Customer Reviews

Institutionalized Volume 2

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This album is almost a classic. The beats are tight. Ras always spit those hot lyrics. My personal favorite tracks are: Bible,Eyes don'lie,Victory,I'm all that,and Ironman Thug.

The beats are above average but Ras Kass provides insightful and fresh lyrics that make this a cd that you can listen to straight through over and over.

Ras Kass returns after 2 years off and brings us his 6th solo, and another 4.5 star worthy album. This is the 7th album of his I own (6 solo's and 1 compilation), and probably his 2nd best (slightly behind "Institutionalized" and slightly about "Revenge of the Spit"). His other 4 albums ("Soul on Ice", "Rasassination", "Eat or Die", and his "Re-Up Compilation") all get 3.5 or low 4 star ratings. With 14 songs on here (2 he isn't on, they're Namebrand solo songs), you get 1 classic, 2 almost classics, 4 ok songs, and the other 7 are good, mostly real good songs. Guests aren't too heavy, on 4 of the 12 that Ras are on, and you get the 2 solo's from Namebrand. Production is nice as well, which is good cause that's where his albums usually slack off. Tony Roc does 4 songs, Sega does 3, Da Riffs do 2, and Ski, Frequency, Domingo, Blue Sky Black Death,a nd Mr. Lepht all do 1 song. A nice album to have form a great MC.

#1 - 8.5
#2 - 9.5 (tight beat)
#3 - 8.5
#5 - 10 (CLASSIC - tight beat - getiing on Capitol records and other Record Comp.)
#6 - 8
#7 - 9 (nice fight music type beat)
#9 - 9.5 (tight beat)
#10 - 7 (long intro before song)
#11 - 8 (f/ Proof of D12 -- R.I.P.)
#12 - 9 (f/ Crooked I & Odious - nice beat)
#13 - 6.5 (f/ ???)
#14 - 7.5 (f/ Wais of Da Ranjahz)
#15 - 7.5 (Namebrand solo)
#16 - 8 (Namebrand solo)

John Austin -- Watts, CA
Check all my reviews

My man Ras Kass is one the most underated rappers. Being messed up by the industry and still standing tall. Who said that brothas from the West Coast can't rhyme. Lyrical this album is crazy but need it Beatz. Ras Kass keep ya head up. Peace

If you've been graced with hearing soul on ice, or rassasination, you know that the waterproof emcee is lyrically capable of far more than this. I bought this expecting it to be at least a fraction as good as the classic soul on ice, or as good as rassasination even. No, to my disappointment, i found this album is probaly as good as some lil wayne, plies or other mainstream album out there...
The production doesn't quite help either. The beats sound mainstream, and extremely commercial. Such as, "try me" or "im all that". A song titled "im all that" is enough to question it's originality alone...
Another problem i had with this album was that Ras's style has changed for the worst and doesn't complement the commercial beats. Listen to "anything goes" from soul on ice and then any song on this album and you'll understand what i mean...

lyrical content - 1 out of 5---- When compared to "soul on ice" the lyrics exhibit mediocracy at best. Listen to "on earth as it is" and then "try me" and make the lyrical comparison.

Production - 0.5 out of 5---- Production sounds really weak and commercial

all and all i believe this album deserves a 0.5/5.......this album sucks and lacks much of any effort. You would think it was put together in a week....

If you want to hear real quality hip-hop from this artist, cop his earlier albums when he was in his prime. Such as, "Soul on Ice" or "Rasassination"....Otherwise, Avoid this album and any of this commercial sellouts work after Rasassination....