Dogg Pound member and Death Row veteran, Kurupt, may be best known for furthering the West Coast gangsta vibe. But before he moved to California, Kurupt called Philadelphia home, and he returns to his roots on Philly 2 Cali by teaming up with Philly trio, Tangled Thoughts, composed of Tek, De and Cas.
Alongside Kurupt, as well as various guest spots from Roscoe, AK, Freeway and others, it would be easy for the trio to fade into the background. Instead they prove to be the album's strongest link -- a group of emcees hungry enough to put actual effort into crafting clever and intricate lyrics instead of coasting along on clichés for 17 songs.
Tek handles all of the production on Philly 2 Cali, and still manages to sound like five different producers in one. With styles ranging from the chopped and screwed title track to any number of songs that could have come from Dr. Dre's lab, including the posse joints "All I Ever Knew" and "Product of My Environment."
If the album is missing anything, it's cohesion and some type of forward progression for West Coast style. With a staggering number of guest appearances and an obvious effort to represent various parts of the country, it's hard for Philly 2 Cali to carry any kind of consistency in terms of sound or message.
The album also relies on too many clichés and stereotypes in illustrating West Coast life; rapping about California seems to take place in a time warp where talking about bustas, bitches and low-lows hasn't already been done to death yet.
Standout songs include "Jumpoff," "Big Boss'n" and "Every Hood's the Same," which is probably the album's most important statement. Over an eerie, booming bass and a stuttering, minimal track, the trio acknowledge the uniqueness of various regions misses that the record's attempt to highlight: in the bottom-line analysis, the essence of every hood -- poverty, drugs, violence and struggle -- is the same regardless of what zip code you're in.
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