Nov 28, 2015 So as I woke up this morning it was feeling like a classic hip hop day...scouring through my itunes I happen to cross by Capital Punishment, one of the illest records of all time. And I thought, it's a shame how many people on this site probably have not experienced such a great record.... And I got the brilliant idea for a series of threads to educate the masses Lots of people on this website, primarily stans and the EmSXN are rather uncultured in hip hop (and rap outside of Shady Records) and thus my objective here is to maybe perk some interest in some classic albums that peeps should give a try...this the foundation of what you listen to to this very day. I also plan on doing current reviews of the records I'm bumping in the whip lately as well for those hoping to listen to any new music that isn't ShadyXV or Southpaw soundtrack mhm without further adeu This definitive Pun album from '98, the only project of his to be released during his lifetime (RIP Pun) Some things to know about Pun...he was a master of the relentless, breathless flow. If there is one person in the world that I would say may have challenged Biggie for smoothest flow OAT, it was Pun. A haunting voice and unbelievable presence. One of the most proficient lyricists of all time. The majority of these turn of the century syllable crunching flows (not the bad kind like modern-Em cringe) actually take a ton of influence from Pun. People were shocked he had such great breath control and presence, considering he was actually very, very overweight (which would eventually lead to his death sadly). His legacy and deafening flows live on today,and forever. Famous DJ and Radio personality Peter Rosenberg considers him the greatest rapper of all time. This album was a debut of his and the first Latino hip hop release to go platinum. Good job Pun. Some things about Pun, he was one of the artists that you could tell where legit in their hardcore gritty songs, and then he can flip over on the next track and have a nice club song or song you can play for your lady friend. He just had that ability. Example. Still Not a Player (track 5) has this laid back, delicate instrumental over a nice melodic hook while Pun interjects some sweet womanizing in between the verses...it's incredibly smooth and sexy. Then on the next track he unleashes the demon....over one of the driest and dirtiest beats you'll ever hear, The Dream Shatterer features Pun laying mind bending flows over some violent lyrics threatening to carve his initials into your forehead. "You know the Pun will diss you if your whole steez is unofficial I'll come and get you and let the Desert Eez tongue-kiss you With one pistol and two clips, I'll make your crew do flips Like acrobatics, I'm charismatic, my gat is magic" Listen to this track and try to keep up.. I guarantee by the end you'll be dizzy. Again...this leads straight into a beautiful song, one of Pun's calling card tracks, Punish Me. A laid back back flow over a peaceful instrumental, Punisher once again details his experiences with women, this one about a departed love with a former chick of his...very emotional, Pun keeps it real on this track as he talks about the woman not letting him raise his own son...but in the end he comes out the bigger person in the story. "Girl don't even start again, I beg your pardon And get your hands off my six-button Cardigan" Again I don't even have to say it at this point, nonetheless Pun jumps back into a barrage of darkness in You Ain't a Killer, where it's not where your from--it's where's your gat. Later on we catch Pun hopping on the beat to Dre's Deep Cover 187 where he duets with fat Joe. These fat boys bounce off eachother with some dizzying thug bars, a true classic oldie "I rub your face off the Earth andcurse your family children Like AmityvilleI drill the nerves in your cavity filling Insanity's building a pavilion in my civilian The cannon be the anarchy that humanity's dealing" How does he do it At this point we get a nice three way collab as Pun teams up with Inspectah Deck from WuTang and Prodigy from Mobb Deep, and all three NY emcees go in over a great cut in the back provided by the clan's own RZA. Even Inspectah, who is usually a standout feature verse gets outshined by Pun here as he bends his words and pronunciation to create this nice little bit toward the end of the song that always stands out to me "Ain't no tellin when the bullet's behind the trigger I do it to live n----s and Pulitzer Prize winners You wouldn't survive n-----" This track is new york through and through, I recommend you check this out and study it if you are into the NY scene or interested in NY emcees. On the closing track Pun rounds out the album with a track featuring Busta Rhymes. Oddly enough he doesn't feature as a verse but on the hook only, with the most 90s chorus I've ever heard in my life. "Yo, parental discretion advised, please cover your eyes Little kids -- GET OUT OF HERE!!! This s----s is homicide! Drugs and money, this ain't no Bugs Bunny! Little girls too; this ain't for you it's for the thugs honey!" Final review CLASSIC/10 Wish I could've went through more but this is one of the most solid projects corner to corner OAT. Also as I was relistening to this I realized that the first half of this album (Beware, Super Lyrical, Still Not a Player, The Dream Shatterer, Punish Me, You Ain't a Killer, Caribbean Connection) is a 7-track stretch that probably beats out Jay's on TBA and might be the greatest of all time imo...you be the judge shouts out to the thread https://forum.sectioneighty.com/m-s...n-eminem-album-than-this.t46996/#post-1279769
Nov 28, 2015 Didn't like it when I heard it a couple months ago. May need to revisit it in the next couple weeks.
Nov 28, 2015 Wow that's surprising coming from what I see as a fellow hip hop head such as yourself. Pun is a top notch hip hop head rapper bud, give him another shot this record is a classic.
Nov 28, 2015 Equal to Ready Or Die. One of the greatest albums ever by arguably the best flow/lyricist ever. Chad Warden was ballin with that PSP, and was counting up the money and kicking out the b------s in Liberty City. On the games radio, Beware came on. The game was gritty, full of crime, it really caught C-Wizzy's ear because it was played at the perfect moment. Chad Daddy would recommend Don Cartagena, that Joey Crack s---. Has the same sound and Joe had style back in those days, his flow was great. Not Pun level, but similar.
Nov 28, 2015 Easily in my Top 10 albums of all time. Pun was truly one of the greatest technical rappers ever. Yeeeah Baby was a huge letdown compared to this. As sad as it is that he's not here, his death sort of preserved his legacy. You have to wonder what his status in hip hop would have been if he had a longer stay.
Nov 29, 2015 Had the privilege to listen to this album for the first time a few weeks back. Was blown away.
Nov 29, 2015 I remember getting the sampler cassette tape for the album from Loud Records right before the album dropped. I still have it somewhere. I was so hyped for the album that I went to the local record store a day or two before it dropped hoping that they'd start selling it. I copped Cocoa Brovaz's "The Rude Awakening" to hold me over. The album dropped, got it on cassette. Played that s--- on and on and on. I was in junior high at the time. It's a classic Hip Hop album but I think it meant more to me because Pun was a Latino from NYC. I never got to meet him unfortunately. I know one of the times that I went to Loud Records, they told him that some of his fans were dropping by the HQ but he couldn't make it because he had a show to do in Rhode Island on that day. My cousins in the Bronx apparently met him though.
Nov 30, 2015 Downloaded four tracks (Super Lyrical, The Dream Shatterer, Twinz, and Fast Money) to get a feel of the album again and I'm very impressed. Gonna buy it this Friday
