Pitch Black Law CD

.Guests:Busta Rhymes,Wyclef Jean,Foxy Brown.



This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Pitch Black: D.G., Devious, Fast, G.O.D., Zakee (rap vocals).
Additional personnel: Busta Rhymes, Foxy Brown.
Producers include: Swizz Beatz, DJ Premier, Teddy Riley, Nottz, Richard Frierson.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
In rap's ever-widening spectrum Pitch Black are right in the center. They're straight-up hip-hop -- sometimes to a fault -- and while they don't embarrass themselves lyrically, they'll never be accused of being revolutionary. Their style is classic, simple, and the reason why producers are most responsible for the successes and failures on Pitch Black Law -- an album with more highlights than usual, and some filler -- is that it's just plain dull. With DJ Premier at the controls, Pitch Black's adequate skills fit just right. The rhymes don't get in the way of Premier's loopy string samples on "It's All Real," an exciting kick-off single that paints the album as much more necessary than it really is. Teddy Riley shoots for the mainstream on both of his tracks, weakening the crew's punch on "My Life" but recovering with "Geechy"'s infectious, shuffling party-beats. After hearing Premier and Riley do their thing, tracks from Swizz Beatz, Amar Pep, and the crew's in-house production team aren't nearly as exciting. The guest spots are few, with Foxy Brown spitting out some vicious rhymes on "Got It Locked" -- another winner from Premier -- while "R You Ready 4 This" adds another useless Busta Rhymes appearance to the pile. Considering it took Pitch Black ten years to get to their debut, it's easy to imagine that being overly ambitious got in the way of delivering an album that was more even. If they devote as much energy to keeping it fresh as they do to keeping it real, they'll likely deliver a classic. Still, they back up their true hip-hop stance with solid rhymes, and there's enough promise on Pitch Black Law to keep them on your "watch" list. [Pitch Black Law was also released in a "clean" edition, containing no profanities or vulgarities]. ~ David Jeffries
Pitch Black has been honing its art on streets, stages, and mixtapes for nearly a decade leading up to its debut record, PITCH BLACK LAW. Fittingly, the five rappers who comprise the Brooklyn crew--D.G., Fast, G.O.D., Devious, and Zakee--play off each other's rhymes with an almost preternatural ease, tossing off deft lyrics that flow one into another.
On PITCH BLACK LAW, the group paints a mostly positive but still sexual and street-savvy picture as exemplified on the sanctified and catchy "It's All Real" ("I ain't tryin' to see death, disease or the penitentiary"). Skillfully produced by the talented DJ Premier, that track highlights the exceptional level of production values on this record. Teddy Riley brings his timeworn style to the electronically funky and grammar-heavy "Geechy" and the enveloping call-and-response "My Life," while the incomparable Swizz Beatz provides his irrefutable heavy beats on tracks like the brash "N.Y.C." and the dizzy dance anthem "Shake That." But it's the solid, effortless rhyming that holds the record together between its powerful beats, and the kaleidoscopic "To Be the Best" captures a tight hip-hop outfit in all its glory.