StreetMasters Magazine Jan., 2007, CD Reviews
By Mr. Rogers

PASTOR TROY AND CRIMINAL MANE
ATLANTA 2 MEMPHIS
Money & The Power LLC.

Production: Off the wham rap artist Pastor Troy and Criminal Manne deserve an (A+), or four and a half mic's, for banging 13 out of 15 tracks excluding the intro and outro, and let's not forget to give kudos to the legendary producer DJ Squeeky for creating some hardcore beats, hype tracks, and a chopped up and screwed version for you chopped and screwed fans.

Lyrics: "I'm gone show you how we do it in the south(we ain't playin), where them boys got golds in their mouth
(we ain't playin). 26 inch rims on cars(we ain't playin). Got deals on soft, white, and hard(we ain't playin)."

Concept: Call them, the new crunk (gangster rappin) dynamic duo, hookin up a tight partnership from Atlanta 2 Memphis.

Consistency: This CD deserves an (A+), in the consistency area, because PT and CRIM most definitely bumped on the whole entire CD, non-stop.

Originality:(A+) for originality.

Sentence: So you ask the critic is this CD really off the chain? Well, like the chorus on track nine goes, " Yeah, Yeah"!

Z-RO
I'm Still Livin
Rap-A-Lot Records

Production: Until now there has been zero rap artist whom have sounded exceptionally well singing on their own hooks(A+). As for the rest of the production, all 15 tracks are methodically, harmoniously bumpin, and Z-RO adds more hot spices to the tracks with his eurhythmic style of rappin (Five Mic's).

Lyrics: "Everytime I pray to God I ask him to forgive me for all my flaws; but I'm paranoid. I can't keep my pistol out my draws."

Concept: King of The Ghetto. A T.H.U.G -aka- a true hero under God's sight from above.

Consistency:(A+) for producing 15 banging as tracks and raps.

Originality: Tracks two, three, eight, 13 and 15 are popular tunes of the early 80's. Track 10 is an original track of Scarface's "I've Never Seen A Man Cry". (B-).

Sentence: In our last issue we put the charge to the owners of Rap-A-Lot Records on the Trilltown Mafia CD. Thank God for Z-RO. Rap-A-Lot has redeemed themselves. This is the best CD outside of Scarface's music that we've heard from Rap-A-Lot Records in quite sometime.

YING YANG TWINS
CHEMICALLY IMBALANCED
TVT RECORDS

Production: Automatically, them Ying Yang Twins, and Mr. Colli Park get buck wild, and down to the nitty gritty with some hard as beats and lyrics for their fans, and they got Wyclef on track 12, and it's off the hezzy. Them shake joint hoes are gonna go wild to this. Five mic's.

Lyrics: "I'm from the land of the booty, booty, droppin, droppin, pu*** hole poppin, knockin niggas eyes out they socket, taking money out they pocket. Shoot'em to the moon like a mutha, mutha, f***** rocket".

Concept: The twins. The wonder boys. Hyperactive children. Wild as babies. The new two live crew.

Consistency: (A+)

Originality: (A-) for that old time sample on track 17.

Sentence: Hurry up, and go cop this, because this is the last Ying Yang Twins cd for a while. So they say.

LA CHAT
BAD INFLUENCE
INEVITABLE RECORDS

Production: Congratulations to La Chat and to her producers for making a fire as CD. Each track contains a superb melody accompanied with a hard as bass drum, and the vocals are as clear as memorex. La Chats' CD is a good example of classic Memphis rap music (for example, track two, Drop It Off).

Lyrics: " La Chat, You know the bizz, always crunk up in this bit**. Fuck around and start some shit, you get jumped up in this bit**. We can knuck up in this bitch. We can buck up in this bit**. When I let that chopper pop, you betta duck up in this bit**".

Concept: La Chat is a gutta, gutta, crunk as boss bi**, keeping it hood.

Consistency: (A-) for 13 banging as tracks out of 14. Her third get high rap, "Get Doe", track 10, wasn't as good as the first two get high songs, "9 Times", track four, and "Pass The Dro", track eight.

Originality: (A+)

Sentence: La Chat is an excellent female performer on the screen, in the studio and on stage. Although she has
always been a good female rapper, her skills have really picked up. Her words are crystal clear, her music is very good plus she keeps it real, and gutta. Four, and a half mic's.

SPM
When Devils Strike
DOPE HOUSE RECORDS

Production: It's time that we put all prejudiceness to the side to review this cd of Latin decent produced by Swisha
House, and Dope House Records. This cd is kind of laid back but that might be because SPM, is in the pen. Tracks hree, four, six, seven, nine, 10, 12, 13 and 15 made the cut due thanks to the beats, and raps. (B-)

Lyrics: "I'm the rocker, Betty Crocker, cookin cookies, and cakes. B12 to blow it up as my coke inflates."

Concept: Looking for a cure for his peoples downfall, and at the same time trying to find out, while he's in the pen, why his people are filling up the penetentiaries as fast as they can build them.

Consistency: (C-)

Originality: (A+)

Sentence: True enough the latino, or hispanic community might give you, your prop's SPM, for rappin and reppin them, and Texas, but if you really want to make it big in this bizz you should try switching it up some. Get hyper,
and make some doper, ghetto tracks to rap on. Hope you get out of jail soon, and stay out.

Arcane
Street Newz
Activate

Production: Arcane has 13 good, funky / r&b tracks out of 16. Track one is banging and full of special effects. Tracks three, five and eight sounds familiar, as if they were on the radio. Tracks four, six, seven, nine, 10, 12, 14, 15 and 16 are hot tracks too. (B+)

Lyrics: "Wood grain, busted brain, Dana Dane. Big places, big faces, constantly f***ing off chump change. It ain't no thang. Nothin but money when you mention my name. 32 karats laid face down in my pinky ring".

Concept: Ain't no party like a Detroit party, talk shit and your ass getting popped. Y.B.I. for ever, Twelth and Elmhurst.

Consistency: (B-) for consistantly bumping tracks four through 10.

Originality: Sounds like a sample on track 12 (B+).

Sentence: The 13 tracks that got you a good review got you that because of the bass, the beats, the instrumentals, your raps and your hooks. Some people know good music when they hear it. Refer back to those tracks and that'll give you some insight on how to come next time.

ICE-T
GANGSTA RAP
Melee Entertainment

Production: To tell you what songs, or tracks weren't bumpin, wouldn't do Ice-T any justice. Because tracks two through five, track seven, and tracks 10 through 15 are trully good. The beats, the instrumentals and the fire ass raps gets this CD four mic's.

Lyrics: Ice-T keeps it real gutta, spittin the truth about the dope game, pimpin and hustlin.

Concept: The original gangsta, Ice-T / Iceberg the pimp is back, and his intent is to share & exchange game with players world-wide.

Consistency: Ice-T get's a (B+) for rockin five out of the first seven tracks, and the last seven tracks back to back.

Originality: It sounds as if Ice might have used a few samples from some old player music (B-).

Sentence: He's 40, and rappin his ass off, and alot of yall young cats can't touch him. In the words of Ice-T himself yall need to, "Step Your Game Up". Church!

8 Ball and 8WAYS ENTERTAINMENT
"Light Up The Bomb"
8 Ways Entertainment

Production:. Tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13 and 14 are the best tracks on this cd, because the rappers, and the hooks sound good on these tracks, plus they aren't cluttered up with too many rappers or instruments. Out of 15 tracks, give or take one or two tracks, this cd gets' a (C+), because it could be more fire than it is.

Lyrics: "8 ways bombin, bombin on the industry. N***** who ain't G, it don't help if you pretend to be. Real recognize. Fake n***** don't get fucked with. Fake n***** end up on the flo with they sh** split".

Concept: It seems like Ball wants to try something new, start a new lable called 8 Ways Entertainment, and help some of his hometown homies (dubbed M Gang) out.

Consistency: (C+)

Originality: (B+)

Sentence: Ball, you are better off rapping with MJG, or by yourself. The only rappers that really sounded good on this cd were you, MJG, Juvenile, J-ROC, and Mac E. P.S. tell Montana Trax to make all of your tracks hard like tracks 13, and 14. That's classic 8 Ball shit, there.

JIM JONES
Hustler's P.O.M.E.
[Product Of My Environment]
KOCH RECORDS

Production: From track one, to track six, Jim Jones is definitley something to ball to. Skip the skits, and fast forward to tracks 9, 11, 13, 14 and tracks 17-19. Four Mic's.

Lyrics: "The rap gang like the crack gang. Life style rich, famous, living in the fast lane". "So when I breep, shorty breep back, Luy Voton belt where I'm keeping all the heat strapped".

Concept: Big time baller / heavyweight. Jim Jones / Diplomat / Dipset for ever.

Consistency: Out of 20 songs, Jim Jones keeps you jookin non-stop from tracks 1-6, and tracks 17-19. There are four more bumping songs, and four skits in between tracks six and 17. (B-)

Originality: Tracks eight, 14, 18 and 19 contains some samples. (B+)

Sentence: Keep Ballin!

BLOFLY - VET (YOU AIN'T HEARD YET)
SOUTHBOY MUZIC

Production: Blowfly, and Southboy Muzic bumped on this CD from track one all the way through track 19, without missing a beat. The funky instrumentals, the dope beats, and the rappers voices, sound dam good. Blowfly got raps for the gangsters, the strippers, the ladies, the hood and the DJ's. Four, and a half mic's, and that's no bull.....

Lyrics: "Never know what evil lies. Keep my eye's on the prize. Death before dishonor, not divde and conquer are the words, that I live by ".

Concept: Blowfly is a Vet that you ain't heard yet, a MC that's bringing it. He's reppin Dallas as well as every hood to the fullest. Southboy's are keeping it real, and that's their word.

Consistency: Theres not a wack track on this CD. (A+)

Originality: (A+)

Sentence: It's no doubt, Blowflys' got that good, good.

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