Notes & Personnel Info |  | Hi Power includes: Mr. Capone-E, Snapper, Mr. Criminal. |  | Additional personnel: Big Dreamer, Snapp, Lil Dreamer, Snapps, Mr. Capone-E, Mr. Criminal, ODM, Scrappy-Loco, Snapper , Wicked Willie (rap vocals). |  | Old-school grooves laced with thuggish Latino prose courtesy of 2002's fiercest underground MCs makes this one of the better efforts in a long list of Hi Power compilations. Issued on Thump Records in cooperation with Hi Power, this collection predominantly features rhymes from labelmates Mr. Criminal and Mr. Capone-E. Other prominent "SouthSide Academy" principals like Snapper and Lil Dreamer add a stark gangsta flavor of their own to Hi Power 2002. Cuts like Mr. Criminal's "If Your Bitch Chose Me" have a down-tempo, West Coast production that's distinctively ruthless and laid-back simultaneously. Mr. Capone-E's take on the priceless sound of silence "Gangster Don't Talk" counts as another standout. Grittier and more confrontational than many more established and commercial hip-hop ventures, this Chicano rap collection paints a bold picture of the emerging genre's legitimate bad boys and their manic lifestyle. ~ Vincent Jeffries |
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