Thug Life Army

Album review for hip-hop / rap album from Dead Prez & The Outlawz - "Can''t sell dope Forever LP"

Rap artists Dead Prez and The Outlawz, two hip-hop groups who have both seen the struggles of the streets, came together for a joint LP called "Can''t sell dope forever". 

With the loss of the legendary hip-hop rap icon Tupac Shakur (2Pac) from the Outlaw family, each member of the Outlawz has done their part to continue the messages left by the late hip-hop icon, Tupac (2Pac). 

Dead Prez has always been known for there political and street conscious lyrics, so by collaborating with the Outlawz it was interesting to see what the album would sound like. This LP is a great example of how u can mix both the streets and the conscious side of rap and still appeal to everyone. From "U Ain''t the Only 1," to "I Believe," you will be schooled on the lessons good or bad that you need to know in the struggle of life. 

A deep message in every track separates this LP from a majority of hip-hop and rap music these days. A lot of artist feel they need to make pop music in order to have success, but this album represents the truth. You can make true hip-hop and rap banging records that still have content and can be felt by any audience. This LP has a track for everyone, take a good listen and you''ll understand.

Album rating - 8.5/10

1) Intro

"Can''t Sell Dope Forever, Mixtape....Vol 1" - intro

2) 1 Nation

A song revolving around the idea of war, within a community, nation, or global scale. The Outlawz start off by speaking about the reality of turf war, how it's the same no matter what side u on, everyone deals with the same problems. A great track about uniting instead of separating, a message that a lot of the youth have not received yet.  Rappers do have influence on there listeners, so it's good to see the Dead Prez and The Outlawz put out a good message, but still have a banging record to convey the messages in.

3) Can''t Sell Dope (RMX)

The title of the track is self explanatory. "It ain''t to many dope dealers retiring, it ain''t to many old prostitutes vacationing on a islands." To an average listener, this track could be confused with any other dope dealing, gritty track that rap has been labeled as, but the message is just the opposite in this track. You can still make positive music that still has that street appeal.

4) Windows 2 My Soul

I love this beat, it's a nice backdrop for a couple laid back verses.

Nothing but the truth, from the government corruption, to drugs on the block, the lyrics keep your mind on the things that really matter.  Another heated track.

5) Surroundings

He lets you know who he's surrounded by.

6) Thuggin on Da Blokkk

This is another track with a positive message that if you weren''t paying attention to the lyrics, you might think they were boasting about selling drugs, or violence in the street, but there message is the opposite. The Outlawz show that u can make a track for the streets, and still put that positive message in. They learned from someone who did that to perfection in Tupac (2Pac).

7) U Ain''t The Only 1

This is my favorite track on the album. A nice piano backdrop and smooth drums make this a real relaxing track. Messy Marv blesses the track with a nice verse, and Dead prez show why they are one of the most respected artist in the game. For anyone dealing with hard time's, or struggling to find there way, this song can help guide your mind to a better place.

8) Searchin''

Another smooth laid back song with a hook blessed by a nice female singer. 

This is a track u can close your eyes to and just let it take you where you wanna go.

9) Question Mark

"Should we blame it on crack, or the crackers, whitey, or the White house?"

10) Fork in the Road

This track stands out from the rest. If you heard the instrumental alone, you would never think it would be a hip-hop or rap record. But they make it there own, and put it down.

11) I Believe

When I heard this track, I thought it would be perfect for a intro to a movie. It gradually feels more powerful as the song goes on, like it's increasing in intensity, but the beat remains the same. The lyrics are all about keeping your mind focused, and knowing u can do whatever you want, and nothing can stop you from achieving any level of greatness you want. Keep a positive mind, never negative.

12) RBG

Just a small interlude saying, "You are now listening to the people’s radio......"

13) Holdin On

A nice laid back song all about keepin ur head up and holding on.  Never give up and you''ll get to where you wanna go. I enjoyed this album so much because Dead Prez and The Outlawz were able to put a positive message in every track, and not follow the same old blueprint rappers tend to follow these days.

14) Came Up

The Outlawz, Dead Prez, and Bone Thugs bless this track to end the album.

I recommend this album to anyone who listens to rap....period....With all the critics who say hip-hop and rap music isn''t doing any good for the community, and rappers just promote things that hurt the community. This album will put those critics to rest; I say that because this album can appeal to anyone from a dealer on the block, to a student at college. It shows how rappers can use music as a tool to help promote a positive message to the youth, and still have songs that bump as hard as the ones that promote violence. Dead Prez have been doing that for years, and The Outlawz learned that message from the best (Tupac, aka 2Pac). So it was no question that this album would be a strong example of how hip-hop and rap can be used to change a community instead of tearing one apart. It's up to the artist on the major labels to make a change if they want to see rap make a positive change in the communities. 

I hope other hip-hop and rap artist take a note from Dead Prez and The Outlawz, and see that they need to focus on things other than clubs, cars, and grills, and put an effort into things that matter in the community. Because there are kids out there that would rather get a set of platinum fronts than a high school diploma. And since the labels are in it just to make money, it's up to the individual artist to make a change in there music. This is a great laid back album, with a message everyone needs to hear.