------------Lil Wyno is a veteran in the underground rap territory of Northern Cali, being on numerous cds. He is also a member of the Low Down, who have put out various cds and compilations. Sporting a unique, raspy voice, Lil Wyno is very distinctive when he is on the mic. This is the first solo venture for Lil Wyno, being released on Federal Recordz, owned by one time friend and rapper, Dub (who also does all the production). Though this turned out to be the last time they would work together on a cd, its proof of how just a lethal combination of Dub’s beats and Wyno’s lyrics are together.
___This cd starts off hot right from the start, and never cools off. “To My Niggaz” is like a hood anthem with Lil Wyno giving shots out to all his boys. And it starts off cool also, with someone flipping through the radio stations until the bassline kicks in and then the song starts. “Gotta Be Your Enemy” is also one of the best songs on the cd, as Lil Wyno gives a warning to all his enemies to be on the lookout. After the interlude (track #9) the cd gets only better. “See Wut Happened” has to be my favorite track of them all. Starting off the song is some clip from a movie and then one of the tightest beats ever kicks in right after. It really doesn’t matter who is rapping on this track as you will be too busy just listening to the beat. And if you can get past the beat, Lil Wyno lays it down and tears it up. If you heard the Deadly Game Clique cd then you should be familiar with “Suicidal Questionz (remix)”. Compared to the original, this version is much better. The new beat is about 10 times better and the vocals sound a lot clearer and crisper. “West
Coast” ends up the cd and features Mr.Kee and Duke Shiesty. This turns out to be one of the highlights of the cd, with a tight hook and even tighter lyrics. You know Lil Wyno and Mr.Kee are good on the mic, and Duke Shiesty shows that he isn’t be overlooked either.
___I can only find one problem with this cd, but its a major one. To the average
listener, they may not notice this, but to an avid fan they will immediately pick it up (its in the first song). Lil Wyno tends to reuse his lyrics at times, and its all over this cd. And I don’t mean a few lines, he uses the whole verse. You would think that someone like Lil Wyno would be able to come up with original lyrics but that is not the case, and every few songs you will notice that you have heard this from somewhere else. Then again only someone who has heard a majority of the material Lil Wyno has been on will notice this.
____This is clearly one the best cds to come from the Lowdown camp. Lil Wyno
brings heat the whole cd, and with Dub handling the production, there is no let down in either department. The beats are by far the best Dub has even done and match up perfectly with Lil Wyno. The lyrics are strong throughout also, as not only does Lil Wyno come up big, but all his guest appearances are also tight(Mr.Kee gives a solid performance on all three songs he is featured on). Like I said before, the only thing holding this cd back from being a perfect 10/10 is the use of some recycled lyrics, which shouldn’t have been an issue. Aside from that, there is nothing to complain about. You can play this cd from start to finish and listen to just about every song without getting bored with any track in particular. This has to be one of the best cds to come out in recent years and outshine most other cds coming out from the Northern Cali. rap scene and should not be overlooked by anyone who likes rap with a hard edge.
Rating: 9.3/10
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bruce Wayne
