producers: bosko, funk daddy, torry ward, jumbo, dubb flexx, philly blunt

guests: d.b.a., bosko, bleek, maniac lok, ray ray, style wars, jay tee of n2 deep, bullet, others.

7. My Heata feat. Maniac Lok, Rogi Shepherd

"Cross the line, it just takes one time / untouchable, niggas just wanna fuck with mine / against the grain, black eyes in the gain / since harsh game I bring major pain" so we are welcomed on this album. The above quoted lines are the first words we hear from Cool Nutz, a name that will ring familiar in the ears of some folks. What is due to Nutz being a household name in the North West game, him hailing from Portland, Oregon. But with write ups in The Source, Murder Dog and about a million 'zines and serious papers too, it's easier to have heard from him than not. Also because this is his fourth album, and also because he's part of D.B.A., a group that further includes Bosko and Poppa LQ. Again names that you might have heard before. If not, now you have.

But if we look at another quote from the opening track "Major Pain", we have to disagree with it. Cause Nutz spits: "I rhyme through beef and steal whole heat / and with your bottom bitch you're the trick and the treat / I'm never discreet, murder your best beat / I rhyme like a nigga with his ear to the street". That's incorrect, cause he doesn't rhyme like a man with his ear to the street, he is one with ears to the street. And the street is not only what he listens to, but also what he chooses to talk about, throughout the tracks on this "Verbal Porn" album. Hence the name of the album is somewhat confusing, as this touches upon more topics than what's done with human organs. There's a couple of tracks on here that do that, and the Interludes are giving you the grinding and groaning too, but Nutz is spending enough time talking about all the realities that are fried on the streets' hot tar.

We now could go the 'if you like this kind of music, you'll like this album; if you don't like this style, you will not like the album' route, but that'd be too easy. Instead we shall look at this with the ears of someone that usually enjoys this hustle, and try to figure out, what in his reality is sounding especially good on here. Well, the first track to note then is "Freq", one of those few nasty cuts, that features an interesting bleepy beat by Jumbo (of the Quannum (??) Projects). The same can be said about the beat on "Portland Life II", which was produced by Funkdaddy. The chorus on "Freq" is also adding a nice little hum along moment, hence we are enjoying it. There's an urging feel to "My Heata" that's kinda cool too, and we also like the smoothness of "What You Do". However once Bosko steps up to the board, things do even get better, hence it's understandable that this cat has worked with major artists (like the Luniz, Too $hort, E-40 and others). What he does for "Thug Song" (feat. Bosko, Bleek) is reduced but musical, while on "Can't Hold Back" (feat. D.B.A.) he puts up a complex offering that plays with the elements that stand available. And "Enuff" is having exactly that rider quality that the audience is demanding from this brand.

Looking for the evil ish though, we find the acoustic guitar on "Ya Heard Me", the boring "It's A Shame", the too synthetic sounding "72 Bars", as well as the corny singing on "Won't Know" by featured guest Style Wars. And well, if we are stepping out of our street persona, pretty much most of the lyrical content and flow. Cool Nutz spits his lyrics in a demonic, hard delivery, that makes his voice be recognizable, however not always remarkable. He addresses the topic without glorifying or sugar coating them, however also without fully reflecting on them. Hence there's just something about this style that's hard to understand for someone that's not part of it. But if you are willing to find the documentary aspect in here, it will help you find the reasons and understandings.

Nevertheless we again gotta fall back on that saying again: 'If you like the style, you'll like the album'. But what needs to be mentioned though, is the darker styling of the album, that makes the tracks to be less quirky and less sparkling than what we are used to get from the NW. And to put this in a porn simile: the action is cool, but the lighting is a little messed up.