As one of Rap’s first tragedies, Death Row Records proved to have as much controversy as they had talent. While patiently-waiting artists like Crooked I, Nate Dogg and The Outlawz were able to eventually find success later, one talent left stifled in the demise was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Sam Sneed. A victim of the falling out between Dr. Dre and Suge Knight, Sneed – who strongly assisted several mid-’90s hits for the roster, was forced out with his Street Scholars solo debut in tow.
Fifteen years later, with Suge Knight restrained from the label he helped build, Sneed was brought back in by Death Row’s new ownership to release his album. Unfortunately, the 1995 and 1996 material was updated, as a living anachronism, where Sam Sneed shows his abilities as a melodic producer and golden era-trained emcee, but still a man who is out of touch with the musical times.
Although he’s historically remembered as one of Dr. Dre’s best production partners, Sam Sneed is a talented emcee. “New World Order” is a straight ahead look at greed, politics and conspiracies. The hit-maker sounds more Army of Pharaohs than Death Row here, and it still works. Similarly, “Lady Heroin,” a song that Death Row would release without Sam’s vocals on the 1997 Gridlock’d soundtrack shows a master of metaphor. Ten years before 50 Cent‘s “Baltimore Love Thing,” Sneed tells the brown sugar story of a love affair with one of the most potent drugs on the street. These moments shine, but show little relation to the thoughtless club pandering of “Gorilla Pimpin'” and nerdcore Rap found in “Marriage.” Sam still possesses that full sound and bold concept that helped him make a terrifying track alongside Dr. Dre 17 years ago in “Natural Born Killaz,” but the producing-emcee lacks his mentor’s ear for what the streets want.
Like the production and the rhyme subjects, much of Street Scholars is disjointed. It’s nearly impossible to clean up the cosmetics to an album shelved for a decade and a half. The listener gets that, as some songs sound like cheap attempts at “what Hip Hop sounds like in 2011” and others possess that vintage Death Row knock. The untouched tracks have little in common with the new material in sound, making this less of an album than a demo-like introduction. When it comes to the allure of an album, Street Scholars‘ out of sync updates tarnish its essential mystique.
Like academia itself, Street Scholars demonstrates moments of technical mastery, while lacking everyday application. No-name guests filibuster an album that was much more interesting in the way it was described as sitting. The audience gets a heavy dose of Sam Sneed’s versatile sound – none greater than the sound he carved out in the mid-’90s. The rapper however seemed like an afterthought to the project, and just as he was surrounded by Tupac, Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound, a critical voice is lost in the banter, with a story still untold.
DX why don’t you give a rating? A review without a rating that’s bullshit
sounds like a mess to me.
2 stars from me. Would’ve been 5 if it were the original album, the 4 tracks from the original Street Scholars are fantastic; the rest is VERY hit & miss.
just buy a frisbee instead…….cheaper!!
you have to keep in mind this isn’t the real street scholars album, this is really just a compilation album, it has 1 song from death row, 3 songs from death row that he changed, 1 remixed song from 2003 and the rest new songs, all featuring a bunch of different artists so this is more like a compilation.
the two songs i liked most were Cold World and Kingdom Come from Remaj, this guy Remaj is sick i wish he and Sam would do a full album together, but i don’t know what sam was thinking with this new group of his called Money Ink, they’re more like the hyphy crap thats out now but they don’t suit the album at all, you have this concious and hardcore spitting from Remaj, then it goes to this group that sounds like soulja boy called money ink, it just doesn’t make any sense to have them both on the same album.
what also disappointed me was how sam even changed the death row tracks, he took the synth out of the song lady heroin and changed it to this cheap key instead and it doesn’t sound nearly as good as the real version of Lady Heroin, he did something similar on Drug Related, Drug Related was still a good song on there but he once again needlessly added in some other synth in the back ground that only took away from its rawness, and on the other death row track Goin Hollywood, he changed some of the lyrics and added in singers Jasz and some other dude on the chorus, those two weren’t on the original version of goin hollywood and they should have been left off it, and you can hear how he’s changed these songs by listening to the leaked snippets off the 95 version of the album. the same goes for the other choruses on the songs too, even the songs i like such as Cold World, the beat was raw, the spitting was raw but the chorus was some singing that didn’t match. i think most sam sneed and death row listers were wanting to hear a hardcore sounding street scholars album like the original death row one would have been. but instead its kinda been watered down for 2011, sure maybe the money ink group with their soulja boy like sound could appeal to the mainstream, but thats not street scholars or death rows audience, no mainstream listener will even know about this album, the people who were waiting for this album didn’t want to hear some soulja boy sounding group they wanted the death row sound
with that said though i really recommend people get the good tracks off this album, Cold World, Kingdom Come, New World Order, Drug Related, U Better Recognize, Lady Heroin, Survivor.
First off these dudes dont sound shit like Soulja Boy people said Big Sean sound like Soulja Boy on Big Nut Bust and like he said i didnt kno soulja boy rap this good these guys are lyrical and their only 18,19,19 and 20 so when these guys progress they will be up to Wayne status so how bout you go to hotnewhiphop and check out their mixtape and see if you like a couple of songs thats one reason why Sam Sneed signed these guys because he knows that they will put Nustarz Entertainment on the map so before he hear two songs of someone check out their mixtape before you judge them because every major artist always had negative people put them down but when proved them wrong they want to be dickriders so check out so one before you judge homie
Yeah this was def a hit & miss album. I’m a fan of this dude and was hoping that this contained most of the old stuff. Trying to marry sounds from 95 with 2000 and now does not work. And putting average never heard before emcees on it doesnt help. I actually understand what he was trying to do but it fell shor. He should’ve traded prodution for artist appearances and put out a double album of old stuff and new stuff Or put them out separately. Sam if you read this. Get at me man. Im the ultimate A&R.
I agree with this review. I was debating just buying the four or five solid tracks..but being from Pittsburgh I decided to buy the whole album and support some local talent. The new shit is pretty weak, but the old tracks are slammin’ and I will rock them. The album is real hit and miss and all over the place
First off i dont care what you all say about the album but Money Ink is going to be the new face in hiphop these guys are lyrical and the two songs you all heard are just a taste these guys are better than soulja boy and they are going to bring lyrical to the new age if you all really want to hate on Money Ink go listen to their mixtape on hotnewhiphop called I need Kash until you all hear their mixtape you all can suck dick because before you all kno u all will be riding their dick saying they are fye until then FUCK OFF MONEY INK BITCH!!!!
You must be Money Ink?
Nah dey my partnas and i grew up wit dem and dey be working hard on dey music so when someone putting them down at least hear they music full before putting someone down
Wow, even better then soulja boy…
maybe i didn’t say that right, what i mean is Money Ink and the rest of the songs are in complete contrast, you have dudes like Remaj who have a more raw underground raw hip hop sound, you have the death row sam sneed songs which are also raw, then it goes to these guys money ink who sound more like soulja boy, yeah you might think they’re better but i really don’t and theres no doubting that the two have a completely different sound from the sam sneed songs and remaj songs, and i feel the same way about sam sneeds songs marriage, that song was corny and also has the same pop sound, the two sounds don’t belong together on the same album and certainly don’t sound good together.
Ok Jack Jackson I respect your opinion but ur probably a old school type who can’t get into the new “hip hop” so t don’t matter what ur opinion is because you don’t listen to them Sam Sneed signed them and put them on his album because he likes them and he knows their better them soulja boy so my homies time coming
think you better reconize
Plus not to mention that raw hiphop stuff is not popular no more it’s all about the youth that’s why Sam Sneed put them on the album and record label because the youth is the key people who are young adults if you remember the youth appeals to people people don’t want to really see a Older guy no offense they want someone young it’s about the new generation now just low Travis porter they were independent for years n making money Sam Sneed wants them to put his label on the map and he really spends time with them on the studio so Mr.Jack Jackson can you go visit hotnewhiphop.com and check out there mixtape I Need Kash and then tell me what you think if you don’t mind
Yo man, you just don’t get it. We understand Money Ink are your boys, but it’s not necessarily that we’re “strictly old school only” fans, it’s that Money Ink are just corny and unoriginal.
As much as I don’t particularly dig him, I can undertstand the cleverness and appeal in Waynes rhymes. These dudes are cheap clones.
Trust me, this album would have sold WAY more if he left it originally “as is” when he did it in 95-96. I’ve personally purchased all the WideAwake purchases that have deserved a purchase (Snoop; Lost Sessions and Chronic: Relit) specifically to support the artist.
With only 5 OG DR songs on this record, I completely lost interest the moment I heard that.
Good luck to Money Ink, but they should have been nowhere near the “Street Scholars” album, it just wasn’t a fit, period.
Lol ok u prolly ain’t even from da south so it don’t matter anyway da south always been hated on in we running da whole hip hop scene so it dnt matta as Monay Mark say if u ain’t riding wit Money Ink getcha walk on
So the fact that i don’t reside in the south means my opinion is irrelevant?
I’m actually in L.A., HOME OF DEATHROW records lol – I’ve beenn listening to Deathrow since the 1st record – what everyone is saying, is that Money Ink just doesn’t fit the album – Dude, that crap on the album “I Keep A Check” was awful – it’s like a Saturday night Live parody – “Will Smith Kush?” “I Keep A Check/ Niketown” –
Your boys are retarded man. But yeah, keep on thinking “they’ll blow up and be bigger than Wayne, Soulja, all of ’em!”
Sam if you ever read this, a lot of us would love the OG version of the album
YA ok well do this then if you dont mind go listen to their mixtape on hotnewhiphop called I need Kash listen to the first three songs and i guarantee u gon think opposite and I’m show niggas in L.A. will ride to Money Ink
But it dont matter what you say because you on da otha side of the states so you want undastand the south all artists always had hating ass negative niggas thats going to say what they want to say but they ended up proving them wrong if they really sucked then they wouldnt have got signed so it dontmatter if they blow up like lil wayne or soulja boy so say what you want you stick to gangster rap and the original deathrow i fuck wit the West because yal cool peoples but im show niggas on da west would think my homies fye so ya like em stay “corny ass niggas” I think Sam Sneed recognizes them
you’re talking about sam sneed appealing to mainstream with money ink, but this is not a mainstream label release, he’s picked the wrong audience. the audience for this album are death row fans and money ink are not what those fans have been waiting years to hear.
its only the death row fans who will actually be listening to this so like i said, wrong audience for money ink
and btw i don’t only listen to old school, i listen to underground hip hop from today as well, and money ink were not the only thing i said i didn’t like
@Jones Boy i respect that i just hate when people always being negative
Lol J Boog you’re the only Money Ink fan in existence lol, look they got corny rhymes and stupid metaphors – “I keep check/ niketown/ new edition/ call me Bobby Brown” lmfao – and you claim these cats are lyrical? This new booty rap is bad, hip hop is slowly dying due to stuff like this. If these guys are the future of hip hop, hip hop is in real damn trouble. GTFOH
Bitch stay yo bitch ass on the west coast where yal still stuck on that old ass death row shit nigga Tupac was the real fucking reason y the west was on da map n he werent even from da fucking yal muthafuckas dead ever since da 90s nigga yal muthafuckers been nothing thats y they say da west is dead nigga bitch im from d south nigga where fucking stars are born n who got da best rapper alive nigga we got fucking artists from all over this bitch n my partnas on da way i dont nam one of yal muthafuckas signed so shutda fuck up n jump on da band wagon BITCH!!!
N bitch if you dont listen to da fucking verses how da fuck can yal judge stick to da west nigga DA South running shit n gon 4ever run shit n da Midwest second the west n east yal muthafuckers so 90s nigga Sam sneed dont feel da way bout Money Ink so keep hating nigga
1st of all, the south has been on the west dick since ’91 – checc yo facts, youngster, YOU JUST DONT KNOW. It’s not about hating southern artist, Outkast, Lil Jon, that old Master P, and even Wayne I fuccs with, so, you thinking that “niggas just hated on the south” is just wack.
Oh yeah, I checked the mixtape you keep trying to pimp – garbage my nigga – and worst of all these niggas telling ducktales – evry rhyme they got, they be talkin about diamond bezels and watches – I really have 2 diamond studded watches. I wear them fuckers everywhere I go – yet on every single Money Ink pic, they all got on cheap ass plastic ass watches – either they’re fantasy rapping or fake.
J boog, you’re Money inks bitch.
J Boog = Tony Yayo #bumassnigga. You getting mad and catching feeling cuz niggas aint even
checking your wack ass group.
Epitome of bitch (i know your illiterate ass doesn’t even know what an epitome is!, lol!)
You’s a Stan, get off they dick
Man nigga da south aint neva rode nobody dick so gtfoh 2nd it aint bout being a groupie n catching feelings its about supporting ya partnas so honestly i can give a fuck about what yal thank about em cause everybody gon have a opinion so you stay listenin to yo shit nigga compease and isee u researching em nigga so who look da groupie n keep dem two punk ass diamond studs u worked ya whole life for bitch ass nigga
So you ask people to check thier shit out. I do. And I still think they’re wack, And then you wanna call ME a groupie? This is fun for me homie, trust that my 2 diamond rolexes are just a few of the things in my successful life that you will never even sniff. And you DO know that.
I’m gon call you yayo from now on; Cuz that’s all you are. And you clown as niggas claim to rep hip hop for the next generation?
Nigga please
Man I’m through da shit ova wit get a life
man money is crushing these young groups and when they drop they gonna take over
Lol my man D got Yayo-Boogie running! D, money ink ain’t that bad, u kinda hard on em, they ain’t making music for real hip hoP heads, they kids, you gotta remember that cuzz. But on the whole, I wish Sam did the album like it was back in the day. Money ink just wasn’t a good fit for the album, no matter how much j Boog claims “they’re the future”
D, next time u in Hollywood hit me up, moved from that Normandie spot, and there’s a tight medical MJ dispensary next door – shoot a nigra a text!
Cuzzo, what’s good my nigga? Most def gon have to make a trip to your side of town asap, that Marzz og last time was killer! Ur right, maybe I am a little tuff on these youn cats, they ain’t even 21 yet, so they ain’t gotno life experience on shit. I feel you on that. I just wish they’d stop lying a out all the diamonds, whips and hoes – on thier 3 videos, no diamonds, no cars, no hoes… I don’t know man, but it seems like niggas telling ducktales, I’m through with ducktale rap. Sneed was around Dre, snoop, PAC and the pound – and these Are the beat artist he could sign? SMH
I for one, want the REAL Street Scholars album, not a money ink wak ass demo tape
I listened to the sam sneed album n i can i like Money Ink keep it up 213 in da house
very 90’s
ATTENTION: ALL THE HATERS YOU CANT STOP THIS SHIT!!!! Put us in front of any of yall hoes and we smashn str8 like that! Now here is something for you to hate on again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OQpvUFiIkE&feature=player_embedded