Representin' In My Own Territory...
? | United Kingdom! | 06/03/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's about time this gem was re:released (12 years later is better than never). This is one of the most slept on albums of 1994 along with others. Boasting production from Rza, Buckwild, Diamond D, Edo G, Vinyl Reanimators and others, "Criminal" certainly serves as a rereshment for those beat junkies that have been fiending for some more of that good ol' boom bap. For those that don't know "Scientifik" was a Boston-bred MC who sadly died in 1998 (apparently, read up about it) and as a consequence, ultimately never got the recognition that he so deserved (That and the fact that the record label experienced financial difficulties around the time this was meant to be released)
Well, as you can probably guess from the title, "Criminal" is a very dark hardcore Hiphop album, consisting of quintessential street-narratives & a fiery delivery that just symoblises that 1994 Eascoast boombap. Although admittedly, Scientifk is not the very best of lyricists, he sure makes up for it with a flow and delivery that oozes character forcefully shoving those negative opinions onto the hard concrete. However, despite this I would say that the highlight of this 1994 release is definitely the production...flawless. Dark, jazz breaks, hard hitting bass and drums occupy your ears for a good 38 minutes, fans of DITC will love this. Similarly, 10 tracks means straight consistency, just like the ol'school, ensuring that you don't feel you have to reach for that remote every 5 seconds. This is strictly an ESSENTIAL for fans of Early/Mid 90's Underground Eastcoast Hiphop, this will be a great addition to your collection. RIP SCIENTIFIK.
01) LAWTOWN - CLASSIC
02) I GOT PLANZ Featuring Diamond D - 9/10
03) JUNGLES OF DA EAST 9/10
04) OVERNITE GANGSTA 8.5/10
05) YEAH DADDY 8.5/10
06) STILL AN HERB DEALER 9/10
07) AS LONG AS YOU KNOW Featuring Edo. G TOTAL CLASSIC!!! (The beat wil blow your mind courtesy of Rza, and Scientifik's best delivery is here.)
08) FALLEN STAR - 10/10
09) DOWNLO HO 9.5/10
10) CRIMINAL 9/10
^STRICT GRADING^
If you found this helpful, check out my other reviews"
As long as you know kid!!! As long as you know!!! 4.5
D. Thomas | Seattle, WA | 08/04/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard Scientifik through Ed O.G. and "As Long As You Know" was the b-side to "Love Comes and Goes." "Love Comes and Goes" was the ish and the fact that the b-side was produced by RZA waaaaaaay before the Wu took off made this single even more desirable. A-side Diamond D, B-side Rza... amazing.
A few years later when I was visiting some friends in L.A. I was at Fat Beats and saw a couple copies of this LP there. They were of a few promo copies that Mercury released before the LP was to drop. Unfortunately due to his untimly death and the label going south, the LP never saw the light of day. So with the quickness I picked up this LP and when I got home I listened to this gem. If only it had a proper release, this LP would probably have been placed with many of the mid-90s hip-hop classics.
Now that this LP is finally being released through Traffic, I only hope more people will check out this forgotten and lost classic."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1