This had been on my to listen to list for a minute. However, the negative reception it has received, due to The D.O.C.'s voice, had made me stay away. For those who don't know, The D.O.C. released an outstanding debut album, but he was then in a car accident and his vocal cords were severely damaged. From there, subsequent rushed surgeries, in an effort to get back on stage, only made it worse. He ghostwrote a lot for Dr Dre / NWA and claims that he was never compensated for his work. He was apparently working on the Cube/Dre album, 'Heltah Skeltah', and used some of that for this album. So this album is somewhat of a "fuck you" to Dre and his previous labels. Knowing what Dre is like with releasing records, maybe it would have never happened anyway, but damn, I would've loved a mid-90s Dre and Cube album! The album kicks off with 'Return of the Livin' Dead' which basically uses the same instrumental as his hit 'It's Funky Enough' and the following song samples 'For the Love of You' by The Isley Brothers, so the production, handled by The D.O.C. and Erotic D, isn't an issue at the beginning of the album as it isn't throughout. It's funky, dark and hard. There are some nice production touches and some of the transitions from the verses to hooks are dope. Forgetting about his raspy voice, which I don't really have too much of an issue with, (you could say that it almost fits some of the dark lyrically themes), the problem is that at times it has been mixed too low making it a challenge to hear the lyrics. The worst and only close to boring song is 'Erotix Shit' with its monotonous production and uninspired rapping by the rappers featured on it. Some of the interludes and stuff at the beginning and end of songs is also something I loath that brings the album down a notch. I don't think The D.O.C.'s damaged voice ruins the album like many other listeners would have you believe. This is a lot better than I expected. Even with the damaged voice, he flows and rhymes well, and the production is well above average, but I'm a sucker for mid-'90s west coast beats. Best Tracks: Return of da Livin' Dead, Secret Plan, .45 Automatic, Brand New Formula

This band would have to have the most diverse songs. There are some I love such as, Aerials, and then they can make songs I loath. This LP is a mixture also. Best Tracks: Violent Pornography, Old School Hollywood, Lost in Hollywood

Cormega returns for his first album in three years. The topics probably haven't altered a lot from before, being mostly about the state of hip hop, the culture and race issues, but Mega does it in more detail than most and it's different enough to catch the ear. He also flows brilliantly on some songs such as 'Rap Basquiat'. The beats, by the legendary Large Pro, aren't as great as the ones on his most recent solo album, Professor @ Large, but he doesn't disappoint too much. The only real negative is Cormega's voice. While it's a helluva lot better than being annoying or bad, it just doesn't have that distinctiveness or power to it which is something I have felt with other Cormega projects I've checked as well. A good album though. The vets are still doing it. Best Tracks: MARS, Industry, Rap Basquiat.

It seemed more difficult to create poor albums than good ones in '94. The consistency is so high from the golden age. This is another nice east coast/boom bap/jazz-rap album. For a 14-15-year-old, the rapping is great, and unlike other young rappers from back in the day, the lyrics aren't dumbed down for a younger audience, nor is there pop-rap. Shyheim actually spits some gangsta lyrics and curses. Another good boom bap album without reaching any outstanding moments. Best Tracks: On and On, Pass It Off, You the Man, The Rugged Onez

NBN are my favourite rap group, but this album came as a surprise to me when I stumbled upon it. Considering that it was only two years between this and their NBN debut, the quality in beats is quite large, with this being pretty much what you'd expect to hear from a standard '80s hip hop album, while their Naughty debut sounds quite fresh for a '91 release. The other difference is their ability to craft songs. NBN's strength was their anthems with some excellent catchy choruses among their best work, but there really isn't much memorable on this. It's still pretty consistent though, with some great rapping, as Treach is a beast on the mic, but the beats leave too much to be desired. Best Tracks: Scuffin' Those Knees, Start Smokin', Can't Win for Losing, Independent Leader, Bring the Rock