guests: total, blackstreet, mysonne, puff daddy, shyne, harlem world, funkmaster flex

I’m always surprised that someone can say that they like Mase or No Limit, without apologizing for it. For real, they act like it’s nothing, like there’s nothing wrong with it.

See, to be fair, let’s say the first Mase album was bearable. But now with his second release, Mase must have finally came up with the encyclopedia definition of a wack album. For real, I’m not even kidding.

Listen to it, naw actually don’t. However, if you can’t help it, get ready for the worst. Maybe check out the cover first, you know as preparation. Actually wash your hands after you’ve done it, cause those Mase pictures in the sleeve, must be the worst. They’re not even like the Busta Rhymes picture in the first Leaders Of The New School album or the Lord Finesse picture in "Return Of The Funky Man" with his shorts on. Well, those pictures were kinda funny, and that was the times back then. But now that Mase smile, the cover picture, the hat he’s wearing on the smiling picture, the fist pose, with all that shiny platinum jewelry. That’s just too corny and wack, too embarrassing.

Damn, I can’t even be a neutral no more, and I’m Swiss. See, normally I  am a constructive critic, that looks at everything from all angles, but how can I do that here? Just check out these lyrics "you know my mission ain't complete / ‘till I hit the city with a 600 Jeep" ("Stay Out Of My Way") or "and when your joint jam, my joint'll bust / I kidnap friends cuz the money is a must" ("Fuck Me, Fuck You") and finally "now you at the wrong place, and it's at the wrong time / you got a long face cuz now you see this long Nine / but what you lookin' scared for, nigga? / you only in some things you ain't prepared for / it ain't that you not my man, but Mase my man more" (and this rhymed by a person who ‘mourns’ the victim of a shooting). What's with all the 'what, what' screamin? What's with the voice change?

Next, check out the beats to "Gettin’ It" (feat. Funkmaster Flex), "Stay Out Of My Way" (rips off P.E. and Madonna’s "Justify My Love", actually she ripped it off too), "Get Ready". Damn,...

Now, well, let’s try to find one or two things that are likeable on here. There is "No Matter What", that has some acceptable beat, "If You Want To Party", the beat here is acceptable too, while the chorus is too, far too wack ("if you wanna party, come and shake your body / if you wanna party, put 'em in the air / over there, over there"). We are happy to welcome Buckwild back, who really disappointed with his beats on the "Still Diggin Composition". "Another Story To Tell" (should have been a sequel to "I Got A Story To Tell" that was on Biggies second album, which was on a really nice Buckwild beat) is production wise, certainly the tightest track on the album. The strings of "From Scratch" are kinda alright too, while Shyne rips off Biggie Smalls, desperately urging for some notoriety.

But let’s get back in the serious reviewer mode: Pop means popular, and pop is so successful because it appeals to many people. This album desperately tries to do that, and in some way will succeed. And although sometimes I can hear something that I could understand, why they did it, most of the times, I can’t even say, that it’s good at it. I don’t mind it, then I do, and I’m really a tolerant listener. I can accept tracks like "All I Ever Wanted". It’s hard for me to say, that I would give it to others to listen to. I even doubt that people will like this in a "ooh, his music just touches me so deep" way. Actually I doubt that this music should. And hip hop must be in a sad state, that an album like this, will sell more units, than albums by The Roots or Ras Kass or Gang Starr or even a Mobb Deep, not even talking about all the independent / underground acts.

Well, and that leaves me with asking the obvious questions: Aren’t we just too happy, that this is Mase’s last album? Wouldn’t it be horrible if he’d change his mind?