Live & Let It Die
Kool G. Rap
Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, Bushwick Bill, Scarface
Traffic Entertainment Group, 2008
1 CD
Catalogue #: TCC77512
EAN: 0829357751225
UPC: 829357751225
You save: 20%
Personnel: Kool G. Rap (vocals), Johnny Rodgers, David Foreman, Jason White, Nick Daniels (programming), Big Mac, Karen Alfonso, Barbara Ann Aquire, Polo, Ann Catulino, Tay, Mike B., Stoker, Sir Jinx, Dazzy D., Ken Dog, Big Mike, Diz, Alim, Little Anthony, Jean (background vocals).
Producers: Sir Jinx, Kool G. Rap, TrakMasterz.
Recorded at Cherokee Recording Studio, Westlake Audio and Paramount Studio, Los Angeles, California; Powerplay Studios and Chung King, New York.
This re-release on Traffic Entertainment includes a bonus CD with instrumentals and acapellas.
Tracklist
Kool G. Rap
The Kool Genius of Rap debuted with DJ Polo in 1986 with "It's a Demo." As a part of the Juice Crew, the duo released three highly-influential LPs from '89 to '92, as G Rap perfected his flow--a jarring, rapid-fire delivery made up of multi-syllabic rhymes--and vivid story-telling techniques in classics like "Road to the Riches," "Streets of New York," and "On the Run." His aggressive approach, violent and X-rated lyrics, and signature tommy gun delivery became the building blocks for NY hardcore, inspiring a generation of MCs. His outstanding 1995 solo debut, 4, 5, 6, represents another milestone as G Rap's mafia fetish came to full fruition. Plagued by label snares for years, Kool G Rap has had difficulty getting out a cohesive studio LP though the legendary MC still remains active.
Ice Cube
A founding member of seminal West Coast gangsta rap group NWA, Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson) has managed to achieve longevity in the notoriously short-lived world of rap stardom. His earlier solo albums (LETHAL INJECTION, DEATH CERTIFICATE) are among the most uncompromising rap records ever made. Despite accusations of rampant homophobia and misogyny in his work, Ice Cube sold millions of records in the '90s, and his G-funk style proved enormously influential to subsequent rappers. Along the way, he even managed a successful career in films (FRIDAY, BARBERSHOP, BOYZ N' THE HOOD).
Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane was one of the first rap artists to take on the suave pimp persona so prevalent in hip-hop today. As a lyricist for Marly Marl's Juice Crew, Kane penned lyrics for, among others, Biz Markie, before embarking on his own career in 1989. Blending classic soul samples, an effortlessly smooth yet intense flow, and lyrics that referenced both the trials and tribulations of being a ladies' man and, oddly enough, the Black Muslim lifestyle, Kane was an influential artist who presaged many of the trends in both hip-hop and R&B that would emerge in the decades that followed.
Scarface
A member of famed Houston gangsta rap group the Geto Boys, Scarface is one of the most respected southern MCs of all time. As a solo artist, he is by far the most successful member of the Geto Boys and is often credited with bringing southern hip-hop, and the Houston scene in particular, out of the underground and into the mainstream. In the early 2000s, Scarface claimed that he was retiring from the solo MC game, but stated that he would continue to work with the Geto Boys and record and produce for other artists.
