producer: naughty by nature, platune sounds, mufi, donald robinson, falonte moore, kaygee

guests: phiness, master p, silkk the shocker, mystikal, rustic overtones, zhane, coffee brown, mag, krayzie bone, big punisher, next, chain gang platune

These guys from Jersey are in this rap game for several years now. And since they kinda enjoy the reputation of veterans, the question, if they can still hang with the young cats, needs to be asked. If you would ask the people on the streets, they'd say "no", if you ask me, then "yes".

Not only were Naughty the first one's that had their own clothing company, something that everybody has copied now, no, they were also at the pioneers of the crossover appeal. For a long time, the street liked them just as much as the charts. Until it got cool to diss Naughty.

That's why Naughty hasn't released anything for four years but they have grown for the same amount of time. Kay Gee as a producer, as well as Treach and Vinne as rappers.

In his beats, Kay Gee mixes a lot of hidden, unobtrusive effects, that enriches the music and invite to a closer listen. "Dirt All By My Lonely" is epitomized by discreet bass and drums, and woven in there is a piano. Also "Live Or Die" is fascinating because of the swelling keyboardchords, a carefully used singing (Phinesse) and Mystikals dominant voice. Kay Gee's production is just that: careful and mature. Every effect and shred has it's place at the right spot. The strings and guitars of "Live Than Lay" show the same thing. A thoughtful track.

"On The Run" though, is a misstep. A lot has been added to the Public Enemy classic, and it got overworked with honor, but nevertheless, nothing new and original emerged, that could inspire. And "Thugs & Hustlers" is definitively a track, that should have been left out. The beat is wack, and Mag and Krayzie Bone don't blow any new life into the worst of all concepts: thugs and hustlers.

What the backpack fraction will not like, are tracks like "Holiday" or "Jamboree". They are both not really creative, and are both made up by the same formula, but they work in these times of depressing beats. We do need a little bit of fun sometimes. And Naughty has always been known for tracks that reigned the clubs.

Lyrically, bott Vin Rock and Treach come hard. You hear Treach go: "what about them MC's after me (hahahaha) / come see the first rappers laid flat on ‚Banned From TV‘ / part 3 in 3-D, shot right in Jersey" ("Dirt All By My Lonely"). But that certainly derives more from his flow, than of the things he says. But remarkable is, that every time Vinnie steps to the microphone, his rhymes are solid. And almost political he raps on "On The Run":  "hardcore on my block just because I'm black / cause I'm ghetto superstar you pull me out of my car / well motherfucker I'm not knowin what they put in yo' ear / the only thing I'm transportin is my Naughty gear", what can be explained by passed problems with the police, bullet-proof vests and shoot outs. And on the track "Radio" he rhymes in an insolent mannor: "whether urban or top 40, Naughty, thought we'd resurrect the / where-we-from amensia, blackin out so much I suffer / epileptic seizures (ahh!) / takin our time just to guarantee we'll please ya".

Something to condemn, is that Naughty seems to try to cator to anybody: to the Boriquas and Latinos, with a singing Big Punisher on "We Could Do It", to the South with the No Limit Soldiers on "Live Or Die", Mag on "Wicked Bounce", to the Midwest with Krayzie Bone and to the East with "Ring The Alarm", to the R'n'B audience with "The Blues" (feat. Next). But maybe this only shows, that Naughty has fans all across all areas. However the album does not really feel like a patchwork, but has it's odd, surprising, own character. That does not make it the best album of the year, but also not to the worst, for which a lot of people would like to make it.