Search - Mic Geronimo :: Natural

Nice debut album from Mic

G$ | B-More, MD | 12/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mic Geronimo drops a good debut with this one. Though I think "Vendetta" (4.5 stars) is better this is still a solid 4 star album ( I don't own any of his other albums yet). Though rather short, only 13 songs, you get 1 classic, as few ok songs, and the rest are all good songs. Guests are on about half of the songs, and quite a few grew to become really big names in hip-hop years following this release. Production is pretty good as well. Mark Sparks does 4 songs, Buckwild and Irv Gotti each do 3 songs, Beatminerz do 2 songs and Chyskillz does the other 1. The album starts off a little slow but definitely picks up by track #5. A nice album to have form one of the better, but unfortunately, lesser known rappers from Queens.



#1 - 7.5

#2 - 8

#3 - 8

#4 - 7 (f/ Royal Flush)

#5 - 8 (f/ Royal Flush)

#6 - 10 (Classic - f/ Ja Rule, DMX, and Jay-Z - great beat and the first song I heard Ja on and one of the earliest songs I've heard with DMX or Jay-Z as well)

#7 - 8.5

#8 - 8.5 (f/ Royal Flush - nice beat)

#9 - 8.5

#10 - 8.5 (f/ O.C., Royal Flush & C-Lo)

#11 - 7.5

#12 - 9 (f/ Royal Flush - nice beat)

#13 - 7.5 (f/ Lost Boyz & Royal Flush)



Michael McDermon - b. 9/14/73 - Queens, NY

check all my reviews"

Just a man of his own...THIS is New York hip hop!

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 06/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1995, the swiftly evolving New York rap landscape produced timeless gems from a new generation of MCs from the 5 boroughs: AZ, Mobb Deep, Raekwon, Big L, Nine, GZA, Smif-N-Wessun, and Group Home; as well as old names maintaining relevance: KRS-One, Onyx, Masta Ace, Showbiz & AG, Grand Puba, Fat Joe, LL Cool J, and Das EFX. Armed with a distinctly New York style and simple, familiar production similar to his contemporaries', bare-bones Queensbridge rapper Mic Geronimo dropped his debut "The Natural." Neither flashy nor conceptual, Geronimo was regarded as more of a second-tier New York rapper in comparison to his show-stopping peers, but "The Natural" proved to be one of the city's seminal albums in 1995. Not a hustler, pimp, or baller, Geronimo is a gritty observer who delivers thoughtful and clever lines with a Queens accent. He humbly describes himself "a man of my own," but he has real style and swagger. Although the album doesn't have an unforgettable single or even any real standout tracks, it has immediate appeal. The NYC rap empires of the late 90s (Roc-A-Fella, Bad Boy, Ruff Ryders, Murder Inc.) owe a huge debt to Mic Geronimo's music, with its rugged sound, smooth appeal, and gritty approach. He was also right in step with the times, and his Jeep-rumbling funk for the Tims and hoodies crowd--as well as the thundering tag-team posse cuts--proved influential.



Although not groundbreaking, the beats here are excellent, provided by Buckshot and Da Beatminerz (of Boot Camp Clik fame), Irv Gotti (of Murder Inc. fame), Chyskillz (of Onyx fame), and Mark Sparks. The rolling grooves use smart instrumentation for head-nodding, thumping productions. And did I mention the posse cuts? "Time to Build" is a classic, featuring the young and then-unknown rappers Jay-Z, Ja Rule, and DMX, each sounding youthfully energized and hungry to entertain and impress. Who would have known these three grimy New Yorkers would take over the music industry? Mic's buddy Royal Flush appears on five tracks, including the streetwise "Masta I.C.," "Masta I.C. (Remix)" with Lost Boyz, and "Men Vs. Many" with O.C. and C-Lo. Other highlights include the classy, laidback "Wherever You Are," the phenomenal single "S...'s Real," and the smooth-as-silk downtempo song "Things Change," which has soulful inflection.



"The Natural" carries the quintissential mid-90s New York sound of hip hop I love so much. It takes me back to the days when the Knicks, Yankees, and Hot 97 were all great. Even though this was an underground release, back in '95 the line between mainstream and underground was so blurred that an album of this caliber could be influential. Few albums capture the essence and mindstate of New York's city and hip hop scene in the 90s like "The Natural" does. This excellent LP doesn't slack for a second, sounds dope as ever thirteen years later, and it's one of the most overlooked and underrated albums from the borough of Queens and the year of 1995."

Wastelands!!!

Andres Lasso | The big apple | 08/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Master I.C. was my senior year and while under the influence was the best thing to happen to my high. On a serious note, YES this is a unrecognized classic. Interludes were funny and "real." If you love this album, check out Royal Flush's "G.M."



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