Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Lil' Wayne, Juvenile, B.G., Young Turk, Big Tymers. | | Personnel includes: Lil' Wayne, Juvenile, B.G., Young Turk, Big Tymers. | | Personnel: Mannie Fresh (keyboards). | | Audio Mixer: Mannie Fresh. | | Recording information: Cash Money Studios, Metaire, LA. | | Shortly after establishing himself as a prominent member of the Hot Boys, Lil Wayne entered the solo realm with Tha Block Is Hot. From beginning to end, the teen rapper gets plenty of assistance from his former group mates (Juvenile, B.G., and Turk), who back him on just over half of the album's 17 songs. In addition, the Big Tymers (Brian "Baby" Williams and Mannie Fresh) make several appearances as well, and Fresh produces the entire album. Considering all this, Tha Block Is Hot isn't much different from other late-'90s Cash Money releases like 400 Degreez, Chopper City in the Ghetto, and How You Luv That? Like those albums, Tha Block Is Hot is essentially a group effort despite Wayne's solo billing. Even so, he still gets plenty of time to shine here, particularly on the fiery album-opening title track, which proved to be one of Cash Money's biggest hits to date. The remainder of the album is as solid as late-'90s Cash Money albums get -- a few standouts here and there, mostly because of Fresh's beats, with lots of filler toward the latter half of the album. Taken as a whole, Tha Block Is Hot surely has its moments, though Wayne still seems a little green here. Thankfully, the Cash Money posse comes to his aid often, resulting in an excellent debut for the youngster, highlighted by the title track. ~ Jason Birchmeier | | "It's Wayne baby." The third member of the successful Hot Boys releases his own solo effort following the group's critically acclaimed album GUERILLA WARFARE. With his debut album THA BLOCK IS HOT, Lil' Wayne further proves that the Cash Money Click is taking over in time for the millennium. Wayne's southern-accented vocals add that New Orleans-style flavor to all of his songs. The rapper keeps his production focus in-house, as Mannie Fresh once again handles the boards, delivering more of that club-friendly sound. And with the help such talented guest artists as Juvenile, B.G., Young Turk, and the Big Tymers, this album lives up to the expectations of all loyal CMB fans. | | "It's Wayne baby." The third member of the successful Hot Boys releases his own solo effort following the group's critically acclaimed album GUERILLA WARFARE. With his debut album THA BLOCK IS HOT, Lil' Wayne further proves that the Cash Money Click is taking over in time for the millennium. Wayne's southern-accented vocals add that New Orleans-style flavor to all of his songs. The rapper keeps his production focus in-house, as Mannie Fresh once again handles the boards, delivering more of that club-friendly sound. And with the help such talented guest artists as Juvenile, B.G., Young Turk, and the Big Tymers, this album lives up to the expectations of all loyal CMB fans. |
Producer: Mannie Fresh |
Engineer: Mannie Fresh |
Musical Guests | | Juvenile | | B.G. | | Young Turk | | Big Tymers | | Hot Boys | | Mannie Fresh |
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