------------X-Raided, even though still encarcerated, has come out with his 5th cd to date (the fourth one was under the alias "Nefarious"). VIM is a little more than 58 minutes long with 15 tracks. There is a short intro, but the rest is music. Being in jail leaves Raided but with one thing to do: write lyrics. Thanks to all the time he puts into this, the rhymes he lays down in VIM are amazing. How about the rest of the features? The producers did their job, and how...
___The intro, called "The Prophecy", features Dott Dogg. This is his only appearance on the cd, which is disappointing to say the least. To waste Raided's and Dott Dogg's awesome chemistry (as seen on the song "Take Flight" from "The Unforgiven") is one of the few shortcomings of this cd. Right after this is the track "Write What I See". The flow is tight as hell and is one of the best tracks on the cd. It is also one of the few solo tracks by Raided. The beats are used again on the last song, however, which has No Love and T-Nutt on it. This tracks is called "We Bang" and it is also one of the best songs on the cd. The best song on the cd, however, can be said to be two of them: "Hold On" or the title track, "Vengeance Is Mine". Both have complicated beats which compliment the as-expected, flawless flow of Raided.
___Almost every song on this cd is a standout. It is one tight song after another. The one annoying thing about this cd happens on two tracks. First, on song 5 "Who But Me", Gold Loc Da Kingpen keeps saying "nigga" in a high pitched voice in every other line throughout his verse and all through the chorus. He does it again on the very next song, "Sac-a-indo". Both songs are otherwise tight as hell, but this little point is annoying at first, but I guess you get used to it after a while. Gold Loc does redeem himself, however, in "Vengeance is Mine" and in those two songs, when he is not talking in a high-pitched voice. Also featured on this cd are Shaka Loc ("Terrorist" and "Hit the Club", both tight songs) and Luni Coleone ("Kamikaze").
___The rhymes are what we have come to expect from Raided, usually about his life, getting high, and sticking up for his crew. When he speaks about his life, he shows some remorse for having done what he did to get in jail. He reflects back and thinks about the things he could have done before to fix up his life and what matters were out of his control in deciding his fate. In all, X-Raided knows he shouldn't of done what he did because he could be enjoying the fruits of his labor on the outside, instead of being in jail. It sounds like he has matured somewhat since "The Unforgiven".
___The beats and the flow connect tightly throughout the cd. The tracks on which he shines are all done either by Big Hollis or KG. Hopefully his departure from Black Market Records to his own company, Madman Records, will bring these talented producers closer to X so that they can collaborate more in the future. This is his last cd on BMR and probably his last working with Cedric Singleton, who works with everyone at Black Market. This last work with that crew is tight as fuck and in many aspects surpasses "The Unforgiven". The beats are astounding and so good that even people who have never heard anything from Sac-Town, or underground for that matter, love the music behind the incredible flow. It's shaping up to be the best cd of 2000 (and released just in time for Christmas), so this is one that should not be passed up, and that goes for anyone, even if you are not currently down with Raided.
