Master P

HE is one of the most successful rappers in the history of the genre, yet most people have probably never even heard his name. His first three records sold a combined 1.5 million copies before any mainstream music publication knew who he was. He's already made one movie that, after being rejected by distributors, went on to sell hundreds of thousands of copies on video and continues to be a consistent rental since its summer of 1997 release. And, with his No Limit Records label, he's created one of the most profitable franchises in rap music without the benefit of any radio or video airplay. His name is Master P, and he's firmly established himself as one of the most shrewd businessmen the music industry has ever seen.

Born Percy Miller in New Orleans, Louisiana, Master P was the eldest of his parents' five children. He grew up in the Calliope Apartments (now called the B.W. Cooper Apartments), a housing project infamous for being one of the city's most violent places to live. "Calliope was one of the worst neighborhoods you could even think about," P told Vibe magazine last year. "[When] people think of New Orleans, they think of tourism and Mardi Gras and all that. But there's another side. I had to grow up never having nothing, and in life, you gotta be down to survive." P's parents divorced when he was eleven. Four years later, he moved with his mother to Richmond, California, a city just north of Oakland, and he began living part of the time there and part of the time at his grandmother's home in New Orleans. He eventually became a scholarship basketball player, earning a walk-on spot with the University of Houston Cougars.

In 1989, Master P opened the rap-based retail record shop No Limit Records in Richmond, using $10,000 he inherited from his grandfather. Within a couple of years, he transformed the modestly successful business into a record label of the same name, releasing his own debut album, The Ghetto Is Trying to Kill Me, in 1991. In running his own retail shop, P learned firsthand what it was kids in the hood desired, and his album was tailored to fit that demand. The Ghetto Is Trying to Kill Me hit, making a huge impression in the Bay Area and in New Orleans, where P had begun to notice a burgeoning underground music scene. He was one of the first people to recognize that the music engendered in the South was very similar to the popular gangsta-rap music coming from the West Coast, and the production on his album highlighted that similarity.

With his success, though, also came trouble. Following the release of the album, a teenager on trial for robbery cited P's "211" as the catalyst for his crime. Though nothing ever came of the implication, it definitely put P in the glaring spotlight of the authorities. That song, like much of his material, exemplifies and glorifies the hard life of the streets. Tales of killing, robbery, and violent and sexual crimes are commonplace in P's music. Also commonplace is an acknowledgment of hip-hop as the "new hustle" for drug dealers. Though P himself refuses to admit that he was a drug dealer, the lifestyle is certainly implied in his lyrical content. As he told Vibe, "I was always a hustler. I did whatever I could to make ends meet."

One of Master P's greatest strengths has been his ability to parlay his success into rewards for his friends and family members. Sharing the bounty has not only provided him with the comfort of knowing that those close to him are afforded the opportunity to achieve something in life, but it also has had the attendant affect of supplying him with a steady stream of talent for his label. The No Limit roster includes several of his relatives: cousin Mo B. Dick is one of the key providers of backing soundtracks for all of P's releases; and rappers Silkk the Shocker and C-Murder are P's younger brothers. Soon after The Ghetto Is Trying to Kill Me hit the shelves, P masterminded the West Coast Bad Boyz, a collective of up-and-coming rappers from the Bay Area that also featured two other model rapper-entrepreneurs, E-40 and Rappin' 4-Tay.

No Limit Records inked a distribution deal with Priority Records home to Ice Cube and former home to NWA that guaranteed worldwide availability of its albums. Since 1996, the label has released a number of records from various artists: Silkk the Shocker (who also appeared on the Scream 2 soundtrack); Mia X; Skull Drugrey; C-Murder; and TRU, a group that consists of P, Silkk, and C-Murder. All made it onto the Billboard charts with very little, if any, radio airplay an amazing feat considering most of No Limit's sales come from mom-and-pop stores that don't record SoundScan sales figures, which represent the data upon which Billboard comprises its charts.

Last year, Master P launched a companion career as a movie mogul with the release of I'm 'Bout It, 'Bout It, a semi-autobiographical film titled after a song from TRU's second album, Tru 2 Da Game. The movie, which was made on a shoestring budget with intentionally poor camera quality, was initially rejected by several distributors. Knowing that the film would find an avid following based on his album sales, P released the movie himself, direct to video. I'm 'Bout It, 'Bout It was a smash and it continues to be a hot rental property; it even found a home on the shelves of the usually conservative Blockbuster Home Video chain stores.

As bountiful as the year 1997 was for P, it brought its share of difficulties. A September concert in Atlanta ended in a riot before he could even take the stage. Reports say that the trouble started when the venue, the Doraville International Ballroom, swelled dangerously to twice its capacity. When non-paying customers bum-rushed the door, police responded by hitting people and showering others with pepper spray. The show was ordered to be shut down, and after the emcee indicated to the crowd that the event would have to be rescheduled, a fight broke out that resulted in shots being fired and even more chaos. In another matter, Master P was sued by the writers of the O'Jay's track "Brandy," who alleged that he had copied the verse and chorus of the song for his hit "I Miss My Homies." The case was eventually settled out of court.

But through all the contretemps, P persevered. He wrote and directed another movie, a comedy about cellular-phone scams called I Got the Hook Up, and this time he had no trouble at all finding a distributor for it. The film, which was picked up by Dimension Films, the division of Miramax responsible for the Scream films, was slotted for a May of 1998 release. The soundtrack to the album features D'Angelo, Ice Cube, Jay Z, and other acts from the No Limit roster. "I wanna be the first ghetto filmmaker in America," Master P told MTV News recently. "All ghetto movies. I'm specializing in movies nobody else wants to make. We're going to constantly just crank out movies the way I did tapes and CDs." In keeping with that line of thought, Master P has already commenced work on his third movie, tentatively titled Blue Light; he will head up a cast that also includes Treach from the hip-hop group Naughty by Nature and comedian Eddie Griffin.

Master P's story is remarkable. He transformed a fledgling label with no distribution and a roster of unknown, unproven artists into a multifaceted entertainment conglomerate, an accomplishment that is even more amazing considering that his Bay Area/New Orleans bases of operations run counter to the typical thinking underpinning the successful New York and Los Angeles markets. Late in 1997, Master P announced that he would release one more solo album before turning his full concentration on running the label; The Last Don came out on June 2, 1998. P scored a major coup in March of 1998, when Snoop Doggy Dogg left Death Row Records to join No Limit; P executive produced Snoop's album, Da Game Is to Be Sold Not Be Told, which hit stores on August 4, 1998. The defection was major news in the hip-hop world a final, symbolic sign that No Limit Records has supplanted Death Row as the gangsta rap powerhouse.

Memphis Bleek

"My lifes changed cause I got bills now," jokes Memphis Bleek from inside his second home, the recording studio. But in the past year, Bleeks life has been altered just a little more than he initially lets on. Starting off with his show stealing appearances on the biggest selling hip-hop tour of all time, The Hardknock Life Tour, to receiving the adoration of the hood with his poignant tales of street lore on his gold debut Coming of Age,
Bleek has graduated from heralded blue chipper to bonafide superstar. Now, after months of teasing fans with a plethora of captivating cameos alongside hip hops elite such as The Nutty Proffesor IIs "Hey Papi" with Jay-Z and Warren Gs "You Never Know," Bleek is ready to drop his galvanizing sophomore release,The Understanding. "I cant talk about thesame things I talked about on Coming of Age because I was a child then," Bleek insists. "All I knew was hustlin. Ive grown."
After one listen to The Understanding, youll truly comprehend Bleeks world. "With this album, youre gonna get to drive your car reckless with Bleek, go to the club with Bleek, sit down in the crib and think with Bleek," says the supreme wordsmith. "Youre going to get to see everything." Joining such hits as "Memphis Bleek Is" and "What You Think of That," Bleek adds another classic party joint to his resume with the concrete shaking
"Bounce Bitch." Meanwhile, all the ladies will be singing along with "P.Y.T." Featuring guest spots from Roc-A-Fella family members Jay-Z and Amil, the Memph Man gives his definition of the perfect honey. "With my first album, I went straight for the streets because the pop crowd wasnt looking for me, Bleek explains. "Now, Im gonna have the pop crowd coming to the streets. "
Make no mistake though, when the party stops, the last bottle of cris is popped, and the girls go home, Bleek is still one of hip hops most lethal mic assassins. Songs like the smoldering "All Types of Shit" vividly
displays the Brooklynites lyrical acumen. Amazingly, Bleek didnt write down one word on the album. "I aint put nothing on paper," he explains. "Everything is straight off top. Aint nothin to think about, nothing to dwell about. Everything I felt, I spit. A lot of rappers try to come up with concepts; my concept is the first sentence I say."But Bleek hasnt only matured musically, hes also becoming a shrewd businessman. "As far as this game, everybodys getting labels and getting
management companies, but everybody is not doing the right thing with it," Bleek laments. "I learn step by step from Jay how to do the right thing. A nigga gotta know how to manage his money correctly. Its easy to blow 50 grand, but it aint easy to make it."
So taking that knowledge and his imbedded hustlers diligence, Bleek has parlayed his earnings into his own company, Get Low Management. One of his acts, the Co-Defendants, also appear on The Understanding. "I always said once I get on Im gonna help my mans out," Bleek remembers. "I said oh shit,
I got a gold album its time now."

Bleek, who signed to Roc-A-Fella records in 1995, was handpicked to be on the label by fellow Marcy Projects native Jay-Z. Almost instantly, his appearances on Jays Reasonable Doubt and the Streets Is Watching
Soundtrack, had him heralded as the heir to the hip-hop throne. Bleek is also featured on Jay-Zs The Dynasty Roc La Familia (2000 - ). Destined to be a classic, the LP features Bleek, Amil, and Beanie Sigel.
But for now, its all eyes on Bleek. With The Understanding, youll not only
journey into the mind of a street soldier, but youll get the entire picture of the ghetto landscape.

Missy Elliot

"She takes the little she's given and transforms it into something complex....she is outrageous because no one cares what she does - until, that is, she begins to make money." (The New Yorker)

This prophetic M.O. was applied to Missy Elliott upon the release of her Grammy nominated, platinum-plus debut, Supa Dupa Fly, in 1997. Two years later, after achieving a level of success that few female hip hop performers have ever attained, Missy's bank account is indeed bulging. Her new single from Da Real World - the controversial "She's A Bitch," also confirms that Missy and her trusted producer Timbaland have once again raised the hip hop standard. Says The Face, "Da Real World is the unsurpassably creative, zenith-defining hip hop sound of 1999. Missy Elliott has just gone and reinvented hip hop." But the most accurate part of the prediction?: It's 1999, and everybody wants to know what's up with Missy Elliott? Some may be scratching their heads at the "bitch" moniker, but all are uncontrollably slinking to its rolling groove, miming (as they did with her breakthrough '97 single "The Rain") the throwaway trail of verses that are pure, unadulterated Missy.:

"She's a bitch! When you say my name, talk more junk but won't look my way. See, I got more cheese, so back on up while I roll up my sleeves."

As one of the few music stars to successfully navigate the rap, pop and R&B worlds without bowing to any of them, Missy has taken rap's testosterone-fueled B-word, and inverted its meaning. She's camouflaged her ethereal ability to flex words and thrown a fastball. Says Missy: "Females in this business aren't taken as seriously as we should be. So, in order to be heard we'll often assume a character and give off what one would call a 'diva' or a 'bitch' attitude. When a man does it he's called aggressive and its a positive thing. A bitch is what they call a woman who knows what she wants. I'm just taking the term back. If a 'bitch' is what I am for achieving that, then so be it. If I got to check you loud and clear, that's what I'm going to do. I'm showing you what it's like to come off like that."

But the multi-faceted Missy also displays a diverse arsenal of firepower on Da Real World. Chilling duets with hip hop and R&B superstars such as Juvenile, Aaliyah, Da Brat, Destiny's Child, Lady Saw and Eminem help punctuate Timbaland's versatile fuselage of beats. Missy admits that the unprecedented acclaim of Supa Dupa Fly made the prospect of a follow-up LP more than a little nerve-wrecking. "I'm not going to lie to you. I felt the pressure," she laughs. "Not only to live up to my first album, but I was also competing with all the collaborations I've done."

The superstar's own production and writing discography is endless, including work with Whitney Houston, Scary Spice, Aaliyah, Total, 702, Nicole, SWV, and more, as well as recent remixes for Paula Cole and Janet Jackson. To top it all off, Missy has been steadily at the helm of her very own record company, The Gold Mind Inc., which kicked off its amazing run last year with the gold-plus debut album of Nicole. "So, I've been busy," says Missy. "When I went in to do my album, I was worried the first couple of days. I didn't know if any of the songs I was doing would live up. So I took two days off. Timbaland was bugging. He was saying 'You're crazy.' He talked me into getting back and just treating it like we were doing any other sessions. He told me not to worry how I was coming off. 'Don't be too careful,' he said. 'Because you're Missy Elliott.'"

That reminder took Missy back to her early days in Portsmouth, Virginia. "I always used to tell my mom I was going to be a star," she says. She got her first break in 1991 with the now defunct group Sista. The album was slated for an Elektra release, but never came out. It did, however, jump start Missy's reputation as a writer and producer. She graced gold and platinum tracks for artists such as Jodeci and Aaliyah, snagging a breakthrough rap performance on Gina Thompson's "The Things You Do." She had perfected a casual but memorable style, with fans calling her the "hee ha " girl for the infectious imprint she dropped on the video remix of the track. She soon landed a production/label deal with Elektra, launching The Gold Mind Inc., and cultivating her own artists to produce.

Her successful partnership with Timbaland, and her increasing inside-the-industry-rep as a hitmaker finally convinced Missy to create her own solo project, releasing the universally hailed Supa Dupa Fly in June of 1997. It changed the male-dominated hip hop landscape forever, making the singing and rhyming Missy the genre's first phosphorescent voice. The groundbreaking video for the single "The Rain," directed by Hype Williams, was nominated for three MTV awards, and cemented Missy's reputation as an extraordinary visionary. The album debuted on Billboard's Top Albums chart at number 3, establishing Missy as a major force in 90's pop - period! - a rare talent who transcended both genre and gender.

She went on to create a virtual empire, building on the success of The Gold Mind Inc., and becoming the first hip hop star to appear as part of the renowned Lilith Tour (to rave reviews), as well as acting in The Wayans Brothers TV show and starring in high profile ad campaigns for companies such as Sprite and The Gap.

"It's been an incredible couple of years," says Missy. She cites her intuitive relationship with Timbaland as one of the main reasons she's been able to focus on each project, delivering her best each time. "It gives you exposure to new ideas. I realize that whatever or whoever I'm working with, it's still going to carry my name. I always have pride in my work."

That enthusiasm definitely applies to her own Da Real World, where the unflappable Missy once again mixes it up over Timbaland's trademark rhythms. There's the euphoric "Smooth Chick," a sultry club tune that reflects the wide range of styles that Missy commands. "It's the kind of straight up club record you feel more than hear, if you know what I mean," says Missy.

There's the self-explanatory "Beat Biters." "It's a message from me and Timbaland to so many people who have bit our style. 'When are you all going to get some originality for yourselves.' But in a way, we are thanking them. It makes me and Timbaland always want to do something different - go in another direction."

Like they do with the sly styling of "All In," which features Big Boi of Outkast and Nicole. "I'm reversing the stereotypes on that one too," says Missy. "I'm saying to the man: 'Don't be running up my phone bill and watching my cable and trying to get a free ride unless you can do something for me,'" she laughs. Missy also draws the line with some uproarious interludes with Lil' Kim, including a mysterious snippet called "He Ain't Checkin' 4U." Another trash-talk masterpiece is "Check Me Out," which features Juvenile and B.G.. "From the first time I saw Juvenile's video on TV, I wanted to work with him. It was all low budget. It looked like the joint you shoot from a camcorder. I had to have him on my album. He gives the song that special edge." Other gems include the cocky "Sticken Chicken," with Aaliyah and Da Brat, ("I want it all, from the motherfucking house down to the dog...) and the back-off/slow jam of, "You Don't Know," featuring labelmate Lil Mo.

But the blowup track on Da Real World just might be the much talked about summit with Eminem, "Bus A Rhyme." As the album's third song, it serves as the telling compass point of the LP, signaling that Missy fans are in for the ride of their life. Eminem's mad-jester style fits perfectly with Missy's more subtle ability to change venues on us. It soars and spirals like some deranged hip hop opera, including a symphony of helicopters that meld perfectly with Timbaland's paranoid beats, sending Eminem's and Missy's diverging vocal styles into a whole other level of chaos. "I loved working with Eminem," says Missy. "Timbaland had told me about him long before he hit big. I knew he was going to blow. I'm told Dre would only let him work on two other albums, mine and the Mad Rapper. I was honored. When he came to the studio he couldn't have been sweeter. We had a great time."

The sudden success of Eminem is not lost on Missy. Thankful for her own good fortune, and knowing she has weathered what is undoubtedly the most crucial career step - the sophomore album - she drops a closing dedication at the end of Da Real World for anyone straddling similar territory. "Being caught up in the fame....How easy we forget. Do you think without him, you would be who you are, for if he made heaven and earth, he also made you a star...I've come to tell you, in God we must trust."


Her latest album Miss E...So Addictive plows right over any preconceived notion you may have about the current hip hop grind, as it seamlessly fuses pop, hip hop and hyper-kinetic R&B with its delirious passages of electro-inspired beats and sexy/salacious rhyme schemes. About halfway into it, you begin to realize that Missy's third solo album is first truly hallucinatory work in hip hop by a female. Or, as NME continued: "Missy still sounds peerlessly adventurous, with backward sitars, Hawaiian guitars elaborate clicking beats, beautifully organized riots of ideas crowding every track."

Rumor has it Missy stopped listening to the radio before going into the studio so she could "clear the head." The resulting effort is nothing short of 'head-spinning,' with memorable guest-turns from admiring superstars such as Redman and Method Man on "Dog In Heat," Ginuwine on the majestic "Take Away," Eve - Missy's comrade-in-Divahood - spitting over "4 My People," and two versions of the album's most contagious track "One Minute Man," featuring Ludacris and Jay-Z respectively. Not to mention this year's party anthem, the hyperbolic "Get Ur Freak On."

"I was more relaxed this time around," said Missy. "I went for some warm weather, recorded in L.A.. I didn't want any pressure on me."

Missy admits to feeling "up against the wall" when she went to record 1999's Da Real World, the follow-up to her acclaimed 1997 debut Supa Dupa Fly. "You know, you worry about the sophomore jinx and all." Never the less, Da Real World went platinum, and landed Missy her most successful single ever with "Hot Boyz," but she was determined to "exhale deeply" before entering the studio for her third effort.

"I took a look around," says Missy. "I realized we went through years of 'I Hate You' records, and then we went through the 'Gimme My Money Records,' and we went through the 'Taking Care Of Business Records.' It was time to do some sexual healing music. You know, some Marvin-type stuff. I wanted to cross all boundaries. Not put any limits on myself. Where everybody else was being 'mad at their man' I wanted to do a sexy record. I didn't want to get up into what everyone else was singing about."

Up-tempo tracks like "Lick Shots" and the funked-up "Dog In Heat" abound. "I love the way Redman comes in on that one," says Missy. "He's got that party voice and that's why I wanted him. He's the ice cream on the cake." Missy also envisioned both Jay-Z and Ludacris on the luminous "One Minute Man." "I knew what was out there - 'Bills, Bills, Bills' and 'No Scrubs' and all that. I knew I needed a record where females knew I was representing but not by 'just being mad at the man.' I know how females never want a one-minute man. Nuh-uh. So I twisted it, and said 'Let me get Jay-Z and Ludacris to represent right here.'" The dual versions dazzle, with critics already pointing to the epic song as "the sheezy of the album."

Mobb Deep

On the heels of a classic gold LP, The Infamous Mobb Deep bounces right back into the next chapter of life, death and music. Prodigy and Havoc pick up the pen once again and "Drop A Gem On 'Em" marking the first taste of the new LP, Hell On Earth. Mobb Deep and the QBC: Godfather Pt. III, Gotti, Ty Knitty and Gambino have seen life take a turn for the better in the last two years since "Shook Ones." At the same time, an unpredictable tragedy has made this one of the most painful times in Mobb Deep history. Gambino's twin Scarface died in a gruesome Manhattan car accident leaving another close friend dead and seriously injuring four others. Despite death, the life cycle continues. May 14,1996 marks the birth of the next generation in the Mobb family, also the birthday of Prodigy's son Tchaka jr. Preceding his procreation, Pee has been rapidly expanding his mind through readings he calls "the study of facts" or "right knowledge." Also striving towards a righteous path, Havoc's younger brother has returned from prison a Muslim reuniting his family with positive inspiration for the whole team.

As the commercial world caves in on revolutionary ideas in music, Mobb deep follows a path less traveled seeking refuge behind the only reliable form of media they confide in on the street-word of mouth. The wisdom contained in their words comes piece by piece, one spoonful at a time. The album's title Hell On Earth is as Havoc says "right in front of your eyes." Music and movies don't create violence. The tensions of daily life are responsible for the timeless cycle of violence in our world. Entertainment exists merely as a mirror constantly seeking to reflect our hellish reality. The music of Hell On Earth represents this dark picture as the lyrics contemplate the delusion of a "thug" mentality. Beginning by confessing, "I'm tired of living life this way crime pay but for how long? 'Till you reach your downfall...," the album opens with "Animal Instinct." Even in the music industry, the stakes have gone beyond business. These days, artist and record label competition can look more like gang warfare as Pee points out, "This ain't rap its bloodsport ya life cut short ya fell short the pressure's on high, full court."Joining the Mobb once again, following his platinum LP, Nas sets the tone quickly on the Queensbridge collaboration "Give It Up Fast" also featuring Rapper noyd (introduced on the last Mobb Deep album) who returns with a burst of strength and street wisdom. Meanwhile, Prodigy and Havoc relay a simple message to those interested in doing business with the Mobb, "not going to the tables if its not about doe." Also returning to the grain after a long string of street sensations on his own, Wu Tang's Chef Raekwon AKA Lex Diamonds slides onto the first time, another Wu Gambino Johnny Blaze (Method Man) touches a Mobb Deep track on Extortion" with a few words if you "wanna pop the most junk be the same motherfuckers with the most lumps. Chew on that shit."

Method Man

The varied spectrum of rap music personalities includes few true superstars- individuals whose credentials encompass the grittiest street reverence as well as the jiggiest pop-life glamour. A charter member of hip hops most celebrated and influential modern group, The Wu-Tang Clan, and an award-winning solo artist and budding cinematic thespian, the gravelly-voiced rhyme-ologist known as Method Man is a genuine rap icon whose career trajectory is, remarkably enough, still climbing. With the release of his highly anticipated second album for Def Jam Records, Tical 2000: Judgement Day, the dynamism of Meths music reaches yet another plateau.

While hip hop history has proven that many artists lose their street edge and hunger by their second efforts, Meth proves the antithesis of such complacency, stacking his sequels deck with some of the rawest and most exciting music of his career. Highlighted by jagged guitars and a vocal assist from Wu compatriot Street Life, Dangerous Grounds announces Meths grassroots steez as he rhymes, Everybody cant afford ice in the struggle/ Tryin to eat right, another day another hustle. Over an eerie, Middle Eastern-style Tru Master track, Torture explicitly addresses the trend-happy rhyme biters whove greedily ravaged Meths witty unpredictable slang over the past few years: Who got John Blaze ****?/ Suckin my **** to get famous/ So I switched Blaze to Dangerous. Basically everybodys screamin this John Blaze-shit since Ive been gone and Im real pissed off about it, an agitated Meth (a/k/a Tical, a/k/a Hot Nikkels, a/k/a Johnny Dangerous) explains of the liberties other have taken with his comic book-inspired Johnny Blaze persona. For one, I started it and mad niggas is using it and they aint payin homage. And nobody woulda even thought of the shit if I hadnt said it first. With a re-invention of an age old nursery rhyme and a stirring cameo from TLCs Lisa Left Eye Lopes, Cradle Rocks chorus sends another direct message to such fake emcees/Rock a bye baby from the rooftop/ When the guns blow, your cradle get rocked/ When the earth quake and the sky start to fall/ Down will come emcees, fake shit and all.

Its a sentiment brilliantly echoed by Killin Fields- a pounding mix of clavinet keyboards, heavenly strings and cymbal rolls topped off by one of Meths finest performances yet: Who the number one rap host?/ Verbal overdose leave em comatose/ The nigga with the golden throat is out to get you/ Hot Nikkel bust back and take em with you/ Eye for eye/ Never lie/ Crossin my heart and hopin you die/ Somebody pat the engineer down/ I think he wired. If you jumping in these battle grounds, you better be prepared, nigga. warns Meth. So its like, man, welcome to the killing fields with Johnny Dangerous. Cuz if you steppin up in this motherfucker, thats where it gets real bad for a cat messin with me. You better know how you comin. We all in the ring together so theres no disguises now. You cant disguise your are for me or your hate for me. Elsewhere, Meth calls on some old friends and associates to keep Tical 2000s action scenes coming. Def Squad star general Redman reunites with his hemp-loving pal over a typically funkdafies Erick Sermon production on Big Dogs while Playin For Keeps has Meth trading venomous verses with Wus Inspectah Deck and Street as well as Mobb Deeps Prodigy and Havoc, producer the track. And, or course, what would a Wu-Tang project be without an outstanding Clan rally? On Spazzola, heavy hitters Deck, Raekwon and Masta Killa engage in verbal batting practice with Meth over a sizzling RZA-produced piano track.

Its a sentiment brilliantly echoed by Killin Fields- a pounding mix of clavinet keyboards, heavenly strings and cymbal rolls topped off by one of Meths finest performances yet: Who the number one rap host?/ Verbal overdose leave em comatose/ The nigga with the golden throat is out to get you/ Hot Nikkel bust back and take em with you/ Eye for eye/ Never lie/ Crossin my heart and hopin you die/ Somebody pat the engineer down/ I think he wired. If you jumping in these battle grounds, you better be prepared, nigga. warns Meth. So its like, man, welcome to the killing fields with Johnny Dangerous. Cuz if you steppin up in this motherfucker, thats where it gets real bad for a cat messin with me. You better know how you comin. We all in the ring together so theres no disguises now. You cant disguise your are for me or your hate for me. Elsewhere, Meth calls on some old friends and associates to keep Tical 2000s action scenes coming. Def Squad star general Redman reunites with his hemp-loving pal over a typically funkdafies Erick Sermon production on Big Dogs while Playin For Keeps has Meth trading venomous verses with Wus Inspectah Deck and Street as well as Mobb Deeps Prodigy and Havoc, producer the track. And, or course, what would a Wu-Tang project be without an outstanding Clan rally? On Spazzola, heavy hitters Deck, Raekwon and Masta Killa engage in verbal batting practice with Meth over a sizzling RZA-produced piano track.

Tical 2000 might not seem complete to all fans without a track somewhat reminiscent of 1994s anthem with Mary J. Blige, Meths grammy-award winning Ill Be There For You (Youre All I Need). Method once again successfully addresses the interworkings of the dealings between men and women on Make-up to Break-up, a melodic Sting-sampled track that features R&B crooner DAngelo. However, what may be Judgement Days most intense moment arrives in the form of the title track, a high speed lyrical chase that Meth describes as a countdown to millennium. With Star Trek-computer blips, dramatic synth lines and Afrika Bambaataa-style wails all infecting the track, Judgement Day serves as both battle cry for a generation entering the year 2000 and space age dance floor anthem on par with past classics like Bring The Pain. I dont feel like no Method album would be complete without a Release Yo Delf type of 112 bpm song on there, Meth states proudly. And this is like that, it just moves.


Rapid ascension is something Method Man has known since the outset of his career. From the moment he was introduced to national rap audiences in 1993 on the Wu-Tang solo spotlight single, M.E.T.H.O.D. Man, the Stapleton Projects, Staten Island native has commanded instant attention through his lyrical wit and effortless vocal cadence. One who possesses different methods and techniques to his style, is the popular definition assigned to his moniker. And it wasnt long after assisting the Wus classic madden voyage, Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, to the land of platinum-plaques that Meth would display the full extent to which his name reflected his talents.

Signing with Def Jam in 1993, Method Man would release his solo debut, Tical, the following year. A ground breaking synthesis of the electric and eclectic sides to the self-proclaimed Ticallian Stallion, the album spawned such hits as the ominous and propulsive Bring The Pain, the anthemic, Rocky-esque Release Yo Delf and the platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning smash Youre All I Need, featuring Mary J. Blige and remixed by Bad Boy Entertainment impresario Sean Puffy Combs. Subsequent dynamic appearances on the Notorious B.I.G.s The What, Methods duet with Redman, How High, Foxy Browns Ill NaNa and the further audio exploits of his Wu brethren only confirmed what Ticals million-units sold had already indicated: Meth had fast become on of the single most significant voices in hip hop. But, as Mr. Meth is quick to point out, under no circumstances has such recognition from fans and the music industry establishment ever swayed his original commitment his own raw and uncut style of music. Somebody did an article on me recently and they had me saying that I messed up for gettin a Grammy, Meth recalls with frustration. I didnt say that, he misquoted me. I said that the Grammy voters are the ones who messed up. What they did by giving me the award was show people that we can say what we wanna say and still get a Grammy- without compromising anything, without having to make a song for the radio. My song was not made for the radio and there wasnt no watered down lyrics in that song. It was just one man talking to his woman. No holds barred.

After displaying his magnetic visual presence in a slew of his own videos- and unforgettable guest roles in Redmans Blues Brothers-inspired Whateva Man and Eryka Badus heartstring-tugging love triangle Next Lifetime- the next logical step was translating Meths charisma to the big screen. While his first cinematic appearance- with the Wu on tour- came in the Russell Simmons rap documentary The Show, Meth made his first theatrical forays with charged performances in The Great White Hype and Copland. This winter, he further enhances his acting resume with an unforgettable part opposite labelmate DMX in acclaimed video director Hype Williams feature film debut, Belly. Im definitely trying to be serious about acting and bring something to the roles I play, not the roles bringing the same old thing to me, he explains. Right now, theyre giving me roles that they know I can play- stereotypical gangster shit. Dont get me wrong, I will play it. But I try to do it where I can bring something new to it.

I am a charismatic brother, he admits of his affinity for performing. I got a flair that a lot of people dont have. Youre either born with it or you just dont get it at all. And I feel like I was born with it so I use it to the best of my advantage. Ive always been outspoken- a bigmouth. Not exactly the center of attention, but enough to hold it down. So I feel like there aint shit that I cant do. Plus, I love it when somebody tests my intelligence. I feel like a daredevil. Wu-Tang flagship member, solo-ist, actor and hip hop daredevil, Method Mans superhero identity might be realer than you think. But just when you thought Meth was larger than life, a open display of humility surfaces.

Its like the Beverly Hillbillies, he compares with a sneaky sense of humor. They blew up but are still real. Same with me. Im way more intelligent than I was four or five years ago but I know where my roots is at. I know where my style came from and why people accepted it. And like a starving artist would, I know I always gotta come with the best. He has. Look up in the sky, its a bird, its a plane. Nah, its Methical and aint a damn thing changed.

Ms. Jade

Female rap phenom Ms. Jade doesnt have to flash her cleavage or talk about how shed please a guy sexually to grab peoples attention.

The reason? Unlike many of todays young female music stars from rap to pop to R&B Ms. Jade draws you in with her genuine skills on the mic, a flow that few can match and lyrics that she culls from her life experiences and innermost thoughts.


The tracks shes put together for Girl Interrupted, her full-length debut album on BeatClub/Interscope Records, make it obvious why super-producer Timbaland signed her to his Beat Club imprint. He describes her as a cross between a female B.I.G. and a harder version of Roxanne Shante. Due out in the first quarter of 2002, the album features the first single Feel the Girl, a Timbaland-produced cut that showcases Ms. Jades mellow vocals over a dance beat. Its like the first little hot song, the youthful yet savvy 22-year-old rapper explained. Tim is doing some crazy stuff in the background. I sound relaxed on the track.

Make no mistake, though. Ms. Jade is anything but soft. She lashes out with a vengeance at an ex-lover who played her on Why U Tell Me, where she repeats the line You toyed with my teenage years and my womanhood. I hate you, I hope I made it understood. And she comes hard on Shes A Gangsta, another of the nine tracks that Timbaland produced for the album. My rap style is gangsta and cocky, Ms. Jade said. Im about to take over, so Im gangsta with it. Its a street song.

Ms. Jade was born Chevon Young on Aug. 3, 1979. Her mother is a dietary assistant, while her father works in a tile and rug factory. Her parents struggled financially at times, but they never let their only child want for anything. Ms. Jade grew up in a section of Philly called Nicetown, which incidentally didnt live up to its name. No, it wasnt a nice town at all, Ms. Jade said of the area, which actually wasnt as bad as its reputation. It was a small little neighborhood where everybody knew everybody. Everyone went to the same school. I lived there all my life. I never moved.

Ms. Jades parents had an appreciation for music, one that she soon picked up on. As a youngster, Ms. Jade got into the work of rocker Pat Benetar and would memorize theme songs from her favorite television commercials. By the time she was 9, however, she fell in love with Janet Jacksons music, particularly the dance-pop divas 1986 Control album. Soon after her mother bought her Jacksons cassette, Ms. Jade memorized the lyrics and sang her favorite songs in school talent shows.

Three years later, Ms. Jade heard female rappers MC Lyte and Queen Latifah on the radio. It was, in effect, her introduction to rap music. And she loved it. I remember I memorized Queen Latifahs song Ladies First before it even came out, Ms. Jade recalled. I would sing it the whole lunch period. People would come up to me to ask me to sing it and I would be gloating like I wrote it. When her mother bought her an MC Lyte tape for Christmas, Ms. Jade played it often, rewinding it until she had written all the words down. I was totally into it, she said. I just wanted to learn every word, word for word. I wanted to learn the uhs and the ahs everything.

During her years at Abraham Lincoln High School in Northeast Philadelphia, Ms. Jade found English and music to be her favorite subjects. As a junior, she won first place in the schools talent show for her rendition of How Could You Call Her Baby from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. Although she had only written a handful of raps by the time she graduated in 1997, Ms. Jade listened to Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Mase and the Notorious B.I.G.

While studying to become a hair stylist at Gordon Phillips Beauty School in downtown Phillys Center City, Ms. Jade earned a side job recording background vocals for then-local rapper Meek Mills in an area studio. Ms. Jade eventually wrote a rap of her own and read it to producer Dean Murda, who liked what he heard and encouraged her to write more. After that, I would write more every day because I had a lot to say, said Ms. Jade, whose rap name comes from a female fighter from the Mortal Kombat movie. I didnt tell anybody I was writing raps. I just did it. It wasnt hard. It just came naturally, so thats why I wrote more. Stuff kept popping into my head, so Id write it down.

Ms. Jade wrote raps at work and, on five occasions, took bus trips to New York City to meet with Craig King, who had a production deal with Atlantic Records. King featured Ms. Jade on his artists albums, but none of the material ended up being released. Ms. Jade kept on writing raps, even after she graduated from beauty school in 1999. By that time, she was working with her current manager, Terrance Glasgow. Ms. Jade recorded four solo tracks, including Take it on the Chin, a song that was later revamped to appear on Ms. Jades Interscope release as Why U Tell Me.

Looking to increase her street credibility, Ms. Jade joined ciphers groups of neighborhood rappers who battle each other rhyme-for-rhyme. Ms. Jade would rap for people on the spot with her aggressive no holds bar lyrics like, I hate a jo jo bitch, a no doe bitch, a try to test my skills, now thats a no no bitch, a fake brag bitch, a switch tag bitch from her most popular freestyle rhyme The Bitch Rap.

Later Glasgow introduced Ms. Jade to Will Smiths assistant, Charlie Mack, a Philly native who was immortalized in the 1988 DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince song Charlie Mack The First Out The Limo. Together Mack, Glasgow and Overbrook Entertainment A&R representative Omar Rambert joined forces and signed Ms. Jade to their newly created production company 215 Entertainment.

After recording eight or nine tracks with Philly producer Staxx, Ms. Jade landed a meeting with Jay Brown of Elektra Entertainment at his New York office. After she spit a pair of raps for Brown, he brought her upstairs to meet rapper Missy Elliott, who listened and immediately got Timbaland on the speakerphone. She was like, What did yall come up here for? Ms. Jade said. I was like, For a deal. She was like, Youve got it.

Elliott called Ms. Jade the next week to record some material. One song, the Timbaland-produced Slap! Slap! Slap! appeared on Elliotts 2001 album, Miss E ... So Addictive. Ms. Jade also rapped on a remix for Lil Mos song Superwoman. My head was going crazy because I was really nervous and happy, said Ms. Jade, who writes all of her own lyrics. I was nervous most of all, though. The whole Missy-Timbaland thing was throwing me off. But then I was real happy because everything I did came out real good.

From there, Ms. Jade went to Los Angeles for three weeks and recorded the song In Time for the 2001 Timbaland & Magoo album Indecent Proposal. Ms. Jade also began recording tracks for her own album while out in L.A., putting in a 12-hour session that lasted until 6 oclock in the morning. Shes a very aggressive strong woman reveals Timbaland. Learning to flow to Timbalands patented style of beats wasnt easy at first, but Tim and rapper Petey Pablo helped Ms. Jade get her timing down pat.

Ms. Jade, who officially signed to Timbalands new Beat Club label in August 2000, was part of the package when Interscope signed Beat Club. She spent 2001 putting the finishing touches on her album, as well as rapping on Timbalands remixes of Nelly Furtados song Turn Off the Light and Beat Club labelmate Bubba Sparxxxs hit Ugly.

But Ms. Jades main focus these days is her Girl Interrupted album, which includes a guest appearance from rapper Jay-Z on the head-bobbing party song Count It Off. Meanwhile, Ms. Jade gets deep and spiritual on the track Keep Your Head Up, which features production by the Beat Brokerz and guest vocals by Philly R&B singer and longtime friend Rhonesha. Its telling the stories of three girls lives, Ms. Jade said of the cut. Its saying that even when stuff goes wrong, keep your head up. The Beat Brokerz Staxx, Jeremy and Don produced three other songs on Girl Interrupted.


Ms. Jades delivery is at its tightest on the song Ching Ching Ching, which features Furtado and happens to be Ms. Jades favorite song on the album. North Carolina rapper Petey Pablo joins Ms. Jade on the Timbaland-produced Watch It. Ms. Jade uses the track to talk about what she plans to do in the rap game. And Philly rapper R.L is featured on How We Ball.

I just want to go straight to the top, said Ms. Jade, who hopes her music career will lead to eventual movie roles, allow her to take care of her family financially and give her a chance to open an international line of boutiques. Ms. Jade also wants to set another example of how, through hard work, people can get whatever they want out of life. Ive never been the type of person to fit in, Ms. Jade added. Im not into the sexual bandwagon. I want somebody to listen to my music because they like it, not because they think Ive got nice breasts and a big butt. I want them to like my music because Im nice. Its as simple as that. Im not a copycat. Theres not another female rapper like me. Im nice, so respect it.


Mos Def

A high level of knowledge of self (determination) is rarely achieved by a hip-hop generation too scared to risk its industry trust funds or too myopic to see beyond mere rhetoric; nonetheless, some have broken though. Mos Def is one such visionaryan MC whose devotion to hip-hop and passion for social consciousness combine with a synergy seldom witnessed in rap history.

Of course, it makes sense that Mos Def would be a child of hip-hop's Golden Era of superhero MCs (Rakim, Big Daddy Kane) and new school leaders (De La Soul, Jungle Brothers). A native Brooklinyte who spent his childhood in neighborhoods like Bedford Stuyesant and East Flatbush, Mos Def grew up in a time where "most of the people who were fans (of hip-hop) were also active fans in the culture in some way. In '88, you'd have kids watching Video Music Box in their living room, working out dance routines." But Mos not only digested all the hip-hop influences around him, he also absorbed knowledge from across the artistic spectrum; be it the jazz meditations of Ahmad Jamal, the pop lyricism of Steely Dan, the evocative prose of Chinua Achebe or the cross-cultural humor of Danny Hoch. Says Mos: "I"m just inspired not just by black art, but good art, representations of art that are sincere and genuine."

Mya

There's a point in a girl's life. That delicate time when she makes the transition from child to woman. When flirting goes from being a giggle fest to an art form. When crushes on boys become love affairs with men. When she moves out from the protective warmth of her parents' home and into the cold clear air of self reliance. When she starts to spread her wings and tentatively, cautiously, but ultimately triumphantly...soar.

On her eagerly awaited sophomore CD, Mya takes those steps, makes those moves, and soars with an album that exceeds all possibilities and fulfills all expectations. Sassy, sexy, soulful and wise, hip hop informed, and R&B flavored, laced with heartfelt singing and state of the art beats, FEAR OF FLYING is about growing up, learning lessons, taking chances, listening to others and minding your heart. Featuring production from Swizz Beatz, Robin Thicke & ProJay, Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis, and songs by She'kspere & Kandi, Soulshock & Karlin and Mya herself, FEAR OF FLYING takes Mya into new uncharted territory and delivers an R&B/pop sound that signals maturity and a new outlook.

Ask Mya about FEAR OF FLYING and she answers, "I've personally grown a lot and I wanted the second album to reflect that. The past few years have given me time to think about what I want to do, the decisions I make in life and where I want to be. I'm becoming more and more of my own person and making those choices for myself, on my own."

The lush title track (produced by Knobody) gave Mya a creative launching off point, because as she notes, "it uses the idea of being afraid to fly as a metaphor for other issues. I think that one of the scariest things isn't failure but success. When you succeed or attempt to become successful, you often have people trying to hold you back, second guessing you, or sometimes trying to manipulate you into believing that things, especially careers, aren't guaranteed. Well, I've learned nothing is guaranteed and I feel the theme of the album displays that there will always be turbulent times - good, bad, up, down. Despite our fears or insecurities, we must make a leap on faith alone. I once read that 10% of life includes our experiences, 90% is how we deal with them, and with that I come to the conclusion that if your heart constantly tells you something, then you should go ahead and trust those feelings."

That spirit and determination is evident on the lead off single "The Best Of Me". Co-written by Mya, produced by the sizzling hot Swizz Beatz (DMX, Ruff Ryders) and featuring The Lox's Jadakiss, "The Best Of Me" is edgy and street savvy but underneath the syncopated beats is a message Mya wants to get out. "It's about setting standards for yourself, about following them through and not allowing the temptations of a heat of the moment situation to lure you into something that you may regret later in life."

Another single is "Takin' Me Over" which was co-written by Mya and produced by Robin Thicke and ProJay. A catchy slice of retro soul, "Takin' Me Over" boasts a cameo from Left Eye and shows Mya in a playful coy mood. Mya dubs it her "don't give a damn song." "It's all about a woman who says, 'listen, I don't care if you're looking at me crazy. I'm feeling this so I'm gonna do it.'"

Another hot track comes courtesy of She'kspere and Kandi ('No Scrubs', 'Bills, Bills, Bills') who brought "How You Gonna Tell Me" to the album. "I added my thoughts lyrically and conceptually," Mya, who co-wrote the song, says. "I wanted the song to be about people preaching to me what they don't practice. About how these specific people speak to me on the way I should live and my reaction to them and their twisted lives," Mya laughs. "So there you go!"


On a romantic empowerment note is the sexy ballad "No Tears On My Pillow", which was written by Mya and the song's producer Robin Thicke. While more up tempo, but no less sexy is "Pussycats", co-written by Mya and produced by Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis. As one might ascertain from the title, "Pussycats" is a frisky jam, most definitely a departure from Mya's little girl image. "It's nice to work against type, to take a little of a left turn from what people might expect of you. I felt really good working with Clef because he gave me creative space. This time around I knew what I wanted to say, how I wanted to say it, and I feel now I have more to contribute in a variety of ways."

Mya has earned the respect of her peers with hard work in and out of the studio. Along with her solo efforts and collaborations, Mya has emerged as a powerful and popular concert act, bringing her unique vocals and dancing skills (Mya trained as a dancer for years) to stages across the U.S. Following the release of her 1998 platinum-plus self-titled debut, Mya hit the road, logging miles on 98's leg of the Smokin' Grooves Tour, as well as concerts throughout the U.S. In 1999, Mya was a featured main stage act on the Lilith Fair Tour and even though Mya had honed her stage act, being part of Lilith was daunting. "I was really nervous," Mya admits. "But, the feedback from the audiences was really good and I met a lot of great artists from all different genres of music. The whole experience was very embracing."

Audiences have been embracing Mya since her debut. At the tender age of 18 the Maryland native burst on the scene with an infectious collection that delighted fans and critics alike. Mya spawned three Top 10 singles, "It's All About Me" (a duet with Sisqo, which also earned a Soul Train nomination), "Movin' On" (featuring Silkk the Shocker) and "My First Night With You." Along with those singles Mya kept the spotlight focused on her with "Ghetto Supastar," from the Bulworth soundtrack. The single, which also featured Pras and ODB went Top 10 worldwide as did her giddy collaboration with Blackstreet "Take Me There," from the Rugrats soundtrack.


Along with making music that appeals to the streets and the suburbs, Mya has served as a print spokeswoman for Bongo jeans and has a Tommy Hilfiger lipstick shade named after her. In addition, Mya speaks regularly about teen issues, in particular self esteem for young women. In that capacity Mya serves on the advisory board of the Secret to Self Esteem program (an alliance between the Partnership of Women's Health and Secret antiperspirant), which is dedicated to helping girls become strong women. In an industry which tends to chew up and spit out young female artists, Mya, with the support of her family and management team, is determined to maintain a positive healthy image for her fans and stay true to herself and her beliefs. "I've realized that I can be in this business, be successful, work with who I want to, and present a sassy image but not have to sell my soul," Mya says. "I'm very aware of my fans and people in general and I understand what they are going through, because I went through and continue to experience a lot of the ups and downs myself."


At the end of the day, despite the fame and the tours and the awards, Mya remains a grounded, focused young woman, albeit one who reigns as a superstar. With an eye to start working more on production, as well as continuing to write songs, Mya is taking each day as a new adventure, growing as both an artist and a woman. Ask her what FEAR OF FLYING represents to her and she answers quietly, "control, I feel like I have a new way of expressing myself and that I have a way of saying what I feel in my heart."

Mystical

Hitting the street harder than a Big Truck Driver with the pedal on full mash, Jive Records recording artist Mystikal returns from the Crescent City to sink his fangs into the rap world and spit venomous lyrics with his new CD, entitled TARANTULA. Known for being one of the most respected and lyrically adept rap stars on the planet, Mystikal a.k.a. The Man Right Chere keeps you moving in the new millenium with a unique flow and clever delivery that is unforgettable. Please believe he is set to catch you in his web of original flamboyant flava that is simply ghetto fabulous!

The Crowned Black Prince of the South, who hails from New Orleans, continues his multi-platinum success of his last project "Lets Get Ready" with his new highly anticipated fifth CD. The hot new single "Bouncin Back ( Bumpin Me Against The Wall)", which was produced by the Neptunes, definitely provides the goods to signal the return of "The Ripper" and makes you " Shake ya ass!" More than a jam, the single speaks of rebounding from adversity in a positive manner, which is something everyone has dealt with given the tragic events of September 11th. "It may not be your time or it might be/ you cant do nothing about it, its Gods will thats just how life be".

The James Brown of Rap has the innate quality of making you experience his music by the way he commands the microphone, a rarity in todays music. When you hear the combination of this God given talent with another tantalizing Neptunes track, it is akin to eating a bowl of spicy seafood gumbo at Sunday brunch while listening to cool jazz on the banks of the Mississippi, heaven indeed! The single is already in heavy rotation with radio stations across the country, and with the phenomenal new video directed by Chris Robinson / Jesse Terrero, "Danger" is the operative word for the competition because Mystikals on, fo show!

Mystikal began his journey in hip-hop back in 1980 when the New Orleans rap scene was bristling with local, unsigned talent, such as the late New Orleans pioneer Warren Mayes, MC Thick, Gregory D and Mannie Fresh. Mystikal acknowledges these rappers played a major role in helping him develop his style. "Some of my major influences were early New Orleans MCs like Gregory D. He was one of the first cats to make a record in New Orleans," comments Mystikal. "Mannie Fresh, Sporty T, MC Thick I grew up either challenging them at Gong Shows or opening up for them."

Never one to be content with past awards or success, the Grammy nominated and Soul Train award winner was inspired to take TARANTULA to a new frontier and give his fans what they have been waiting for, the raw uncut talent that exemplifies exactly who he is. "Ive paid my dues, and now its time for me to shine on a whole new level", Mystikal explains. The album is an amalgamation of tight lyrical word play, showmanship and great production that will undoubtedly satisfy hip-hop heads and newcomers alike. The MCs and producers who collaborated with Mystikal on making TARANTULA reads like a VIP list in the rap industry.

Production duties were handled by The Neptunes, The Medicine Men (formerly known as Beats By The Pound), Rockwilder, Juvenile, and Scott Storch to name a few. The album is a listeners delight from beginning to end and has something for everyone to enjoy and feel. Redman and Method Man bless the mic on the Rockwilder produced "I Get It Started", a bouncy syncopated track sure to get the party hyped. Juvenile puts the hot fire down with rhyming and production credits on "Settle The Score", a poignant song about watching your back and getting the props as well as the paper. Mystikal always gives the ladies their due and "Go Head", produced by The Neptunes, uses the classic pimped out falsetto of Pharrell Williams to fully explain the appreciation and respect Mystikal has for the presence and power of a good woman.

The poisonous title track "Tarantula", produced by Scott Storch, makes you get crunk from the jump and cruise Crenshaw on three-wheel motion. Joined by west coast rider Butch Cassidy providing the hook, the instant G-funk will definitely have you in a neck brace. As Mystikal states in the song, he will "make yo moma shake her tail feather". The comically explicit "P***y Crook", produced by KLC (The Medicine Men) is a fast paced head banger in which Mystikal cautions females to come correct or dont come at all. "Ooh Yeah" is the strip club melody set to make the ladies drop it like its hot over Rockwilders sizzling and sensuous track. Another standout is " Big Truck Driver", the new official anthem of sports utility vehicle (S.U.V.) owners throughout the world. Mystikal urges tree lovers to "get your lighters" because its always time to "Smoke One", produced by Odell (The Medicine Men). Vinnie Biggs, Ward Corbett, and DJ Ron close out the stellar cast of producers that makes TARANTULA an instant classic!

Mystikal has consistently soared to new heights with all of his previous platinum projects, and TARANTULA is undeniably his greatest album to date. The CD exhibits his progression and growth as an artist, and expresses his desire to put the rap game on tilt. He possesses a widespread appeal that is evidenced by appearances on "The Chris Rock Show", "Ricky Lake", "Jenny Jones", "106 AND Park" and "Queen Latifah" amongst others. He loves to perform live as demonstrated with past performances on the Billboard and Soul Train Award shows among others. Curiosity into his success has garnered press that spans Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Source and just about everything in between. So look out for Mystikal and the new CD, TARANTULA because the self- proclaimed Black Elvis Presley is primed and ready to creep and crawl from Nawlins straight to ya. If anyone is looking for the "handsome assassin", Mystikal has a message. "Here I Go"!

MOP

Ghetto people and hip-hop loyalists, your dreams have now been fulfilled. While the wanna-be playas and would-be dons of the rap world keep dancing to the beat of the disposable disco-pop jingles, M.O.P.'s (Mash Out Posse) Lil' Fame and Billy Danze continue to proudly wave the banner of undiluted, unapologetically underground sounds for hip-hop purists. Now, with their highly anticipated fourth release, First Family 4 Life, on Relativity Records, the dangerous duo from Brownsville, Brooklyn have created their most compelling work to date.
"You got all types of hip-hop but we represent street music," 23-year-old Fame (a/k/a "Fizzy Womack") explains. "That's all we know, so that's the kind of music that we make. The fashion hip-hop's taken over things for the past couple of years so we gotta even it out. After you get tired of listening to that, you're gonna wanna hear the rawness."

"You got everybody else goin' platinum and gettin' all this attention," adds Billy (a/k/a "William Berkowitz"), age 24. "But we got the real hip-hop here. We got what people really need to hear--the straight-up ghetto music."

As on M.O.P.'s last album, Firing Squad, much of First Family 4 Life's production is supervised by the group's longtime champion, DJ Premier of Gang Starr.

Thus, consummate, straight-up ghetto music is what the LP delivers in abundance from its adrenaline-inducing outset: "Most dudes don't like the way I rep/The brown-skinned cat with the helluva fast step/Berkowitz/Retreat!/I will never be disconnected from these streets," Billy spits on First Family's Premier-produced opening salvo, "Breakin' The Rules." But while Fame and Billy's high-octane exchanges prove to be as sharp as ever over snapping snares and truncated whistles, the track's added bonus is Preem's chorus, which neatly sums up the group's musical philosophy: "We make ghetto music/Rock that/When it drops if it's proper/Cop that!/Cuz some cats be fakin' the moves/In other words, breakin' the rules/Stop that!"

Fame and Billy easily match the intensity of this opening onslaught on fist-pumping joints like "Real Nigga Hillfiggaz" and "Downtown Swinga '98," the third in their trilogy of Brooklyn-pride anthems. However, it's a slew of additional dynamic guest appearances that abet them in fully bringing the rukus. "Down For Whateva" finds the pair receiving strong lyrical assistance from Bushwick neighbor O.C. over Preem's jagged rhythm guitar stabs. "My Kinda Nigga II" reunites them with Jersey posse princess Heather B. within Da Beatminerz' ominous soundscape of bass and drum minimalism. "I Luv" is "My Favorite Things" gone ghetto, with a passionate performance by rap O.G. Freddie Foxxx. Both "Salute II" and "BKLN-JRSY" find Gang Starr and Naughty By Nature's Treach effortlessly meshing their own distinctive styles with those of the Brownsville gutter rats.

Continuing the guitar experimentation that began with their first LP, To The Death's "Rugged Neva Smooth," and last year's Handle Ur Business EP, the explosive Laze E Laze-produced first single, "4 Alarm Blaze," enlists a loop from Survivor's Rocky III theme, "Eye Of The Tiger."

With propulsive cameos from Teflon and BK rap kingpin Jay-Z, "4 Alarm Blaze" stands to be yet another M.O.P. classic for the ages.

"We always seen Jay around since he was down with that group Original Flavor," Fame recalls. "He was there in the studio when we was doin' that song and was like, 'I wanna get on that joint.' It was dope that he came through like that."
First Family's less incendiary moments focus on the struggles and hardships the duo have endured over the past few years--in particular, the deaths of close friends and family members. Though still decidedly gritty, the majestic "Blood, Sweat, Tears" is carried by an uplifting chorale of voices chanting the title refrain. Meanwhile, "What The Future Holds" unforgettable sped-up vocal loop provides a poignant backdrop for some introspective thoughts, this one from Fame: "I lost a lot of loved ones to these streets/And lost a lot of loved ones over beef/That goes to show/These streets haunt ya/Look what society created now--a monster."

"In between our first two albums, To The Death and Firing Squad, a lot of turns happened in our lives," Billy reflects. "And that's where those songs come in. We don't want everybody to think that we're just rowdy dudes. We gettin' older and we're maturing."

If the album's title reflects the strength of the bond between Fame and Billy (lifelong friends who began rhyming together in their public school days) as well as the rest of their M.O.P. clique, it can just as easily apply to their devoted fanbase--a constituency who have undyingly supported the pair since their now-classic debut single, "How About Some Hardcore?," rang heads in '93. Lyrics like Billy's from the tenacious two-part solo joust, "Face Off/Ghetto People," reflect the group's status as defiant street soldiers unjustly neglected by the mainstream: "96 percent of this world don't know I exist/That's why my point is gettin' missed."

"My family always been the underdogs in everything," Billy explains. "We always did what we did correctly but we were outcasts. We still down here in the street. This is where we from so we ain't goin' nowhere. And we always let people know that we're from here and we'll never forget it."

"Nowadays people consider underground to be whatever's not mainstream," states Fame. "But back in like '86, '87, '88, street music was mainstream and it was still raw. People was doing what they felt and not just making music to play on a certain station or for politics. That's why we gotta do our shit right."

A triumph of real hip-hop over short-lived trends, First Family 4 Life demonstrates that M.O.P. are as devoted to their music as ever. This family's time is now.