Slick Rick was blessed with the features here. That is the first thing I'd like to mention. Legends OutKast, Nas and Canibus all add their talent to make those songs standouts with the Canibus one probably being my pick from the disc. Snoop and Raekwon (Corey Woods on Spotify for some reason) are also here but those songs aren't as strong. There are songs like 'Who Rotten 'Em' and 'Frozen' that probably won't have you rushing back to listen to, but elsewhere, it's all good east coast hip hop. Rick would've been better off cutting some of the fat though. After 'Unify', we have two skits, a remix of sorts with 'I Own America, Part 2, an average Doug E Fresh collaboration and two live songs, so it does feel like a long album with that kind of tail. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: Street Talkin', Me & Nas Bring It to Your Hardest, King Piece in the Chess Game, I Run This, Why Why Why, Memories

I'm revisiting Slick Rick's albums and having this at 2.5/5 was surprising after the enjoyable start of the album. Moving ahead three years from his debut, the production is an improvement from the jump, with the first couple of songs featuring high tempo drums and quick-fire rapping. After not remembering this album very well, I was asking myself if it falls away. 'Moses' begins the minor problems. Rick drops off from the verses, in a style he often uses, but the beat basically just rides on the chorus, as do most of the previous songs, and it's a touch boring. The following 'Tonto' continues with the sound from the first four songs and again there isn't a hook to speak of. Thankfully, the next song, 'Mistakes of a Woman in Love With Other Men', completely changes up the pace. He could rap louder though. The vocals are too low on some songs. The production is catchy enough that it manages to get a pass, but again, the chorus is just scratching and "how long can you (go)" being repeated. 'Venus' goes back to the high tempo, quick rapping of the first five songs, but the minor production beat change up about half way through works well along with the singing hook after the one solitary long verse. The beat rides for almost two minutes after the hook. 'It's a Boy' sees Slick Rick back in his lane, and like 'Mistakes of a Woman in Love With Other Men', the production is more unique and enjoyable. Then the album ends with an unexpected dance song that isn't bad. To answer my own question from the introduction, it doesn't fall into too large of a hole, but the sound and way Rick raps is too similar. It kind of feels like he was going through the motions on some of these songs. When you compare the production on here to something like Naughty By Nature's debut, released in the same year, the production does still sound like it's stuck in the previous decade. The hooks are really lacking as well, with most songs just letting the beat ride. Yes, 'Children's Story' doesn't have a chorus either, but he basically does it for a whole album here and that formula can't always work. This is stuck somewhere between 2.5/5 and 3/5. There is nothing unlikable but there are too many songs that lack that something extra to take them and the album to the next level. If there were more hooks with some variation, it would've added some extra life to the album that in the end, is all too similar and not as fun as a Slick Rick album should be. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆ Hooks: ★★ Best Tracks: Bond, Mistakes of a Woman in Love With Other Men, Venus, It's a Boy

Like much of '80s hip hop, the production leaves something to be desired for me, particularly on the opener and 'Indian Girl' with others not far off either. However, on the positive side, you have some great tracks including the legendary 'Children's Story', and 'Hey Young World' (that i actually prefer), one of the most original, talented and fun rappers telling the stories, and an album full of songs that were influential to so many other artists. If you're a big fan of the genre, then while listening to this album, you should pick out a heap of quotes from Rick that were to be sampled on future rappers' tunes. If you had another rapper on these beats instead of one with Rick's original qualities, it wouldn't be half the album it is. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: The Ruler's Back, Children's Story, Teenage Love, Hey Young World, Teacher Teacher

If Snoop didn't drop far enough from 'Doggystyle' to 'Tha Doggfather', he took another step down with this album. The move to the south with No Limit is of course very interesting and it makes for an album of west coast beats with some southern influence, and vice versa. At times Snoop sounds great on this, other times he sounds unpolished, overall though, it's fairly boring, and I probably wouldn't even rank the best songs here near Snoops top 20-25 tracks. And in saying that, most of the best feature Mystikal because he adds some more energy to the tracks, and the same thing applies to 'Ain't Nut'in Personal' as well with its features. The opener, 'Snoop World', feels like a track you'd put somewhere in the middle of the album, not as a song to kick an album off. The following 'Slow Down' isn't much better. He tried to build on a success with 'Gin & Juice II' , but it doesn't work too well. Charlie Wilson tried on the hook of 'Show Me Love', but it's another lackluster song with non-eventful production. Snoop sounds bored too. On the whole, there is nothing terrible but most tracks lack that something extra. Beats: ★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★☆ Hooks: ★★☆ Best Tracks: Woof!, Tru Tank Dogs, Whatcha Gon Do?, Still a G Thang, Ain't Nut'in Personal, DP Gangsta, Doggz Gonna Get Ya

I'm an Erick Sermon fan, so I'm surprised that I missed this project. I think because it's labelled as a compilation, I always assumed it was best off, but it's all new music, just made up of different artists. Redman produces the first two songs, and Erick handles the rest. I haven't heard of many of the artists who, checking out their credits, didn't have long lasting successful careers, but they all rap well enough over these strong boom bap beats. Apart from the radio skits with Cherry Martinez, that are annoying and corny, there isn't anything to not enjoy. If you enjoy that classic east coast boom bap sound, this is worth listening to. Best Tracks: Redman - Funkorama, Passion - As the..., Jamal & Calif - Beez Like That (Sometimes), Duo - On the Regular, Erick Sermon - Reign