How Ya Like Me Now
In its time, this 1987 release seemed like state-of-the-art hip-hop. Kool Moe Dee, a former member of the Treacherous Three, offers clean production values, a few deft rhymes, and a musical savvy that enabled him to linger behind the beat while he rapped. However, his material did not age well--his boasts are unoriginal, and the most interesting aspect of his claim that LL Cool J stole his rhyming style is that he beat Canibus to the punch by about a decade. Also, the lack of innovative music weighs this effort down: his "50 Ways" so rotely samples Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" that it feels like a Puff Daddy template. Nowadays, this is best heard as a period-piece novelty.--Martin Johnson