As evidenced by DX‘s
Top 25 Albums of 2007, this past year
‘filled to the brim’ with quality material that included some future classics
and definitive masterpieces. With the over abundance of top notch records
released over the past twelve months, we almost missed the NYGz,
but better late than never. The New York based duo known as Shabeeno
and Panchi are heavily co-signed by legendary producer DJ
Premier and the lead off artists from his Year Round
Label. Thankfully, the first, slow month in ’08 isn’t too late to give you the
scoop on Welcome to G-dom; the duo’s long awaited debut album that is
a true and compelling testament to the underground hip hop movement
solidified through open mics like Training Camp and End
of the Weak that exist within the five boroughs.

NYGz 16 track opus is as unflinchingly New
York as the Brooklyn Bridge and rightfully so, for the vibe of the beloved
concrete jungle permeates the music of this album throughout. Emcees Shabeeno
and Panchi can easy thank Primo for
the NYC vibe for the LP, as he laces their opening tracks “It’s On” and “Ya Dayz R #’d”
with his signature boom-bap. On the latter, the two lyricists celebrate their
days of being on the block coming to an end and being able to fulfill their
musical aspirations. Premier doesn’t stop there, there’s also
the invigorating “Get 2 The Point,” the aggressive mid-tempo title
track and an updated version of Snoop Dogg’s 1994 “G’Z and Hustlaz”
where the two emcees give the West Coast track a definitive East Coast touch.
Credit must be given to beatmakers Emile, The Kingdom and Theretrack
for maintaining the quality sonic landscapes on this album. Without question,
it is Emile showing and proving the most on the heels of Prem. “3 Man Weave” sees Emile
providing a bouncy yet soulful piano loop while on “What Kinda Life,” he brings out triumphant
horns and plaintive sampled vocals.

With the producers on this effort being more on point than a
sewing needle, it’s only left to the artists themselves to excel or mess it up.
Thankfully, Shabeeno and Panchi don’t do the latter,
but instead balance each other off with rugged flows and sharp insight tempered
by their street knowledge. To quote them, they’re “monopolizing the
game like George Bush and friends.” NYGz actually
reminds one of another Premier favored duo in M.O.P.
The only real difference being that the infamous Brownsville have the vocal
animation of wild animals running rampant and the NYGz attack
the mic with a calm and measured fury. That ferocity is seen easily in the
aforementioned“Get 2 The Point” and other joints like “Bullseye”
where the higher pitched Shabeeno
warns ”Red dots ain’t the measles, BULLSEYE! Look what the biscuit did!”

At sixteen songs, Welcome to G-dom may be a few
cuts too long, but with its well executed journeys into ghetto mayhem and perseverance,
it is a worthy debut. For those fans who miss the early-mid 90’s NYC sound,
this LP should be a bit of relief to you in today’s age of ringtone raps. If
this is any indication of what Premier’s label has to offer, let’s
hope that Year Round isn’t just a name for the label, but
their frequency of quality releases.