Guerilla City (Explicit Version) (2004)

Product Summary Label: Virgin Records UPC: 00724358178623 Release Date: 9/28/2004 Buy.com Sku: 63759824 Item#: M2KDT2 Format:  CD Song Listing Disc 1 Song Title Sample 1. Hearts Of Fire ~ Guerilla Black 2. Guerilla City ~ Guerilla Black 3. Compton - (Patois, featuring Beenie Man) ~ Guerilla Black 4. You're The One - (featuring Mario Winans) ~ Guerilla Black 5. Strip Club, The - (skit, featuring Alex Thomas/Vonda Hope-Eaton) ~ Guerilla Black 6. Trixxx ~ Guerilla Black 7. Guerilla Nasty - (featuring Jazze Pha/Brooke Valentine) ~ Guerilla Black 8. Sunrise ~ Guerilla Black 9. What We Gonna Do - (featuring Nate Dogg) ~ Guerilla Black 10. Hotel, The - (skit) ~ Guerilla Black 11. Say What ~ Guerilla Black 12. Yes Sir ~ Guerilla Black 13. It's All Right - (French) ~ Guerilla Black 14. Girlfriend - (featuring Jazze Pha) ~ Guerilla Black 15. My First ~ Guerilla Black   Album Notes and Credits Notes & Personnel Info Personnel: Guerilla Black (rap vocals); Marion Remazeilles, Traci Nelson (vocals); Beenie Man (rap vocals); Fredwreck Nassar (guitar, keyboards); Eric Coomes (guitar); Roy "Royalty" Hamilton (programming); Jazze Pha, Mario Winans, Nate Dogg, Alex Thomas, Brooke Valentine, Vonda Hope-Eaton. Audio Mixers: Manny Marroquin; Jason Goldstein; Jean-Marie Horvat; Richard Huredia. Recording information: Ardent Studios, Memphis, TN; Big 3 Recording Studios, St. Petersburg, FL; Can-Am; Danga Zone Studios, Miami Beach, FL; Forster Bros. Entertainment, Los Angeles, CA; Fredwreck's Crib; Nate's Crib; Soundcastle Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Southgate Studios, Los Angeles, CA; The Darkchild Grind Factory. Photographer: Jonathan Mannion. For a relative newcomer, Guerilla Black sure has a lot going for him on his debut album, Guerilla City. Here he is, a new face on the national scene (from Compton, he is), not affiliated with anyone (let alone any posse), not down with any particular scene (the West Coast had been relatively silent in recent years), and not signed by any significant label (Virgin Records, not exactly a brand name synonymous with rap). Yet, this lack of credentials aside, Black has himself a damn impressive debut album. For one, he sounds almost exactly like the Notorious B.I.G. -- no joke, almost exactly like Biggie! And not just his voice itself but also in terms of delivery and subject matter (and moreover, he even looks like Big). It's quite amazing, the resemblance. There are moments while you're listening to his album when you drift off for a moment and forget the rapper you're listening to isn't actually Biggie. It's a downright ghostly experience! And Black knows it, too, making the connection for you before Guerilla City even gets a couple minutes underway. No doubt this resemblance was his ticket to the big time, but there's more to Guerilla City than that. The second major virtue the album boasts is solid production courtesy of Carlos Broady, Red Spyda, Mario Winans, Jazze Pha, Roy "Royalty" Hamilton, Rodney Jenkins, Rick Rock, and Fredwreck Nassar. And these are just the most notable producers! Quite an impressive roster of talent to work with, especially for a newcomer, huh? And these guys don't just make beats; they craft a number of could-be hits too long to count on one hand. Believe it or not, Guerilla City is one of the best rap albums to surface over the course of 2004, even if you've never even heard of this guy before and even if nothing commercially significant ever comes of this stellar debut. And if you think that's just good ol' hyperbole, give one of these songs a studious listen and you'll think twice: dare sample either the chilly "What We Gonna Do" (with a trademark Nate Dogg hook) or the lovely "You're the One" (with a trademark Mario Winans hook) -- two of the best-crafted, most accessible Biggie songs the Notorious one never recorded. ~ Jason Birchmeier With its understated black-and-white cover, GUERILLA CITY allows Guerilla Black to let his talent do the talking, delivering one of the most refreshing debut albums of 2004. When Guerilla Black began appearing on mix tapes, comparisons to the Notorious B.I.G. popped up so frequently that he addresses and dismisses the similarities in the first lines of the record's opening track, "Hearts of Fire." In truth, Guerilla's looks are strikingly similar to those of Christopher "Biggie" Wallace; the sizeable rapper so resembles the fallen legend that it's almost surprising to note that Guerilla Black is not related to Wallace. (His given name is Charles Tony Williamson.) While Guerilla does possess a comparable relaxed style and the kind of dry wit that made Biggie Smalls huge, the Los Angeles native earns the considerable buzz his record generated, with his own remarkable skills. Guerilla Black explores the chaotic world around him with lyrical scenarios worthy of Nas, whether a stone-cold hustler with political perceptiveness on "Say What" or a tender lover pondering a future marriage with a new love on "Girlfriend." Flawlessly produced, and augmented by numerous guest shots, most notably Beenie Man on the single "Compton," GUERILLA CITY announces Guerilla Black as an important rapper on the scene. Producer: Mario Winans; Fredwreck Nassar; Alex Thomas; Charles Williamson; Carlos Broady; Jazze Pha; Ric Rude; Roy "Royalty" Hamilton; Leon Gray; Pete "Volcano" Farmer; Gabriel Rene; Rodney Jerkins; Mario Winans; Jazze Pha; Fredwreck Nassar; Charles Williamson; Car Engineer: Jeremy Mackenzie; Gabriele Chiesa; Tommy Jamin; Melvin Jackson; Christen Delano; Wassim Zreik; Kevin Haywood; Curry Weber Musical Guests Beenie Man Jazze Pha Nate Dogg Mario Winans Alex Thomas Vonda Hope-Eaton Brooke Valentine   Compilation Appearances Magic City   Technical Info Release Date : 09/28/2004 Original Release Date : 2004 Catalog ID : 81786 Label : Virgin Records (USA) Number of Discs : 1 Studio/Live : Studio Mono/Stereo : Stereo SPAR Code : n/a UPC : 00724358178623   Professional Reviews Vibe (p.186) - 3 discs out of 5 - "His baritone voice and hyperactive delivery recall the Notorious B.I.G.'s..."    Product Image