Conspiracy

Junior M.a.f.i.a.

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 29, 1995)
• Original Release Date: August 29, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Big Beat / Wea
• ASIN: B000002JV1
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,879 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conspiracy, November 4, 2002

By	SID "Punk" (BOSTON) - See all my reviews

The Notorious B.I.G. may not be the Godfather, but he's still the reigning Big Poppa. And for all intents and purposes, he's the don of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. They are his protégés and his posse. His appearance on Conspiracy, their debut, pulls the album closer to the apex of this year's hip-hop. From the first sample of his voice in "White Chalk," there is no question that he is the guiding force behind this record.
Conspiracy seems a bit disjointed because it follows the loose narrative of a friend who's been shot, with little segues between the songs laying out the story. Strangely, the songs that the segues lead into don't have much to do with the story, and the narrative seems like an afterthought.

This is not necessarily a bad feature, it just makes the album play more like a compilation of songs by members of the crew rather than a group effort. NWA 's masterpiece, Straight Outta Compton , played in much the same way.

"Player's Anthem" is a standout, with the Notorious B.I.G. laying down rhymes in his inimitable style over a jazzy vibe and bass combo. Other rappers in the M.A.F.I.A. take their turns in this song, but are overshadowed by Biggie and Little Kim. She shines here and on other tracks like "Get Money" and "Back Stabbers." Too few female M.C.s can hold their own, but luckily for us, Little Kim is a facet of the best songs here.

While "White Chalk" features able rapping by Trife and Larceny of the Snakes, it falls into the easy trap of being just another gangsta tale. The track builds itself around the sound of a beating heart, moving slowly as a sluggish bassline surrounds the tale of another death on the streets in the hood.

"Realms of Junior M.A.F.I.A," on the other hand, has a raw rhythm track that recalls the organized chaos of Nation of Millions era Public Enemy. Four members of the M.A.F.I.A. pass the mic just like an old freestyle jam, creating the best track on the album.

If the loose feeling of this track was recreated elsewhere on the album, it would make Conspiracy a stronger, more cohesive project. Yet, while Conspiracy eventually runs out of gas before it runs out of tracks, there enough here to keep us interested until the Notorious B.I.G. drops his next album, tentatively titled Life After Death.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 stars because Biggie and Kim are on it, but that's it!!, February 7, 2003

By	E.J. Rupert (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

When Biggie's Ready to Die dropped, he kept yelling out, "Junior M.A.F.I.A." and people kept wondering who in the world they are. The answer to our questions came when "Players Anthem" and "I Need You Tonight" (featuring Aaliyah) came out, and most of us ran to the store to cop the album. Anything having to do with Biggie has to be good, right?

Wrong, this album was such a disappointment. I gave it one extra star because Biggie drops such amazing verses that I would have been a fool not to buy the album. The best song is not "Get Money" but "Oh My Lord" (produced by Special Ed) where he drops extra-nice rhymes. Also, Lil' Kim has such a dope flow that no one cared if Biggie wrote her rhymes. But with the exception of Lil' Cease, the other members were wack. Songs like "Lyrical Wizardry" and even "White Chalk" (with that dope "flatline" beat) suffer from too many Biggie-inspired lyrics and rappers who just aren't dope enough. Even the intro and outro seem like a ripoff from Ready to Die. Not to mention there are absolutely no "beats" on the whole album. Buy this album only to hear Biggie and Kim rock the mic.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Debut allbum fron the group, November 15, 2002

By A Customer

This album has alot of great track and especially get moeny and the aaliyah track which is so catchy. I now understand why they were so good, Biggie taught them a lot about the music biz. Kim is a gret artist too and you can see from this album