Compilation albums are rarely tight from beginning to end,
and The Longplay is certainly no
exception. However, there are a number of excellent cuts by some premiere
artists whose skills have grown dramatically over the last few years.
One of the biggest surprises presents itself on the first track by Red-One & Checkmate, Runnin’ Gunz. DJ Kemo of the critically acclaimed Rascalz provides a slammin’ track heavy
on the beats and accented with bells. Red-One
is perhaps as good as he has ever been but Checkmate‘s
lyricism is astounding. His powerful battle raps could easily induce fear into
weak-hearted emcees. Saukrates &
Kardinal Offishall come with their
usual gusto on the sexual summertime jam Doin’
It. The only thing that could have made this collaboration better would be
more emphasis on the bass and the lows. The most entertaining selection is the
guitar riff laced So Fresh by Thrust & Frankenstein (who also
received production credit). The layering of the guitar samples is truly unique
and Frankenstein is no slouch on the mic either. Other tracks definitely worth
checking out are Choclair‘s remix
for Flagrant which has real flair, Defenders Of The Faith once again
featuring Checkmate (with more solid
rhymes) this time partnered with Concise,
and the latin influenced, Spanish/English fusion La Calle by Sazon & Don
Primo with DJ Kemo on the ones
and twos; unfortunately, the rest of the album weavers and falters. Wheela, Ghetto Concept, and Solitair
come up short with trite tales of murder and thuggery. The Swollen Members contribute the mediocre Killing Spree, a song that is not indicative of the true talent
that they have. Marvel‘s Throw This Ball is good until one hears
the lackadaisical hook, which does nothing to inspire. G-Knight‘s Black Energy is
simply uninteresting; while My Endeavours
by Concise is decent, but its
monotonous production makes its appeal quickly wane.
If you are a real fan of any of these emcees then this CD may be for you,
otherwise you may find yourself skipping past most of the tracks.