It sounds like Nas, but with two rappers, and the music is a bit more meandering. In my mind, Nas by himself is far more interesting to listen to than these guys, but it generally works. Not sure why a decent mid-90's East Coast rap record received such an immense amount of critical attention.

I don't feel this is the type of album to really blow you away, it's just really really solid. Havoc and Prodigy both ride these dark gritty east coast beats flawlessly, and while I could understand finding this boring, mainly due to the comparable beats, there is enough to enjoy. The weakest part of this is the middle of the album where there is nothing extraordinary for a few tracks, but we all know track 15 is worth waiting for. I can imagine people who owned the cassette of this wearing the tape out rewinding to the beginning of 'Shook Ones'. Best Tracks: Survival of the Fittest, Right Back at You, Drink Away the Pain, Shook Ones Pt. II