Reviews
Directions: Click the e-mail link to say what you think about the album to me. Include how many stars you would give this album out of a possible 5. Your opinion will be posted on this site, so after you send me your review, come back to Tha Hot Spot to see your review...
Prodigy, H.N.I.C.
Prodigy delivers 22 tracks of his patented, low-key thuggin'. But don't get it twisted, just because he's laid-back, it don't mean that he's soft. Prodigy's got the Queensbridge sound -- eerie synths and tight, menacing beats courtesy of Rocwilder, Alchemist, and others locked down, and he knows it. His flow is straight to the point. He rhymes about the usual thug criteria but, unlike most rap niggas, Prodigy's got skillz and street credability. Queensbridge has proven over and over again that ain't no joke: From MC Shan to Nas to Capone N Noreaga to Mobb Deep, QB MCs are all about the grim, deadly realities of the projects. Prodigy is no exception; his game is real, and he even gets deep on "You Can Never Feel My Pain," a track that pits his very real sickle-cell anemia against the mental anguish that so many other rappers profess to suffer. He also got some backup here from his partner Havoc ("Wanna Be Thugs," "Delt w/ the Bullshit"), N.O.R.E. ("What U Rep"), and Big Noyd ("Infamous Minded," "Gun Play"), among others. This is in my top 5 albumz of the year...5 spots 
out of 5.
OutKast, Stankonia.
OutKast may be the greatest emcee duo of all time wit 2 classics, a near-classic, and this good one. The thing that seperates them from most other Southern emcees is that they actually got LYRICAL SKILLZ. At times, they can try too hard to be diffrent, but their final product always pulls weight. Noteworthy tracks are "Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh-So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "B.O.B.", "Humble Mumble", and "Slum Beautiful". Even though I ain't a fan of g-funk rap, but this album is an exception. It ain't a joint to listen to amp you up for a fight. It's for when you're chillin at home or in the whip. For that purpose, cop this album...4.5 spots 
out of 5.
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M.O.P., "Warriorz", Loud
There's no other way to say it: The best hip-hop comes from New York. It always has, and it always will. Rap started up in this city. There's just something about a tight New York jam that's like nothing else. Take Brownsville, Brooklyn's M.O.P. for instance. Lil' Fame and Billy Danzenie have been holdin it down for the hardcore underground since 93, and unlike others that fell off since then (Onyx anyone?), they just keep getting more and more love from the heads who really know. Maybe it's their streetwise beats or hard-spittin lyrical approach. Either way, they managed to drop three critically acclaimed albums (1994's To the Death, 1997's Handle Ur Bizness, and 1998's First Family for Life) and still come out swingin in the new millennium. M.O.P.'s latest, eagerly awaited release, Warriorz won't disappoint its underground people. It's as raw as real New York hip-hop gets. Produced by Gang Starr's DJ Premier, the album is like a firin platform that M.O.P. uses to lyrically strafe the state of hip-hop. The rhymes are thugged-out, but flow in an aggressive East Coast style instead of the wack ass, G-funk drawl that the rest of the hip-hop nation still seems to be stuck in. Such cuts as "Welcome to Brownsville," "The Front Line," and "Ante-Up" (featuring Funkmaster Flex) are all on point wit tha wild poetry...4 spots out of 5.
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Shyne, "Shyne", Bad Boy.
To quickly sum up this album, some of the album is bangin, wit "Bang", "Niggas Gonna Die", "Commision" and "It's Okay". The best shits is "The Hit" and "That's Gangsta". Everything else is average or wack. The main thing that holds him back is his voice. It dont sound natural and it doesnt convince you that hes for real...3.5 spots out of 5.
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L.L. Cool J., The G.O.A.T.
L.L. said he was gonna have bumpy knuckles on this album, and wit the intro, it seemed like he was gonna come hard. And then he breaks into that smooth shit wit "Imagine That". Then he has some shit that sounds just like Q-Tip's "Vivrant Thing". Tracks worth listenin to are "Back Where I Belong","You Can't Fuck With Me", "Queens Is", and "Homicide". Bottom Line: this shit is the best example of commercial, watered-down hip hop...2.5 spots out of 5.
Wyclef Jean, The Ecleftic.
There was no hype surrounding the arrival of this album. It seems that more people are waiting for a Fugee reunion than a solo effort from any of its members. This is probably why Clef opens up Ecleftic with a skit featuring none other than Tommy Mottola dissing him for trying to get another solo album released. This intro is followed up by Where Fugees At, which is somewhat both ‘begs’ Lauryn/Pras to return to the group while taking shots at them. Ecleftic is a journey through music itself, covering several styles within and outside hip-hop. In Runaway Clef plays the young man forced to play the hustling game to survive set to a 70’s style soul backdrop. Clef sings the entire track with the accompaniment of some airy background vocals. Diallo, a powerful tribute to the murder victim of the same name, is a reggae song. It makes him sound too much like Bob Marley. Wyclef has "Pullin Me In", a hardcore track calling out all the fake thugs on the mic. Clef manages to sound somewhat authentic with his disses. Wyclef takes a shot at his most obvious target Canibus in "However You Want It". There are many more examples of Ecleftic’s diversity, far too many to name. In each track Clef manages to cleverly weave general life-topics and/or social commentary into a party-ready or groovable tune that can be enjoyed by listeners on different levels. The worst tracks are his first single “Thug Angels” is a bad take on the Southern rap sound and as a result fails. There are many imitators of the skippy beats made popular by Mannie Fresh and few of them are any good. This is one of those imitators. Perfect Gentlemen, a dedication to the guys and girls who attend strip joints combines an 80’s rap/electro beat with a strings sample as Wyclef stands up for the strippers. Like Thug Angels the track is based around a good concept, but doesn’t come together properly. The thing that kills him is that he can't rhyme for shit. He's just plain corny...2.5 spots out of 5.
Major Figgas, "Figgas 4 Life"
Whoever signed this wack ass group is slappin the shit out of themselves right now. Overflossin is played "Puff", so knowin that, this group would have the right knowledge to keep that flossy shit at a low but no... The lyrics are weak and the beats are too simple. The only track that is close to decent is "The Crack". The bottom line: dont waste 16$ on this shit. And if you did, save tha reciept and send it back... 2 spots out of 5.
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Cam'ron, "S.D.E.'",Epic
After "Confessions Of Fire", Cam'ron has nowhere to go but up. To describe his first album, he cut a track with his moms. Nuff said. The second one is more raw, not clean cut and polished like the first one. The hottest tracks are "Bitches Ain't Shit", "When A Niggas Fed Up", "D.I.P.", and the title track, "S.D.E.". But the hottest shit on the album is "Give Me Some Head". The beat and track on that shit is off the meter. Overall, this LP is funny as hell; some of the shit he says is funny and true. This may be a nomminie for the album of the summer...4 spots out of 5.
CAM'S FIRST AND SECOND ALBUMS ARE HOT. I LIKE THE SECOND BEST. HE TOOK IT BACK TO HIS ORIGINAL SELF (KILLA). 5 SPOTS
out of 5.
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Big L., "The Big Picture", Rawkus.
I didnt hear his first album, "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous", so I had nothin to compare this to. This LP needed no comparison. Bottom Line: This shit is hot. If you cop one album this summer, get this. The first singles released was "Holdin It Down", and "Flambouyant". The hottest tracks are "The Heist", "Size Em Up", "The Big Picture", "Fall Back", "Causualties Of A Dice Game", "Platinum Plus", and "Ebonics". With krazy lyrisism and hot beats, this LP is the game at its essence. As you see, he got 10 songs that can be singlez. Buy this shit, turn yo system up, and bang this shit. Its gonna be a classic... 5 SPOTS out of 5.
AS FAR AS BIG L'S FIRST ALBUM, YOU GOT TO BE OUT OF YOUR MIND IF YOU DID NOT BUY IT OR EVEN HEAR IT FOR THAT MATTER. GO OUT AND SUPPORT BIGL. HE IS THE BEST MC. HE GOT 5 MICS IN THE SOURCE, HE HAS THE CONCEPTS ON THE ALBUM. HIS SECOND, SHOULD BE ALBUM OF THE YEAR AND SHOULD GET 5 MICS ALSO. HE WAS ON TOP OF HIS GAME, AT HIS BEST IN HIS PRIME AND READY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD.
FLAMBOYANT FOR LIFE! 5 SPOTS out of 5.
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