As I was youtube surfing last night I came across this classic joint by Juvenile from the summer of 2001. “Set It Off” used to be one of the crime influenced theme songs for my football teammates and I. I do remember listening to this track about 78 fuckin times on the way to camp that summer. Once we got off the bus we proceeded to beat the shit out of some team from Tennessee named Smyrna. Actually, maybe that was the year after. The bottom line is that somebody got that ass tapped all because of this song. Thank you Juve!

I could only wish that I had had the intuition to be a hip-hop journalist at the age of eight. If I would have I might have been able to write reviews about an album such as Doggystyle. Well, since I own this site and I pretty much dictate whatever goes on in this corner of the internet I’m writing a review on Doggystyle in 2009. I didn’t really get into this album anywhere near the time that it actually came out. Much like the rest of the albums of the early 90’s I didn’t get onto this until about a year later. It might have actually been two years later because I distinctly remember listening to this and Bone’s Eternal 1999 simultaneously. Whatever the case was, the shit bumped and here’s why…

What would life be like without a pound of weed per day and a big screen TV? These are the questions that one of Snoop’s accomplices asks on the album’s bathtub intro. After a quick reintroduction to the album on “G-Funk Intro” Snoop gets right down to business on one of the most famous rap songs of all time with the anthem “Gin & Juice.”

In it’s prime simplicity “The Shiznit” still serves as one of Dr. Dre’s signature production efforts from his storied career behind the boards. “Lodi Dodi” finds Snoop expanding his creativity as he spits simple bars in the same fashion that Slick Rick would have. Of course we all know about the eerie coincidence in timing between Snoop’s murder trial and the release of the popular single “Murder Was The Case.” Dr. Dre makes his only cameo on the album on the albums first single “Who Am I (What’s My Name).”

It might be a consensus that “It Aint No Fun (If The Homies Can’t Have None)” is where Nate Dogg’s absurd singing career really took off.  Dr. Dre goes all the way in on the Dramatics featured “Doggy Dogg World.” Though the lyrics are pretty much on course with the rest of the album this particular track definitely stands out as the most grown up affair. Things start to get just a little monotonous as the album wears through the fourth quarter but “G’z and Hustlas” should still be one of the album’s favorites.

After listening to this classic piece of work in its entirety today I realize that maybe this album wasn’t as good as we all once thought it was. Of course it still has those tracks that touch that back part of your neck but overall it plays out to be just a tad bit dry. Then again maybe a bulk of the albums that were inspired by and came after Doggystyle each took away some of its urban relevance. No matter what we may think about it listening to it today it still and will always serve as one of the most quintessential hip hop albums of all time. Remember I use the word hip-hop to describe what most people consider rap. Doggystyle was a lot of things, it was gangsta rap, it was G-Funk, it was hip-hop, but most importantly it was and still is a classic!

I must say that I didn’t really like Ghetto Fabulous much when it first came out but over the years the album really grew on me. I think this album really illustrates the musical genus that some of the No Limit artists possessed. Its sad to know that this was pretty musc the last good album that No Limit records ever released.

I never thought a serious rap song could be so funny until I hear Mystikal kick his lifelong history on the Mo B Dick produced “Keep It Hype.” Shit only gets funnier as KLC laces the backdrop for Mystikal to spit about a figurative dream he once had on the vividly detailed “I’m On Fire.” Mytikal, Mia X, and Fiend pull off a lyrical heist on one of the album’s superior joints “The Stick Up.”

If the beginning f “I Smell Smoke” doesn’t at least get you a little high then you obviously don’t know shit about great smoke sessions. Master P and C-Murder assist Mytikal on one my favorite tracks ever; the Dez produced hustler’s anthem “Stack Yo Chips.” Mystikal goes on a lyrical tirade over a clever work of beat artistry from super producer KLC on “Yaah!”

Ghetto Fabulous was definitely one, if not the best, No Limit albums of 1998. Most of the other album’s were created by individuals who probably didn’t have any real business rapping. Ghetto Fabulous on the other hand was crafted by one of the best rappers out of the south. The nationwide features on this album alone should be evidence enough of the consistency Mystikal was able to deliver.

I remember the first time I heard this album was right around the time my granny passed away from a brain tumor. I remember my big cousin driving me and my little brother around in one of his chicks yellow something or another bumpin the hell out of this record. I must say that this compilation brings back some good, bad, and painful memories.

On the remixed version of “No Limit Soldiers” P invites C-Murder, Fiend, Magic, Mr. Serv-On, Mia X, Big Ed, Silkk The Shocker, and Mystikal to spit on one of the tank’s shiniest hits. Mystikal comes with some fire lyrics over a heated production courtesy of Craig B. Mia X insists that real pimps wear dresses on her well packaged and quick offering “Girl Power.”

Craig B turns in another heater behind the boards when he tosses Steady Mobb’n some flame on “Red Rum.” Mr. Serv-On’s “My City” had a strange mystique about it. It definitely wasn’t the compilation’s best offering but it still had an undeniable groove to it thanks to Carlos Stephens use of several piano strokes. The compilation’s surprise comes when Big Ed turns in a definite highlight over a certified KLC beat on “Assassin.”

We Can’t Be Stopped turned out to be a very surprising collection of tracks to me. This was around the time that everything that No Limit was dropping was turning to water. Contrary to that notion I truly believe that this compilation was put together in late 1997 as opposed to late 1998.

When Memorial Day first came out the only thing that made me even think about picking it us was the bright red case. Other than that I must admit that I wasn’t at all a fan of Full Blooded. This is actually the first time I ever listened to a single track off this album. I must say thank God for all these half price bookstores.

Carlos Stephens laces a slow unorthodox banger for the surprising opening to Full Blooded’s debut set, “Dog Shit.” Craig B lifts a piano sample from one of those daytime soap operas that your grandmother doesn’t miss for the almost acceptable “Foes Bleed Bullets.” The late New Orleans native Camouflage and Nite Tyme assist Full Blooded in the hood assault.

On the Carlos Stephens engineered “Same Ole Nigga” Full Blooded fuses sounds from the ‘80s with attitude from the late ‘90s.C-Murder and Big Ed offer some much needed assistance on the almost highlight worthy effort “I’m Gonna Hustle.” On the Carlos Stephens constructed “Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind” Full Blooded and Dolliole from the Ghetto Commission go hard on other dudes chicks.

Memorial Day was nothing at all spectacular but I must admit that it is a little better than I anticipated. This album has at least a couple of quality tracks but after its all said and done Full Blooded just never was one of No Limit’s flagship artist at all.