producers: domingo

guests: godsons, ras kass, hurricane g, eminem, krs-one, mc shan, f.t., others.

Domingo does not enter the scene with his contribution to the producer album/compilation. He’s been around for more than just a minute, and he has been producing many of today’s hottest rappers and Emcees. Shedding as much light on major artist, as on independent/underground ones, this here seems to be thoughtfully rounded out, ready to thump that boom bap out of your speakers, ready to get you get down.

It works on some of the tracks. The energetic "Not The Ones To Sleep", feat. Bamboo, borrows a familiar drum sample, and puts it over epic strings and a chiming drum. Although "Got You Too Hot" is jacking the same sample that "Guilty Conscious" does (the Eminem feat. Dr. Dre) track, it’s still cool, but having such a highly talented rapper Ras Kass, rhyme with someone as horrible as Hurricane G, is just one of the worst collaborations you can put together. The whistle like backdrop to "One Time", also has us enjoy the album, just as the second Bamboo joint, the hard "From The Get Up" does. Big Ben’s "Unfinished Business" is also hard, where cinematic with several sound effects. This hard vibe continues on "Hustlers & Hardcore" where Fell-X teams up with everybody’s favorite white guy Eminem. And things do end nicely with "Line Of Fire", where Domingo not only teams up KRS-One and MC Shan (remember the Bridge/Bronx beef?), but he also puts Godsons, Ras Kass, F.T., Bamboo, Feel-X and Sinz Of Reality on it. A masterfully crafted, stick and strings enhanced beat.

But not all things are lovely? Godsons’ "Official" and "Watch What You Say" are not impressive at all, with the latter having a female sing over the track, that even the Wu would have rejected, and the know about wack female singing contributions. You can hear that lady again on Sinz Of Relaity’s "Sinz Of Reality", and she’s just as horrible on that track.

Concluding? Well two things: while the beats are not groundbreaking, they do move you sometimes, hit you in the groin and have your speakers burst in bassphobia. And the lyrics? Well, this is a producer album, so Domingo is the main guy on here. But since we can’t just ignore the lyrics, let’s just say: while some are nice, some are not. Surprise, huh?