shit, you need to hear it as soon as possible. Like now.

16. FUNK ROLL OUTRO
A dope instrumental, wasted as the outro.

The following two tracks might not be familiar to anyone who got this album back in 93:

17. FUNK MODE (REMIX) (FEATURING HAVOC OF MOBB DEEP)
Leave it to Large Professor to completely alter his sample to sound almost nothing like the original material, which in this case is Gwen McCrae's 90% Of Me Is You. Tragedy brings Havoc again in the studio, with LP referencing Mobb Deep and shouting out Prodigy in the end. Guessing by the fact that Havoc wrote SOME of P's rhymes early on in their career, it makes perfect sense why nobody had any faith in dude. But in retrospect, the rap geek in me wishes those two got down together in their respective primes on at least one record, since Prodigy is very similar to Tragedy. Hell, their names sound a little bit alike. Anyway, Trag and Hav do their thing on this remix and their chemistry continues. This was nice.

18. STREET LIFE (RETURN OF THE LIFE MIX)
The final song in this tracklist features a hook from Tragedy that wasn't present on the original. This hook is one of the best I've heard in hip hop, no lie. Not to mention his slightly altered lyrics and infinitely better delivery. The rest is left up to Kevin's fresh air of a beat, sneakily warping Minnie Riperton's singing at the end of her 1975 hit Inside My Love to sound like an instrument. The accompanying keys on the sample add that nostalgic feeling which greatly amplifies the end product, in my opinion. The video, shot in early 94, is dope as well. I love the videos where rappers use the shit to party at their old neighborhoods. This shit was correct in all the right ways.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
This is one review where I knew exactly what I was getting the minute I started writing it. Tragedy delivers his Intelligent Hoodlum swan song with as much focus as he can muster, and it really shows in his rhymes. There's really not one song with bad, or even mediocre writing by him on the whole album. I'm dead serious. And the beats by K-Def, Marley and co. are universally excellent, except for that weird-ass Role Model beat. However, if I was to point out a flaw in this album, it would be the mixing. The Death Row and Grand Groove (the original) beats' unsuitability to their respective rhymes shockingly detracts from the listening experience, and I highly doubt that a flaw this big would be lost on production generals like Marley and K-Def, especially when we know how meticulous the latter would get on The Turnaround. Despite my gripes, however, this is still a quality hip hop album that deserves as much recognition as possible, no thanks to A&M's bullshit promotion.

WORTH IT?
As a timepiece of the early 90s, you should own this shit. As a blueprint album for many Queensbridge classics, you should own this shit. As a rare piece of hip hop worthy of collecting, you should own this shit. As Tragedy's best album, bar none, you should definitely own this shit.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
PASS DA TEK (REMIX)
This track was actually released with the earlier Funk Mode remix as a standalone single, with Percival credited as simply Tragedy, before any of the Khadafi bullshit. As such, this cut was also produced by Large Professor, but Havoc is nowhere to be found. This works great, however, as Tragedy delivers one of his most focused punchline performances of his entire career, complete with the same awesome hook from the original version. For his part, LP proves to be just as competitive as K-Def with his beatmaking wizardry displayed in plain view by his sampling of The Loading Zone's Can I Dedicate and, of course, the enchanting drums from Melvin Bliss' Synthetic Substitution. A glorious end product awaits whoever collects this track. And we're done.

For more K-Def, click here, and for the rest of my reviews on Tragedy's catalog, click here.