Puff Daddy & The Family
No Way Out

THE REVIEW

Before writing this review, I take a look at Wikipedia and learn that No Way Out won the '98 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.

It's yet another proof that the world is unfair and cruel: the only award that No Way Out deserves is perhaps that of the worst rap album in history.

Let's start with the beats: Puff and his team of producers manage to show that it's possible to make a record while being completely devoid of creativity: just sample some famous pieces and mix them a bit, without working too hard on them otherwise you'll get a headache. So, they take the Rocky Balboa soundtrack, the Police, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Lisa Stansfield and create a "masterpiece" album!

But then you have to rap over it, and that's a problem: for the lyrics, Puff gets help from some ghostwriters, but you can't get help to rap, unfortunately. Puff is simply the worst rapper of all time: a monotonous and irritating flow like no other, soporific in a way that has no comparison. I can't think of anyone so incapable. Other producers aren't great MCs either, but Dr. Dre and Kanye West compared to Puff are true masters of the microphone, and that's saying something. Puff Daddy is such a poor rapper that you almost wonder if he does it on purpose, out of pure malice: "I rap terribly and make a ton of money, while you listen to my songs and live your loser lives."

It's true that there are hits: taking famous songs like Every Breath You Take by the Police, it's inevitable. Victory isn't bad, and there are a couple of other songs that are enjoyable to listen to (again, simply because the starting songs are pleasant). But the rest is extremely boring, ideal for those who have trouble falling asleep: less catchy choruses than Fantozzi's daughter + total lack of originality + Puffy's soporific flow = disaster.

Apart from Puff Daddy, there are many other rappers (the "Family"): compared to the host, they are all phenomenal, but in reality they are talentless and shameless (apart from the late The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, who certainly don't lack talent).

Speaking of The Notorious B.I.G.: as is well known, Puff Daddy was a great friend of his. And it is out of friendship that he exploited his death in such a disgraceful way, first with the song I'll Be Missing You, then by releasing posthumous albums of abysmal quality that served only to make money and promote the artists of Puff's label.

In short, Puff Daddy is evil.