General Chat / Natelox's CD Reviews

Everyweek or two i'll post a CD review, it keeps the same format as the now extinct cd reviews in the Fatha's rant section. I won't pressure people to download songs like I last did. I suggest you download some of the songs, but that's your choice. Enjoy.



Artist - Rascalz
Label - Vik
Genre- Rap

Other Albums: Cash Crop, Reloaded

Release Year: 1999

The Rascalz released this album, their second, in 1999. The first radio hit didn't grab any listners or watchers. After its release, the second single "Top of the world" exploded and was everywhere. It enjoyed heavy rotation for a long period of time. I bought the disc after I heard "Gametime" (First single) and wasn't to impressed with it. I took it out a few months later and it hit me, this is one great disc.

CD 1 = Global Warning


1. The Global Warning
The intro. It consits of a man talking about what is going on in the world. "It was like the end of the world/ There was destruction everywhere". The cause of all this? "Them god damn Rascalz/As if you didn't know..."
Rating- n/a


2. High Noon
Misfit produced this first track, great beat. Red1 starts the song off with "We Vancity Outlawz". The rest of the song has clever lyrics and ryhmes, talking about how they run things. "Saddle up, ride into the sun, done defeat ya/ Ride out and scout a safe hideout/ With a bounty on my head, that's the word of the mouth". More great lyrics with "To survive off the land, recuperating/ Yo, walk the warpath like a brave Mohican/ Then scalpel the tongue chief rocker speaking", Great song.
Rating - 9/10


3. Priceless (Featuring Esthero)
"They say that everything has a price/Through material lust, for the things nice/ Better think twice/ Not everything can be bought or sold/ Certine things in this life money don't control". And that's just the start of the amazing lyrics to this song. I could quote the whole song for it's amazing lyrics. It makes you think and makes you appreciate everything you have. The beat and Esthero's voice carry the song past cloud nine. Perfection.
Rating - 10/10


4. Can't Relate (Featuring JuJu & Psycho Les)
This song doesn't fit the album at all. It's violence and sex is unwanted on such a concious disc. JuJu's lryics "Murder your team with only one knife/ Stabbed my ex-girl because she couldn't make me cu.m twice" are disgusting. Psycho Les doesn't make the song any better with "With the baddest chicks with the fattest tits/ I like to fuck, get drunk, smoke". Horrible lryics, okay beat. An unwanted track on an great disc.
Rating - 2/10


5. Gametime
The first single from this disc was a bad choice. The beat is strange and doesn't fit anything else on the disc. Lyrics talk about the Rascalz as a team and how they win all the matches and will crush you. "The harder they come/ the harder they will fall" claims Red1. Again, unwanted on such a great disc.
Rating - 4/10


6. Population Control
The regge drums mark the begning to this great song. Jay-Rome produced this great beat. Lyrics amazing. It all goes together to create yet another amazing track. "Send Peace and love and all of the above/ Seek knowledge that I tell/ My People". More stand out lyrics, "No matter where we at/ If they launch an attack/ Who Got my Back?/ My People". Another great track.
Rating - 9/10


7. Top Of The World (Featuring Barrington Levy & K-OS)
This song hit the radio's hard. It blew up, everyone loved it. Barrington's voice is perfect for the track. "All over the world/ Spreading the vibe/ Big dogs/ From the west we ride/ With the boss stride". K-OS lends amazing lyrics with "If I had 24 hours to live, here's what I'd do/ I'd make everybody know G-O-D's inside of you/ And spread love from Kelowna to Kalamazoo/ 'Cause no matter how many are called the choosen are few". Great lyrics, great message. Incredible.
Rating - 10/10


8.Gunnfinga (Featuring Kardinal Offishall)
"Bust hot lickshots in-a di atmosphere/ There's a party to rock, that's why the Rascalz are here" states the start of the track. Lyrics are great here with, "Gunfinga cocked in-a di air, make it bum/ Bo! That's for my ghetto people/ Cause the world's unfair, never was equal" and, "Many guns for hire when your regime crumble/ Then raise my gunfinga in the air, born again/ Wave it like a flag, world domination pon dem". Kardinal Offishall helps this track a lot. Red1 describes the beat on this track well with "Feel the heat, yo, either surrender or retreat/ Cause Kemo don't give a fuck, he put some fire in the beat". Good track.
Rating - 9/10


9. For The Ryhme
Just a short, 30 second long track. I guess it's filler, but it sets up the next song really nicly.
Rating - n/a


10. As It Is (Featuring Choclair)
This song starts out powerfully. The orchistra beat is incredibly powerful. Choclair brings more power to this track. Choclair has a great set of lyrics with "Who got flows that can skip-track a train?/ Or hijack a plane/ or snowflake the rain?". The Rascalz and Chox show their power on this track. "Rascalz, Choclair/ Break your backs in". Rascalz claim: "We plan to take over the world like illuminati/ Commin' deadly, murdering over the melody/ Two choices, pledge alligeance or enemy". Red1's lyrics: "My dangerous MC's from the northern block" suggest that Canadian rap is on top. They speak it 'As it is'.
Rating - 10/10


11. Fallen (Featuring K-OS)
A huge change in feel here. From the raw power of 'As It Is' to this laid back track. K-OS provides the chorus, "Everytime I see you falling, I get down on my knees and pray" Red1's lyrics are amazing: "Sniper or street figher/ Down for action/ Vengance, retalieate for satisfaction" and "With a bunch of shady locked out friends/ Who don't care about you or the things you do". The song talks about friends and who's down for you, got your back. Another song that all the lyrics are quotable. Amazing.
Rating - 10/10


12. C-IV
C4, the explosive, explodes in the speakers. "We about to explode your block" claims Red1. "The motive, gain acsess/ Plant explosives/C4, blow tha door" are some of the lyrics you can expect on this dangerous track. The clever mixture of explosives to metaphorically represent how good the Rascalz are is geunius. A beat that sounds like a ticking time bomb only further compliments this track. "Higly explosive, in the amounts of deadly dose" explains the track perfectly.
Rating - 8/10


13. Where You At (Featuring KRS-One)
KRS-One starts the track off talking about how good he is. "Cause my lyrical physique is tweaked to its peak/ I'm brand new at the same time antique". Here they talk about their place in Hip-hop today. "We wild dogs with no muzzle/ We dope, droop and Drizzle and leave a puddle/ To make my spot so you'll never be where you should not." The beat is simple and lacks a lot. The lyrics are nothing special and KRS-one's appereance is not amazing.
Rating - 6/10


14. Area 51
Misfit takes this one on by himself. The beat is pretty laid back. "The mic's like the weight of the world across the shoulders of Atlas/ I pick it up/ Do reps with it/ Get stronger from practice". The song is good, but just seems a bit too laid back. The skit at the end is worthy of a laugh.
Rating - 7/10


15. On The Run
Rascalz join The Alchemist on this track. The beat is great and lyrics are good. "My raps are straight for your head/ like turbans to a shiek". "You can run but you can't hide" claims Misfit, Rascalz are taking over. "Used to be a nice guy, now feel no affection/ Heartless artist move stealth and cautious/ Nauseous when rhyme, strive to be flawless" and "Official credentials penetrate your temple/ And can be impeached 'cause we presidential" stand out as more great lyrics. Great song.
Rating - 9/10


16. Temoin (Featuring Muzion)
Rascalz team up with French-Canadian, Muzion for this track. Not only does this track have a great message, it also shows diversity and Canadianess by having half the song sung in French (Canada's other offical language). Lyrics are amazing "I see for the blind/ speak for the mute/ and let the truth shine/ try to motivate the youth". Muzion is constantly mixing French and English lyrics to bind an incredible story. Red1 raps amazing lyrics such as "Like the U.N/ Who dem?/ Emeny or friend?/ Join or you're left to solve your own problems". The beat itself tells a story of hope. Amazing.
Rating - 10/10


17. Bordaline (Featuring Consice & Sazon)
"We represent like our Northwest connects" is the purpose of this song, represent all the rappers above the border. "From the terrain/ Taking them out from long range/ The top gunna, with lyrics aimed at your brain/ cock-a-doodle-doo-a-doodle-doo-a-doodle-doo-a-doodle-doo-a-doodle-doo-a-doodle-doo-a-doodle-doo back my mic/ Blown out the frame/ Like murdering wack MC's is the game" says Red1. More refrences to murder and explosives suggest that the Rascalz are ready to go to war with the rest of the world. Great beat.
Rating - 8/10


18. Lab Rat Produce
Reping' for Lab Rat which Dj Kemo produces for (Dj Kemo, producer for the Rascalz). This PSA is nothing but a "big-up" to Dj Kemo, is desvered, but could have been left out.
Rating - n/a


19.Sharpshooter (Best of The Best)(Featuring Bret "the Hitman" Hart)
The Canadian WWE star, Bret "the Hitman" Hart joins the Rascalz to help them out by saying "I am the best there is/ The best there was/ And the best there ever will be". Lyrics revolve around a game, like Gametime (The first single was actually a combination of Sharpshooter and Gametime). "Who dat/ Flat on the mat/ Three taps/ Head banging with the full body contact" displays the general lyrics well here. Although I think the Rascalz are amazing, others do not so the statment by Bret Hart could be seen as conridictory. The beat is heavy with 'rock' flavor. Good, but could have been better.
Rating - 7/10


20.Blessings
The outro. Rascalz go on to tell us that politicians are scared of rap because if it's used properly, it will bring the whole world together.
Rating - N/a


Final Thoughts:
Like whoa. That's a hot disc. I don't suggest it to those party animals who love all those sex, drugs and hoes lyrics. Most of these lyrics are deep lyrics that give us a better insite into all the problems the world is having. Lyrics stay away from ghetto living, and lean towards something we can all relate to. Tight beats, incredible lryics, great guests. This disc is one that every listner should add to their collection. The Rascalz did an incredible job putting this disc together. So many "perfect" tracks. Perfection at its greatest.

Final Rating = 96/100

Written By:Natelox
My Criteria: I listen to rap for a good time, therefor I favor beat and unity of voice and beat over lyrics. A song can have great lyrics but a horrible beat and I will rank it low. Also, if a song has lyrics of rape or an overall mis-representation of women, or the dirty details of murder with (or without) a great beat, it will be ranked low, for I do not endorse extreme violance.

EDIT: I tried to fix all the stuff that was pointed out. Thank you for your help.

Damn, 20 tracks? And to think, I'm still buying CD's with 8 tracks. Oh well. Good review, even though I don't know the first thing about rap.

"Great lyrics, great message, amazing lyrics." What? Just had to point that out.

"Murder your team with only one knife/ Stabbed my ex-girl because she couldn't make me Chauncey Gardner twice"

Heehee. He'll be so pleased.

I don't take much notice of lyrics in rap, to be honest....just the really memorable ones or the ones that just stick in my head. Like the whole of 'Without Me' (perhaps the catchiest song ever).

But, I won't put it down because I do like some rap. Whether i'll spend money on it i'm not sure....re-downloading Kazaa Lite is looking to be the more bank-friendly option.

I liked reading it, though. Even if I didn't understand half the lyrics you quoted.

Mantis, i guess the word 'c u m' is considerd a bad word here and is edited with 'Chauncey Gardner'.

And don't I know it!

Adicks can be a real mantis sometimes.

Hello.


I hate to tell you, but Bret "The Hitman" Hart isn't dead...


Raven-SDI
§

didn't he fall from the ceiling of a stadium during and entrance and kill himself? i'm pretty sure he did.

That was his brother, Owen. Poor guy

Anyway i'm not a big rap fan, so i only skimmed it.