WC may be the most underrated and driven force behind the 90’s west coast music dominance. His two group forays WC And The Maad Circle and Westside Connection produced some of the west’s most classic music. Another sign of his true west coast heroism would be his damn near Pixar Animated crip walk sessions on Dr. Dre’s Up In Smoke Tour- DVD and on Westside Connection’s lead single “Bow Down”. Now in line to release his third solo effort in nine years WC is witnessing himself become one of the last of a dying breed. Guilty By Affiliation will not be the most heralded releases of the year but judging from his prior work it promises to be one of the most slept on gems on this annual report.

The west coast vet wastes absolutely no time in repping for one of the countries most notorious cities on the Jellyroll produced “This Is Los Angeles”. “I’m harder than Michael Jackson dick in a daycare” spits WC on the braggadocios bass heavy “Jack And The Beanstalk”. Producer Mr. Porter laces WC with an antagonizing vintage sound scape on the concrete hard “Paranoid”. The album’s title track is not just the title track, it’s a statement thanks to hot, green, and sticky production from Teak “The Beatsmith” & Dee “Underdue” coupled with inner driven lyrics from WC. Snoop Dogg manages to spit one of his better verses alongside WC on “Dodgeball”, but it’s Butch Cassidy’s playa smooth hook that puts the track over the top. When WC switches his mindset to females on the overactive “If You See A Bad Bitch” and “Look At Me” he is met by immediate failure. “Side Dick” manages to fair just a little better than it’s raunchy aforementioned counter parts. Ice Cube and WC send a comical angst filled shot at our generation on the Bow Down reminiscent “80’s Babies”. On the ensuing Emile produced “Gang Injunctions” WC proceeds to send a couple of burning shots at the Terminator.

With Guilty By Affiliation WC crafts a rarity in rap music these days. He manages to string together a consecutive number of pure west coast bangers without even trying. For the most part Guilty By Affiliation is a noteworthy effort though there’s moments when WC’s offbeat flow can be flat out annoying. Combining mammoth west coast beats with some over the top south central gangsterism WC ultimately turns in the west’s biggest winner thus far in ’07. 

VERDICT – 12 / 20
LYRICS: 3
PRODUCTION: 4
DELIVERY: 3
CONSISTENCY: 2