E-40 - Element of Surprise CD

Element of Surprise songs In the wake of the emerging success of the No Limit family in 1997, Mystikal adds himself to a growing list of New Orleans-flavored hip-hop artists with his third album UNPREDICTABLE. Representing the forgotten coast of rap (the South Coast), Mystikal, with his unique rough-sounding vocals, has become one of the most recognizable MCs in the world of hip-hop. UNPREDICTABLE picks up where his last album left off, full of his distinctive brand of beats and rhymes. Elaborating on the strides Mystikal has made in one of the freshest styles in '90s hip-hop, UNPREDICTABLE is sure to stand the test of time. Explicit Lyrics Personnel: Stan Jones (guitar). Unknown Contributor Roles: DJ Daryl; E-40; Snoop Dogg. Personnel includes: Mystikal, Master P, Silkk The Shocker, B-Legit, E-40, Mia X, Snoop Doggy Dogg (rap vocals); Stan (The Guitar Man) Jones (guitar, bass). Producers: ...

Element of Surprise buy CD music By the time Jive Records released Born to Mack, Too Short's major-label debut, the young rapper was already a music industry veteran, having released several albums on the independent 75 Girls label. With Born to Mack Too Short continued the formula that had already made him a regional star -- sexually explicit lyrics over sparse, bass-heavy rhythm tracks. What is missing from this album, though, is any levity, humor, or musical exploration. Without the benefit of a lyrical wink or nod, and without any sign of his future head-nodding, funk workouts, Too Short's trademark "pimp" tales were stripped bare, revealing themselves too misogynist to be enjoyable. Even so, due to the success of the nearly ten-minute, underground smash "Freaky Tales," Born to Mack expanded Too Short's fan base past his Oakland, CA, hometown, eventually selling past gold status. Many of Short's later efforts, such as Life Is...Too Short and Shorty the Pimp were funnier, funkier, and plain better, but Born to Mack stands as most of the world's introduction to one of rap's most enduring, and best-selling, artists ever. ~ Mtume Salaam Recording information: Different Fur Recording. Unknown Contributor Roles: T. Bohanon; Johnny Hodges. Arranger: Too Short. Personnel: Todd "Too Short" Shaw (rap vocals, keyboards), Silky C (programming), D.J. Universe (scratches). Audio Mixers: Too Short; Howard Johnston.

Element of Surprise album for sale When Snoop Dogg announced that he was leaving Death Row Records, many wondered why he would abandon one of the most successful hip-hop record labels in the business. Quickly announcing that his third album would be put out on none other than the Master P-owned label No Limit, it was obvious why he would make that decision. As a No Limit soldier, Snoop takes his West Coast flavor to the dirty South combining the two sounds for DA GAME IS TO BE SOLD, NOT TO BE TOLD. Always an OG, Snoop Dogg collaborates with No Limit artists (C-Murder, Mystikal, Mia X and Silkk The Shocker, etc.) on many of the tracks. His flow and lyrical content aren't much different from his first two albums, and the production is still tight. Not quite the groundbreaker that DOGGYSTYLE was, but still a top quality rap album. Parental Advisory Personnel: Eddie Griffin, Loose Ends, Crooked Eye Q, KRS-One, Mia X, O'Dell, Anita Thomas, Silkk the Shocker, Whodini, Big Pokey, Charlie Wilson (vocals); Daz (scratches). Unknown Contributor Roles: Mia X; Mystikal; Silkk the Shocker; C-Murder. Personnel includes: Snoop Dogg, Master P, Mia X, Mystikal, Fiend, Soulja Slim, Silkk The Shocker, C-Murder, Steady Mobb'n, Big Pimp'n (rap vocals); O'Dell, Big Pokey, Anita Thomas, Crooked Eye, Mac, Eddie Griffin (vocals); Daz (scratches). Producers includes: KLC, O'Dell, MP, Craig B, D.J. Pooh.

Element of Surprise CD music One of E-40's best albums -- and along with Tha Hall of Game (1996), perhaps his best overall -- In a Major Way features the Bay Area rapper early in his career, when he was at his most inspired and focused. His previous solo releases (Federal, 1993; The Mail Man, 1993), as well as his work with the Click (Down and Dirty, 1994), had been formative and low-budget, released independently by his Sick Wid' It label in association with a regional distributor. Sure, some of that prior work was great, particularly The Mail Man and its breakout hit, "Captain Save a Hoe," but none of it compares to In a Major Way in terms of scale and consistency. Over the course of 16 tracks, E-40 collaborates with his Sick Wid' It stable of producers (Studio Ton, Mike Mosley, Sam Bostic) and rappers (B-Legit, Suga T, Celly Cel), along with outside talent. Newcomer Funk Daddy produces three tracks, including the standout "Sideways," while up-and-coming Bay Area rappers 2Pac, Mac Mall, and Spice 1 team up for another standout, "Dusted 'n' Disgusted." Besides these two standouts, highlights of In a Major Way include a pair of hit singles ("1-Luv," "Sprinkle Me") that broke into the Billboard Hot 100, plus "Da Bumble." In a Major Way does have its shortcomings, chief among them the production, which still sounds low-budget, if improved from prior releases. E-40 made the most of what he had to work with at the time, though, and for a mostly in-house album, In a Major Way is an impressive showcase of the talent at hand. E-40's raps would improve over the years, as would his production stable and his recording budget, yet few albums in his catalog rival In a Major Way, which track-for-track is remarkably solid and thoroughly entertaining. ~ Jason Birchmeier Engineers include: K-Lou, Ken Franklin, Studio Ton. Personnel: E-40 (vocals); Studio Ton, Kevin Gardner (guitar, keyboards, programming); James "Flat Top" Jones (guitar); Sam Bostic, Mike Mosley, Funk Daddy (keyboards, programming); Geraldine Michaels, T-Pup, Luscious Lynn, Nikki Barksdale, Earl Stevens, Jr. (background vocals). Producers: Sam Bostic, Mike Mosley, E-40, Funk Daddy; Studio Ton.

Element of Surprise buy CD music BASED ON A TRUE STORY is full of straight-up gangsta rap and tales of guns and drugs and gang bangin', west coast style. Mack 10 teams up with some high-powered company on this one, as Ice Cube lends a hand on two of the tracks. The themes are predictable enough; ghetto life, revenge and retribution, drug dealing and the consequences of crossing the wrong man. But musically, Mack 10 does has some intriguing ideas. "Chicken Hawk 2" uses some interesting samples, including bird calls, staccato horns, and synthetic strings. "Inglewood Swingin'" is a tribute to Mack 10's home turf, while "Mack 10, Mack 10" makes sure that 1) we spell the man's name right and 2) we know who, in fact, "the man" is. Another attractive feature of this disc is the beats, which are well-matched to the raps, and all achieve a certain degree of funkiness. Guests-Ice Cube,Snoop Doggy Dogg,E40,Too Short Personnel: James "Tre" Raab (guitar). Audio Mixer: Carlos Warlick. Unknown Contributor Roles: D. Thomas; Too Short; E-40; T. Horn; G. Brown; R. Bell; Anne Dudley; Richard Westfield; Robert "Spike" Mickens; Snoop Dogg; C. Smith. Personnel: Mack 10, Snoop Doggy Dogg, AllFrumtha I, The Comrads, E-40, Ice Cube (rap vocals); James "Tre" Raab (guitar). Producers: Tray, Binky, Bob Cat, Ant banks, Mack 10, Soopafly, Ice Cube.

Element of Surprise songs The No Limit Camp keeps turning out more battle-ready soldiers than Uncle Sam himself. Next on line from Master P's infinite battalion is Soulja Slim, who drops it on the world with GIVE IT 2 'EM RAW. Of course a No Limit album would not be complete without the obligatory appearance of nearly the whole clique (a streak which is maintained on this album). But still Master P and his boys are able to strike that happy medium between letting everybody shine on the album and letting the highlighted artist shine as well. And Slim demonstrates that he's got skills on joints like "Wright Me," "Only Real N...", and "From What I Was Told," which he shines on by himself. Personnel: O'Dell, Silkk the Shocker (vocals). Personnel includes: Soulja Slim, Silkk The Shocker, Mia X, Steady Mobbin', Gambino Family, Prime Suspects, Mac, Kane & Abel, Magic, Master P, UGK, C-Murder, Mr. Serv-On, Mystikal, Trenitty, Big Ed, Full Blooded, Snoop Dogg, Fiend, Fiend (rap); O'Dell (background vocals). Producers: Carlos Stephens, D.J. Darryl, KLC, Craig B, O'Dell, Mo B. Dick. Additional personnel: Trenitty, Fiend, Full Blooded, Kane & Abel, M.A.C., Magic, Master P, Mia X, Mr. Serv-On, Mystikal, O'Dell, Prime Suspects, Silkk the Shocker, Snoop Dogg, Steady Mobb'n, Gambino Family, Big Ed, C-Murder.