West Coast Unappreciated Six

Gangsta rap rules MY first 10 years of listening pleasure. I really didn't listen to much else if it wasn't hardcore. Just over the past few years, with the boom in classic hip-hop blogs, have I had the chance to go back and catch up on all the albums I turned my nose up to, back in the day.

MC Eiht, Ice Cube, N.W.A, Spice 1 were some of my favorites. While a lot of people look at this genre as ignorant or boring, I always found their tales exciting. Stories of cooking up some crack, cappin fools and smackin up that dirty ho, are some far out shit that was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from white suburbia where i grew up as I could get. It fascinated me, sucked me in, making me want more. The lyrics were the fairy tales that i wanted to hear about.

I have to admit that I thought South Central Cartel were just trying to cash in on the fame of N.W.A, CMW and DJ Quik coming out of the LA gangsta boom. But by the time the crew got to 'In Gatz We Trust' and when Havoc & Prod did a few solo albums, I was really feelin it. They honed their skills weren't just some scrub gangster-wannabe-rappers.

Murder Squad meshed together a ton of South Central cats. Ice-T, MC Eiht, Spice 1 and even Treach from the east side, make guest appearances here. I know, I know a lot of you crack on the sing song hooks these guys lay out, but I like L.V.'s voice, who you should know from Coolio's "Gangtas Paraise" mega-hit.

P.S. - dont forget that Coolio was a half-legit gangsta rapper from the Maad Circle crew of W.C.'s, also from Compton.


Here is S.C.C. presents Murder Squad Nationwide:

SH'KILLA
1996 - Priority Records
1. Got 'Em Twisted
2. 1-800 Got Yo M'n
3. East Bay Gangstrez
4. Female Rydaz
5. My Name Is Nine (Yeh, Da Gun)
6. Now U Wanna Come Back (Reunited We're Not)
7. Whatever It Takes
8. She's Bad
9. All Aboard
10. Ghetto Tears
11. Go Down On It
12. Murder Squad 4 Hire
13. Creep Wit My Chrome - (CD only)

-Brian