Kurupt - Kuruption! (West Coast disc)

[Lord Funk]

Looking back at it, Kurupt had balls to release a concept double album for his first solo release. He'd never actually proved he could stand alone without Tha Row and Daz by his side permanently. The East / West idea was a brave move to attempt at making his mark.

1.   This One's For U - After an intro with Kurupt calling out haters, Studio Tone's beat kicks in - a sunny, poppy tune based around some funky bass and guitars. Kurupt's lyrics are far from the heights of his Dogg Food days, but the whole song is pretty simple anyway. The chorus, sung by some girl, is nice -sticks in your head. Smooth. 3.5 / 5

2.   Make Some Noize -A classic Public Enemy sample and some astounding bass form most of Soopafly's hard beat. Kurupt is amped here, and Daz drops in for the chanted chorus. The lyrics are much more what we expect from the kingpin: "It's a process of elimination, total devastation / Total world domination, destruction, termination / Capitation, determination to enter the nation / And leave a whole half of the world with a million decapitations with no hesitation" That's what the fans want, but the beats gets tired and really lets the track down. 2.5 / 5

3.   Put That On Something - I'm really not feeling DeVante's hip-hop production, and this sounds too much like the shit he did for Pac on No More Pain to me. Again, the track is too long and the beat gets played after five minutes plus, with Kurupt sounding too chilled to carry the weight. 2 / 5

4.   Play My Cards -First truly dope beat of the album, from none other than Battlecat. Everything here works, from the drum pattern to the funky horns and the scratched "tick tock ya don't stop" from Slick Rick, and Blaq Toven drops a tight chorus. "I'm a G from tha DPG, and no matter what you say you can't fuck with me" says Kurupt, and he's right here. 4 / 5

5.   We Can Freak It  - Another classic Battlecat beat -it's so smooth, with G-funk bass, handclap percussion and voice box in the hook. Kurupt and Baby S go back and forth repping that Cali life and the result is perfect chilled G-funk. The first classic track on the CD -as good as any solo Kurupt track in my opinion. 5 / 5

6.   Fresh - Only to be followed by another classic beat. Daz's production is off the hook, officially. This song, just like any track off Dogg Food, is the perfect example of why the two should be together. Kurupt's lyrics are crazy - "Fuck the ice, give me the mic and let's see who's the nicest / I fuck around and cause a crisis / From preciseness, it's precisely this / See, we make the shit that precisely hits" I could bump this shit all day, and did when the album dropped. 5 / 5

7.   C-Walk - Kurupt, Tray Dee and Slip Capone - how gangsta is that??! Daz's beat is awesome, and Kurupt's opening lines are some of my favourite west coast rhymes that have always stuck in my head: "Saggin', nigga g'd up, sippin' / Sip nigga, dip nigga, set trip nigga / Got a grip nigga? Get a grip, nigga wit Tha Gang an' / Rollin' with the Alpine bangin'" Dope, dope, dope. 4.5 / 5

8.   Ho's A Housewife - I'm out on a limb here, but I think Kurupt's self-produced beat for the original here is far better than Dre's beat for the remake on Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha. The piano and strings are so jazzy, and there's no looping at all - the melody changes all the way through (check it out if you don't believe me.) Kurupt is straight doggin'hoes here and the track is too smooth for words. The wack Scarface impersonation at the end spoils it though. 3.5 / 5

9.   Can't Let That Slide - Damn, I like Kurupt's falsetto voice he does, but it's way overused here. The beat is funky enough, but the track's filler, especially as Kurupt doesn't call out names. I can skip this easily, although the one redeeming feature is an early appearance from Roscoe  - it's far from his best though. 2.5 / 5

10.   That's Gangsta  - Another five star beat. Warren G's piano chords are so dark but emotional too, and Kurupt's rhymes about the struggle fit perfectly. The only thing that detracts is the drum track, which is lame. Other than that, it's heat. The break before the second verse is tight - just the pianos and Kurupt's rhymes. 4 / 5

11.   Another Day  - A cold beat to just chill with, with average street narratives over the top. Nothing special, and to be honest I could skip it, especially with the wack hook. 2 / 5

12.   Ask Yourself A Question - Fucking hell. This is the bomb. The first Dre and Kurupt hook up after they both left the Row, and it's so tight it's beyond belief. Just when you think Dre's beat is complete with the simple bass, drums and guitar, he brings in the keyboards and lifts the whole thing. Dre and Kurupt are a classic combination in the few tracks they get together - this is proof, as both tear it up. 5 / 5

Overall - 3.5 / 5

This album kinda got overshadowed by the dopeness of Tha Streetz... but the CD should still be recognised as a very good album. Some of the beats, particularly those by Battlecat and Daz, are flawless, and the Dre collabo is a vintage Dre production. Kurupt sounds a little shaky at times, but it was his first solo after all; he certainly got more confident on his second. As it stands, a solid west coast joint. Is the same quality found on the East Coast disc? Review to follow...

[verbalassaulta]

  ....sorry i love this album...and the east coast disc too
 
1 this ones for you...4/5
2 make some noise..4/5
3 put that one something 3.5/5
4 play my cards 5/5
5 we can freak it 5/5
6 fresh 4.5/5
7 c-walk 5/5
8 ho's a house wife 4.5/5...like this one better than the remixes
9 cant let that slide...3.5/5
10 thats gangsta 4.5/5
11 another day 3.5/5
12 ask yourself a question 5/5

for me 4.5/5....i still listen to this sometimes...better than most garbage thats been dropping lately...too bad kurupt cant spit like he did in this album anymore

[_That_Cracka_J]

Good review...I pretty much agree with your ratings Lord_Funk.

[Dr.Dogg]

不错，c-walk 很好！