Tag: DJ Yella

Yomo And Maulkie or Bone Thugs-N-Harmony or Jon Connor and Dr Dre : Whose version of For The Love Of Money is the best?

Yomo And Maulkie Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Jon Connor and Dr Dre

The first version of the song was released in 1991 on Are U Xperienced; the sole album of Yomo And Maulkie. The rap duo were protégés of Eazy-E, who brought the concept back three years later for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Their version, stylized as Foe Tha Love Of $, can be heard on their Creepin On Ah Come Up EP. The song wouldn’t be revisited, at least among NWA associates, until Dr Dre’s 2015 Compton album. This one is led by Jon Connor.

I like all three, but the original is the best. Yomo And Maulkie’s raps are rudimentary; a sign of the times; but the music (loop) is melodic and Jewell adds some powerful ad-libs near the end. The Bone one is the worst. The music is basically the same and their raps are better, but I don’t like their hook and Jewell’s parts are limited. The John Connor and Dr Dre version, which takes the most liberties musically, ranks somewhere between the other two.

my vote : Yomo And Maulkie

video review : Straight Outta Compton

video review : Straight Outta Compton

I would’ve preferred a documentary, but here it is; the story of NWA in Hollywood movie form. I was never a fan of the group, but two of its members, Dr Dre and Ice Cube, went on to become megastars in their own right. The same might’ve been said for leader Eazy-E if this story didn’t end the way it did. His dying of HIV, hardly a spoiler, is only one of many highlights the bouncy script touches upon. It’s a straight rundown of the group’s career, from low class teenagers in crime-ridden Compton to famous rap stars, with more focus on the behind-the-scenes drama than the music.

Straight Outta Compton, crudely named after the title of their debut album, isn’t anything special on the whole. Its individual parts; director F Gary Gray has a knack for glamorizing life thru movie scenes; are what keep things interesting. The prologue sequence of Eazy-E getting caught in a dope house raid and a funny bit involving a groupie named Felicia are prime examples. The actors tend to overact; you get the sense that the characters know they’re in a movie; but such flaws are basically forgiven to watch the story, which hints at a sequel focused on Dr Dre’s solo career, unfold.

my rating : 4 of 5

2015