Warriorz [PA]

Performer: M.O.P.
Artist: Funkmaster Flex; Tephlon; The Product G&B; Lord Have Mercy
Engineer: Eddie Sancho
Distributor: RED Distribution

Notes: M.O.P: Billy Danzenie, Fame (rap vocals, drums). Additional personnel: Laze (keyboards); Crystal Asia, Rocko (background vocals); Lord Have Mercy, Tephlon, Product G&B, Funkmaster Flex. Producers include: DJ Premier, Rockwilder, Buckwild, Da Beatminerz. Audio Mixer: Eddie Sancho . Recording information: D; D Studios, New York, NY; Pyramid Recording; Soundtrack Studio; Unique Recording Studios. The rabble-rousing Brownsville, Brooklyn crew's fourth release is a heavy machete cutting through the forest of clones of the hip-hop field. A Molotov cocktail of an album featuring M.O.P.'s brand of harmonious high-energy thuggery. The Mash Out Posse deals strictly with street life themes and is not for the weak of heart or ear but the musical element is always varied and flavorful. DJ Premier has always supported these underground soldiers and on this album he exercises his darker side on five tracks. While his influence and sound run throughout, for his own tracks Primo digs deep in his bag of tricks, deftly looping a swatch from Hendrix's "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" on "Follow Instructions" and testing out new sequencing patterns on "Everyday" and "On the Front Line." Billy Dance and Lil' Fame (Fizzy Womack) have never strayed from their military mind set and rhyme format and Warriorz recapitulates the staples of their hardcore sound. Fizzy also applies his well-trained ear in the sound booth on tracks like the gangster jitterbug "Nig-gotiate" or lifting a segment from Foreigner's "Cold as Ice" for a track of the same title. Though the tone rarely changes and the lyrical content gets repetitive, musically the album hits enough high notes to make this a nice release. ~ M.F. DiBella There isn't another rap group as hardcore as M.O.P. Since its first album, the group has consistently put out solid material, establishing a formula of stick 'em up-rhymes and uptempo riot-inspiring beats with cuts such as "How About Some Hardcore" and "Firing Squad." Its fourth album WARRIORZ is no exception; M.O.P. has done itself proud with yet another classic. Its songs are produced by some of hip-hop's finest, including DJ Premier, who comes through for the Brooklyn-based duo with cuts such as "Ante Up," "Calm Down" and "G Building" that will have hip-hop heads from New York to Cali too amped-up to do anything but bounce.

Spin (1/01, pp.114-5) - 8 out of 10 - "...The beats alone will have you hitting the deck and kissing the floor....[their] war-torn larynges deserve a Luden's. Now make some noise..." Uncut (11/01, p.118) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...M.O.P. have a few terrific party tunes in their armoury..."

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