Recipe [PA]

Performer: Mack 10
Artist: Jermaine Dupri; Ice Cube; Eazy-E; Master P; Mystikal; Jayo Felony; Ol' Dirty Bastard; WC; Fat Joe; Snoop Dogg; Big Punisher; Binky; Techniec; Boo Kapone; CJ Mac; Foxy Brown; MC Eiht; Gerald Levert; Buckshot; K-Mac; Tha Roadawgs; Thump; Squeak RU; Tray Deee
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Mack 10; Korn (guitar); Carl Butch Smalls (percussion); Barbara Wilson, Traci Nelson (background vocals); Jermaine Dupri, Master P, Mystikal, Eazy E, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ice Cube, Jayo Felony, Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Big Punisher, Binky, Foxy Brown, MC Eiht, Gerald Levert, Boo Kapone, Techniec, CJ Mac, Buckshot, K-Mac, Thump, Tha Roadawgs, Tray Deee, Squeak Ru, WC. Producers include: Binky, Young Trey, KLC, Mack 10, Slice. Personnel: Korn (guitar); Mr. Payback (keyboards); Barbara Wilson (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Mack 10; Carlos Warlick. It became commonplace during the mid- to late '90s for rappers to litter their albums with a small nation's worth of guest stars, both for commercial purposes and for all-important sonic variety. At its worst, this tactic can lead to albums where the ostensible star ends up sounding like a guest at their own party. But at its best, the more-the-merrier formula can result in stellar albums like Mack 10's The Recipe, an unambitious but enormously satisfying slice of pop-savvy late-'90s gangsta rap that features a slew of the hottest names in hip-hop, from Eazy E to Master P to ODB and many, many more. Mack 10 got his big break from mentor/gangsta rap pioneer Ice Cube, who not surprisingly lends his gruff presence to two of the album's standout tracks: "Should I Stay or Should I Go," a borderline sacrilegious but effective reworking of the Clash classic, and "Ghetto Horror Show," a similarly cheesy but enjoyable slice of gangsta rap gothic featuring a scene-stealing turn by the underrated Jayo Felony. Snoop Dogg trades verses with the laconic but authoritative Mack 10 on another of the album's highlights, "LBC and the ING," driven by a familiar but undeniably infectious sample of "Heartbeat," one of the greatest and most-used loops in the history of hip-hop. "Money's Just a Touch Away," the album's Gerald Levert-assisted first single, is a too-slick attempt at radio-friendly crossover success, but Mack 10's sole solo showcase, "The Letter," is a surprisingly eloquent and well-reasoned defense of gangsta rap. The Recipe probably won't convert many non-believers, but for fans of straightforward, late-'90s gangsta rap, it's about as good as it gets. ~ Nathan Rabin On THE RECIPE, Mack 10 brings new meaning to the term "hardcore," offering up some of the nastiest, most unrepentant, downright sociopathic tales of hard-ass derring-do ever to assault listeners' ears. If you're already squeamish about gangsta rap, you'd best look elsewhere for your entree into that style, because THE RECIPE is strictly for the core audience. Foxy Brown, Funkmaster Flex, Jayo Felony and even Snoop Doggy Dogg turn in guest appearances here, but the focus is clearly on Mack 10 and his merciless rhymes. Railing against society, women, his peers, and any other perceived nemesis, Mack 10 comes across as a man with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder, but if you're so inclined, his brand of unalleviated fury makes for some serious catharsis. THE RECIPE is guaranteed to offend, and that's just the way the gleefully in-your-face Mack 10 likes it.

Vibe (11/98, p.170) - "...After a couple of listens to THE RECIPE, it's obvious that Mack Dime has retired his vendetta against the East Coast for the more lucrative pastime of selling records targeted to both coasts and everywhere in between..." The Source (11/98, p.190) - 4 Mics (out of 5) - "...the West Coast can definitely benefit from Mack's recipe to put them back in the rap game before 2000..." Rap Pages (11/98, p.133) - 4 (out of 5) - "...With a number of high-powered collaborations that highlight Mack 10's ever-expanding territorial scope, THE RECIPE comes across as one of the freshest offerings to emerge from Hip-Hop's oven."

During the mid-'90s, when West Coast rap reigned supreme, Mack 10 emerged as a close associate of Ice Cube and enjoyed several years of considerable commercial success with his reverent hard-cool rhymes. The Los Angeles-area rapper's greatest success came early in his career, on the albums MACK 10, BOW DOWN, BASED ON A TRUE STORY, and THE RECIPE. While his star dimmed somewhat in the following decade, Mack continued to command a fanbase by staying true to the originoo gangsta rap game even as the times changed.

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