The career of an underappreciated MC must be tough, especially when your catalog of albums easily eclipses those of today's most recognizable rappers. For Queensbridge veteran Cormega, the time to remind the world of his two criminally slept-on releases is now. Boasting a musical legacy complete with a highly publicized audio feud with one-time Firm associate Nas and a botched deal with Def Jam Records, Cormega went the independent route in 2001 to issue The Realness, a disc bleeding with true emotions coming from the perspective of an urban survivor. The following year, he crafted the equally impressive The True Meaning, this time rounding out his music with much more diversity in both subject matter and production.
Now, on his own Legal Hustle Records, Cormega has put together Special Edition: Realness & True Meaning, a double-disc effort combining both albums with seven hard-to-find bonus tracks. Simply put, Special Edition is street music in its purest and most official form.
On The Realness disc, a more defensive Cormega is on display, sending subliminal jabs at Nas while heavily aiming to prove himself worthy of individual attention. His value is instantly made clear, as J-Love's effervescent harps open the doors for Mega's "Dramatic Entrance," where he warns, "Streets was waitin', here I am, a beast awakened." On "American Beauty," Mega rides a dusty acoustic guitar lick as he metaphorically describes the ups and downs of a loose female named 'Hip Hop.' His love of the game is shown again on "Rap's A Hustle," where Mega pimps his pen into writing his rhymes over Ayatollah's glorious vocal samples. Soulful voiceovers continue to appear on the Spunk Bigga instrumental for "They Forced My Hand," with Mega and Tragedy Khadafi pondering ghetto existence with genuine concern. On "Fallen Soldiers," further introspection is practiced as he laments over deceased loved ones, backed by a somber piano arrangement.
The standout moments on The Realness, however, come when Mega laces up his Timberlands to engage in verbal warfare. "Thun and Kicko" finds him and Prodigy issuing cold-hearted threats as Havoc hypnotizes ears with a distorted soundtrack. Mega commands enemies to "Get Out My Way," right before Godfather Don's chilling organ melody leads the QB soldier to advise a specific foe that "You Don't Want It."
Where The Realness thrives on darker feelings, The True Meaning lightens up Cormega's persona a bit. This is most evident on "Soul Food," a dedication to a potential wifey that puts Mega's lyrical range on exhibition. J. Waxx Garfield's haunting blend of distant whimpers and soft keys creates the perfect aura for our host to pay tribute to the mother of misguided youths. "Therapy" provides just that, with a soothing beat and mellow bars, while The Alchemist blesses Mega with his signature sound for Mega to shout out both the past and present denizens of Queensbridge on "The Legacy."
Special Edition's bonus tracks hold their own nicely alongside Mega's back-to-back full-length successes. "Montana Diary," taken from his unreleased Def Jam album, Testament, instantly intrigues with Nashiem Myrick's cinematic strings. Mega shows appreciation towards a special lady on "All I Got Is You," and kicks polished thug music with Tragedy and Ayatollah on "No Equivalent." The triple threat of Mega with Mobb Deep's Havoc and Prodigy appears twice, once on the slow menace of "Killaz Theme," and again on the more energized grime of "Angel Dust."
With Special Edition, Cormega solidifies his position as one of rap's most dedicated artists. As the long-awaited release of his once forgotten Testament project and a brand new album, Urban Legend, rapidly approach, giving this well-deserving man real props will be mandatory. Until then, passing credit Cormega's way is a no-brainer.
Features Lil Josh & Ernest : We Just Jigg'n Lil Josh & Ernest has infiltrated the music scene in Louisiana with their Jigga Juice Movement. Although their talent ... full story
Beyond Hip-Hop Game Review: Madden NFL 09 It's hard to believe that the Madden series has been around for twenty years now, transforming from a simple football ... full story
Digg It
Del.icio.us
