Search - MC Eiht Featuring CMW :: We Come Strapped

Geeeh, Eiht Hype For Tha Nine-Fo' (Rating: 8 out of 10- -4.0

Chandler | Atlanta (College Park), Georgia | 05/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"MC Eiht may not be known or have blown up like other west coast artists, but he as well as his group Compton's Most Wanted dropped some rememerable albums. One would be the 1994 album "We Come Strapped", a time when the west coast was about to blow up. As most reviewers said, this album has a laid back vibe towards it. Eiht spits some gangsta rhymes, as many fans would expect from him.



The first actual track doesn't start until track 3, "Def Wish III" when he disses DJ Quik over a laid back beat. The next track, "Take 2 With Me", I find very similar to it's previous, production wise (listen to them back to back and you'll see what I'm saying). Eiht lays down some good rhymes on that song as well as "****** Make The Hood Go Round" and the story telling "Goin' Out Like Geez". A couple of the best tracks are towards the end of the album. "Nuthin' But The Gangsta" features Redman and Spice 1 is one of the best tracks. The other best would be "Compton Bomb" with it's production by Ric Roc and DJ Slip.



As for anything bad, I would say that there are a few tracks I found forgettable. "Can I Still Kill It?" is one of them, because of it's production I wasn't feeling. Also, as Norfeest said, the album sounds like one long track. Mostly because everything sounds so similar production wise, causing lack of variety. Other than that, I recommend this album to fans of 90's rap music. With his buddy Chill locked up Mc Eiht with the help of DJ Slip help put together a quality album that is enjoyable. Peace!



Lyrics: A

Production: B+

Guest Appearances: A-

Musical Vibes: A-



Top 5 Tracks:

1. Compton Bomb

2. Nuthin' But the Gangsta with Spice 1 and Redman

3. Take 2 With Me

4. All For The Money

5. Def Wish III



Honorable Mention Track: Compton Cyco"

Jeeeeee yeeeeahhhh!! Nice mid 90s G rap

D. Bassano | Dirty Jerz | 08/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nice album by eiht. Chill, blunted out, west coast beats with some hardcore G lyrics"

More "Music to Driveby" from Eiht and Slip

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 08/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1994, MC Eiht returned following a string of classic albums with Compton's Most Wanted with "We Come Strapped" as MC Eiht featuring CMW, essentially because by this point CMW had been reduced to just Eiht and DJ Slip. Like its monumental predecessor, 1992's Music to Driveby, "We Come Strapped" is 57 consistent minutes with solely in-house production and guests on only one song, but Eiht claims he's "new and improved like Madden 94," which in many senses is true. Fresh off the classic "Streiht Up Menace" from Menace II Society: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, the stage was set for his most successful album.



While perhaps not as significant as Music to Driveby, musically "We Come Strapped" is head and shoulders above it. This marked the debut of 1/2 Ounce Productions, the team of Eiht and CMW's DJ Slip, and the beats here are a joy to appreciate. They continue to develop their classic sound with complete disregard to the synth-heavy, woozy g-funk that was selling millions over in Long Beach, preferring an extremely smooth, laidback, nostalgic sound with swirling strings, sparkly piano, and heavy basslines, as well as the occasional vocal sample, that owes much to classic soul. Willie Z is invaluable as the keyboard player, and CMW's DJ Mike T contributes some of his recognizable scratches as well. This album is a beautiful piece of musical perfection from start to finish, and each song including the especially funky "Endoludes" are silky smooth, lending to a consistency that makes the LP feel like one slow, laidback ride. NWA may have established the Compton sound as most people know it, but it's Eiht's refined soulful and nostalgic style that comes to my mind when I think of the CPT.



Eiht comes correct on the mic as well. While never the West Coast's greatest lyricist, Eiht impresses with his passion and unique style. His flow is smoother than ever, and he remains the epic storyteller he was in the days of CMW. He and the beats seem perfectly catered to each other, and he continues to paint a distinct, startlingly visual picture of the world's most gang-infested neighborhood as only he can with his signature adlibs and language.



Eiht's series of DJ Quik disses continues on "Def Wish III," with some opening threats and fresh production that lives up to the high standards set by earlier installments. On "Take 2 With Me," Slip laces a breezy, menacing track with a great horn sample and Eiht does his part with hard-hitting avowals. Still, the early highlight is "All for the Money," one of Eiht's finest tracks to date. This is one of the purely smoothest rap songs I've heard, and the combination of Eiht's silky-smooth, laidback flow and the phenomenal production with gorgeous vocals and flute is magnificent. It's got a great feel and hook as well, and this is the kind of track I'd use to sell Eiht to a non-believer.



Eiht comes harder on the upbeat, rugged track "Compton Cyco," and the strong "Nz Make the Hood Go Round" and memorable title track, with its whiny, horn-laden production and cinematic feel, follow. A jazzy piano solo highlights "Can I Still Kill It," and the storyteller "Goin' Out Like Gees" is wonderful both lyrically and musically. Bay Area legend Spice 1 and New Jersey superstar Redman add bicoastal flavor to the classic collabo "Nothin' But the Gangsta," and the LP closes with two of its finest songs, the ultra-soulful "Hard Times" and my favorite, "Compton Bomb," which is beautiful musically with a wonderful piano cadence and electric guitar instrumentation.



So why is an album as quality as "We Come Strapped" so underrated? Well, not only was '94 quite possibly the best year of rap releases to date, but it was also a year when distinct rap movements emerged across the map. New York saw countless innovators, Long Beach gave birth to the g-funk explosion, and artists such as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, OutKast, and Common put cities on the hip hop map that previously had no national superstars. In all this historic activity, "We Come Strapped" never quite received its due appreciation, much like the men who made it, despite huge sales. I highly recommend that listeners give it a chance because it's an album that holds up beautifully after fifteen years and still sounds awesome, and given Eiht's massive discography, it's one of his essential listens."