audio review : Dana Dane 4-Ever ( album ) … Dana Dane

audio review : Dana Dane 4-Ever ( album ) ... Dana Dane

No one promotes Dana Dane like Dana Dane. He’s constantly mentioning himself in the third person perspective as though he’s talking to you about the most popular rapper in the world. “I’ve got a following larger than The Beatles,” he claims at one point. There are, in fact, no less than four songs with his name in the title, which pushes his braggadocio pass the point of typical rap fare.

It’s all in Fun though and he is a good (enough) rapper if only for his charming and witting personality. Perhaps his best trait is the one that gave him Fame; his knack for storytelling. Remember Nightmares? Well, Anita The Beast is back along with a new cast of characters; mostly cute girls. The most poignant tale has him playing the role of a Lonely Man after his girlfriend dies in a car crash.

my rating : 4 of 5

1990

audio review : Play Witcha Mama ( album ) … Willie D

audio review : Play Witcha Mama ( album ) ... Willie D

“Homie Don’t Play That”, Willie D warned on his last Geto Boys album. The sentiment continues on this, his third solo, project. “You need to go in there and Play Witcha Mama,” Ice Cube says on the title song, which, thanks to the guest’s lazy contributions, sounds more like a demo. The album’s biggest blunder though is how the following Rap Rehab break, which comes too early in the set, and Doin The Nasty skit interrupt the flow of songs, most of which “sound real fat”.

Creepin, Throat, Whatcha Know About That and Smoke’m all serve as highlights. Perhaps it’s no coincidence they all feature Wize Up labelmate Sho, whose poignant raps complement Willie D’s more humorous approach. He’s not hollering like he used to, despite claiming he Ain’t Changin Shit, but he’s still funny as he caps on Dionne Warwick’s “big-nose ugly ass” or tells his girlfriend he wants to have her Mama’s pussy “dripping like a wet Jheri curl”.

my rating : 4 of 5

1994