M.O.P
Warriorz

"Warriorz" is the album marking the return of M.O.P, aka Billy Danz and Lil' Fame, two years after the monumental "First Family 4 Life," and it does not disappoint the expectations of rap fanatics spread across the globe. Permanently pissed off at the world, the two associates from Brownsville, one of the most degraded and infamous suburbs of the Big Apple, give us a new brick of solid hardcore rap, teetering between intricate slang, street stories, and hard and raw sounds, with very few concessions to melody and easy listening. Yes, the recipe of our ghetto furies is simpler than you might think: "Give us raw beats and we'll kick your ass," this is their motto, to use a Frenchism. And with "Warriorz," there must have been thousands of broken butts, indeed, in the nineteen tracks of the album, Billy Danz and Lil' Fame impart wisdom and street-philosophy with their usual "ear-shattering" technique, accompanied by devastating productions crafted by more than heavyweight figures of the genre like DJ Premier, DR Period, and Curt Cazal.

The result is an explosive mix, ready to challenge any self-respecting stereo system. The magnificent introduction by DJ Premier immerses us in reality, "Welcome To Brownsville," shout our guys over a bare and essential beat accompanied by the mate Tephlon. And it's just the beginning; as you listen, you encounter small masterpieces of street-rap such as "Everyday," club-ready with the right touch and a chorus sung by Product G&B, the epic "Ante Up (Robbing-Hoodz Theory)" introduced by the screams and rants of Funkmaster Flex (if you're not used to listening to mixtapes or trendy selections, I doubt you can stand his voice for more than five seconds...), the first single "G-Building," with an ultra-minimal and engaging beat, "Follow Instructions" with its apocalyptic atmosphere, then arriving at the best track on the album, the magnificent "Cold As Ice," which brilliantly reprises the eponymous track by Foreigner. To the notes of the concluding "Foundation," your whining subwoofer can finally exult, after being put to the test for seventy-three minutes.
Sure, perhaps the overall length is excessive and some tracks are less successful (the jazzy and out-of-place "Nig-Gotiate," "Power," which reprises the same sample from "Fuck What You Heard" by Smoothe Da Hustler...), but in any case, "Warriorz" remains an excellent album, yet another demonstration of style by two living legends who, without selling out to the highest bidder, go straight on their path, and they do it very well.

Once again, they pass with flying colors.