Search - Boss :: Born Gangstaz

Classic rage against the machine female joint.

BMax2u@aol.com | Seattle, WA | 07/04/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This "old school" set is one of the finest recordings by any rapper, male or female. You may not agree with all the sentiments, or politics...but the power is undeniable. Listen to Boss break down her mental stress on "Deeper"...it is not a love song! Then check-out my personal favorite track..."Progress by Elimination". While other rappers front 'bout the 'hood Boss takes you right down to the street.I am interested in what this sistah is doin' now if anyone has the 411?Max; Peace"

The Hardest Record To Ever Drop From A Female Act

Ashley M. Blanchard | Syracuse, New York | 03/16/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like many hip hop heads, I considered myself a stubborn know it all. Purchasing books such as Ego Trips Book of Rap Lists covered just about all the albums I needed to know except one ("Born Gangstaz"). I never heard of Boss until my dad came back from his warehouse job with a stack of old Source Magazines in his hands. Apparently, a college student forgot to take the magazines with them and as the saying goes, "one mans mess is another mans treasure". Flipping through the pages of the magazine with the Onyx cover I came across the infamous mic report.



"Born Gangstaz" received four mics and back in 1993 and it was a huge honor to receive four mics back then. Albums such as "Doggystyle", "Enta Da Stage", "Doggystyle", "Midnight Marauders", and "Return of the Boom Bap" received the same ratings back in those days before the Source re-rated "Doggystyle" as a five mic classic. The editors went crazy over these females mic skills, delivery, and relentless macho-regression. Reviewer Carter Harris even referred to them as "coming off as the trigga happy henchwomen from Nino Brown's New Jack City crew".



"Born Gangstaz" is a rare album because for better or worse, there are no moments of sincerity. That's right...Boss stays hard to the core 24-7. But being hard isn't enough to get you by (especially in the cutthroat days of the nine-tray). The albums opener "Deeper" is an excellent single to start things with a dope dancehall influenced interlude. Erick Sermons funky bass-heavy produced "Comin' Ta Getcha" and "2 To The Head" are certified jeep slammers. "Drive By" will make your subwoofers bottom out as "Dee" and "Boss" showcase their excellent storytelling naratives. However, the Def Jef produced "Progress By Elimination" stands tall among my all-time favorite songs. One can't help but think of MC Lytes "Paper Thin" when listening to its sonic brilliance. Ill bassline, clashing hi-hats, screaming horns, and constant change ups certainly make this one for the hip hop hall of fame if there ever was one. On top of that, Lichelle Laws shows a dangerous display of superhuman breath control, bracing delivery, and a witty structure of wordplay that runs circles around this sonic masterpiece.



Overall, "Born Gangstaz" is a criminally slept-on album that never got the promotion it deserved. According to the Source, there were thirteen bangers on this album but the CD version holds only twelve. The missing DJ Quik funk drenched "Gangsta Pu--sy" is what I have been looking everywhere for. Maybe those blessed with vinyl duckets can scoop it up. Some say the career of Boss came to an end when critics sited that Boss wasn't really mixed in the lifestyle they were displaying on wax. It's really a shame there is no follow up but "Born Gangstaz" will remind us of a time when these ladies could rock with any male emcee on the mic!"

The Billie Holliday of rap

Carlos G. Puentes | Miami | 07/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know she's still livin', but her career died, so I mourn it.
This was truly a gifted lyricist, that essentially blew away every male rapper,when she dropped. Even though she never got a grammy,or even a platinum plaque, she still has one significant claim to fame. She is the voice on the single greatest rap song ever produced. Def Jef's "Progress of Elimination", is as close to sonic perfection as this genre will ever get. No other big name producer has ever come close. Not Dre, not RZA, not Primo,
not Pete Rock, not Prince Paul, not Jazzy Pha,(and the list goes on).Not only did this unknown female rapper hold her own on this track, SHE RIPPED SH*T!! Most people will think that any decent rapper could have accomplished this, but I truly doubt it. To ride such a brilliant track in this manner, is the equivalent to riding on the back of a great white shark without getting a scratch,for 3 plus minutes(the length of the song).The gangsta image may have been popular at the time, but on a female,it made a talented artist seem like a novelty.It's all good though, even though her career was cut short, she is arguably the greatest female to ever pick up a mike."