From: fedde@Moskva.docs.uu.se (Fedde Engler)
Newsgroups: alt.rap
Subject: Review : Comptons Most Wanted -- Music To Driveby
Date: 6 Oct 92 23:48:55 GMT
Organization: Uppsala University
NNTP-Posting-Host: moskva.docs.uu.se
Summary: CMW
Keywords: CMW

Here is the review for Comptons Most Wanted as I had promissed.

For all lovers of gangsta-hiphop, here we have a dope album. It is the
CMW we all know from before and that might be what leaves you a little
bit disappointed, because changes never hurt. They might sound to much
as before. The composition of the whole album is dope, but CMW fail to
get out of the same track always going on with the gangsta-talk about
the pimpin', killin' and all that. They haven't been to bright about
the beats either because they have just stolen shit right away without
adding something new that might make it sound different and fresh.

For me gangsta-hiphop is something dope to have as "backgroundmusic"
in the car or just to relax to so I don't listen to much to the lyrics
(gangsta-lyrics ain't never to bright anyway) and the basslines and
spooky feeling over it is what is important :) CMW have done just that
on this one and it sounds very well in my ears! DOPE! DOPE! DOPE! 
Therefor the whole album gets a strong 4 of 5 by me. Heeeeeeere we go!


_Music To Driveby_ by Comptons Most Wanted



_Hit The Floor_

So! CMW is back, and the whole thing starts with a warning to all the
suckers to get out of the way. Kinda short thing, but a good beat.
Mike T gets loose on some Ice Cube lines from his NWA time. Seems like
CMW like Ice Cube as they take things from him whenever they can :) This
is a 3/5 to me.

	"And my style ain't friendly often
	 8 times out of 10 you end in a coffin!
	 I don't think you can deal no mo'
	 CMW'd say HIT THE FUCKIN' FLOOR!"


_Hood Took Me Under_

A perfect, slow beat with a low bass that has to be pumped! This is it!
Gangsta-dope! This is a story about surviving in the hood. We get to
hear some about how Mc Eiht grew up, dropped out of school and learned
the gang mentality. Very simple samplings, but powerful anyway! Mike T
makes some slow cuts of lines from _Growin' Up In The Hood_ (also a
CMW track from the movie "Boyz'n The Hood"). This is so good it gets
a 5/5!

	"Who gives the fuck about another?
	 Only got love from my fuckin' gang brothers!
	 Yeah! But I'm young, so nobody would wonder
	 that the hood would take me under!"


_Jack Mode_

Gangsta-hiphop is a type of hiphop where the rappers brag a lot about
what they have and what they do in their neighborhood. This one is of
that type and is mainly a story about Mc Eiht livin' in Jack mode
always ready to go out after suckers in his way. Strange they never
get tired of lyrics like this one. The beat is allright, but not strong
enough to be a 4 in my ears. This gets a 3/5.

	"Now I'm on a mission to find me a sucker,
	 and when I catch'im I hope he ain't a brave motherfucker!"


_Compton 4 Life_

If Compton wasn't included in some of the rhymes it would be really
strange. This one is a spooky story about it. A slow beat with a ghostly
sampling in the background gives you that blue-light feeling from movies
and the telling is really wellmade, even if there is no sign of 
intelligence in it. The whole composition is dope and well worth a 5/5.

	"It's the city where everybody's in prison
	 niggas keep taking shit 'cause ain't nobody givin'
	 so another punk fool I must beat
	 learn the tricks of the trade from the street!"


_8 Iz Enough_

More bragging that gets CMW nowhere here. I guess I didn't like this
one because I got annoyed of their way of making the beat to this.
UMc's last 12" has a remix called _HeeBee JeeBeez_ including a short 
break that CMW stole and used to get a whole beat out of it. To me it 
sounds like the beat is tripping all the time and I didn't like it at 
all. But that is because I connect that beat with UMc's and not with
CMW. Others that haven't checked it might swallow this easier. I just
give it a 2 of 5.

	"Here's the nigga from the free-will prison
	 Compton, Compton, nigga! That's how I'm livin'
	 And if you fuck with that I call your bluff,
	 but don't forget motherfucker...8 iz enough!"


_Duck Sick II_

Mc Eiht does think a lot about himself, so why not brag a little more
he thought, and wrote this one :) This one is almost directly done
towards other mc's he thinks are weak. He mentions high-pitched suckers
as an example...what might he mean with that? *hint* *hint* :) The beat
is kinda slow but gets almost boring with that type of lyrics. A weak
3 of 5 on this one.

	"So now I gots to break my motherfuckin' foot off
	 in your ass, because you came back to soft!
	 They say you can't teach an old dog no tricks,
	 well this trick is new...It's the Duck Sick II."


_Dead Men Tell No Lies_

In all types of neighborhoods there will be a lot of talking about what
people do. The he-said-she-said-thing will not be tolerated by Mc Eiht
that seems to belive his gun is a better tool to asure himself that
people won't talk shit behind his back. The music involves half-heavy
guitars that give all this a good swing. Acceptable...I'll give it a
4 of 5 as the cuts by Mike T in between are funky :)

	"So...hmm...when your ass is gone, they wonder why,
	 but a dead nigga tell no lies!"


_N 2 Deep_ (Featuring Mr. Scarface)

Here we have another example of bad fantasy when coming to develop new
beats. They have just taken the same beat Above The Law used for _Another
Execution_ and added an annoying blasting horn at the end of the period.
Scarface saves it all by appearing in the rhyming. The thing is about
them beeing in to deep into their business, not beeing able to back up.
Real gangstas...gets a 3 of 5.

	"Mr, Mr. Scarface for the nine duex,
	 niggas packing nines, fuck you bitch I pack a nine too!"


_Who's Fucking Who?

As we all remember CMW was one of those that Tim Dog listed as suckers
that could go and fuck themselves (together with Dj Quik and others).
Tim Dog dissed people openly, while CMW seem to prefer to let people guess
who they mean in the lyrics, but then the scratches reveal it all :)
Mike T and Dj Slip got lines from KRS (South Bronx), samples of Tim 
Dog when he says "Ohyeah" lowpitched wich makes him sound like a monkey 
and also Ice Cube lines...Funny composition, but could have been made 
more direct and strong. I just love these wars between rappers, 
but they should be as strong as the old one between Moe Dee and L.L. :)

	"It ain't over motherfucker!
	 South Bronx...bullshit city,
	 South Bronx...bullshit city!
	 Tim Dog's going out on a stretcher,
	 Tim Dog's going out on a stretcher!
	 Fuck all ya!"


_This Is A Gang_

Mc Eiht does have to give props to his gang and he does it in this one.
Another stolen beat (well, this one has been stolen all over so we can't
blame them) and a funky thing to it all. In the beats they have sampled
Ice Cube again during his NWA time when he says "This is a gang, and I'm
in it...". A clear 4 of 5 to me.

	"Stay clear at the gunblast!
	 If you're thinkin' about duckin', you better duck fast!
	 Ooops, to late! You got popped in the process,
	 another point for the hood, one layed to rest!"


_Hoodrat_

While Mc Eiht is coming down on everything he might aswell come down on
what he calls Hoodrats. By this he means all the bitches in his hood
running around giving everyone some of that fun new virus we all know
about. Another brother having no respect for women...The beat is slow
and has a slow jazzy swing over it that makes it really good. Something
for the car during a long ride...another 4 of 5.

	"I know, I've seen her coming from the 10 dollar motell!
	 Two hours is what you get to make this bitch yell!"


_Niggaz Strugglin_

The speciallity of CMW has always seemed to be to produce, slow and
dope gangsta-hiphop. In this one we also have a slow beat, followed by
a kinda sad, melody of a female voice. It's primitive, but stil gets
you there to understand Mc Eiht is trying to tell a sad story...the
story of how sad it is that people have to struggle for what they want
to get in the hood. This is of course another strong 4/5.

	"Gotta go out and test my skills,
	 a brother gotta kill to bring home the bills!
	 It ain't the way I was born, the way I grew up,
	 to get what's yours and don't even give a fuck!"


_I Gots Ta Get Over_

Here finally we seem to have an intelligent message in the rhyme.
A little warning to those who want to get to big. Once you get to smell
that green paper, you want to get bigger, and the bigger you want to get
the greater the chance you gotta get over to the wrong side of the law.
Again a slow beat of the Ice Cube type (handclaps together with the
drums) and for the good message, this one gets a strong 4/5.

	"And now I'm at the end of my rope!
	 Police stil caught me with an ass full of dope,
	 No more love, I guess it's true,
	 in the end you get fucked! No more getting over!"


_U's A Bitch_

Mc Eiht doesn't seem to have much respect for ladies at all. Some girl
must have hurt him real bad, because why would he all of a sudden come
out this weak?? Wack beat, wack music, wack lyrics! A mayor 1 of 5!

	"You're nothing but a user!
	 Raised in the Compton streets,
	 girl, U's a biiiiiiiitch..."


_Another Victim_

Yes! This is one to pump! The beat on this one is powerful with a couple
of short guitarlicks that make it all swing like THAT! The lyrics might
not be all that great as it is some more bragging, but the DOPE beat makes
it survive! A good 5/5 for me! Mike T does it here too...

 --->	"It won't go quick, it won't go easy!
 |	 Got much to gain, I'll go slow so you feel the pain!
 |	 No shorts taken, 'cause I gotta stick'em!
 |	 And fool, what's left is another victim!"
 | 
 --- Do you see what I see in this line? :) This can be read in 2 ways :)


_Def Wish II_

Beeing around Scarface when they did _N 2 Deep_ might have affected Mc
Eiht to try the psycho-hiphop too. Well, if it was this way, he surely
succeeded. This one is a powerful 5/5 and is one I have been pumping a
while now. Another slow, millitant beat followed by ghostly samples all
over. To make it even more pyscho they have sampled voices from Paul
Hardcastles _19_ (you remember that wellknown thing about the Vietnam
war and the average age of souldiers beeing 19) where a young fellow 
says killin' and murder got to be a normal thing. Within the rules they
all knew...DOPE! DOPE! DOPE! DOPE! DOPE! DOPE! DOPE! DOPE! DOPE! DOPE!

	"Nigga, get ready 'cause you can't hang
	 with the psycho motherfucker who's slanging these gangsta-things!"


_Music To Driveby_

I don't know why they named the album like this, when this is only the
last cut and only involves a shout out to some other rappers. Wierd...


For the final word, I just have to agree with someone else here that
also wrote a short line telling you folks to get this album. It is 
surely something worth having, but only if you like this kind of hiphop.

Enjoy!

Fedde (fedde@bern.docs.uu.se)
Newsgroups: alt.rap