Bringing Murder Muzik to market has been tedious task for Mobb Deep. Loud Records, the group's label, change distributors which could a host of legal battles. Then there was the
matter of the CD being downloaded on the internet some months ago, which had the duo scrabbling to add new tracks and delete others.
Despite those problems, "Murder Muzik" has been one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year.
Will the group's fans be disappointed? That's hard to tell. Rap and hip-hop fans are tickled.
They also buy a great deal of bootleg copies to be the first to have a new release. To the duo's credit "Murder Muzik" (or "Mobb Muzik" if you buy the "clean" version) is a tasty
blend of thick beats, slick productions and, on a few occasions, even some thought provoking lyrics. Listen to "Spread Love" a song pleading for a stop to the violence.
But like most rap and hip-hop releases, "Murder Muzik" gets bogged down in violence, sex and profanity-laced tirades. That's what most listeners seem to snap up, so most artists
oblige. And as usual, the guest list is about eight deep, spread across 19 tacks.
"Murder Muzik" may be flawed, but for most it will be well worth the wait. The duo's got
talent, a rare commodity in the entertainment business these days. With songs like "Where Ya From?," "Streets Raised Me," and the hypnotic "Quiet Storm" remix, "Murder Muzik"
will be on DJs turntables for months to come.
Various Artists
Summer Heat, 1999 Vol. 1
Various producers
MCA/Universal Music Company
MCA is taking a lesson from the European market. Much like the "Now That's Music"
series, "Summer Heat" combines familiar tunes with songs from forthcoming CDs. This will either help promote the labels new music or tell consumers to stay away.
Most will like what they hear. Everything is radio friendly, which sells records. But there's some interesting new stuff, such as Melky Sedeck's blockbuster version of "To Sir, With
Love" and Rahsaan Patterson's haunting "It's Alright Now." Now that's real summer heat.
Rating:
Classic;
Excellent;
Good;
Fair;
Why?: No stars - A mess.
