R.I.P. Money Ray

Rest In Peace:
Money Ray (Cold Crush Brothers)



Real Name: Eric Reynard Hoskins
Hailing From: Charlotte N.C.
Date of Birth: September 3 1964
Date of Death: October 3 2002
Cause of Death: Died from cancer only 5 weeks after being diagnosed

Albums:
Cold Crush Brothers - Live In '82
Cold Crush Brothers - Fresh, Wild, Fly & Bold
Cold Crush Brothers vs The Fantastic Romantic 5 (Live From Harlem World)
*Note The Live C.C.B. releases were released years after recorded.

MP3:
Cold Crush Bros vs The Fantastic Freaks - Basketball Throwdown (from "Wild Style")

Review: KMC - 3 Men With The Power Of 10

Artist: KMC
Album:Three Men With The Power Of Ten
Year: 1991
Label: Priority

KMC are from L.A. and the group consists rappers Tee Thee O.G., Rocc The Jock and DJ Poison Ivey who also produced some of the tracks. This was KMC's (Kaotic Minds Curruptin) only album I know of although I know there are another couple of groups with the same name, one of them is "KMC Cru" from Michigan and the other is a wack dance group from who cares where. They were a part of the Nightbreed click with Insane Poetry, Rodney O & Joe Cooley, General Jeff, D.A.L, Shakespere "The One Man Riot" and Evil 1. There first appearence they did was on MCM's "X-Maz-N-The-Hood" just before they released this one.

This album starts off with the title track and it's a good track but compared with whats to come it's just average. The next tracks are def "Lyrical Tournament" which is pretty much 3 minutes and 23 seconds of continuous rapping about dissing wack M.C.'s (other than a brief break to let Poison Ivey cut it up) and "Approachin A Threat" with some of those early 90's samples I love for the hook, but when you get up to track 4 the album steps up a few notches with a tough job picking your favourite track,"Avalanche" (full of crazy scratchin'), "Terrifying Tracks" which has one of the strangest beats you'll hear and then "Murder". It's hard to put this group in a catagory because they're not horror rap but have some horror lyrics and there not gangstas but have a gangsta sort of style to them?

KMC's style is pretty original with both of there voices cutting in and out of each others continuously through the album with "Black Rock & Ron" being the closest group that they resemble to me but about fifty times harder. Track 7,"The Streets Are The Battlefield" is a dope track about all the drama that goes on in there neighbourhood. All the remaining tracks are all sick,"2 In 1" that has a faster tempo than most of the album, "Gangstas" thats rapped as a point of view of an outsider looking at the life of a gangbanger that end with death, "Grim Reaper" is also def and "Living In The Ghetto" is the slowest track on it with a look at the unfair treatment of blacks by cops. The final track is "No Title For This" that features Drew Rock a.k.a Psycho from Insane Poetry, and this track is fucking incredible.

Overall I could have chosen pretty much any track off "Three Men With The Power Of Ten" to put up as MP3's and if you download the two and like them I suggest you hit ebay up for a copy as they go pretty cheap from time to time. If you like fast beats, fast lyrics and that early 90's west coast scratching and samples, you'll love this one.

MP3's:
KMC ft Drew Rock (Psycho from Insane Poetry) – No Title For This
KMC - Terrifying Tracks

Rating: 5 Daytons out of 5

2 Live Crew - 2 Controversial

One of the first rap groups I ever got into was the 2 Live Crew, all the hype behind the "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" album made me get a dub from someone and I loved it. I remember in the school holidays turning on T.V. around mid-day and seeing Luke on the Donahue show and not long after my brother grabbed the "Banned In The U.S.A." video. It wasn't until then I realised how controversial the group was.

The 2 Live crew originally was just Fresh Kid Ice, Mr Mixx and Amazing V. They were a Californian group who had a Miami fan base which led them to go and tour there. At the time Luther Campbell was a member of a DJ group called the "Ghetto Style DJ's" he used to just drive the equipment van before becoming not only a member but, the head DJ. He then started doing radio spots and other promo shit for them and was also the manager. His DJ name was "Luke Skywalker" with the catch phrase "he had the force". Luke was soon known for his local parties and a record producer paid Luke to do a track about a dance done at his parties called the "Ghetto Jump" which made Luke want to start doing the same.

When 2 Live went up to Miami without member Amazing V they hooked up with Florida resident Brother Marquis who became the replacing member. While doing a show in Miami at a Luke promoted party Fresh Kid Ice said a line about Luke Skywalker and everybody thought that Luke was also a member. With all the hype surrounding them, Luke became the 2 Live Crew's manager and released their first single (with Luke) called "Throw The Dick" (later changed to "Throw The D") and with the money Luke made from this record Luther Campbell started his own record label called "Luke Skywalker Records" and they released the 1986 classic "Is What We Are".



A record retailer in Sarasota, Florida was prosecuted after he was caught selling the record to a 14 year old girl. There were also a couple of other cases at the time of retailers caught selling "Is What We Are" to juveniles. After hearing about the cases Luke decided to start doing two versions of their albums from then on. In 1988 the 2 Live Crew released "Move Somethin" with both an explicit and a clean version made. Another record retailer in Alabama was fined after selling a copy to an undercover cop although I'm not sure of the reason as the album wasn't banned and being a cop he obviously wasn't under age?



In 1989, 2 Live Crew released one of the most controversial albums ever recorded called "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" trouble started shortly after it was released with the American Family Association, who were not happy with the album just having the parental advisory sticker. Former pro golfer and hardcore religious man turned lawyer Jack Thompson didn't like what he heard and decided to fax copies of the lyrics to all the sheriffs offices, police chiefs, prosecuters and all the media in Florida to try to ban the album. Florida governer Bob Martinez requested the state prosecuter to investigate the group. Broward County sheriff Nick Navarro got a copy of the album and secured a ruling from County Circuit Court judge Mel Groussman that there was probable cause that "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" was legally obscene. Navarro warned all local record retailers in the area that selling the album may lead to them being prosecuted.

The 2 Live Crew filed a lawsuit against Navarro for unconstitutionally overstepping his bounds. As all this was happening the media was going crazy over the case and made alot of young kids curious of it go out and buy, steal or dub a copy, on the video "Banned In The U.S.A." there is footage of Pamela Harnley from the Concerned Women For America group going on about how obscene the album is and she starts running off the stats that the album contains 226 references of the word "fuck",117 mentioning of genitalia, 87 mentions of oral sex, 163 uses of "bitch",15 mentions of "hoe", 81 "shits", mentions group sex a measley 4 times and chucks in a mention of incest for good measure. Pamela Harney also accuses them of over a dozen references to violent sex and incredably says "womens lives are being shredded and childrens lives are being destroyed".

The 2 Live Crew found it hard to be able to perform shows with each city they visited refusing to let them perform and anti-sexist groups protesting out the front of shows they were allowed to do. In Dallas, Texas after the city tried their hardest to prevent a 2 Live Crew show the Long Horn Ballroom got a restraining order to allow the group to perform, although the clubs policy is to pay after the performance and the groups policy to perform after they get paid and after a standstill with the owner and the fans chanting the club to pay the group. Luke, Marquis, Fresh Kid and Mr Mixx left and the place went crazy. Every chair and table were destroyed windows smashed and a handfall of shaking security was all that was left. (footage on the video)


2 Live Condoms -- VHS -- Comic Book

On June 10 1990, judge Jose Gonzalez ruled that "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" was legally obscene and illegal to sell. A record retailer was arrested two days later for selling the album (he was later acquitted) and a 2 Live Crew show in Florida at the "Futura Club" was raided by police and three members were arrested on obscenity charges for perfoming songs from the album, they were acquitted a few months later.

At this stage the entire world knew about the case, Luke appeared on both the Donahue show and Geraldo, the story was on the front page of "Time" magazine and plenty of other musicians were coming forward in the groups defence including Bruce Springsteen. Alot of people were claiming that the 2 Live Crew should have been protected by the first ammendment of freedom of speach. I don't think that Star Wars creator George Lucas was one of those people because decided to sue Luther Campbell over copyright infringments for the use of his "Skywalker" name. Luke paid Lucas $300,000 in damages.



In 1992 the court appeals in Atlanta overturned Jose Gonzalez's decision to ban "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" mainly due to the fact that Gonzalez refused to allow an expert testimony on community standards stating that he knew community standards after living in the community for over 30 years. The other reason being that the burden of proof of obscenity should have been left up to sheriff Navarro who submitted no evidence to the case other than a copy of the album.

In 1994 Acuff Rose Music inc took the 2 Live Crew to court over it's use of the Roy Orbinson parody for the "Oh, Pretty Woman" song that the group uses on the Move Somthin' album in '88 on "Do Wah Diddy" apparently the group asked Acuff Rose Music if the could use it and were denied before they used it anyway. They took it all the way to the supreme court making headlines every where before the courts ruled that the parody was used in "fair use". MC Shy D, a former artist on Luke Records also sued Luke for 1.6 million in royalties.



In 1990 the 2 Live Crew released the album "Banned In The U.S.A." with the title track all about the drama they went through in the previous year with a Springsteen type "Born In The U.S.A." hook.

In 1996 Luke was charged after holding a women (from the crowd at a show) down and throwing her back into the audience knocking her unconscious. In Dorchester County, South Carolina Luke was on nudity charges when a girl from the audience claimed that she was dragged onto stage against her will and forced to strip. Prosecutor Walter Bailey said "That might go over in South Beach or wherever he's from, but it's not going to fly in Dorchester County," Police rejected her claim stating she was a willing participant.

At the end of the day 2 Live Crew's "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" that sold over 2 million copies will always be the first record ever to be found legally obscene by a federal judge. There was plenty more controversy involving the group although, most of it was between each other over money, and plenty of albums were recorded with different line ups but, most will remember them for their early releases.

MP3's:
2 Live Crew - Banned In The U.S.A.
2 Live Crew - Me So Horny

R.I.P. Freaky Tah

Rest In Peace:
Freaky Tah (Lost Boyz)



Real Name: Raymond Rogers
Hailing From: Queens, NY.
Date of Birth: May 14 1971
Date of Death: March 28 1999
Cause of Death: Shot in the head by a ski-masked gunman after leaving a party. He died later in hospital.

Albums:
Lost Boyz - Legal Drug Money (1995/ Universal Records)
Lost Boyz - Love, Peace & Nappiness (1997/ Universal Records)
Lost Boyz - LB IV Life (1999/ Universal Records)*

*Released after his death. Contains Freaky Tah intro & outro.

MP3:
Lost Boyz - Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz

Review: B Dub - World War 1: The Mixx Tape

Artist: B Dub From The Mob C.I.N.
Album: World War 1: The Mixx Tape
Year: 2004
Label: Reel Mob Entertainment

B Dub and the Mobb C.I.N. have been in the rap game for a while now and are affiliated with the Oakland hip hop group Americas Most Wanted. Although C.I.N. have never released anything sub-par they still haven't received the attention they deserve. C.I.N., hailing from Richmond,California, comprise of 4 rappers - B Double E (B Dub), The Trouble Maker, MCM and Cooley T. C.I.N. released their "94 Mobstas" album on SMG/ Real Mob Records in 1995 and then "Richmond Roullette" on No Face Records in 1996. After these two albums they pretty much disappeared off the face of the hip hop world (as far as I know) until 2002 when they released "Untold Chapters: Chapter 1" on Sack It Up Records.

This "Mixx-Tape" has 13 tracks and came out in 2004 on the rejuvinated Reel Mob Entertainment label. Although this is B-Dub's album, it still features the other C.I.N. members (MCM now goes under the name Money Bagz) as well as a few other guest appearances including Nutt-So (who appeared on Paris' "Unleashed" album), El Kaye, Gama, Troopa and Lil Big. All the tracks on this album are over jacked beats, as is the case with most "mix tapes".

The first track is an intro and it's pretty much just B Dub giving shout outs to people. Soon as I heard the 2nd track, "What We Do" start I knew this was going to be a sick album. B Dub's flow is flawless and his lyrics are quality. The 3rd, 4th and 5th tracks are all sick as well, on most other albums they would be the stand out tracks but on this album they just maintain the standard.

The 6th track "Soldiers" is one of the stand-out tracks for me. The beat used for this track is off of Eminem's "Soldier" and it suits the track perfectly. The track features Cooley T and Lil Big. All three rappers on this track have totally different voices that go well with eachother and all three are mad, but B Dub is on another level, he spits his militant gangsta rhymes with effortless flow.

The next track "Full Pimpin" features El Kaye and gives the listener a break from the gangsta rhymes by adding in some pimp rhymes. El Kaye has a unique voice and sounds def but again, B Dub steals the spotlight away from the guest with another crazy verse. - B Dub lays down the law in this track... "Lets go hunny, I'm a muthafuckin' mack man, Get no money? - Get the mothafuckin' back hand".

Track 8 is called "Clap First" and it features Solitary 1, this is another stand out track. This time B Dub raps about himself as a rapper and how good he is - at least his confidence is justified. Again, his flow on this track is sick and his rhymes don't disappoint. The next track, "Hotel" is alot more laid back than the rest of the album, probably the worst track on the album but it isn't bad, I'm just not a fan of the hook and there is way too much talking in the track that takes away from the music.

"We Commend You" is the albums 11th track and it is a dedication to soldiers fighting in the "war on terror". B Dub thanks the soldiers for protecting the United States and even though its clear that he doesn't support the war ("They got us lookin' for weapons of mass destruction, hundreds of soldiers losin' they lives and we aint found nothin") he respects the soldiers, something that I haven't heard too many rappers do. The theme of the album, including the cover, is that living the gangster life is like being at war. This track is sick because it ties together with the whole military theme and B Dub is able to sincerely speak about how it feels to be in the midst of gun-fire and how it feels to lose friends and family.

The second to last track is about B Dubs connection with the ghetto and how he will never leave his past behind him, no matter how he dresses and where he lives he will still be the same person. The final track, "The War Is Over", is rapped over the beat used for Lil Flip's "Game Over" and with no disrespect to Lil Flip, but B Dub and Rio Gambino put Flips version to shame, definately keen to checkout anything else Rio Gambino has done...

I've always rated C.I.N. highly and "94 Mobstas" is a classic in my eyes but the new C.I.N. stuff has a unique sound. This album, along with their latest project "Untold Chapters: Pages Of Sin" deserve alot more recognition than they seem to have received. The only actual fault with this album is that most of the tracks are short but I guess you get away with that (and 'borrowing' beats) by calling your album a "Mixx-Tape". Anyone into west coast gangsta rap should check these guys out if you haven't already - you won't regret it.

MP3:
B Double E Ft Cooley T, Lil Big - Soldiers

Rating: 4 and 1/2 Daytons out of 5

Cover Art Controversy

Ever since Tipper Gore and her P.M.R.C. (Parents Music Resource Centre) put pressure on the record industry in '85 including a series of senate hearings to put the "Parental Advisory" label on the covers of what the record company / distributor classes as "obscene" hip hop covers have had to leave some room for the black and white sticker. Although over the years having the label has probably been used as an advantage to sell more records, rather than preventing sales, As does any controversy surrounding any hip hop group such as the 2 Live Crew "As Nasty AS They Wanna Be" drama. Any fellow Australians would remember back when radio station Triple J was playing N.W.A.s "Fuck The Police" for months when it first came out before the police heard it and got the A.B.C. (Triple J's owners) to pull it from the air. Then in protest, Triple J against censorship in music played the "Express Yourself" track for 24 hours straight,360 times in a row, all that attention just made kids my age at the time think, what is this? and when you listen,you like, you like you buy and keep buying until you start bidding on wax off ebay with your electricity bill money.

Over the years countless Hip Hop covers have been censored by changing this or that or even replacing the cover completely and leaving collectors checking ebay for any strays that may have escaped early such as the Body Count album that not only had the "Cop Killer" track removed but also had the words "Cop Killer" replaced with "Body Count" on the chest of the character on the cover.



Paris has had a few problems along the way, his former label "Tommy Boy" that was owned by Time Warner who was associated with George Bush's Republican party through shareholders, would not let him use his original cover for the "Sleeping With The Enemy" album which pictured Paris hiding behind a tree with a gun ready to snipe out Bush. Paris then left Tommy Boy and went to 4th & Broadway, then Rick Rubin's Sex Label to release the album but was continuously blocked by Warner who would not let it be released, trying to hold it back for as long as possible or at least until the U.S. election was over, Paris got a payout by Warner and then used the money to bring out "Sleeping With The Enemy" on his own label "Scarface Records" although the original cover was only recently released on his Guerilla Funk reissue. Paris had trouble finding a distributor that would release his "Sonic Jihad" album with the cover of a plane flying over the white house,he later found a punk distributor that would release it providing it had a cardboard case over the cover to hide the picture in record stores.



The Coup was set to release it's "Party Music" album with a picture of the World Trade Centre getting blown up before the September 11 incident happened and had to quickly change it to having a flaming cocktail glass filled with gasoline on the cover. Insane Poetry was releasing the "Faith In Chaos" album with a similar picture of the W.T.C. before thinking better of it and decided to go with the simple front of a plain covered book. Houston group the Inner City Hustlers released it's "Time To Explode" album used a similar cover and their distributor "South West Wholesale" cut it's distribution of the album and "Sound Waves" took the cd off their shelves and the F.B.I. even called up Pen & Pixel Graphics (the notorious cover art designers). Another group to fill the wrath of post September 11 censorship was Dilated Peoples who was in trouble over lyrics in "Target Practice" and the cover that had a map of the world with New York marked as a target.



In 1994 Rap-A-Lot Records released Trinity Garden Cartels "Don't Blame It On The Music", the title reflects all the hype over hip hop lyrics blamed for murders, suicides and cop killings such as the "Cop Killer" shit, the "Natas" controversy and mainly the Ganksta Nip, Spice 1 and Pac pictures shown on t.v. after a state trooper was killed. Trinity Garden Cartel ended up with it's own drama though due to the original cover for the album showing a pretend corpse, Trinity members being arrested by two fake cops and another in the background, but the trouble was due to the two cops further back who were actually real Houston cops that didn't know they were posing for a record cover.


(^ Original Artwork ^)


(^ Edited Artwork ^)

The two cops were officers James E. Sobota and Stephanie Gaithe who seen themselves on promo posters prior to the album being released but didn't get their attorney's to contact Rap-A-Lot president James "Lil J" Smith until March 29 '94, the day the album was released to stores. Lil' J was sent a fax by one of the cops attorney demanding that all covers and posters etc that show the faces of the officers are to be immediately pulled from stores. On March 31st Lil' J ordered back 18,000 cassette J-cards and 10,000 CD booklets.On April 22nd the two cops filed a lawsuit against the group and label for damages for apparently placing the cops families in jeopardy. Richard London who was James E. Sobata's lawyer said "He could stop someone, and they could have the CD on the dash. They could recognize him and blow him away" Lil' J questioned why they waited until the cd was released before claiming damages of severe emotional distress, attorney Richard London said the reason was that it helps the officers case if the album is in the record store. Lil'J said "There was a conspiracy to build a lawsuit, rather than an effort to protect the officers and ensure their safety, just the opposite of what the officers' attorney claims." Rap-A-Lot Records reprinted the cover with all of the cops faces blurred out.



Over the years there have been countless albums that have had their covers censored, Ice Cube's "Death Certificate" caused trouble because of Uncle Sams corpse lying in the morgue, Ice T left Warner because of drama about a white character listening to black music reading Ice Berg Slim and Malcolm X books and wearing African pendants around his neck. After Cop Killer the cover was the last straw so Ice left and turned his Rhyme Syndicate posse title into a label. P.E., KMD (who got dropped from their label for the artwork), Mobb Deep, Goodie Mob and Busta Rhymes all had drama over covers and most of that 2 Live Crew shit started over the cover of "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" and then the rest was a domino effect.



This is just the tip of the iceberg. There have been alot of problems over cover art on hip hop albums, most we will never hear about. Below is a list from "Ego Trips Book Of Rap Lists" of 5 things Pen & Pixel will not put on an album cover. Pen & Pixel is the Texas art designers responsible for some of the craziest hip hop covers ever printed.


(^Click Image To Enlarge^)

MP3's:
Terminator X Ft Chuck D, Ice T, Ice Cube & MC Lyte - Sticka
Trinity Garden Cartel - Don't Blame It On Da Music

R.I.P. DJ Cee

Rest In Peace
DJ Cee



Real Name: Cecil Allison
Hailing From: Vallejo, CA
Date of Birth: June 26 1961
Date of Death: August 29 1995
Cause of Death: Shot Dead In A Case Of Mistaken Identity

Albums:
DJ Cee was responsible for most of early Khayree's Black 'n Dangerous releases for artists such as The Mac, Mac Dre, Mac Mall, Young Lay and Ray Luv and also DJ'd for The Young 'D' Boyz with River T.

MP3:
Ray Luv - Definition Of A Hustla

5 Ways To Kill A C.E.O.

The Rap Game's Hijacked........


Kid Sensation - Dollars And Sense


SMG (Ice T, Smoothe The Hustler & Trigga) - Radio Play


Tech N9ne - Fuck The Industry


Ultra (Kool Keith & Tim Dog) - The Industry Is Wack


Tonedeff - Politics

Guerrilla Funk In '06

Any Guerrilla Funk Recordings fans would be disappointed with what was released in '05 after promises of a new Public Enemy album and a few promising projects that were in the making that never came out (MC Ren aka Darth Ren, Conscious Daughters etc.).

Paris just sent out emails letting people know that the rumours about his death are not true and the reason for Public Enemy not releasing the "Rebirth Of A Nation" was because they wanted to release their "New Whirl Odor" album first before releasing their Guerrilla Funk side project featuring Paris, that most of us have already heard due to it being leaked onto the net.

2006 is going to be a huge year for Guerrilla Funk Recordings if all goes to plan....









Check out the Guerrilla Funk Recordings website for more information on all upcoming releases!

Review: Above The Law - Livin' Like Hustlers

Artist: Above The Law
Album: Livin' Like Hustlers
Year: 1990
Label: Ruthless Records

Hailing from Pomona, East Los Angeles, Above The Law came into the scene in '90 on Eazy's Ruthless Records and released the album "Livin Like Hustlers" the original members were Cold 187um (A.K.A. Big Hutch), KMG the illustrator, Go Mack and DJ Total K-oss. Although Go Mack only stuck around for this, the "Vocally Pimpin" EP in '91 and the "Black Mafia Life" LP in '93 before leaving the group. Anyway it's the debut i'm reviewing and no matter how many times I've heard this I still love it, filled with funky, jazz styled hard hip hop beats produced by Dr Dre, Lay Law and A.T.L all the beats are perfect from the get go to the end.

The first track is "Murder Rap" and could be my personal favourite due to the nice cuts and samples through the track from the days when the "DJ" was more than a stage prop. The next tracks are "Untouchable", "Livin' Like Hustlers" and "Another Execution" all these tracks are crazy as fuck beat wise and lyrically. The main thing you notice from an A.T.L. track is the originallity in their voices. When track 6 hits with "Just Kickin' Lyrics" I'm left dissapointed comparred to the previous tracks. The next few are pretty much the same due to the slower tempos of them, they're all good tracks but the standards were pretty high up to these. They probably should have mixed them up a little better.The final track "The Last Song" featuring Eazy, Ren and Dre as the posse track, the track is mad but it's not as good as "The Grand Finale" from the Doc's "No One Can Do It Better"album.

Overall the album starts off alot better than it ends although even those last tracks in the right mood are nice tracks with sick production. It only contains 10 tracks which even back then was a couple shy of standard but I would rather quality over alot of skit filled quantity like whats being released these days, and Livin' Like Hustlers is definately quality.

The final album A.T.L. released on Ruthless was "Uncle Sam's Curse" in '94, then after Eazy's death they moved to Tommy Boy and released two average albums in "Time Will Reveal" ('96) and "Legends" ('98) and then they started their own label "West World" and released "Forever-Rich Thugs"('99) and Big Hutch's two solo albums "Executive Decision" ('99) and "Live From The Ghetto"('04).

I know Hutch started producing a bit of stuff for Suge at Death Row and think there may be an album called "Diary Of A Drug Dealer" released on the label, coincidentally, a couple of the members have since had trouble with the law regarding drugs, Anthony "Total K-Oss" Stewart was arrested in Riverside CA on February 15 2001after police serched his ute and Corona appartment and found one of the biggest seizures in the cities history. Police seized over $250,000 worth of rock cocaine and guns that got a child endangerment charge slapped on him due to his girlfriend two kids living there he was facing about 9 years and in 2002 Cold 187um A.K.A. Big Hutch (Gregory Hutchinson) was arrested and charged with conspiracy to traffic almost 1,000 pound of marijuana. A police sting opperation that caught a few guys that Hutch sort of new were arrested and told police that Hutch had been financing the opperation, Hutch denied it after turning himself in to the cops before starting his sentence.

MP3:
Above The Law - Untouchable

Rating: 4 Dayton's Out Of 5

R.I.P. Speedy Loc

Rest In Peace:
Speedy Loc



Real Name: Andrew Munoz
Hailing From: Decoto, Northern CA.
Date of Birth: September 29 1978
Date of Death: June 13 2003
Cause of Death: Died From A Long Time Suffered Illness

Albums:
Speedy Loc - Cali Thugin' (Ghetto Line/ 2001)
Speedy Loc - Still Cali Thuggin' (Starz The Limit Records/ 2005)

MP3:
Speedy Loc, Filthy Phil, E-Mack & Ree Ree - We The Northern Ghetto Boys

Speedy Loc - Cali Thuggin' REVIEW

Review: Tweedy Bird Loc - 187 Ride By

Artist: Tweedy Bird Loc
Album: 187 Ride By
Year: 1992
Label: Par

Hailing from Compton CA, U.W.C. (Under World Connection) member Tweedy Bird Loc is a Kelly Park Crip who used to hang with Eazy E, who is also from KP, although when Eazy made it with NWA and put out a video that Gangster Tweed thought he and other Crips from his set would be in fell through and were not involved in anything Eazy was doing the U.W.C. decided to do their shit themselves and let N.W.A. what they thought of them.

In '92 Tweedy Bird Loc's "187 Ride By" was released and was gangsta as fuck from start to finish. The first track was a straight up diss track called "Fuck The South Bronx" aimed directly at Tim Dog (also disses KRS, D Nice and anyone from the S.B.) for his "Fuck Compton" track on "Penicillin On Wax". The track features members from the U.W.C. and is a fuckin' crazy diss track.

Next is a interlude dissing the members of N.W.A. followed by the track "What's Really Goin' On" that continues the slaughter on N.W.A. and as much as I love 'em this track was hard,def and never got a reply. I don't want to give you the impression that the whole album is just dissing people, they do manage to put a heap of general gangsta tracks in there too that are sick.... but talking about dissin', the track "A Hoe Is A Bitch" is Tweedy and female rapper Nini X dissin' "Hoes With Attitude" (and of course Eazy).

One of my favourite tracks is "Comin' Out The Cage" which is the U.W.C. posse track (a remix version was also made as a 12") the track has a nice beat produced by "Battlecat" and is hard and dope and contains two of the best female mc's i've heard in Nini X and smooth (Lady of Rage was also a member before joining Death Row although was just "Rage" at the time)

The album is produced by "Battlecat" and "J-Stank" and is definately worth grabbing if you get the chance however the only flaw is the lyrics are not the best you will ever hear but not wack. Tweedy is the main person behind all the Bloods 'N' Crips, Damu Ridas and Nationwide Rip Ridaz releases and squashed his beef with Eazy just before he passed away in '95. Keep an ear out for Tweedy's second of his two releases "No Holds Barred" it's not as good as this one but has his reply track to Lukes "Cowards In Compton" (aimed at Dre and Snoop) called "Fuck Miami" (he gets creative with his names).

MP3's:
Tweedy Bird Loc ft U.W.C. - Comin' Out The Cage
Tweedy Bird Loc - What's Really Goin' On (N.W.A. Diss Track)

Rating: 4 Dayton's Out Of 5

The Latest Chapter From The Black Book

The leader and founder of the South Park Coalition is back to release his 2nd album of of the year, "Worst Rapper Alive". The album is available now to purchase from K Rino himself at www.SouthParkCoalition.com The album has 18 tracks and features Klondike Kat, Point Blank, KB of Street Military, Murder One and others. Although I am waiting for my copy as I write this I know the album will be crazy if all his other albums are anything to go by. The album sampler has got me anticipating another incredible album!

Anyone that is reading this that has never heard anything by K Rino I suggest you download this sampler because you have been missing out on some of the best lyrics in the game!

MP3:
K Rino - Worst Rapper Alive (Album Sampler)

R.I.P. Big Mello

Rest In Peace:
Big Mello



Real Name: Curtis Davis
Hailing From: Houston, TX
Date of Birth: August 7 1968
Date of Death: June 15 2002
Cause of Death: Car Crash

Albums:
Big Mello - Bone Hard Zaggin (1992/ Rap-A-Lot)
Big Mello - Wegonefunkwichamind (1994/ Rap-A-Lot)
Big Mello - South Side Story (1996/ N-Terrorgation Records )
Big Mello - The Gift (2002/ KMJ Records)*
Big Mello - Done Deal (2003/ Woss Ness)*

*Recorded after his death

Big Mello was driving and lost control of his car and hit a pillar,passenger Jerry Louis Jett Jr also died on his way to hospital. Rest In Peace to them both.

MP3:
Bone Hard Productions ft. Big Mello - Playin' The Game

Review: Lowc - Big Ballin'

Artist: Lowc
Album: Big Ballin'
Year: 1995
Label: NVM Records

This Nashville,TN trio consists of Blak, HoMack and producer Dayz. This album would have to go down as the most under rated album I know (even more than SPC albums).

It starts off with "Transaction" as the intro and then goes into "Comin' Up Quick" which is a story of comin' up quick in the dope game... both the beat and the lyrics are flawless.The next two tracks are "Back 2 The Lab" and "When The Shit Blows Over" both these tracks are rapped in a present tense of it's happening then and there and making the listener picture exactly whats going on with detail.

The next tracks are all crazy as fuck especially "Layin' In Tha Cut" but I could name pretty much any one of 'em like "Big Ballin'" and "Livin' Like An Animal" the main thing you notice when you listen to this is the ultimate ease that Blak and HoMack flow like, and there voices complement each others to the fullest. If you think Master P is the don of slangin' out of the ice cream van on wax then you obviously haven't heard this shit. You can also tell that they speak from experience by what they say. The album ends with "Fresh Out" the story of Blak being released from rehab and "Blak & The HoMack"

Pretty much this is one of, if not the best album I have ever heard. The beats are all def and original, the lyrics are flawless from start to finish, every single hook fits the track to the tee with fuck all of those sing songy hooks that have fucked up countless albums. I'd love to give this one 10 out of 5 Daytons but I'll have to settle for a measly 5.

MP3's:
Lowc - When The Shit Blows Over
Lowc - Livin' Like An Animal

Rating: 5 Dayton's out of 5