Thug Life Army

One of the better hip hop / rap albums to be released lately is a two-CD compilation produced by Reputable Records’ Robert W. Lewis III and veteran music executive Charles “Big Chuck” Stanton, who was the VP and “ear to the street” for Dr. Dre’s production company for eight years and worked with such hip-hop and rap superstars as Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay-Z and The Game.

‘Rep Yo Set’ brings you real street gangsta rap and hip-hop straight from 27 of Los Angeles’ toughest ‘hoods’. More than 100 Los Angeles active gang members have united to record true west coast life material for the compilation album, "Rep Yo Set." The two-disc set includes artists from 27 different Blood and Crip neighborhoods that will follow a documentary that chronicles the making of the album and the gangs in LA. The movie has already received rave reviews as a hip hop classic.

Some of the sets participating in this monumental hip hop project are Holmes Street Watts Crips, Avenue Piru (Red Rum), Avalon Gangsta Crips (G-Cell), Neighborhood Piru (Squeak RU), Kelly Park Compton Crips (Tyson), Blood Stone Villains, Family Swans Bloods, Nutty Blocc, Campenella Park Piru, East Coast 190 Block Crips, Fudge Town Mafia Crips, N-Hood Crip Lynwood, Bounty Hunters Bloods, 5 Duece Broadway Gangsta Crips, Pueblos Blood, Pueblo Bishop Bloods, SouthSide Compton Crips, Crenshaw Mafia Bloods, Neighborhood Compton Crips, Palmer Block Crips, Harlem 30’s Crips, Watts Franklin Square, L.A. Denver Lane Bloods, and Grape Street Watts. (If I failed to mention anyone or got your click wrong - no diss ment. Hit me up and I will make sure you get your props for participating in this project.)

ThugLifeArmy.com staff writer GZA has reviewed this album. His review is below.

Visit http://www.myspace.com/reputablerecords for more info on this ground breaking and very well done project.

Rep Yo Set - Rap / Hip Hop Album Review by GZA, ThugLifeArmy.com Staff Writer

Disc 1 Rating 8/10

"On Crip" - Holmes Street Watts Crip

Production on this track is top notch. A little Westcoast gangsta flavor, and still holds a mainstream sound to it. I like how the beginning of the track introduces where these rappers are from. Watts is known for there funky sound, and always have that gangsta twist in it, and this track is a great representation of what Watts is about.

"Cherryd up" - Neighborhood Piru

A real banger right here. This track give's the N gang a real good look for listeners.  Production again is on point, Squeak Ru and family put there Inglewood touch on this track and put it over the top. The beat is rough, yet still has a upbeat tempo and gets ur head bouncing and makes it easy to wanna hear more from the I.

"Nutty Blocc Crippin" - Nutty Blocc Crips

I knew this album would be full of classics, but i''m already impressed with the production and quality of the tracks. I thought it might be a thrown together album, but Nutty Blocc did there thing on this track. Real aggressive style that matched the beat perfectly, and kept the sound of the album moving.

"Westside Piru" - Westside Piru

This beat screams California, it doesn''t get much better than this when you want some new gangsta shit. Compton is getting some well deserved shine on this album, and noone has let down so far. The beats are making me go crazy, everyone is bringing that Westcoast sound to the table, and it make's you as the listener anxious to hear whats gonna come up next.

"Avalon Gangsta" - Avalon Gangsta Crip

Just when you think the next track might let you down, the beat kicks in and you can''t help but to bounce your head. A real nice bass and piano backdrop make a perfect beat for Avalon to bless. This is one of my favorite tracks on disc 1, it's got the right amount of energy and is pure west coast gangsta funk. I have a feeling those three words will be in the mind of listeners a lot when they listen to this album (Westcoast Gangsta Funk)

"Swans on the move" Family Swans Blood

This track wasn''t doing it for me, the beat is a little stale and didn''t keep my attention as much as the rest. I think it was because it had a different sound than what I was accustomed to hearing on this album.  It definitely will please some people, it's got a darker sound to it, but to me it didn''t mix well with the rest of the tracks.

"Watts Franklin Crip" - Watts Franklin Crips

Another bounce your head type of track. Watts Franklin Crips hold there own on this track. The beat gets a little repetitive, but definitely not something you want to skip over. Kinda got that club/street sound to it, could make for a nice video if they filmed it as a single.

"What it do" - Avenue Piru

One of the hotter tracks on the album, Inglewood's Avenue Piru's carry themselves very well over a real nice west coast beat. With cuts and synths, the beat is definitely one that deserves props for having funk, gangsta, and smooth west coast hints all mixed through it. These Avenue rappers can really hold there own on the mic, and i like how the chorus tells you where there from.

"C-bang N" - Harlem 30's

This beat reminded me of something Dr.Dre might give to a rapper for a single, that shows the heat this albums got. It keeps coming on this album, u can''t even blink without hearing another banger. Harlem Crips are real present on this track, and definitely make sure you know where there from. This track could keep a party dancing, or u could take this in your ride and just cruise, it's got that universal sound.

"Eastcoast Cripe" - 190 ECC

Roccett from the new west represents for the Eastcoast crips on this track. This was a great place for him to showcase his talents, alongside fellow 190 ECC's. The beat is ok, not much as far as depth, but it lets you focus on the lyrical skills that the rappers possess.

"What it do" - Blood Stone Villans

I could see this track filmed as a club record and becoming a hit.  The chorus on this track is crazy, they really keep your attention with the commanding presence they have, definitely not a track to skip over.

"Kelly Park" - Kelly Park Compton Crips

A little more laid back, this track lets you focus and just take in the whole song. Stories of street life, and living in Kelly Park are mixed with a nice drum and soft chord beat. This track gives a little more variety to the sound of the album, and was a nice break from the aggressive beats that have been prominent so far. It still was coated with the westcoast flavor, so there’s no mistaking that.

"Don''t Get caught up" - Pueblo Bishop Bloods

Here's a track to put in your car and just cruise around with. It has a slower tempo that makes it easier to just kick back to.

"Hoover Street" - Hoover Crips

This track was a great one to end Disc one with.  It was calm enough to let you relax, but the beat was still just as gangsta as the rest. I love the way it drops and climbs and lets you move along with the beat. Hoover Crips put there touch on it and rode the beat perfectly and were one of the more story telling rappers to go so far. A great ending to the first disc, and intro to the second disc.

Disc 2 Rating 7/10

"N-Hood Compton Crips" - Neighborhood Compton Crips

N-Hood opens up with a different sound than anything before it, and it's a real nice introduction to the second disc. The beat has a old school feel to it, yet has that new twist that makes it fit in real well with the overall sound. The hook is smooth, and the piano and drums compliment that. Each rapper contributes there own touch to make a real good feeling track with that street sound Compton is known for.

"Bounty hunters on my team" - Bounty Hunter Bloods

Let’s move into Bounty Hunter territory with this one. A real gritty sound provides the backdrop for the bounty hunter team. They take you on a journey deep into the streets, with lyrics that show the real meaning behind there name. The name should tell you that they mean business, and this track gets straight to the point in every aspect. The beat is deep and aggressive, and the rappers match that perfectly with there harsh raps.

"Baby Stone" - Black P Stones "Jungles"

This beat has a space age feel to it, but still hasn''t lost the overall westcoast sound of the album. I haven''t stopped bouncing my head since track 1 of disc 1! It's not to often that every track on a album brings that top notch sound.

"Where I’m From" - Long Beach Insane Crips

This track is a real nice transition from the previous one. The beats have similarities in the main melody, but this one has a deeper sound filled with a piano and deep string. Chuck Taylor does a good job with his laid back style to represent Long beach. It's not all G-funk in the Beach, there's a diverse number of sounds that come out of LBC, and this track is a great example of that.

"Da Camp" - Campanella Park Piru

The Campanella's bring a nice track to the table. The beat gets a little repetitive with the "training day" sounding string, but it didn''t make me skip past the song either. Each rapper has a real dominant style that keeps your attention and makes for a solid track.

"Ten Tray Day" - Grape Street

A dark and gritty sound would be the best way to describe this track. 

Nothing nice on this song, you get the harsh truth. The Grape Street rappers make sure you know how it goes where there from.

"Where you from" - Crenshaw Mafia Bloods

Here's a track that grabs your attention and brings a little life back to the album. The upbeat sound and in your face vocals make for a real entertaining track. Crenshaw Mafia really showcase there skills on this track with that pure gangsta sound.

"The South" South Side Crips

This track had good vocals, but the beat wasn''t doing it for me. It was a little awkward and hard to get a feel for, but I had a good time listening to the different rappers from South Side Crips, it was my first time hearing any of them before.

"Figuero" L.A. Denver Lane Bloods

Just when you thought you couldn''t bounce ur head to the music anymore, here come the Denver Lane Bloods. A gritty bass line and progressive chorus let the Denvers shine on this track. They don''t disappoint, they brought a complete banger to the album. Definitely a track to cruise around with, and it's upbeat enough to get the party and club going.

"Palmer Block Bangers" - Palmer Blocc Crips

This track has some of the better rappers on the album so far.  The beat is in your face with a mixture of westcoast synths and drums accompanied by a Indian style string. The beat gets alittle annoying if you listen to it more than a couple times, but i liked how each rapper took your attention with the different styles they have.

"Way Gang" - 5 Duece Boraway Crips

One of my favorite tracks on the second disc, the Boraways bring a new sound that really stands out from the rest. From the inspirational and uplifting sound of the beat, to the stories each rapper tells, this track should impress anyone who listens.

"2 Tee's up" - Fudge Town Mafia Crips"

I wouldn''t call this track dark, but it's got a real abstract sound to it that grabs your attention.  The rappers really hold there own, each one bringing there style to the track. Alot of people think the west is just smooth g-funk, but there’s a whole other side to the west, and this track brings one of those sounds to the forefront.

"Lynwood N-Hood" - Lynwood N-Hood Crips

Not many people have heard to much music out of Lynwood, so it's nice to hear what kind of styles they would bring.  It's not one of my favorites, but it's still a nice track that brings some more light to Lynwood, where there’s an abundance of talent.

"Pickin the mic up" - Avalon Gangstas and Neighborhood Pirus

A great track to end the album with. Squeak Ru is amazing with his style, he can destroy any track he gets on. The beat had the perfect bounce and flow to it for Squeak to trade off raps and completely kill the record.  If you can still bounce your head after listening to this album your in good shape, because there were only a few tracks that i wasn''t feeling, the majority were on point.

Overall this album impressed me with the quality of the tracks. Everything was mixed well, and most the tracks fit together like a album should. It's hard to do that when you get a large group of artist to come together for a single project. The bangin on wax series was represented very well with this release, and I’m glad all these artist came together for this. If your a fan of Gangsta rap, it doesn''t get any better than this.