Some of the more enjoyable albums in the old school Chicano Rap scene were the Southside Rider(s) series. Ironically not all of them featured an exclusive Chicano roster. Each installment is laced with the iconic sound that ruled much of the 90's Chicano Rap genre, that heavy bass and slowed down funk tempos with a funky loop.
The track list starts off strong with Knightowl and Lil One on "Hollow Point," arguably one of their dopest collabos and better verses. I wasn't too big on the follow up track, but Brown Pride's delivery and flow would have worked out better on another instrumental. The third track is that hypnotic LSD song "Ice Again In The Holding Tank." The song will rattle your speakers and make you feel that bass pounding in your chest.
The next track "Kill 4 Thrills" by Spanish Fly is among my all time favorite Zapp and Roger samples, and their collabos with Lil Chill were classic jams. They were doing that "Black and Brown" thing on wax before it became "the thing" among social justice warriors on the net.
Fast forwards to the middle of the album and it's still strong, the 5th and 6th track are by black artists. "Somethin About Tha Musik" by 1st Amendment is dope, hands down my favorite track off the entire CD, incredible sampling. The next song "Shell Shocked" is dope, I liked this song so much I peeped the group's album from where this was pulled from, unfortunately this was the only song worth listening to. If you listen closely, it is one of the few 90's rap songs that mentions the gang feuds with Mexican hoods, a prelude to interracial conflicts.
The last 4 songs, I felt, did not belong. The samples changed from funk to oldies. Different tone, maybe if it was a tape it would make sense. But the vibe switched from heavy bass to upbeat oldies. The rhyming by Ese Rich Roc and Brown Pride, respectively, is dope. There was pizzazz and finness in their delivery and flow, just was not complimented by the samples chosen.
Overall, it is really solid, more so in the first half. I can picture Murry Brumfield in his office putting the tracklist together. He may have been a shady business man, but he knew how to sell to the barrio.
01. Hollow Point - Hollow Point
02. Brown Pride - I Don't Wanna Be The 1
03. L.S.D - Ice Again In The Holding Tank
04. Spanish Fly - Kill 4 Thrills (feat. Lil Chill)
05. 1st Amendment - Somethin About Tha Musik
06. The Crimies - Shell Shocked
07. Knightowl - Brown 2 Tha Bone
08. Ese Rich Roc - My O.G Lowrider
09. Brown Pride - On A Friday Night (feat. Bamilian)
10. Ese Rich Roc - Soy 18 With A Bullet
