Review: Caz - Goin' Head Up

Artist : Caz
Album : Goin' Head Up
Year : 2002
Label : Glass House Recordings

Caz hails from the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, California and he's a Crip (Rolling 60's Crip's). Being a local gang banger he knew Ice T since he was a kid. One day when Caz got released from a stint in the penitentiary Ice T decided to pick him up and take Caz on tour with himself, Hen Gee and Evil E. For one of the concerts a rapper was unable to perform and Caz was asked to fill in, the crowd went nuts and from that point he knew that he wanted to be a rapper. Caz credits Ice T as being the reason he started rapping .

"Goin' Head Up" was released in 2002 and was his 2nd album ("Thundadome" being his first, released in 2000 on Warlock Records). "Goin' Head Up" features artists such as Ganxsta Ridd of the Boo Yaa T.R.I.B.E., Spice 1, Yukmouth, CJ Mac and Treach of Naughty By Nature. Caz has said in the past that he doesn't want to work with guys like Xzibit and Snoop, he wants to work with "everyday hood dudes" - he makes it pretty clear in his music and interviews that he hates fake-gangsta's with a passion.

The wole album is gangsta, but Caz ensures that the listeners know that he is not trying to glorify anything, he's just telling everyday hood stories. The track "Lessons" makes it pretty clear that he isn't trying to glorify the gangsta life with the hook "Stop, put away your glocks". The album has a raw feeling to it, it's production (by Simon Tocclo, Fingaz, Mystro, Damizza and Jimmy Turner) suits Caz's style down to a tee. The album has a couple tracks that I don't really like ("I Don't Know Why" and "Baby You Know") but the sick tracks definately make up for them. The stand out tracks for me are "N A Real Way" with Ganxsta Ridd, "Goin' Head Up", "N-Here", "City 2 City" featuring Kilo and "Big Bossin". On the whole this is a solid album and it is well worth picking up if you are into west coast gangsta rap.

MP3:
Caz ft. Gangsta Rid - N A Real way

Rating: 3 and 1/2 Daytons out of 5