KURUPT - Streetz Iz A Mutha | Review By: Incognito







 

1. I Call Shots - (featuring Roscoe) - Yaaa know! To catch the attention of the listener, it's good to have a nice powerful and up-tempo song to start things off, and that's what the first song on this record is like. The production is provided straight outta left field by Organized Noise, though I think the beat is hot, it has a lot of energy to it. Kurupt rips through the whole track until the world is introduced to Roscoe, his little brother. Roscoe bursts onto this song with raw, impressive raps, somewhat like Kurupt when he first broke out in 1992. "My rhymes is dangerous, hazardous to health, I make a nigga murder 20 kids then cap his own self." Good way to start off Kurupt's record. 4 out of 5.

2. Loose Cannons - (featuring Daz and Xzibit) - "Yo man I don't think they heard you, won't you tell em what yo name is." The Dogg Pound return along with Xzibit makin for a dope but very short track. Daz and Blaqthoven rejuvenate the old N.W.A. cut, "Quiet On The Set" and transform it into somethin more up to date. Both Kurupt and Daz have tight verses, and Xzibit is on the hook, "Loose cannons, face covered wit bandanas, chrome pieces, muthafuck the polices." Shit I like this song, it's a nice throw back to the N.W.A. 3.5 out of 5.

3. Who Ride Wit Us - (featuring Daz) - "Ohh yeah, do you wanna ride wit us, who ride wit us," this song is off the hook, you can here Bad Azz on the chorus too. Fredwreck produces one of the bombest beats on this album for Kurupt, it's just funky shit. You might of caught the video for it seeing it was the second single. Daz and Kurupt just trade the mic on and off makin some classic Dogg Pound Gangsta shit, this is one of my favorites off the album. 4.5 out of 5.

4. Represent Dat G.C. - (featuring Daz, Snoop, Soopafly, Tray Dee, Jayo Felony and Butch Cassidy) - Damm this track is full of them gangsta's, and a second song produced by Fredwreck that is tight. This track just about covers some of the tightest MC's from Long Beach (except Jayo), with each rapper gettin like a 20 second verse. Before this song, there was a little skit dissin DMX where Kurupt was tuning the radio and someone was imitating him. That led into a segment on WBallz 187.4 on yo muthafuckin dizzzial! Anyway, Battlecat plays the talkbox for the hook, which some of ya might not have known, so boooyaa! Jayo Felony blows up with sick raps, and then towards the end Snoop just starts to freestyle. A nice song wit all the Long Beach G's just fuckin shit up. 4 out of 5.

5. Welcome Home - (featuring Latoiya Williams) - This is like your classic Cali song to drive around to on a nice Sunday afternoon. Yeah Toi is on the hook making one of her first appearances wit the D. P. G. Soopafly impressed me with the beat he laid down, and Kurupt does a great job payin homage to his home of California, "It's instrumental, heat is in the dead of the winter, and in the cold weed restructures your soul." A great song off the record in my opinion. 4.5 out of 5.

6. Tequilla - (featuring Daz, T-Mo and Niva) - The second song produced by Organized Noise is even tighter than the first (beat wise), it's a dark melody with some elements of west coast production. This singer called Niva does the hook which is pretty dope. Southern rapper T-MO from The Dungeon Family comes in and adds a spark with his aggressive rappin style. Daz is interesting to listen to rap as well as Kurupt who sets the mic on fire. 3.5 out of 5.

7. Trylogy - Kurupt's only song where he is solo is a rather quick one. This track is as raw as it gets on the whole record, it doesn't even have a hook. Kurupt just flows through the whole god dam thing. Bink Dogg orchestrates this song which is filled with high pitched violins all playing at once. Not a bad song, it could of been longer. It's strength is definitely lyrically. 3 out of 5.

8. Neva Gonna Give It Up - (featuring Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Nate Dogg, Tray Dee and Soopafly) - I guess this song signifies that D.P.G ain't dyin, there still gonna be around. Snoop, Kurupt, Nate, Tray Dee, Warren G, and Soopafly collectively return on this Meech Well's produced Dogg Pound anthem. Nate's booming hook, "I'm still a Dogg Pound nigga, I'm neva gonna give it up, neva gonna give it up, come on homies give it up", sends a clear message to all the haters that they aren't going anywhere. The only thing that this song is missing is Daz, he's a big part of The Dogg Pound as well. "Recognize game when it hits ya nigga, if ya slip up Doggy Dogg gonna getcha!" Snoop puts it down for his click with that tight rhyme, Warren G even has a spot on this album here droppin couple of bars. One of the best songs off the album, and one of my favorites. 4.5 out of 5.

9. Tha Streetz iz a Mutha - (featuring Daz) - "Tha streetz iz a muthafucker", Kurupt and Daz perfectly display that here with their grim depiction's of street life. This is a dark song with a dark melody produced by the duo of Daz and Blaqthoven. All aspects of ghetto life are retold by Kurupt and Daz brilliantly with their raps; hustling, drug dealin, and gangbangin are all covered. Bigg Pimpin is uncredited for this song in which here makes an appearance in the beginning. Overall I don't really play this song a lot, their are better tracks on the record. 3 out of 5.

10. Ya Can't Trust Nobody - (featuring Daz) - This song is somewhat along the lines of that Daz track, "Who's Knocc'n At My Door", which it reminds me a lot of. This is an okay song, with Daz once again collaborating with Kurupt. Soopafly, Daz, and Blaqthoven as one came up with a pretty dope beat, I can't complain about the lyrics either. Daz's hook is catchy too, "Around here ya can't trust nobody, anybody, somebody tryin jack somebody. Weather it's weed or your life in narcotics, anywhere ya go can't trust nobody." An alright song. 3.5 out of 5.

11. It Ain't About You - (featuring Soopafly and Tray Dee) - IT AIN'T ABOUT YOU BITCH! That's what this track is sayin to all the hoez from Kurupt's, Tray Dee's, and Soopafly's point of view. Soopafly laced the beat, in which he starts off the song, Tray Dee has some tight lyrics also. Kurupt's are pretty good too, but their isn't much to the song after that. To me this doesn't stick out in my mind as a good song, maybe you guys think differently about it. 3 out of 5.

12. Girls All Pause - (featuring Nate Dogg and Roscoe) - "When the gangsta's came see it's the same old gang, same old gangsta gang, it's the same old thang, just new days and new ways to twist, it's like this the gangsta's came in..." Yup, the girls all paused, I remember back in early November 1999 when I first heard this song, I was like dam, this is kinda wack. Though when I went to go buy the album, this song grew on me like a muthafucka. Kurupt's lyrics are sick, half the time he's spittin so fuckin fast that I don't have a clue what he's talkin about. Nate's contribution to the song is a big part of why I like it so much. Roscoe comes to tag along and rap some impressive rhymes also. Yeah, this was the first single which was produced by Bink Dogg, but it didn't help to sell much. A good track, with average production and nice raps. 4 out of 5.

13. Your Gyrl Friend - (featuring Daz) - The third song in a row that's got somethin to do with bitches, ohh well what would we do without them? Anyway, once again Daz and Blaqthoven return to put together this hot beat, it's definitely gangsta. "Shut the FUCK up bitch, eat a DICK bitch, eat a bowl of SHIT bitch!" LOL, I just had to put that in for you. Kurupt's lyrics are on point here, and the hook isn't bad either. 4 out of 5.

14. Ho's A Housewife - (featuring Dr. Dre and Hittman) - In about a year, this song has spawned 3 versions, one off "Kurruption!", "Dr. Dre 2001", and this record. Well in this case, this is the original version, opposed to the one on 2001. If you listen closely, the beat is different from the one on 2001, like when the hook comes in, the melody is slightly altered. Dr. Dre's vocals were redone, but besides that, and the phone intro, the song is almost identical to the one on "Dr. Dre 2001." Dre's production rises above all else here. All three tell there own stories with pretty tight raps, Hittman's may be the best. This is a cool song, Kurupt's hook is catchy too. 4 out of 5.

15. I Ain't Shit Without My Homeboyz - (featuring Daz, Soopafly, Baby S and Crooked I) - Trauma said he'd shoot my ass if i didn't give this track at least a 4.5. Well fuck Trauma, this track can blow me, it's gettin 2.5 dubs. LOL, I'm playin, this is a pretty good track, Crooked I simply puts out the best rhymes on the whole entire record, (well maybe intil his next appearance). I guess you can call this the closets thing to a "ballad" on the record. The production is nice and polished by Daz and Soopafly, that go great with Kurupt's story telling. Daz isn't all that bad, Baby S is alright too. Crooked I is lethal, this man must be fucked up to be rappin like that. This is a well rounded song. 4.5 out of 5.

16. Step Up - (featuring Crooked I and Xzibit) - Well remember when I said Crooked I's next appearance will be even crazier, well this the song. "Ya entered the wrong scuffle, ya catchin the chrome buckle, I upper cut niggas hard enough to break my own knuckles." Yeah, that's pretty frightening right there. Kurupt also has this crazy verse that I would want do put down, but to tell ya the truth, I dont even know what he said in one part. This song is the only one on the record where Daz laid the production out himself, it's not a bad beat. Battlecat did the scratching which you here also. Fuck, Xzibit is on this shit too, makin the song even hotter. Kurupt, Crooked I, and Xzibit all make this a great track with their raps. 4 out of 5.

17. Live On The Mic - (featuring KRS-One) - Kurupt's wish did come true when he got to collaborate with the legendary KRS-One. I personally have never been a KRS fan at all, but I got to see his great freestyling ability here. The 2 just keep on goin for for like 4 minutes just straight up rappin with no hook or nothin. Soopafly provides a very simple piano/drum orientated beat, suitable for the freestyle. This song has no real appeal to me, but it does display Kurupt's raw talent as an artist, showing how good he is. 3 out of 5.

18. *Callin Out Names - (featuring Xzibit) - R.I.P. DMX, I almost died of laughter when I heard Kurupt destroy DMX on wax. I was so fuckin happy to here someone put that bitch out of his misery, I hate that phony. Fredwreck produces this cut for the ones who didn't know. Kurupt takes shots at Ruff Ryders, The Firm, and DMX, sending the simple message: FUCK YOU. Xzibit is added on to the song with his snippet from "3 Card Molly", "Now if it wasn't for the west, these rap niggas wouldn't need a vest around they chest." Kurupt produces one of the best diss songs I have heard since since like "Hit em Up," it's just fuckin great. He sets it straight here too, "Muthafuck D, muthafuck M, only X I know is Xzibit or RBX." I love this song, Fuck DMX. 4 out of 5.

Let me just say that this record is a big jump for Kurupt since his last attempt, his debut, "Kurruption!". Which failed to have an identity in my opinion. This album had Kurupt fully return with the west coast, and goin for some gangsta, gangsta shit. The production was handled by 8 different producers in all, which resulted into some good beats. Daz executive produced the record, also doing 6 beats himself, and he found time to rap 8 times along with his Dogg Pound teammate. Kurupt basically covered the guest appearances, everyone was on there, from Snoop to KRS-One. Upon the release of this album in November 1999 it helped fuel the return of hardcore hip hop along with Dr. Dre, Snoop, and Warren G all putting out albums in 1999. Maybe to help sell, Kurupt could have chosen a better single instead of "Girls All Pause," like a song that would appeal to more people in general. "Callin Out Names" was a nice little surprise, there where some good songs here like, "Who Ride Wit Us," "Neva Gonna Give It Up," and "I Ain't Shit Without My Homeboyz." I would of like to have seen a different track from Dre and Kurupt instead of, "Ho's A Housewife," I was a little dissapointed there. Kurupt's raps at times where untouchable, and in somepoints lazy. This is a good quality album, one of my favorites in '99. Til then, keep ya eyes peeled for Kurupt's forthcoming release sometime in 2001 entitled, "Space Boogie," which is slated to have appearances from Daz, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Xzibit, Fred Durst, B-Real, and Everlast. For now this album is worth the buy.

 

4/5 Dubs!


 

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