Customer Reviews

Outlaw 4 Life: 2005 A.P

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Outlawz are back!!!!! with just three members left they have done it again, there's no stopin them. This new album proves just why they are the best rap group ever and the best rappers out there today. They have grown a lot on this album and don't use Pacs name too much they doin it on their own. I've been waiting for this album for ages and it is imposible to get it here in London so i ordered it on the net and have been patiently waiting for this but when i recieved it i must say that it was worth the wait.

1 REAL TALK - 10/10 Strong opening, one of the best songs on the album and all the members drop some memorable verses

2 CAN'T TURN BACK - 9/10 Good song with a good beat and some great lyrics, Young Noble comes the strongest here

3 CELEBRATE - 10/10 the first single and what a great one it is, i heard this song for like 200 times and i still want more, all the members drop great, great verses. one of the best Lawz songs ever.

4 BIG BALLIN - 7/10 this one is a good song, it features Bun B and Stormey. Some good verses tho but nothing too special.

5 THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND - 9/10 Great song with a great chorus , but i must say that Kastros verse is weak, EDI comes the strongest here but all the members drop good lyrics.

6 LET IT BURN - 9/10 Now most people hate on this song i don't know why, i think it's a great one with good production. Features Chair Krazy and all of them drop great lyrics

7 IF YOU WANT 2 - 9/10 good party song with a good beat, i like the chorus and they all come strong.

8 THESE ARE THE TIMES - 10/10 Great song, one of the srongest points of the album, the chorus is just mind blowing and Young Noble drops one of his best verses and all of them they do great here.

9 GHETTO GOSPEL PT 2 - 10/10 my second fav on the album, when i first heard this song it just made me crazy, it has a great message and a great beat and all of them drop one of their best verses ever.

10 SMILIN FACES - 10/10 One of the best on the album, Kastro is not here but Noble and EDI do great toghether, good beat and they both drop great lyrics

11 I DARE YOU - 10/10 the best song on the album and one of my fav Lawz songs ever, the beat is just mind blowing man, Young Noble's verse is as good as it can get, Kastro drops one of his verses and it'll be great of he drops more verses like this and EDI is just great.

12 DON'T GET IT - 9/10 this one is good, i like the beat and they let their anger show on this one, all of the come strong here.

13 SACRED VOWS - 8/10 more darker song but a great beat and they all come strong here.

14 BETTER IT GET - 7/10 don't like this one that much but still listenable, the beat just doesn't go with their style

15 Interlude - no rating

16 LISTEN TO ME - 10/10 great song, the beat is more like a Jazz beat and they all do great here, really good message to the young kids.

17 LOSIN MY MIND - 9/10 good song to close the album, great beat and they all do great.

Overall this album gets 10/10 for me. The best Outlawz album ever. SO go get it if you don't have it and supporn the Lawz. Peace out.

OUTLAW $ LIFE

The Outlawz (Kastro, Young Noble and E.D.I.) latest release "Outlaw 4 Life: 2005 A.P" is an album worth checking out. Having followed these rappers since the days they were youngsters making appearances on Pac albums, I am happy to see them back at it delivering quality reality rap and growing as artists. Production is stellar throughout. The albums opener is the strong "Real Talk", a track that lives up to its name as the Outlawz deliver some memorable lyrics. More solid tracks follow with "Can't Turn Back" and "Celebrate" feat. TQ, cuts about overcoming life's challenges. Bun B brings some southern flavor on "Big Ballin'" while honorary Outlaw Stormey makes his first appearance. Another standout track is "These are the Times" feat. Khujo & Malachi, a track about love, family and looking out for those close to you. The Lawz go deep on the outstanding "Ghetto Gospel Pt. 2" and "Smilin Faces" feat. Lana. The Outlawz shine again on "Don't Get It", like the way the beat and vocals rise on this cut. On "Listen to Me", the Outlawz reflect on their youth and deliver a positive message for those who are coming up now. My favorite track is the album's closer, "Losin My Mind" feat. Stormey is an outstanding cut, the kind of track you blast in the ride. This is my favorite Outlaw album since "Still I Rise" and I feel it's there most complete effort. The Outlawz have grown as MC's, and developed more distinct identies and flows, what really stands out for me though are there lyrics which are on point, substantial and heartfelt. Being an independent label is hard, but I respect the Outlawz all the more for going this route and recommend this release.

Living in the shadows of one of Hip-Hop's greatest MCs is no easy task. The Outlawz realize this, and have boldly stated that they want to grow as artists while keeping Tupac's legacy alive. When the Outlawz first started as a group they had seven members: 2Pac, Fatal Hussien, Kadafi, EDI, Young Noble, Kastro and Napoleon. Now, in 2005, the group is down to three remaining members: EDI, Young Noble and Kastro. Can they still carry an album? Absolutely! The Outlawz put out their second best offering since Pac past (The best being the posthumous "Still I Rise"). The production is top notch with help from underground players such as J-Mack, Gorilla Tek and The Legendary Traxter. Standout tracks are abundent throughout this landmark album. "Real Talk" is their delcaration of independance from being known as simply "Tupac's group". "Can't Turn Back" is an exceptional tribute to the rough periods in their lives including the loss of friends and family. The debut single "Celebrate" is an anthem to celebrate life and not death. Newcomer Stormy joins them for an outstanding performance on "Sacred Vows". Unfortunately there are a few setbacks. "Big Ballin'" is out of The 'Lawz nature, and comes off as a dirty South wanna be track. One of the key members (Napoleon) is missing and this IS noticable even though the three remaining MCs put forth their best work to date. Tupac is not involved and that is a serious blow to the group. However through trials and tribulations that would destroy most groups The Outlawz stand tall and proclaim "I'm an Outlaw rider till my heart stops beating". This album is a MUST have for an fan of 2Pac, The Outlawz and basically all the real listeners out there who aren't obsessed with money and women. Is there life after Pac? Absolutely, and this is it. So put that copy of "The Massacre" back on the shelf and ride with The Outlawz.

Finally the Outlawz have jumped out of 2pac's shadow and brought thier own style to the table. This album is excellent with each song bringing a different flavor, a sigh of relief in today's hip-hop scene.

The Outlawz 4 life album is a serious compilation of instruments that make all outlaw fans jump up where ever they are. I could say all songs were written by One Nation entertaiament with Bun B (Rap a lot records) and Stormy(One nation Entertainment )Featuring.The title "smiling faces" featuring F'lana star (A.fam records) is jazzy and a Blues song that really calms the album after "Big Ballin" and "let it burn". Chair Crazy(Forever Family Music) featured in let it burn. Malachi (South East Entertainment) and Kujo Goodie (Goodie Mob Records) in "These Are the Times". The recordings were nicely fitted together to give this album a five star rating. why a five star rating?, it has the Southern style flow with the New Jersey effect. This album isn't just for Organ lovers, but this album has parts for Tupac and Yak that makes all listners wanting to hear Them together again. We all want that same effect on the next album. Young Noble, Edi, with kastro are the 21 century Artists that are not finish in making fans remember the legacy of Pac and Yak (The Immortalz Album).

On their latest album, Outlawz 4 Life (One Nation/33rd Street), Kastro, EDI, and Noble press on defiantly without `Pac. The album is their attack on a marketplace that may have never given them a fair shot.

No longer with former member Napolean's services, the remaining trio seems to have tighter chemistry. Each track has the entire group in succinct form. This makes guests more welcomed, such as Bun B on "Big Ballin'". Aside from the poignant, "Losin' My Mind," the `Lawz have fallen from dramatic war raps and pained reflection, and moved towards money and street oriented rhymes. This may take the edge off for hardcore fans, but it also helps create a new, fresher image for a group often linked with the past.

The production on the album is the best change. While Aftermath's Focus may be the most notable contributor, with three efforts, it is in-house producer J-Mack that makes the album's best moments. J-Mack fails to establish one thorough sound, but he does show classic Outlawz ears on "Smiling Faces," while taking risks with "Sacred Vows." These aren't very complex songs, but they may very well age better than what the Outlawz have cataloged thus far.

The biggest flaw of Outlawz 4 Life is its desire to do too many things. At times, they get grimy with an M.O.P-like Rock style ("Sacred Vows") while they also push for Crunk appeal ("Better It Get"). While this may be the best slab of Outlawz material put on an album in five years, it feels random at best - something 2Pac never seemed to settle for.

great lyrics unfortunatly the production is far from still i rise,other from that i recommend this for anyone going through the struggle.

This is a great album from these guys and i am glad that they r not talking about 2pac and doing there own thing. I recommend this to any rap fan because this is worth buying and needs to be in your collection and if u dont have then u missing out on a great album. Favorite songs r Celebrate,Sacred Vows and I Dare You but the rest r very good. This is the best release from the outlawz and they finally found their own sound and that is what i like about this album and now they r going to be in the rap game for a ver long time and cant wait for future realeases from this group. So what r u waiting for buy this album now u will not be disappointed Peace.

I remember when Ride Wit' Us or Collide Wit' Us came out in 2000 I was really pumped up about that. And then when Novakane dropped I bought it the day it hit the stores. The problem with those albums is that they talk about 2pac a whole lot. I am a huge 2pac fan but you don't make your voice heard by talking about 2pac on most of your songs, you do it by spittin' that RAW type of sound.

This new album Outlaw 4 Life is exactly the type of stuff I've been waiting for from the Outlawz. One thing is for sure, they have jumped out of Pac's shadow and they are puttin' it down. EDI is rapping very similar to Noble on atleast one of these songs for sure. It's not really that bad but I have followed the Outlawz since they were Dramacydel and it's very noticable. I liked it when EDI and Noble did the same raspy voice thing on "the Uppercut" on the new 2pac album Loyal to the Game. That song was hella tight. The only thing that I don't like about this album is that Napoleon isn't here or even mentioned but they really do a good job without him. Big Ballin' is a change for the Outlawz because they usually don't rap like that but unlike some of their previous releases and their solo projects, to me all the songs on here are hot. I think this album will really get people's attention. If you haven't already, I recommend picking up Ride Wit' Us or Collide Wit Us, Novakane, Kastro and EDI - Blood Brothers and Young Noble - Noble Justice, just to name a few. That way you can see how much they have grown as individuals, a group and as artists. And I also strongly recommend this album Outlaw 4 Life, this is the best Outlaw album of them all.

Starting off as a 7 man group, the Outlawz are now down to 3. Kadafi & 2Pac died in 1996, Fatal left the group shortly after, and Napoleon left last year, leaving Young Noble, Edi Amin, & Kastro to keep the legacy alive. After not hearing anything new from the Lawz for almost 2 and a half years I expected a great album and got a good one. This is tied for my least favorite of their 5 group albums, but still a 4 star release. As usual Young Noble & Edi Amin are on the most songs, and Kastro is on less. Guests are on a few of the 16 songs, Stormy is showcased on 4 songs and he is a pretty good rapper. Production is pretty good, J-Mack & Outlawz produced 4, Focus did 3, AP Future, Legendary Traxter, & Gorilla Tek each do 2, and Reo, Dani Kartel, and Armando Colon each do 1. It has 2 near classics, 2 I skip, 3 ok songs, and the others are good. A must have for fans of the Lawz.

#1 - 9 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro, Focus)
#2 - 8 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro)
#3 - 8 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro, T.Q.)
#4 - 9 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Bun B of UGK, and Stormy)
#5 - 6 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro)
#6 - 8 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro, Chair Crazy)
#7 - 7 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro)
#8 - 9.5 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Stormy, Goodie Mobb, Malachi -- upbeat song)
#9 - 8.5 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro)
#10 - 8 (Edi Amin, Young Noble)
#11 - 8.5 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro, Focus)
#12 - 9 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro)
#13 - 9.5 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Stormy, Kastro)
#14 - 7.5 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro)
#16 - 7.5 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Kastro)
#17 - 6.5 (Edi Amin, Young Noble, Stormy -- slower song)

EDI AMIN ---- Malcolm Greenridge -- b. 7/7/76 -- b. New York, NY; moved to NJ
KASTRO ---- Katari Cox -- b. 12/30/76 -- b. New York, NY moved to NJ
YOUNG NOBLE ---- Rufus L. Porter -- b 3/21/78 -- b. Altadena, CA moved to Montclair,NJ

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