The album that would start Z-Ro's 20+ years in hip hop. You definitely hear the Pac influence during the album. This features more fast-paced rapping, that Z-Ro does brilliantly, compared to what we hear on his contemporary albums where he sings more often, that we see some of here, but it's predominantly on the hooks. He produces this as well, something that he has continued to do on a number of his albums. As with a lot of Z-Ro projects, the production isn't amazing and the strength is Ro's rapping, vocals and songwriting.
The opener, 'Guerilla Till I Die', remains one of my favourite Ro songs from his entire discography. He raps brilliantly, the hook is catchy and the lyrics are interesting. The following title track isn't quite as strong but again features outstanding rapping. 'City of Killers' features a lot of features and the strength is the chorus from Ro. The strongest run of tracks is 'R U Down' to 'Lord Tell Me Why'. This album would be better with fewer features but overall it's the beginning of what Z-Ro would continue to provide for decades; highly skilled rapping, some melodic crooning and consistent albums.
Beats: ★★★☆
Bars: ★★★★☆
Hooks: ★★★★
Best Tracks: Guerilla Till I Die, Look What You Did to Me, Life Story, R U Down, Dedicated 2 U, Lord Tell Me Why, Paper Game