Thug Life Army

If you read and believed the talk in hip-hop and rap web chat rooms and message boards, you would think that Death Row Records is dead.

Many forums, chat rooms and even hip-hop and rap web sites say that Suge Knight’s infamous Death Row Records is dead.

Now granted things have been a lil slow at Tha Row, since their high riding days of the 90’s, when hip-hop and rap artists like Tupac, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre lead the roster of the infamous label.

Tha Row has released a lot of different albums over the last few years – but now there is the new album from west coast and Death Row artist Kurupt – ‘Against Tha Grain’.

Before the album is even released, the same web sites and forums are posting the album for download – cheating Tha Row and the artist Kurupt out of their due. Bootlegging of copyrighted material is a crime and apparently supported by some web sites.

One would have to think if Tha Row is as ‘dead’ as everyone is saying, why so much interest in one of their albums?

Kurupt’s ‘Against Tha Grain’ has been long awaited and anticipated. Sure it took awhile for it to come out and a lot of people have been riding Suge about it, but Suge Knight is a successful businessman and it is not for me or anyone else to judge how he runs his business. Apparently he knows best, after all he built Death Row Records from nothing into one of the biggest black owned music labels in history. Tha Row’s catalog alone tells of his success.

Kurupt’s album is definitely great and well worth the wait. It is not overrun with ‘featured’ artists and especially, it is not over populated by the late Tupac Shakur, as is the case with a lot of albums out today.

The first track has a shout out to all the people riding on not only Tupac’s dick but also Biggie and Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Kurupt says about Tupac and Biggie: “Let the legends be.” Well said and much needed.

Right off the bat with the first listen thru on this album, one thing is very apparent - Tha Row doesn’t need Dre to make a beat. The beats on this album are unbelievable and fresh. The beats compliment Kurupt’s style and flow – They Do Not Carry Him; as with a lot of artists today.

Although I ’feel’ every track on this album I believe if radio stations would have the nuttz to play ‘Speak On It’, the first track, that the track would put a lot of things to rest. Kurupt lays it down and speaks the truth about many things – even touching on the west coast east coast ‘war’. It is definitely the most impressive track on the album.

Emotion is another factor on this album. Artists today have that laid back non-emotional music that waters down their message, but Kurupt comes thru with such emotion that you feel he will reach out and smack you if you’re not listening or if you are taking him lightly.

Kurupt, aka Young Gotti, truly hits a home run with this drop. Kurupt has always been pure gangsta and if you like gangsta rap, or just hard hitting emotion filled rap and hip-hop this is the album to get.

Kurupt – ‘Against Tha Grain’

1. Intro

2. Speak On It feat. Val C – Score - 10

3. Anarchy ''87 – Score – 9.0

4. Throw Back Muzic ''86 – Score – 9.0

5. Deep Dishes – Score -8.5

6. Stalkin – Score -8.5

7. Can U Feel It featuring Potion – Score -8.5

8. Slide N Slide Out featuring Eastwood, Big Tri, Young Tone – Score -9.0

9. I''m Back – Score -8.5

10. Jealousy feat. Roscoe, MOP – Score -8.5

11. Tha Past feat. Dave Holister – Score -8.5

12. My Homeboys (Back to Back) feat. 2Pac, Eastwood – Score -10

13. Bullshit and Nonsense feat. Spider, Eastwood – Score -8.5

14. Calico feat. Dayton Family – Score -8.5

15. Hustlin feat. Big Tri, Young Tone – Score -9.0

16. It's A Wrap – Score -8.5

17. You Fuckin With The Best – Score -9.0

18. Outro -  (*I luv’d the ending - pure g)

Overall album – Score -9

The album will be in stores August 23^rd.

BUY it!  DON’T burn it off the net and ‘steal it’.

Support Kurupt and Tha Row and all west coast artists. Everyone needs to eat.

It is good to remember that Kurupt has been in the game for a long time, and he is not one of the fly by night bling bling rappers who come and go. Kurupt is an icon in west coast rap and gangsta rap.

This album should go platinum or at least gold, but with every one of you who illegally download it, you are taking Kurupt’s ‘props’ from him, not to mention you are stealing from him and Suge Knight.

With every click to illegally download this album you are keeping good brothers down.

So if you choose to download the album instead of supporting west coast music and the west coast artist; don’t turn around and say that Death Row is dead, or that the album only sold this amount according to Sound Scan numbers. This album will be in everyone’s collection of west coast music, no doubt. The only real question is if you are truly going to support the artists and the ones who bring you their work.

So in short if you steal it, don’t comment on it – you have no voice because you have nothing invested.

*We have a give away for Kurupts ''Against Tha Grain'' going on now. Go HERE and register.