Customer Reviews

The Realness

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After years of turmoil, Cormega's album finally officially drops, and it does not disappoint in any aspect.
Almost every track is perfect. The production is smooth throughout. Mega's flow is always on-point, and his lyrics are as well, staying true to the streets and real life instead of going for the mainstream crowd with the typical "ice, women, money" raps.
The true gems on the album are "American Beauty," a 2 minute track on which he spits a vivid metaphorical rhyme about hip-hop, "The Saga," on which he describes street life masterfully over a great beat, and "They Forced My Hand," where Tragedy and Mega trade true to life rhymes over another smooth beat.
Other album highlights include "Thun & Kicko (featuring Prodigy)," "Unforgiven," and "Fallen Soldiers."
There's not a single mediocre track on the album. From beginning to end (including the hot bonus track), "The Realness" lives up to its title.
Quite simply put, Cormega has dropped the realest East coast album since "Illmatic."

If you've never heard of Cormega, he is the second most poetic, respected & creative Mc's ever to come out of Queens, behind Nas. Similarly he is undoubteduly in the top 10 NY artists of all time. Yes, I know that is a bold statement but for me & alot of other true fans, its the truth. Cormega is very down to earth, and his style is one of the most distinctive in hiphop. The Realness is the best example of how Great of an MC cormega is, for all those who don't know, and it needs to be checked out if you consider yourself to be an NY hiphop fan. Even though its 2001, the realness is reminiscent of the sound that was so prominent in the best time for hiphop (The Early - Mid 90's). Most of the production on the realness is handled by Queen's legend;Havoc,J-Love,Ayatollah,Alchemist & others who all bring nothing less than impeccable for Cormega to lay down his inspiring material. The highlights of the album are definitely the tracks "American Beauty", were Cormega makes subtle comparisons of hiphop with a human being, talking about its journey throughout the years and how its progressed. Likewise "They Forced My hand" featurng tragedy khadafi is nothing short off a QB classic, with a beat that should send shivers down your spine. Cormega even performs his brief trademark poems, with no beat, on the track "5 for 40" showing passion & creativity that only an understanding hiphop fan can appreciate. By all means necessary get this album if you claim to be a fan of that "real" hiphop, as Cormega is the epitome of "real". CLASSIC. Peace!

Lyrics - 10/10
Beats - 10/10
Originality - 9/10
Replay Value - 10/10

Also check out: "True meaning" & "the testament" by corey, because they also need to be heard.

If you found this helpful, check my other reviews

With "commercialized rap" in full force, Cormega brings rap back to the art form it is. In his long awaited album, Cormega definitely proved to be the best in hip-hop. I know to consider Cormega the best is a argumentive statement, but there is nobody who can touch him lyrically. A handful of rappers come extremely close, such as Prodigy, Ghostface, Tragedy, Nas, Capone, but Cormega gets the title. I've listened to Cormega for a while now, heard numerous freestyles, and downloaded every song I could find. This album is a definate 5-mic album and Cormega has paved the way for non commercialized rap. With songs like "Dramatic Entrance" and "The Saga", who can deny his greatness. His melodies and beats are amazing, but most importantly, his lyrics and the message he is portraying in this album can not be matched. LIstening to his song "R U My Nigga" made me stop and think about my fam. I hope more rappers will realize the damage they are doing to the music and go back to the essence of hip-hop. If you are a tru fan of Cormega such as myself, cop two of his albums, I'm sure Mega Montana could use the extra cake. One Love.

After "The Testament" was shelved by Def Jam, Cormega released "The Realness" in 2001 as his official debut and it was an immediate classic. While it might not be a classic on the level of "Ready To Die", "Illmatic" or "Reasonable Doubt", in 2001, this is still a classic album. He has the ability to tell vivid stories of the street as well as other songs which contain amazing lyrical content. His rhymes are amazing and the way he can lay out such articulate lyrics is something to admire. If one thing is evident through this album, it's that Cormega actually has a love for what he's doing and every rhyme is letting you know how much he loves hip hop. Not many people can match Mega's deep lyricism.

1. Dramatic Entrance - A great introduction for Cormega. A song with a good beat that just allows Mega to introduce his skills as a lyricist. He just introduces himself to the game. "I'm gifted, my only fear is death or prison. What other lyricist conveys such sincereness?" 10/10

2. American Beauty - An amazing song in which Mega describes his love for hip hop as if it were a woman. He explains "her" journey until where rap is today. He details everyone who has passed "her" path and whether or not they "treated her well." "My pens begging me to write rhymes. Stories of felonies despite time. I embrace the urge, on the tip of my tongue I taste the words, a story is born." 10/10

3. Thun and Kicko - Features Prodigy of Mobb Deep. A nice song produced by Havoc with a pretty good menacing beat and some great lyrics from Mega and Prodigy who are pretty much dissing Nas and Jay-Z, respectfully. "It's clever when you write it. Spoken well for a dude who never been indicted." 8/10

4. The Saga - An extremely powerful and deep track about how life really is. A gripping tale of how tough life is and Mega displays his impressive narrative skills on this track. Every rhyme is great and the lyrics are terrific. "My sleep is interrupted by food on the stove. Not gun shots, we're immune to those." 10/10

5. R U My ***** - A good song with Cormega detailing his paranoia about his friends and whether or not they're real. It seems to be indirectly aimed at Nas but his rhymes simply are about whether or not people are really friends. "Ask yourself, am I your man? Would I die for you or by your hand?" 9/10

6. Unforgiven - The beat is kind of weird with some noises in the background that sound like they're from a Western movie but the lyrics are excellent. Mega rips up this short track with excellent rhymes. "I'm contemplatin'. My soul is in a custody fight with God and Satan." 8/10

7. Fallen Soldiers - One of the best songs on this album. Cormega lays out some very deep rhymes about missing his friends who have died. Mega really displays his emotions well on here with some great lyrics and a very nice, sad beat also. "Never think I forgot you, you my heart and even death can't keep the two of us apart." 10/10

8. Glory Days - A very nice, laid-back song in which Mega rhymes about how life was. Cormega rhymes over this real nice, slow beat and vividly describes his life before rap. "Yo, the mind of an analyst is mine so handle it. The way I write rhymes, considered a gift." 10/10

9. Rap's A Hustle - This is probably my least favorite track but it's still good. The content with Mega like a pimp is kind of weak compared to the lyrics of the rest of the songs but he still lays out some nice rhymes. The beat is alright but gets a little old. "My rhyme's a felony, yours never seen a trial date. You need a legal aid, my pen got the DA's paid." 7/10

10. Get Out My Way - One of the best songs. The beat is outstanding and really gets you going. The horns are great in the background and Mega completely tears the song up with his unmatchable lyrics. "That Jay-Z and Nas beef doesn't involve me, I'm sorry. Legal Hustle, Infamous affiliated. Last rapper to test me, I humiliated." 10/10

11. You Don't Want It - Really nice piano on the track and the beat is nice. Mega's lyrics are also good as usual and he talking about how real he is and how nobody should want to test him because he's the best. "You ain't real, ill, or prepared to kill. Man you better chill, you could get it for real." 9/10

12. 5 For 40 - A short 47 second freestyle that's acapella and pretty tight. "I'm condemned yet exulted for words spoken cautious. Seen some of the biggest drug dealers blow fortunes."

13. They Forced My Hand - Features Tragedy Khadafi. This is another amazing song. The beat is outstanding and really gets the song going. Mega's lyrics are great as usual as are Tragedy's and they are sort of explaining to God that what they've done, they had to do. "Yo, Trag, we been down for years. From rapping in the hood to promising careers." 10/10

14. Fallen Soldiers (Remix) - Pretty much just as good as the original. I like the beat on the original better (this one sounds like they're rolling dice in the background) but the lyrics are just as good (but different). "I need you to point me in the right direction. I'm still learnin life's lessons, your my inner essence." 9/10

Overall - A great album and a must-have.

I'm a french hip hop fan and I'm sure of one thing: The Realness is the best Rap album ever made (I have 150 U.S rap album). I was waiting since 5 years cause I kwnow Cormega is the illest. I love too much his voice, his flow, his rhymes,. Plus the production is tight. Now I just want more stuff from this wonderful artist. I dream about a collaboration with Primo and Kool G Rap (the mastas).
Please stop buying Puff Daddy sh*t, just buy Cormega the new rap music legend cause the realness is what hip hop IS.
Do you know Akhenaton ? This is the best french raper.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend I know everything about Cormega. All I know about him is: 1. He recieved a large shoutout from Nas on the legendary "One Love". 2. He was one of the members of the supergroup The Firm, but was kicked out and replaced by Nas's brother Nature, due to the fact that he was incarcerated. 3. He has since had serious beef with Nas.

I first heard Cormega on The Firm's first joint effort "Affirmative Action" from Nas's ill-received sophomore album "It Was Written". I was quick to dismiss him as another dull QB rapper. Later, I heard him being called out on the controversial "Destroy And Rebuild", where Prodigy and Nature were called out by Nas as well. All of this gave me rather sour feelings towards Cormega.

These days, when the phrase "another dull QB rapper" is mentioned, the Bravehearts or Littles come to mind. But unlike either of these people, Cormega cannot come to mind when this phrase is spoken. "The Realness" was highly recommended to me, as was "The True Meaning". It was hailed as "a modern-day Illmatic", so I couldn't resist buying it.

With "The Realness", Cormega has taught me to never let initial prejudice keep you from what contains promise. This is one of the greatest hip-hop albums I have ever had the pleasure to hear. From beginning to end, there are absolutely no skippable moments.

Cormega's lyrics can be summed up in his own words from "R U My Ni**a": deep and unique. Every verse is well conceived and his lyrics are completely heartfelt. Whereas many put out albums full of thug ramblings, bling bling, and other commercial braggadocio, Cormega strays from this formulaic approach and spills his soul to the listener.

Although the sound quality on this release is perfect, the production on this album is slightly simplistic, yet it always fits the mood of the track. With the exceptions of the more theoretically ambitious pieces (American Beauty), the songs on here are mainly introspective and soft. The Alchemist, Havoc, Big Ty, Sh Self, J-love, Cormega and others supply the beats.

While every track is excellent, there are several that are most noteworthy. The ominous Thun & Kicko has a strange skipping beat from Havoc that is perfect for battling. Prodigy joins Mega here as both take on their enemies. P indirectly spews venom at Jay-Z and Cormega does the same for Nas. Nas is dissed indirectly many times on this LP, and it may become tedious. Mega is absolutely relentless with his hatred for him. This is best utilized on "U Don't Want It". A saddening piano loop, a bassline and a hard drum loop dominates the production perfectly, as Cormega spits truthful and intelligent lines regarding Nas's career (which has been largely inconsistent and questionable). There are no pointless personal attacks here. The self-produced "American Beauty" has Mega giving respect to hip-hop over time. The concept of having hip-hop as the woman has already been done in Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R.", but Cormega is able to use it very well in the two minutes that the track runs. It is interesting to note that Jadakiss's Premier production on "Show Discipline" (ironically featuring Nas) is identical to the bass-driven beat on here, and is decidedly better. Both "Fallen Soldier" tracks are heartfelt and reflective pieces. The original Fallen Soldiers is a eulogy of Killa Black, and the remix speaks more of the people he knew who died. Both are extremely good, the latter having a more interesting beat by the Alchemist. "The Saga" has Mega defining "introspective" with street poetry over epic production. Other excellent tracks include "They forced my Hand" and "Unforgiven".

"The Realness" is a hip-hop classic that is essential to your collection. Enough said.

If you like this album, I'd also recommend Nas's "Illmatic".

Overall rating: 5 stars

Incarcerated in the early 1990's for a nothing crime so police could keep him off the streets and then booted from The Firm over complications between Def Jam, Steve Stoute, himself & Nas, Cormega was forced to set out on his solo album pretty much unsupported, he did so and produced what was anticipated as a great album, but it never saw the legal light of day when Def Jam refused to release it. It seemed 'mega was destined to fail, but he kept going hard, finally leaving Def Jam for Legal Hustle and getting a solo album released. The Realness turns out to be more than worth the wait and the long-time most anticipated finally gets to back up the hype. He does so with every chance he gets on this album and thats every track. Most tracks are grimly tales of Cormega's life and experiences and are delivered with excellent lyrics and flow every time, from the pumping beat on "Get Out My Way" to the true gritty QB piano bassline on "Unforgiven". On "Fallen Soldiers" and the remix he gives shouts to his mother and fallen homies like Killa Black (Havoc of Mobb Deep's brother) as well as mentioning 2Pac, Eazy-E and BIG. Prodigy adds his vocals to "Thun & Kicko" a no-name diss seemingly aimed at Jay-Z & Nas over a typical Havoc beat and Havoc also joins Prodigy and Cormega on the bonus track "Killaz Theme". Another QB legend Tragedy Khadafi guests on "They Forced My Hand". Throughtout Cormega's style will infinately grow on you and will do so more with every listen. The standout track is "American Beauty" where 'mega spits about the state of hiphop today, how it evoled from it's creation and that some of the creators are destroying it (Nas??).
Overall, if you want another mainstream ice and cash album then this isn't it, but if you're looking for some real hiphop QB-style and the best album of 2001 to date then you have found it.

How the Source could not give this a 5 puzzles me, maybe that is why I don't read that magazine anymore, whatever it is there is not denying Cormega on this effort, he does it the best in this gangster rap biz, he is the underground king of the Bridge. The album has a few tracks that stand out the most to me, Fallen Soldiers, Fallen Soldiers RMX, Get Outta My Way, You Don't Want It, American Beauty, Ru My Ni**a, The Saga and so on, this album is so on point it is ridiculous, it is one of the best in recent years, the beats are so on point it's sickening, and Cormega has the flow to match all these cats you hear on the radio, except he spits the Realness, no fake gimmicks on this album, just straight facts about life in the Bridge, that is what seperates him from these material artists of today, especially the one he gets at the most in Nas, he takes shots at him throughout the album. If you want an album that will not dissapoint you from beginning to end, then this is it, not just an album you buy for a few singles you heard on the radio, this is more than that, it is a complete album without any filler, all hard tracks coming from the heart, the love of the rap game, The Realness. I think you know where I am headed with this, go pick this up if you haven't already, support an artist who works hard and loves the game, no gimmicks just the raw, get this now. You can add this to the classics from the Bridge (Illmatic, Infamous, War Report etc.), don't sleep.........

Cormega is one of the best Mc's today. This album is the street..it makes Jadakiss album sound more boring LoL

The Realness was easily the best album of 2001. The production is flawless for an independent release and the lyrics are perfect. Cormega tells a story better than anyone. With the clowns people consider rappers these days, Cormega is for real. Tracks that stand out are Thun & Kicko feat. Prodigy and Rap's a Hustle.