Notes & Personnel Info |  | M.O.P.: Lil' Fame, Billy Danzenie (rap vocals). | | Additional personnel: Teflon, Jay Z, Gangstarr, Freddy Foxxx, Treach, Big Pun, Heather B, Pete Rock, OC. | | Producers include: M.O.P., DJ Premier, Laze E. Laze. | | Engineers include: Dejuana Richardson, Eddie Sancho, Winston PHillips, Leo Swift Morris, Dexter Thibou. | | Audio Mixers: DJ Premier; Eddie Sancho . | | Recording information: D&D Studios; Pyramid Studios. | | Photographer: Christian Lantry. | | Mash Out Posse return with another dose of that strictly underground N.Y. flavor. M.O.P. rely on no gimmicks, as Lil' Fame and Billy Danzenie continue to lick shots upside your head with reckless abandon. Sticking to their guns, M.O.P. refuse to soften their product in search of platinum plates. DJ Premier executive-produced this album and chipped in five slamming, standout tracks. With Primo behind the boards, the results are usually splendid, and M.O.P. take full advantage of his presence. On "Breakin' the Rules," M.O.P. break down the inner workings of the game, chastising those who don't follow proper procedures. M.O.P. and Bumpy Knucks (aka Freddie Foxxx) put it down for N.Y. on "I Luv." Primo continues to bless M.O.P. with "Downtown Swinga 98," the third installment of this trilogy. With "Salute, Pt. 2," Guru lends his voice to help M.O.P. take things one step further over the best of Primo's tracks found here (which is saying something). Also check out "Down 4 Whateva," featuring an always-on-point O.C., and "Brooklyn/Jersey Get Wild" with an invigorated Treach. "Blood Sweat and Tears" and "What the Future Holds are a nice change of pace and show M.O.P.'s maturity from previous efforts. One of the few missteps the duo takes is with "4 Alarm Blaze," as Teflon and Jay-Z (along with M.O.P.) deliver strong lyrics, but the track is less than riveting. Furthermore, "Ride with Us" and "New York Salute" become stagnant and do nothing to distinguish themselves. Primo's contribution helped M.O.P. take a step that was very much needed. His sharp and resounding drum kicks mesh perfectly with M.O.P.'s gritty sandpaper flow. When Lil' Fame and Billy speak, you can hear the pain, anger, anguish, and passion resonate from inside. ~ Matt Conaway | | If you haven't heard M.O.P., then forget everything you may have heard about hardcore rap music. M.O.P. is the primary representateive of hardcore, with all others trailing in their wake. With two full albums and one EP already earning much respect on the streets, M.O.P.'s FIRST FAMILY 4 LIFE further proves why this Brownsville duo has been around for so long, despite decidedly noncommercial appeal. | | FIRST FAMILY 4 LIFE is hip-hop in its truest form, with lyrical realism and head-nodding production. "4 Alarm Blaze," which features Jay-Z and Teflon, raises as much adrenaline as "How About Some Hardcore" did in the Mash Out Posse's early days. Freddie Foxxx drops in on "I Luv," a song that captures the essence of hip-hop, with lyrical beatdowns over a DJ Premier track. Salute. |
Musical Guests | | Jay-Z | | Gang Starr | | Treach | | Big Pun | | Heather B. | | Pete Rock | | O.C. | | Teflon | | Freddie Foxxx |
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