Record Exchange Boise

Reviews:

Essential N.O.R.E. lyric: "They call me Stand Still, 'cuz I f***ingjust stand still." The artist formerly known as Noreaga isn't muchfor reflection, you see, nor does he care for those things other MCs prize-lyricaldexterity, rhythmic complexity, charisma. Instead, he barks with the authorityof a drill sergeant bossing around new cadets. After a while, though, you beginto like being ordered around, even if the commands are a bit absurd.

Nonsense is, after all, part of his charm. And ever since his rhyme partnerCapone was sent to prison in the late '90s (he's now out), Noreagahad to put the few tools at his disposal into overtime use.

Where he's succeeded has been thanks to his keen ear. He was the firstrapper to allow superproducers the Neptunes to show their full range. "Superthug,"the group's 1998 collaboration, made stars of all of them. Wisely, Noreagahasn't let them stray too far: "I rock a Neptunes beat like it'sa leather, god," he jokes on "Head Bussa." They produced lastsummer's pugnacious radio anthem "Grimey," and they contributefour other tracks to this, Noreaga's third solo album. Unsurprisingly,they're the best songs here, although there's quite a bit of competition.Throughout, Noreaga remains his typical, bizarro self-even signing to powerhouselabel Def Jam can't change him-spitting non-sequitur rhymes with suchvim that it's impossible to sidestep them: "I make hits at the whiteboy club, while I'm buying the bar/ They like 'hey now, you'rean all star.'" Maybe so, but only thanks to the assists from a top-notchteam.