Jamal

Jamalis one of those rappers that never got a fair look. He had all the intangibles -- flow, solid production, a strong crew to back him up -- but he never managed to catch on for some strange reason. His debut alongside Mr. Malik as the kiddie duo Illegal was dope and you could tell then that, despite them being teenagers, Jamal had skills. well, Last Chance, No Breaks was a good display of his talents, but it wasn't a very coherent album. It was really hard to figure out what he was going for here because it seems like he was trying to carve out an identity for himself. The production is another story. Erick Sermon, Rockwilder, Redman, Easy Mo Bee and a handful of others contribute nothing but bangers. His lead single -- the classic "Fades 'Em All" -- is a pretty good indicator of what you can expect for the most part when it comes to the beats. Pete Rock did remix Fades 'Em All and it's heads and shoulders above the original, in my humble opinion. I'll be sure to upload that once I find the vinyl I have laying around here somewhere...

Last Chance, No Breaks [Rowdy/Arista 1995]

1. Live Illegal
2. Keep It Live
3. Situation
4. Insane Creation feat. Redman
5. Fades 'Em All
6. The Game
7. Da Come Up
8. Don't Trust No
9. Keep It Real
10. Genetic For Terror feat. Keith Murray, L.O.D., Erick Sermon, & Redman
11. Unfuckwittable feat. George Clinton & Passion