MC Eiht is one of those gifted West Coast storytellers who’s able to paint vivid pictures of a hustler’s struggle in a way that jumps off the canvas. Although he never reached the same level of fame as some of his contemporaries like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube or Dr. Dre, the Compton native maintained his relevance by never compromising his authenticity to conform to whatever’s hot at the moment. And he certainly hasn’t stopped shouting out his now infamous catchphrase, “GEAH!,” which has been a mainstay throughout a career apexed by several albums with Compton’s Most Wanted, and his magnum opus, “Streiht Up Menace,” from the cult classic 1993 film Menace II Society.
Nearly 25 years later, Eiht is back with a new album for purists, Which Way Iz West, featuring a stellar cast of rap’s indisputable elite from a bygone era — The Outlawz, The Lady Of Rage, Kurupt, Cypress Hill’s B-Real, Xzibit and Bumpy Knuckles, among others. The twist? The entire project is executively produced by “real Hip Hop” luminary DJ Premier, who also provides beats on three of the 15 tracks alongside Austrian beatsmith Brenk Sinatra. While some people may scratch their heads at the West Coast/East Coast collab, the relationship between Eiht and Preemo actually dates back to 1992 when they first posse’ed up for Compton’s Most Wanted’s “Def Wish II (Remix).”
Throughout the album, each track unequivocally proves O.G. rappers over the age of 40 can spit lyrical bullets well after what many are quick to dub their “prime.” Here, there is no expiration date on the MC’s proverbial shelf life. Rather, the majority of the project bumps with Preemo’s classic Hip Hop vibrancy laced with Eiht’s gangsta rap sensibilities. Along with Sinatra’s occasionally dark and grimy sonic exploits, the 56-minute effort is a healthy balance of Gang Starr-esque production and more contemporary soundscapes reminiscent of early Nipsey Hussle.
Lead single “Represent Like This” reintroduces Eiht’s audience to the same unrelenting fury present on older gritty hood anthems like “All For The Money” from his 1994 solo debut, We Come Strapped, or “Hood Took Me Under” from Compton’s Most Wanted’s 1992 classic Music To Driveby.
From there, Eiht takes the listener on a wild ride through the “Compton Zoo,” where he raps, “Money is the plan so I double up quicker/ Think it and want it/ The shit get thick then roll your dice smarter/ And that’s the life sometimes/ Follow along and read between the lines,” a clear invitation to delve deeper into the complexities of his seemingly simple rhymes.
The Lady of Rage then diligently takes command on “Heart Cold” where the former Death Row Records signee goes ham on her bars from the jump. “It’s the original, seminal, MC criminal/ Literal lyrical pinnacle of women who rap/ The inhospitable unfuckwitable villain sent here to finish you/ No subliminal/ I’m just giving you facts,” easily giving current diss queen Remy Ma a run for her money. It’s a verse so explosive, it’s hard not to demand she come out of her rap retirement.
As the album begins to wind down, “Last Ones Left,” which features fellow members of Compton’s Most Wanted, carves out their undying commitment to the culture while “4 Tha OG’z” with Bumpy Knuckles (one of three Preemo beats) whips up some unmistakable nostalgia thanks to its Golden Era boom-bap vibe, and Premier’s precisely placed scratches over the soulful beat. The last track, “You Nia’z,” quietly brings the album to a close with Sinatra’s own whimsical summer anthem (think DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith’s “Summertime”) and Eiht’s introspective commentary on current rap. “We ain’t fuckin’ with ya/ I said these niggas ain’t real/ They be spittin’ on the mic with shit we can’t feel,” he spits.
Rarely is an album critic-proof and a couple of weed anthems (“Sittin Around Smokin’” and “Medicate” with Xzibit) stagnate things and frankly don’t seem necessary. Perhaps it’s something Eiht may have outgrown, so in a way, it feels slightly forced. Aside from that, Which Way Iz West maps out a clear path for other West Coast legends to follow suit and serves as a staunch reminder to the rap community that Eiht was never lost. GEAH!
Wat da fizzucc doe???? Gay z git a 4.4 jest cuz chit go wit da lame a55 name but MC eight album which 10000x betta only a fizzoe??? Hell nah diz chit a 10/10 classic ride frum beginnin ta end it ain’t any traccs ta skizzip real spit doe. Camel face paid y’all foe realz doe. Da streetz kno who album betta doe. Which Way iz West fucc Gay Z 444 ma nizzuts.
SPEAK ENGLISH!
Album was cool. Fav tracks were the ones with Lady of Rage, B Real, and Kurupt.
Fiyyya
I wish Lady Of Rage was involved in the game more. She could have went down as one of the best female mc’s to ever do it.
Bangin’ album…..no fillers, mad respect to the well aged veteranz!
Classic
Solid Album.
Not a single song here that i don’t enjoy. Great production from Brenk Sinatra and 3 from Premier, good features, and some of the best raps i’ve heard from Eiht in the past decade.
This album is a nice new edition to the other west coast classics that came out in the 90’s and late 2000’s from the west coast hip hop scene . Geah MC Eiht came back nice , he sounds better than ever on the mic . Fav tracks …… Gangsta , Gangsta , You Niaz , Sittin Around Smokin , 4 Tha OG’Z , Got That ,
PLAY MC EIHT ON MTV JAMS …….. AND THE RADIO OR IM GONNA KILL YOU HATERS ………. GEAH
Okay album, wish I got this beats from premo
Strictly Fire!!!.
Hot
Album of the year !!!!
Great album. Cant go wrong with preem.
Why y’all dropping east versus west in the headline?? Like there’s still a thing going on. Grow up
yeah so ture man.shoulden’t be mentioned.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR!
This sh!t bangs! Runn The Blocc and Got That are my fav tracks, but it’s all good with little to no skipping. Great album from a Compton OG with good features, especially Rage. GEAH!!
GEAH!!!!
Album is crazy, bumps from Compton to Australia.
Real hip-hop!
The album is dope. Beats are on point Eights flows are as smooth as butter all the features step up to the table and do what they do best. Definitely a good one to think at the summertime BBQ’s.
okay album. nothing special. not wack, not genial.
genial? GENIAL? Doesn’t make ANY sense. Go back to school boy
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle French génial, from Latin geniālis (“of or pertaining to marriage; festive, genial”), from genius (“guardian spirit”) + -ālis.
Pronunciation[edit]
(Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈdʒiːnɪəl/
(General American) IPA(key): /ˈdʒinjəl/, /-ni.əl/
Adjective[edit]
genial (comparative more genial, superlative most genial)
Friendly and cheerful.
(especially of weather) Pleasantly mild and warm.
Marked by genius. [quotations ▼]
(archaic) Contributing to, or concerned in, propagation or production; generative; procreative; productive. [quotations ▼]
(obsolete) Belonging to one’s genius or natural character; native; natural; inborn.
cool fucking album.westcoast in the house.
A-Wax in Menace 2 Society was where i first heard Eiht rhyme and he was a dope actor dunno why he aint do more movies cause 98% of rappers cant act for shit. So DJ Premier is 3 for 3 wit producing whole albums with one artist Bumpy Knuckles – Kolexxtion, Royce Da 5’9 – Phryme and now MC Eiht. Jesus would someone please get Jadakiss to do this for being one the greatest mc’s but getting the worst production or label interference its Kiss that springs to mind PLEASE JADA WE KNOW YOU GOT THAT CLASSIC SOLO ALBUM IN YOU
Great album. Perhaps Eiht at his very best. Dude is aging like fine wine.
Banger!!!!
Solid album, B Real did his stuff on here too
Probably the best solo album of Mc Eiht and definitely top 3 hip hop album of the year so far in my opinion (along with The Wild and Hegelian dialectic). Solid hard beats and proficient rapping by our host and guests. The second half of the album wanes a bit and hence I give the album a well-deserved 4. Compared to new pop-rap style this is an instant classic but had it been released in the 90’s it would have been just one of the many great albums (so I can’t give it a 5).
This album is tight! The beats and rhymes are top shelf. I recommend a sequel at some point. One of the best albums of the year. I give the album a 4.5 rating.
MC Eiht is working with DJ Premier already for a sequel. It should come out late this year or the beginning of next. But they may hold onto it and wait until next Summer to drop it.
Classic Eiht is always on list of one of my favorite mcs
another dope MC EIHT ALBUM , DONT STOP MAKING ALBUMS EIHT ……. LET THESE CLOWNS KNOW WHO THE MAN IS ……. GEAH …… MY FAVORITE MC OF ALL TIMES ………. STREIHT UP MENACE , GROWIN UP IN THE HOOD