The Lost Boyz, Legal Drug Money - Classic LP Breakdown

Legal Drug Money was the debut album from The Lost Boyz (Mr. Cheeks, Freaky Tah, Spigg Nice and Pretty Lou). The vast majority of the MCing was handled by Cheeks and Freaky Tah. Tah was to The Lost Boyz what Sen Dog was/is for Cypress Hill, mostly a hype man in the background of most songs, but kicked a couple verses from time to time. As far as I can tell, Spigg Nice was a DJ and I still have no idea what Pretty Lou did. Neither of them handled any production for this LP.

This LP came out in 1995 and production was mainly provided by Easy Moe Bee, Mr. Sex and Big Dex. Most hip-hop heads know of Easy Moe Bee from his Biggie affiliation, but I don't know much about Sex and Dex, other than their names rhyme. I saw Big Dex has a MySpace page, but there isn't much information there. They seem to have been part of the same production team, Group Home Entertainment.

I remember a lot of hype around them and seem to remember this LP taking forever to come out. Of course, when it did come out, it didn't disappoint. The entire LP is pretty much one that doesn't have any skip worthy songs. LDM also went gold, according to the RIAA.

Unfortunately, Freaky Tah was murdered in 1999 at the age of 27. I never heard what the motive was and I was unable to find any information other than the man that committed the murder was sentenced to a prison term, so at least they caught the guy (and his accomplice driver). Apparently, Spigg Nice is serving a jail sentence for allegedly robbing banks. I say allegedly because he still denies his involvement. I haven't heard much from Mr. Cheeks lately, but he had a pretty successful solo career in the early part of the 00's.

1) Intro - A pretty standard intro.

2) The Yearn - This song was produced by Pete Rock and it's a solid safe sex themed song. It's a pretty good start to the LP.

3) Music Makes Me High - This song starts the most listened to part of the LP for me, ending w/ Renee. That doesn't mean they are the only good songs, just the part I listened to the most. The song has a nice bass heavy beat and is good for repeated plays.

4) Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz - A great track with a solid chorus, which I think The Lost Boyz did well throughout this album.

5) Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless - Another great song chronicling the lives of different characters trying to get by and Cheeks himself in the last verse.

6) Renee - A fictional account of a girl that Cheeks started dating. This was the first single from the group and became a pretty big hit. The lyrics are great as Cheeks paints the story of his relationship with Renee (how they met, hanging out and the tragic end). Another great chorus and arguably the best song on the album.

A ghetto love is the law that we live by
Day by day I wonder why my shorty had to die
I reminisce upon my ghetto princess everyday, give it up for my shorty

This song also proves that the term shorty has been around for quite some time, and even though he pronounces it "shawty", T-Pain did not invent the overall term.

Listen here: http://www.yousendit.com/download/TzY1R0laYUlvQUozZUE9PQ

7) All Right - This song features a nice beat with some catchy "oh's" during the simple chorus. You also get a verse from Freaky Tah, who I think kicks his 2nd verse of the LP at this point. Big Dex kicks a verse here as well.

8) Legal Drug Money - For some reason, back when I first got this album, I didn't listen to this song much, but it's a solid song. It's a song about growing up in the ghetto and features both Cheeks and Tahleek.

9) Get Up - This is a catchy song mostly about the lady's and being Lost Boyz. Kicking game and partying seem to be the biggest themes on this track.

10) Is This Da Part - Cheeks kicks some verses about a girl that he was with that played him. It's another nice song.

11) Straight from the Ghetto - Another street track where cheeks talks about struggles, crooked cops, girls and life. You get another catchy chorus that just sticks in your head for days.

12) Keep It Real - I think this is the weakest song on the album. It's an okay song, but the beat is a little lackluster and the track itself is a little mellow for me.

13) Channel Zero - There's a long intro to the song, but when it kicks in, you get a real nice song. The beat is real nice and Cheeks talks again about his struggles and the struggles and the music industry (he's got the 411 to the ghetto). He also talks about his beef with certain white people, including Marky Mark (which I thought was a pretty dated reference at the time) and his beef with some black people as well.

One of my favorite things about this song is when Cheeks says "My mom dukes is always banging on my door. My musics too loud, I got clothes on the floor." And Tah in the background yells "Pick 'em up!" I always thought that was funny.

14) Da Game - Here's a nice song, but maybe the 2nd weakest on the LP. More of Cheeks talking about struggling, etc.

15) 1,2,3 - Here's Freaky Tah's song. You have to wait a while and listen to a long intro. Tah wasn't the greatest emcee, but he was decent and I really like this song. He raps about living on the streets and Cheeks kicks the chorus. I assume the lyrics are not accurate, as Freaky Tah talks about travelling through the city and the drug game and taking out certain people in the game. We also hear Pretty Lou for a second, maybe he helped write lyrics for the group. Again, I still don't know what he did.

16) Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless (remix) - This is a nice remix with some new lyrics and a similar, but different chorus.

Overall, this is a great album and I often listen to it to this day. If you don't own this, I'd suggest that you go out right now and check it out. The band put out 2 other LP's that I enjoyed, but they weren't even close to being on the same level as LDM.

Read More...

Summary only...

Used CD Shopping Trip 8-24

Second Spin; Denver, Denver Colorado $24.13

I love Fridays, especially after a pay day. I work weird hours during the week, coming in the office by 6 a.m. and getting off between noon and 2 p.m., depending on the work load. This past Friday, I left the office around noon, stopped by Pat's Cheesesteaks (best Philly's in Denver) and munched down on a philly cheesesteak sandwich then decided to hit up Second Spin, probably my favorite used CD stop in Denver. Although it was pay day, after paying bills and the such, I had to watch what I spent. I couldn't do one of my infamous $75-$100 trips. So I pulled a $20 out of the ATM went into the shop. The best thing about Second Spin is they always have pretty good specials going on. This time it was buy two used CD's get the third for half price and their usual any CD 3.99 and under is half priced. They had a fair amount more in terms of selection when it came to the $3.99, they must have missed me, since I hadn't been in for awhile.

Nothing horribly rare by any sense of the means, although a couple CD's I was happy to run into. I think most if not all have been seen on the blog circuit (what hasn't?) and I've even posted more than one of these. I dug through the entire section and since I was on a "strict" budget (I still managed to go over my $20 limit) I only picked the $3.99 and under CD's. The result? Twelve disks for $24.13. Here is my bounty.

Rottin Razkals - Rottin' Ta Da Core (Illtown, 1995) $2.00

1. Intro

2. Batter Up

3. Oh Yeah

4. Frustration

5. A-Yo

6. Hey Alright

7. Lik' a Shot

8. One Time for Ya Mind

9. Get up, Stand Up

10. Life of Bastard Featuring Treach

11. Homiez Niggas

12. Come on Y'all

Naughty By Nature's weed carriers dropped their only album in '95 to a semi warm reception. Nothing terribly exciting about this album, but if you liked Naughty, then you should probably check this album out, shit even Treach is the first person you hear when you play the first song. All the production was done by Naughty (read Kay Gee) so you know what to expect.

JCD & The Dawg Pound - A Day In The Life (Profile, 1992) $2.00

1. Radio Intro

2. St. Louis Niggas

3. Get Naked

4. They Like It Like We Do

5. Day in the Life of a JCD

6. Tilo Sings the Hits

7. Big Bitch

8. Kibbles and Bits

9. Bon Appetit

10. Over Pussy

11. Tell Ya' Bout a Bitch

12. Boot Nat

13. Fish House

14. Budda Rhymes

15. Dog Pound

16. Cold Kaos

17. Gotcha

18. Lou 40 Blues

19. Personal Loser

20. Shout Outs

I remember picking this up on tape way back in the day as a result of seeing it in "The Source" or "Rap Pages" or something like that. I completely forgot about until Dread posted it up on Bust The Facts awhile back. It's not a lost gem or anything, but it's not all that bad. It was executive produced by Courtney Branch & Tracy Kendrick, who did some stuff with the "304 Posse" (DJ Quik, AMG, 2nd II None, Hi-C and Slyk Smoove) which is probably why Slyk Smoove appears on a track.

Success N Effect - Drive By Of Uh Revolutionist (Wrap/Ichiban, 1992) $2.00

1. Intro
2. Success N Tha House
3. Cinfrontation In Mosley Park
4. Bucking On Dope Niggers
5. Bullshit Views
6. Raised From Depression
7. Brainwashed Niggers
8. Real Black Souljas
9. Gameplan
10. Ultimatedrive By
11. Police Brutality
12. Fuck1 Time
13. Wblk (We Be Black)
14. Black Radio Aint Black
15. Pimps And Players
16. Out Ta Get Rich
17. Warr
18. Forty Aces And A Mule
19. Fuck The System
20. Comin' Up
21. Voice Of A Black Revolutionist
22. The Other Levell
23. Change The Dial
24. Final Call

For some reason, I've always liked this group, although I'm not really sure why. I guess its because I love their self-titled debut album, which is just about a bitch to find a real copy of. They changed over their three album career. If I remember right, this is their last album they released, which was basically on a black power platform, but some good music, filled with common and familar breaks and samples.

Mic Geronimo - Vendetta (Blunt Recordings, 1997) $1.50

1. Nothin' Move But The Money
2. Vendetta
3. Survival
4. Life N Lessons
5. For Tha Family
6. Street Life
7. Be Like Mic
8. Unstoppable
9. Single Life
10. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
11. How You Been?
12. Usual Suspects

I've never been a big Mic Geronimo fan, I'm not sure why, but he has never excited me. Well, after Polarity dropped a review his one cent album, I've had some weird desire to hear it. Just by looking at the production list on it, you'd think it would have a good chance of making some noise.

Kool Moe Dee - Knowledge Is King (Jive/RCA, 1989) $1.50

1. They Want Money
2. The Avenue
3. I Go To Work
4. All Night Long
5. Knowledge Is King
6. I'm Hittin' Hard
7. Get The Picture
8. I'm Blowin' Up
9. The Don
10. Pump Your Fist

I've always enjoyed this Kool Moe Dee album more than any of his other ones for some reason. I had this on tape, but never did pick up the CD for some reason. "Pump Your Fist" was always one of my favorite Moe Dee joints. This was also about the time he started dabbling a bit in the New Jack Swing stuff that pops up on here in a few places.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - ....And In This Corner (Jive/RCA, 1989) $1.50

1. Then She Bit Me
2. I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson
   
3. Jazzy's Groove
4. Everything That Glitters (Ain't Always Gold)
5. You Got It (Donut)
6. Girlie Had a Mustache
7. Reverend
8. Who Stole My Car?
9. Men of You Dreams
10. Numero Uno
11. Too Damn Hype
12. Jeff Waz on the Beat Box

I ain't gonna lie, I though Jeff's and Will's first four albums were great, and I always particularly liked this LP. Not sure why, its just fun to listen to.

Easy Mo Bee - Now Or Never: Odyssey 2000 $2.00

1. Now Or Never

2. Sunstroke

3. Fie Fie Delish

4. Instrumental No.1

5. S---'s Goin' Down Tonite

6. Soul

7. Talkin' Bout You

8. Instrumental No.2

9. N.Y.C.

10. *69 Monique No.1

11. Sex, Money, Drugs

12. Instrumental No.3

13. Sound Of My Heat

14. Let's Make Toast

15. *69 Monique No.2

16. Make Em Bounce

17. Dis Beat Is Mine

18. Instrumental No.4

19. *69 Monique No.3

20. Always Be There For You

21. We Pledge Allegiance I was kind of scared of this one, there for I never heard it, which is kind of weird for me. This got a lot of bad reviews and the such. While it could stand some trimming on the track list, it isn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be.

Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz - Make It Reign (Columbia, 1998) $1.50

1. Make It Reign

2. We Will Ball

3. Massive Heat

4. Sex, Money, Life Or Death Interlude

5. One Life To Live

6. Fiesta

7. Then & Now Interlude

8. Startin' Somethin'

9. A Night In The Bronx With Lord & Gunz

10. Who Am I

11. Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)

12. Keep On

13. Worldwide

14. Streets To Da Stage

15. BX Most Wanted Interlude

16. Cross Bronx Expressway

17. Precipitation Interlude

18. My Time To Go

19. Bonus Track 1

I never bought this album when it came out, not even sure why, I guess it didn't really excite me when it dropped. Or it could have been my friend bought it and I just dubbed it from him. None the less, I threw it in when I got home and it pretty much sucks. Oh well, it was cheap.


C.E.B. - Countin' Endless Bank (Ruffhouse, 1992) $1.50

1. Seems You Forgot

2. Goes Like This

3. Get the Point

4. Man

5. Pass the Ammo

6. F*ck 'Im Up

7. Back up in da Joint

8. M.D.

9. Pass the Buddha

10. Monkey on My Back

11. Gorilla I think Steady B was the shit, but for some reason, I slept on this when it originally dropped. I guess I had a hard time seeing Steady B as a gangsta...boy was I wrong. Cool C and Stead took the gangsta thing a bit too far and the rest, well, we all know the story. I didn't like this when I first heard this a couple of years ago and Polarity said I was crazy. I gave it another listen and its not as bad as I first thought. Dove Shack - This Is The Shack (Fontana/Def jam, 1995) $1.50 1. Intro (Skit) 2. Smoke Out 3. This Is The Shack 4. Summertime In The LBC 5. Bomb Drop 6. The Train (Skit) 7. Fuck Ya Mouth 8. Slap A Hoe (Skit) 9. Freestyle Interview (Skit) 10. Freestyle 11. Crooked Cop (Skit) 12. Ghetto Life 13. East Side Party 14. Rollin Wit A Gang 15. We Funk (The G Funk) 16. There'll Come A Day 17. Summertime In The LBC (Rap)

This was another album I'm not sure why I never bought. I loved "Summertime In The LBC" and "This Is The Shack", but I never dipped into the cash box for the CD. Giving it a listen Friday night, I loved it. Not sure if it was the seventh beer I was on, or the Madden game I was enjoying, but G-funk never sounded so good to me. Only bad thing, it's the fucking clean version. So if anyone wants the clean version, I'll put the link up, but I doubt anyone would.


Too Nice - Cold Facts (Arista, 1989) $2.00

1		Cold Facts (4:23)
2		Here I Come (4:35)
3		Rock The Girl, Gee (Every Inch) (4:41)
4		Keep Doggin' Em (3:57)
5		The Phantom Of Hip Hop (4:41)
6		Two Can Play The Game (Who's Makin' Love to Your Old Lady) (4:57)
7		I Git Minze (4:30)
8		Cold Wild Strong Isle (3:50)
9		Everybody Loves Sex (4:25)
10		I'm Sad (3:48)

I know what you are thinking, that cover looks like some horrible group. While Too Nice isn't exactly the greatest thing since chocolate and peanut butter, but they are better than they look. I'm not sure if I remember them back in the day. I think it was one of those things I always saw at the record stores I frequented, but never bought because I never heard them. Bust the Facts posted it up this past spring and I kind of enjoyed it, soooo, I found it and the rest is history.


Kriss Kross - Totally Krossed Out (Ruffhouse, 1992) $1.50

1. Intro Interview

2. Jump

3. Lil' Boys In Da Hood

4. Warm It Up

5. The Way Of Rhyme

6. Party

7. We're In Da House

8. A Real Bad Dream

9. It's A Shame

10. Can't Stop The Bum Rush

11. You Can't Get With This

12. I Missed The Bus

13. Outro

14. Party (Krossed Mix)

15. Jump (Extended Mix)

Yeah, yeah, yeah I know, nostaligia is a bitch sometimes. I lost my copy of this sometime ago, and I guess I was too cool to get another at the time. Now I'm old enough, I really don't care. It's not that bad. Besides, I'd rather listen to all the old corny hip-pop stuff from yester year than 99% of the shit thats on the radio presentely. At least I did put down the copy of "Please Don't Hurt 'Em, Hammer"

Read More...

Summary only...