Albums I listened to this week [8/3/08]

Zion I - Street Legends [2007]
Street Legends is a "greatest hits" mixtape from Oakland, California duo Zion I. Guest artists include Grouch, Mac Dre, San Quinn, Turf Talk, Casual, Aceyalone, Pep Love and Talib Kweli. I was already familiar with some of the tracks, such as "The Bay [Remix Version]" and "Bird's Eye View." With 25 tracks, this mixtape gave me the opportunity to examine more of their work.

Highlights:
- "The Bay [Remix Version]" (featuring Clyde Carson, San Quinn, Turf Talk, Casual)
- "Hit 'Em" (featuring Grouch, Mistah Fab)
- "Bird's Eye View"
- "Lose Your Head"
- "Heaven's Gate"
- "For My Peoples"
- "Speakers"
- "Oxygen"
- "Critical" (featuring Planet Asia)
- "Bring It Back" (featuring Traxamillion)
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Rock (of Heltah Skeltah) - Shell Shock
Heltah Skeltah was one of the most potent groups within the Boot Camp Click crew that seemed to be at its strongest in the mid to late 1990s. Fellow crew members included Black Moon and the Originoo Gunn Clappaz.

Since that time, the two members of Heltah Skeltah (Rock (a/k/a/ the Rockness Monsta) and Ruck (a/k/a Sean Price a/k/a Sean P) have created solid solo projects. I'm definitely looking forward to the release of their next group album, D.I.R.T. This Rock solo album, which is 21 songs long, will definitely hold me over until the group album drops.

Rock provides some of the typical Heltah Skeltah style: humorous while being hard. In "Flytime" he states: "Too hard for the smart n*gg*s / Too smart for the hard n*gg*s / So by thirteen, I'm 5 percentin' with god n*gg*s / By fifteen ... Decepticon n*gg* / Just tryin' to figure out where I belong n*gg*..."

Guest appearances by: Buckshot, Sean Price, Rustee Juxx, 5 FT and more.

Highlights:
- "Flytime"
- "300 B.C." (featuring Buckshot, 5 FT, Klust-Stone)
- "Attempted Murder" (over the beat from Snoop Dogg's "Murder Was The Case [Remix]")
- "Me 2 N*gg*" (over the beat from 50 Cent's "I Get Money")
- "F*ck Dat Rapper" (featuring Sean Price)
- "Rockzilla" (over the beat from Pharoahe Monch's "Simon Says")
- "Doofis" (featuring Lidu Rock, Supreme, Rockabye)
- "NY Gritty"
- "Mag Force Zoo" (featuring Pressha Dinero, Verbal Kent, Munchdawg)
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Curren$y - Super Tecmo Bowl

I didn't know much about Curren$y before listening to his latest mixtape. he hails from New Orleans and has done a significant amount of work with Lil Wayne (such as "Where Da Cash At," "You Nasty," and "Grown Man.")

Super Tecmo Bowl comes off as a "Jackin' For Beats" style mixtape. More than half of the mixtape's sixteen tracks lift beats from other artists. Specifically, he jacks:

- "Lapdance" by N.E.R.D.
- "Definition Of A Thug N*gg*" by 2Pac
- "Lookin At The Front Door" by Main Source
- "You Came Up" by Big Punisher
- "Selfish" by Slum Village
- "Whoa" by Black Rob
- "It's Mine" by Mobb Deep
- "They Say" by Common
- "Fakin' The Funk" by Main Source
- "A Milli" by Lil Wayne

Even though most of the "jacked" beats come from the east, midwest or west, the tracks still come across with a Southern vibe. Of course, every recent hip-hop mixtape in the world includes rhymes over either 50 Cent's "I Get Money" or Lil Wayne's "A Milli." Here, Curren$y chooses the latter.

Highlights:
- "Tecmo Flow"
- "Jets"
- "Bad B*tch*s And Vodka"
- "Whoa"
- "Plane Hater" (featuring Young Roddy)
- "They Don't Know"
- "A Milli [In & Out]"
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Twista - Runnin Off At Da Mouth [1992]
This was released back when Twista was known as "Tung Twista." Vocally, Twista circa 1992 sounds very much like Twista circa 2008, but with a bit of reggae flare. Lyrically, it's a whole different ball game. This album doesn't focus on guns, women and weed. Instead, the album focuses primarily on braggadocious boasts about the greatness of Twista's rap skills. Sonically, the beats sound like generic beats from early 1990's hip-hop.

Highlights:
- "Snap Happy"
- "Mista Tung Twista"
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K-Dee - *ss, Gas Or Cash [No One Rides For Free] [1994]

In the midst of much of the mid-90's gangsta rap, K-Dee released this extremely laid back album that included appearances by Bootsy Collins, Morris Day and Ice Cube. In case the album title didn't make it apparent, much of this album deals with humorous topics. For example, "Into You" follows K-Dee as he tries to seduce his best friend's mother.

Highlights:
- "Hittin' Corners"
- "The Freshest MC In The World"
- "Into You"
- "Ain't Nothin' Poppin'"
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Big Noyd - Illustrious [2008]
For the most part, Illustrious presents tales of street life. Big Noyd repeatedly talks about his guns and money. These general themes are apparent in the song titles alone: "Snitches," "Ghetto," and "Money Talk." The album includes guest appearances by Joell Ortiz and 40 Glocc.

The highlight of the album was "So Much Trouble," which sounds like it could have been a hit radio single. The hook, sung by Serani, sounds slightly similar to an Akon chorus.



Highlights:
- "So Much Trouble"
- "Money Talk"
- "Things Done Changed"
- "Ghetto" (featuring Joell Ortiz)
- "It's A Wrap" (featuring Ric Rude)
- "Trying To Make It Out" (featuring 40 Glocc and Bam, and sampling the beat from Let's Straighten It Out)