"Shyne's debut is a classic, and that is no doubt. Shyne is a real gangsta in this game, and he is not just babbling his mouth like some useless dummy who can't even fix his own Frosted flakes in the morning. That's Gnagsta, is one of the best gangsta tracks of all time, right near C.R.E.A.M, Nuthing But A G Thang, Dead Presidents, and Gin N Juice. Bonnie and Shyne is also very good. Jamaican dude in the chorus is of the chizzain. The rest of the Cd is also classic. Shyne should be considered a masterpiece. I don't know why the rapnation overlooked it so much. This CD is the brother of Reasonable Doubt, All Eyez On Me, Doggystyle, Tical, E 1999 Eternal, Get Rich Or Die Tryin, Death Certificate, and 2pacalypse. For those who think opposite, Pac is dead. He don't count. He'll always be the best. (Whoever reads this, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAASSE write to amazon to show how you feel for my words."
Shining
Carltouis Stevenson | Angeles Mesa, Los Angeles | 07/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It was difficult to get into this at first as Shyne's voice is similar to The Notorious B.I.G. It seemed as if P. Diddy was trying to capitalize on the memory of B.I.G., but Shyne is different. In comparison, Shyne rhymes with more violence, more drugs, with a criminal mindstate with political point of view. Another point for this album is there isn't any rapper/emcees guest appearing. He give vivid tales of mafia ties with "...while you're thinking about rap / I was thinking laundromat..." on "The Life". The dark flow of killing and slanging on "Whatcha Gonna Do" sets the pace for the album's lyrics. The lighest songs of subject and expression is "Bad Boyz" and the swinging almost Jamican "Bonnie & Shyne" both featuring Barrington Levy. Some of Shyne's descriptions espically in "The Hit" sounds like a narrative from a Scarface episode. Shyne gives proof of being a real Bad Boy with this classic material. "That's Gangsta"!"
Bad Boy's Finest
Lil' Chris | Houston, TX | 03/13/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Yeah, Shyne WAS bad boy's finest until him & puffy got wrapped up in all that (...), Whatever, Bad Boy has turned into a maintream (...) R&B label that couldnt make a band if they had 100 Justin Timberlakes. My middle finger's been up at bad boy ever since Biggie turned his back when 2Pac got shot in back in '94. ANYWAYZ, This is one of the realest albums I have in my collection. Shyne Po puts a lot of rappers to shame with this debut album. Standouts in this album are: "The Life","Thats Gangsta", and "Niggaz gonna Die". "The Life" is my favorite track on this album because Shyne goes into broad detail of his hustlin days. This is a classic album; one of the best debut albums I've ever heard. Bad boy records was not built for a rapper like Shyne, he was too much for them to handle. If you dont have this album, get it ASAP.
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Shyne
Lil' Chris | 03/19/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Any hip hop lover, can tell you that Shyne does not sound like the Notorious BIG. Only a white man living in Suburban America would make that connection. You might as well say everybody in Brooklyn sounds like Biggie. Shyne posesses talent. When you were too caught up by his subject matter, you missed what real hip hop heads look for, and thats substance (relevency to their lives). Which everybody forgets because 'he sounds like biggie'. Shyne is raw and posesses a sea of talent, which is unfortunately often overlooked. "Dear america" was not a claim that america has made him a 'lost cause'. It showed how a man in a poverty stricken lifestyle does not have many choices, simple as that. "the sun dont shine in the ghetto'. Every rapper talks about selling drugs. I do not see why when Shyne shares his actual experience of selling drugs, its any different. People have a bias when they listen to him, because they keep comparing him to Biggie. He aint Biggie. He aint better then BIG either, but he has talent. So hop off him, and let him Shyne.Keep your head up Po"
An ill-rapper
Lenzy | USA | 06/23/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I first heard of Shyne it was when he was being compared to Biggie. I didn't think much of shyne, well, because I don't really like Biggie. But then I heard his first single, Bad Boyz. I thought it was a phat joint so I picked up the album, not expecting much. But my views on Shyne chanegd when I heard tracks like, "What'cha Gonna Do," and "Life." Shyne became my favorite rapper. His raw rap technique fits him well. To me he is nothing like Biggy. He's Shyne Po, and I think everyone will recognize that after he serves his jail sentance."