Customer Reviews

Ryde Or Die Compilation 1

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Just about everyone has covered the main points of this album. This is the first installment of Ruff Ryder's compilation, possibly one of the biggest commercial comp albums released in 1999. I remember back when I was 13 years old, I was DYING to get a copy of this album, because everyone had it. In my young mind, I thought it was a classic, but as time grew on me it's just became an above average album.

Popular members like DMX, Eve, Drag-On, and The Lox get a chance to shine on this album giving you of what fans can expect on this album before they released their debuts from the label, later on that year (DMX already had 2 albums already, Lox had one from Bad Boy). They would also bring in some outside help to colaborate in some songs also.

The artists on this album do a decent job carring themselves. Lyrically, this album is not all that good. Most of the songs talk about violence and weapons, a topic that was very popular in rap back in the late 90's. Members like DMX with his loud voice, would come off hard on such tracks as "Ryde Or Die" and "Some X Sh.." Eve had he gangsta feel on the second single "What Y'all Want" that had me wishing that she would drop an album in that time period. The Lox had some weak spots on this album. The song "Dope Money" is very medicore for what I was expecting, along with the weak production. Jadakiss did a solo on the song "Kiss Of Death" that makes him sound like he does on his two solo albums.

As for the guests, some are good and some are awful. Some of the good ones were Jay-Z (how he got a track by himself, questions me) "Jigga My N****" that was very popular radio wise. Juvenile came on with Drag-On to do the song "Down Bottom" making it one of the best tracks on the album. Another hot colab is the song "Pina Colada" that Sheek (from the Lox) would team up with the late Big Punisher, that comes off good lyrically. The weak ones that should be pointed out is the horrible song "Platnum Plus" that lesser known Ruff Ryder member Cross teams up with Jermaine Dupri and Mase. The weak hook just makes the song terrible as JD says "Ruff Ryders, be on tours for this/All Out, make ya dance 'til ya fall out/So So Def make it hot to death/You ain't platinum plus? You ain't f'in wit' us", not to mention the weak production of the song. "The Hood" comes off pretty decent wise, but it is nothing special. Ruff Ryder's R&B group Parle sings on the song "I'm A Ruff Ryder" which sounds out of place on the CD, because, most of the album is somewhat gangsta type, and to put a R&B song in kind of messes up the albums momentum.

Overall, a decent first compilation album from the Ruff Ryders. It has some strong points and it has some weak points. Back in '99, I enjoyed it, but now it just sounds okay. 7 years later, if you don't have this, I recommend it to fans who like commercial rap music back in late 90's early 2000's, or to people who love Double R. Otherwise you are not missing anything.

Lyrics: B-
Production: C
Guest Appearances: B-
Overall: C+

Favorite Tracks: Down Bottom, Ryde Or Die, What Yall Want, Jigga My N****, Pina Colada, Some X Sh..

When i first heard Vol. 1 I was stunned at how good the album was. I went right out and bought it. Down Bottom is tha best track. Ruff Ryders- keep turnin out the dope tracks -Peace

the c.d is off it. DMX,EVE,JAY-Z,and the RUFF RYDERS did their thing in putting this album out everyone who don't like it need to quit haten foreal cause it's the 99 and yall need to trully give them their props.

They know what they and there listeners want, and they get it. That's how it should be. Personaly I love DMX and THE LOX and DRAG-ON and EVE and the rest of them. You got the hot music and I hope that ya'll will continue pleasing me and everyone else.

Standout tracks: RYDE OR DIE, DOWN BOTTOM(weird collabo that worked), WHAT YA WANT(when Eve was dope), JIGGA MY N---A, DOPE MONEY, BUGOUT, KISS OF DEATH, THE HOOD, DO THAT S--T and SOME X S--T. Filler: Platinum plus(Lame commercial track), Im a Ruff Ryder(Parle cant sing!)and Pina colada is only filler because of the lackluster verses delivered by sheek. Bottom Line: This was the best compilation that came out of the Ruff Ryder camp. This is when they were hungry and were waiting to show the world that they had heat. If you have this compilation just stick with that because it all goes down hill from here like the Violator compilation.

This is definately the best RR CD they have made. This CD can take us all back to a time where we were chillin, or driving in our car, bumpin this...in the summer, pumpin gas, trying to flex. I love this...even Juvi ripped it.

...Just like always, I'm just being real with you all: thisalbum is and will always be garbage. None of the songs on here aregood, and neither are any of the Bluff Ryder artists. The Lox is weak, DMX doesn't make any sense, Eve thinks she's all that when all of you GUYS know she ain't, Drag-On just BRAGS-ON, and everyone else I forgot to mention from that wack crew, GOOD. Man, just take my advice, skip this at the record store...it ain't worth sitting there and getting pissed off about. Once again, I'm just being real with you guys.

summing it up? the album starts out vibez and ends vibez... around the middle it gets kinda shady and that's what needed work... jayhovah, X, drag on, eve the lox... everyone represented but after track 6 or 7 it just fizzles out till the end of the album... and of course swizz had the tracks hype@

"Ryde or Die" Vol. 1, is dope as hell, but the producer could have done a better job of providing some of the premiere rappers with better beats and musical background. One example is track number 16, with Big Pun, come on fella's wuz up. But even though all the tracks weren't tight as I expected, it was still off the chain, and I'm waiting on vol.2, and 3, etc.. By the way I'd like to give a shout out to all the playa's and business men who put this record together, especially my inspiration at important times DMX, peace and love Ruff Ryders. Ya'll number one fan, keepin' it real. L.D.B. aka "K-Breeze"

Before this album came out, when someone said "Ruff Ryders", you thought of DMX and The LOX. Eve, Drag-On, and even Swizz Beatz didn't become well known until this CD was made. Swizz Beatz did have a reputation for droppin' hot tracks: Jay-Z's "Money, Cash, Hoes", Noreaga's "Banned From TV", DMX's "Ruff Ryder's Anthem" and Busta Rhymes' "Tear Da Roof Off" come to mine. What everybody wondered, though, was could Swizz Beatz hold down a whole album. Swizz Beatz produces the majority of this CD, which brings excellent results, for the most part. The stand out tracks are the DJ Clue produced, "Ryde Or Die". This is the only track where all the well known Ruff Ryders' get together and believe me, The LOX, DMX, Eve and Drag-On do a fine job. Other highlights include the two summer of '99 national anthems: Jay-Z's "Jigga My Nigga" and Eve's "What Ya Want", The LOX's "Dope Money", Eve's "Do That S..." and the Jadakiss solo effort "Kiss Of Death". The best song, however, to me was the most surprising track on the CD, when I first bought it, is the Drag-On, Juvenile duet called "Down Bottom". Swizz makes a haunting down south beat, with Drag-On rapping with a fast pace, matching him with Cash Money's finest, Juvenile. This caught me by surprise when I first looked at the CD cover, but the song is tight by far. The only songs that could have been left off the album are the party jam, "Platinum Plus" where Mase, Jermaine Dupri, and Cross make you want to leave the club after hearing this song. Also, Parle's "I'm A Ruff Ryder" had to go. After one listen, it automatically got the fast forward button from then on. Other than those two songs, this is a fine compilation CD by The Ruff Ryder camp.