Customer Reviews

Makaveli Presents: Reparation Is Due

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MAKAVELI PRESENTS
MUSZAMIL
REPARATION IS DUE

When I first had seen this album I was a little skeptical at first due to the fact that I had never heard of this guy before and he was saying "MAKAVELI PRESENTS" on the cover of is album. Well after I gave the album a try I learned that he is in fact an Outlaw member and even has NAPOLEON on the cd as well as some verses from Pac [he got permission form Pac's mom].

1.OUTLAW OUTLAW-the first track is actually a intro with Muszamil spitting a nice verse, lyricaly this guy is nice [very Outlaw like with the flow]. NICK NASTY delivers with an ok beat, it isn't the nicest on the album but it is pretty good.4/5

2.MR.MUSAZAMIL-this next track is definitely worthy of being a single, I bump this joint a lot. The beat from J-CLASSIC is very bouncy and energetic and fits the theme of the song perfectly. Also the hook is great, it's some girl singing in the same way as that old song "MRS. ROBERTSON", it's great. And lyricaly Muszamil holds it down.4.5/5

3.HOLLYWOOD-when I first heard this I was a little surprised, not by the subject matter because this is the type of stuff the Outlawz rap about, but about the beat and hook. The last time I heard this sample for "HOLLYWOOD" was on The Twinz debut album that Warren G put out. But other than that this song is real nice, the beat from TRIPLE 7 is very nice and smooth, plus he gets down on the mic. Also VAL YOUNG is back on a track and she sounds just as beautiful as she ever did. And not only that but NAPOLEON shows up for the first time on this album, and him and Muszamil sound great on this track, another potential single for the album.5/5

4.LAST DAYS OF OUR LIVES-now this track is a little of a let down, it's kinda the opposite of the first track. The instrumental is incredible and you would think they would tack full advantage, but no. the first verse sounds kinda off and never picks up until the second verse, and the guy singing the hook sounds like he is struggling to get the notes out. The beat saves this one, and the last two verses a nice.3/5

5.STILL BUSTING-2pac's first appearance is not wasted as this is one of the hardest songs on the album, and this is another contender for a single. The beat from J-Classic sounds like it was tailor made for Pac. H-RYDA sounds nice on the first verse and Muszamil kills the second verse with that Jersey flow. The only problems with this track is that it is to short clocking in at 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and that Pac is only on the hook, but it does sound nice right there.5/5

6.INTERLUDE/POLITICAL SOLDIERS-Nick Nasty comes back with another generic sounding beat for the interlude as Muszamil rips it, then they actually use one of Pac's verses from "2 OF AMERIKAZ MOST WANTED" for the interlude. But immediately following that is Pac talking over a hauntingly eerie beat from J-Classic [this dude is nice]. Then a great verse from Pac drops and steals the show from the living Muszamil, but Mil does his thing. H-Ryda returns with another nice verse, and the hook is nice as well.5/5

7.SEIKE-the hits keep coming with this amazing track as Muszamil starts to tell stories about some misguided youth, so lyricaly this track is very strong. Then we hear MALCOLM X in between every verse, and the beat from NOW & LATERZ is perfect for this story telling track.4.5/5

NO REASON-from Malcolm to STEVIE WONDER, the hits just keep coming. The hook featuring Stevie Wonder is great and sounds even better being backed by an amazing instrumental from CARNAGE. And Muszamil does not waste the beat and appearance from Wonder as he kills the track.5/5

9.LET IT GO-this would definitely have worked as a single for the album, in fact when I listen to this track I can picture a video in head to this track. lyricaly Muszamil holds it down, and the beat from RED is outstanding, but it is the hook that makes this track a classic. TEDDY PENDERGRASS sounds amazing over this instrumental, and makes this song that much batter.5/5

10.DON'T NEED NONE-Val Young returns to drop another great hook for Muszamil, and T SCOTT does his thing on this excellent track. Muszamil sounds good on this track but Val Young makes this song what it is. Also the smooth beat from MBK RIDERS is more then perfect for Val Young and T Scott to drop there excellent voices over, this could have been a single as well.4.8/5

11.MAKE A CHANGE-Napoleon returns to bless another track, and he definitely holds it down on this track. Another thing that is great about this track is the hook for this song, also the beat from the ever talented MIKE DEAN is great.4/5

12.INTERLUDE/THUG LIFE OUTLAW-Nick Nasty returns to drop another beat for a interlude, this time he doesn't do as bad, Muszamil and H Ryda do ok over this track. but it's the track following that surprises me, Nick Nasty returns to produce a full track and does surprisingly well with a very original production. Muszamil sounds right at home over this track and CABO & GRITTY OUTLAW sound just as good over this unique beat. They even diss Bad Boy Records on this track, as well as any one of Pac's enemies.4/5

13.DIRTY GAME - GRITTY OUTLAW-Nick Nasty returns and totally makes up for any misstep he put forth earlier, as he puts together a very deep and dark instrumental for Muszamil to rap over. Nasty really surprised me with this one and impressed me as well. Muszamil drops some gems on this one, and why wouldn't he, this is a great beat for him to kill.5/5

14.CAN'T DENY IT-now I know what you are thinking, he is going to do the Fabolous thing and remake Pac's classic "AMBITION'Z OF A RYDA", but no he does not. This so called bonus track should have been the single for the album. The beat is bouncy and the hook by some dude singing is very catchy, plus Muszamil sounds perfect on this track. "I can't deny it, girl I got a crush on you"5/5

This album was surprisingly a pretty good album, and I would recommend this album to any hip hop fan out there. If you don't like it at first, give it a few listens and I guarantee that you will end up bumping it.

Muszamil (who recorded an album under the alias Hellraza) is the younger brother of Napoleon of the Outlawz. While Tupac was still alive, I had always thought the Outlawz were a pretty interesting bunch: they were gangstas but intelligent, politically knowledgeable, and, well, they could spit. (I particularly liked Fatal and Kadafi's east coast-ish rhyming styles via their NJ upbringing before relocating to Cali.) But that was the "first wave" of Outlawz: the ones that were down with Pac when he was still here.

The "second wave" of Outlawz is pretty weak, including releases from the original bunch post-Tupac. I believe the only reason I love the album 'Still I Rise' is because (1) the Outlawz recorded it with Pac who was the leader of course and (2) even though the album came out after Pac died, the material was recorded while he was still alive and while the group was still signed to Death Row. The other releases by the Outlawz have been absolutely terrible and aren't worth listening to at all.

'Reparation is Due' falls into the category of second wave Outlaw garbage. Although his lyrics are yawn-inducing and subpar at best on this album, Muszamil I think has a distinctive voice (somewhat reminiscent of Kadafi or Fatal Hussein) and under other circumstances could actually make a decent release. It seems as if lyrically he has a lot of talent that's not being pushed, and you can't really blame the unwillingness to push or lack of motivation when you have crappy beats to flow over.

There's a couple decent joints like "Last Days of Our Lives" but even the decent songs are below average: they're just better than the other songs. If Tupac were still here (R.I.P.), I honestly doubt he would've allowed this to have been released hence the ironic title "Makaveli presents". If you have an urge to listen to the Outlawz in their prime, check out 'Still I Rise' or the Hit 'em Up mixtapes.

I have to admit this album was a huge letdown. I expected a hard hitting Mil album, instead all I received was more a mixtape thrown togeather in a day or so. Pass on this album and hopefully is next will be better

u know , musza is talanted, also u know that there is no one ova there supportin him, tha outlawz have to bring him back to the group...
we love MuszaMil .....