For those of you that don't know, Mack 10 (real name Dedrick D'Mon Rolison) is a rapper from Inglewood, California, who is mostly known for his participation in the Westside Connection group, which was formed by more well known West Coast stars Ice Cube (of NWA and Friday fame) and Texas-born WC (known for being part of Low Profile and The Maad Circle). Mack 10, being the obvious lesser known emcee, actually first appeared in 1994 on the Bootlegs and B-Sides album, which was an Ice Cube stopgap that provided fans easy access to Ice Cube's remixes and non-properly released tracks. Obviously, being the new merry weed carrier for Ice Cube, Mack 10 needed his proper debut album.
And so it would be. In 1995, Priority Records, attempting to milk out as much as it could from the hip hop boom (especially from the west coast), released Mack 10's first album, which was of course titled Mack 10, or presumably Untitled, but I'll just refer to it by the former. It was Mack 10's forage into the unforgiving and cold world of 1990s mainstream hip hop, one which would determine his future state of relevancy within the community. What would happen is a moderately successful (it only went gold) and lukewarmly-received album that would get Mack 10 to become one of the more better known West Coast emcees of the 90s.
But, is the album really any good? Let's dig in.
1. MICKY D'S LICK (INTRO) - A pretty meaningless satirical intro where our protagonist Mack 10 attempts to order McDonald's, only for the ordeal to go awfully wrong, starring our guest star (you'll hear that a lot) Ice Cube. Pretty banal and meaningless, like all other rap album intros.
2. FOE LIFE (FEAT. ICE CUBE) - The first single released from Mack 10, and quite a splendid single at that one. Ice Cube comes up with a pretty funky yet quite original-sounding beat where our host brags about the hood life, his emceeing skills, and his struggles to breakthrough into the rapping game. While Mack 10 isn't the most menacing gangsta rapper around, his humor shines quite well, probably because the beat doesn't take itself too seriously. The song also takes a shot at the East Coast, mocking Boogie Down Productions' "Remix for P is Free", adding only more fumes to the flames by this time.
3. WANTED DEAD - Another Ice Cube production, and again it goes pretty well. The beat is very synthesizer and bass heavy, and sounds like probably one of the most generic West sounding beats you'll ever hear, but the soundscape that is created is actually pretty fitting; Mack 10 here raps about how he's wanted by the 5-0 for "a 187 in 3 states", which presumably doesn't sit too well with the feds. Mack 10's storytelling is spot on throughout the song, and makes for a pretty engaging listen. Presumably, our hero escapes, where he has a conversation with our guest star Ice Cube, which you can't help but laugh at.
4. ON THEM THANGS - This song, being the second single, actually brings up a lot of good memories; I used to listen to this when driving home during senior year around the last 2 months of school, probably because I was glad enough I was able to get out of that hellhole on quite a high note. The beat itself, produced by The 88X Unit, jacks Rick James' "The Mary Jane Girls", and creates a very funky sounding, yet very peaceful sounding beat perfect for smoking joints to. Mack 10's lyrics, again this time about gangbanging, the hood life, and coming up in the rap game, are actually quite mellow, which fits the instrumental quite well. The hook actually features the original Mary Jane girls, who actually also appeared in the music video, riding around with Mack 10 through Inglewood. Overall, a very compelling and nostalgic listen.
5. PIGEON COUP - A skit where Mack 10 attempts to feed some pigeons, and actually imitates them, before Cube comes out to stop the tomfoolery. Given the word "coup" I have no idea whether this was some cheap attempt at criticizing the US government or some pointless filler to meet a minute limit.
5. PIGEON COUP - A skit where Mack 10 attempts to feed some pigeons, and actually imitates them, before Cube comes out to stop the tomfoolery. Given the word "coup" I have no idea whether this was some cheap attempt at criticizing the US government or some pointless filler to meet a minute limit.
6. CHICKEN HAWK - Another gangster rap braggadocio in which Mack 10 brags about how violent he is, how great of a gangster he is, and how you should be intimidated by him. Throughout the song though, his flow isn't really angry as compared to many of his other contemporaries, but again, the self-satire actually shines here, given that the beat is quite slow-moving with guitar funk, and Ice Cube sings a hook that is just as silly as one of those classic Spongebob episodes. Also, there's a hostage phone call that never really takes itself too seriously. All in all, a pretty decent song, although not nearly as memorable as On Them Thangs or Foe Life.
7. HERE COMES THE G - Using a heavy sample of Patrice Rushen's "Remind Me", Crazy Toones creates a pretty peaceful and somewhat somber sounding beat; fittingly, Mack 10's lyrics are more laidback and soft, this time rapping about how he's going to represent and put down Inglewood, and how he's made it as far as he has. Overall, this song is the same category as "Chicken Hawk"; it's above average, but not truly memorable. Oh well, it could have been worse.
8. WESTSIDE SLAUGHTERHOUSE (FEAT. ICE CUBE & WC) - Behold, perhaps the best song of the entire album. Over a hard-hitting Madness 4 Real Beat, which just knocks the shit out of your ride, and brings the vibe of a cold abattoir (as this song is called Westside Slaughterhouse), our 3 guests absolutely tear the beat to shreds, all sounding angry as hell, ready to strike havoc against the East. Throughout the song, a number of shots are taken towards Chicago poet/emcee/actor/ Common, mocking "I Used To Love H.E.R", which to some was interpreted as a diss towards the West (as well as some other subtle shots towards other non-West emcees). This song is very important for a few reasons; it was the first song that would essentially be under the Westside Connection moniker, going on to release two successful albums, and it also helped start the Common-Ice Cube beef, a short lived feud which would end with "The Bitch in Yoo", before Minister Louis Farrakhan had to give a sit-down with the two in the wake of the 2Pac and Biggie murders; it also helped WC and Mack 10 gain even more widespread exposure. Regardless, this song still knocks today, and you should blast it.
9. NIGGAS DOG SCRAPPING - Yet another pointless skit involving an argument about dogs and money. That's all I'll say.
10. ARMED & DANGEROUS - Behold, the first true dud of the album. A self-production this time around, Mack 10 raps about how dangerous and amazing of a gangster he is. By 1995 this beat sounds quite dated; there are far too many samples going on anyway and overall sounds very convoluted and busy. Not only that, but Mack 10's voice sounds as if this song may have been recorded on some earlier mixtape and was just added onto the proceedings as filler. What I'm trying to say is that this song sucks the big one, and should be promptly ignored.
11. H-O-E-K (FEAT K-DEE) - Another Ice Cube production, which doesn't sound too bad; using more funk samples and an occasional synthesizer, it creates another decent soundscape of the Cali hoods. However, lyrically, the song falls apart; this is a sex rap, which was pretty much mandatory for West Coast albums at the time. K-Dee does his job well enough, rapping about how good he is at macking hoes. Mack 10, our hero, however, sounds pretty uncomfortable in this role; it sort of sounds as if he's trying to imitate Too Short, but it comes off as pretty corny. Overall, while not as bad as the previous song, this honestly isn't a good song; simply put, Mack 10's not a sex rapper. Next!
12. 10 MILLION WAYS - Ice Cube creates another instrumental using more funk samples, although unlike some of the previous beats, this sounds plain smooth, perfect for a good ride. Lyrically, Mack 10 raps more about hustling, gang-banging, or more specifically, trying to make a living the hard way, such as robbing gas stations. While not the most original song, Mack 10 sounds more at home here, and all in all, the final product is quite solid.
13. MOZI-WOZI - Yet another sex rap, which includes an intro of Ice Cube warning the listener to use condoms, and encourages sex rap. It's another Ice Cube production, which sounds awkward; it sort of sounds like a mid-90s Bay Area-style beat, but the emphasis on using a horn (which sounds slightly creepy), and a pretty shitty R&B-style hook (assuming this was an attempt to gain widespread airplay), bring this song down. Of course, it doesn't help that Mack 10 isn't a sex rapper, and without any support, the song completely fails.
14. Mack 10's The Name - The 88X Unit drop a very strong and aggressive sounding G-funk beat, sounding akin to something that would be on Dogg Food. Unfortunately, Mack 10 sucks over this beat; his lyrics are pretty monotonous, and his flow doesn't really fit well with the pace of the instrumental. You can tell he struggles to adjust his typical slow, crooked flow to a more faster pace. Overall, a pretty low note to end the day's proceedings.
SUMMARY: In all honesty, Mack 10 is actually a pretty solid mid-90s gangsta rap album. While there aren't any revolutionary game-changing songs to be found here, or anything that will somehow inspire you to write an A+ college essay, for what it's worth, it does it's job pretty well. The beats are typical 1995-sounding funky West Coast instrumentals, which are mostly on-point. Surprisingly, the quality control is strong with this one; there are only a few duds here and there, but there is only one truly awful song (one that was probably a last minute addition anyway), and the subject matter is on-point for most of the day. Lyrically, Mack 10 isn't going to win the Pulitzer prize anytime soon, but he is interesting enough to want to listen to, and keeps listeners engaged.
BUY OR BURN?: If you can find this album for cheap, I suggest that you buy this. There are enough tracks here to keep you entertained, and will go nicely in a West Coast collection.
BEST TRACKS: "On Them Thangs"; "Wanted Dead"; "Foe Life"
7. HERE COMES THE G - Using a heavy sample of Patrice Rushen's "Remind Me", Crazy Toones creates a pretty peaceful and somewhat somber sounding beat; fittingly, Mack 10's lyrics are more laidback and soft, this time rapping about how he's going to represent and put down Inglewood, and how he's made it as far as he has. Overall, this song is the same category as "Chicken Hawk"; it's above average, but not truly memorable. Oh well, it could have been worse.
8. WESTSIDE SLAUGHTERHOUSE (FEAT. ICE CUBE & WC) - Behold, perhaps the best song of the entire album. Over a hard-hitting Madness 4 Real Beat, which just knocks the shit out of your ride, and brings the vibe of a cold abattoir (as this song is called Westside Slaughterhouse), our 3 guests absolutely tear the beat to shreds, all sounding angry as hell, ready to strike havoc against the East. Throughout the song, a number of shots are taken towards Chicago poet/emcee/actor/ Common, mocking "I Used To Love H.E.R", which to some was interpreted as a diss towards the West (as well as some other subtle shots towards other non-West emcees). This song is very important for a few reasons; it was the first song that would essentially be under the Westside Connection moniker, going on to release two successful albums, and it also helped start the Common-Ice Cube beef, a short lived feud which would end with "The Bitch in Yoo", before Minister Louis Farrakhan had to give a sit-down with the two in the wake of the 2Pac and Biggie murders; it also helped WC and Mack 10 gain even more widespread exposure. Regardless, this song still knocks today, and you should blast it.
9. NIGGAS DOG SCRAPPING - Yet another pointless skit involving an argument about dogs and money. That's all I'll say.
10. ARMED & DANGEROUS - Behold, the first true dud of the album. A self-production this time around, Mack 10 raps about how dangerous and amazing of a gangster he is. By 1995 this beat sounds quite dated; there are far too many samples going on anyway and overall sounds very convoluted and busy. Not only that, but Mack 10's voice sounds as if this song may have been recorded on some earlier mixtape and was just added onto the proceedings as filler. What I'm trying to say is that this song sucks the big one, and should be promptly ignored.
11. H-O-E-K (FEAT K-DEE) - Another Ice Cube production, which doesn't sound too bad; using more funk samples and an occasional synthesizer, it creates another decent soundscape of the Cali hoods. However, lyrically, the song falls apart; this is a sex rap, which was pretty much mandatory for West Coast albums at the time. K-Dee does his job well enough, rapping about how good he is at macking hoes. Mack 10, our hero, however, sounds pretty uncomfortable in this role; it sort of sounds as if he's trying to imitate Too Short, but it comes off as pretty corny. Overall, while not as bad as the previous song, this honestly isn't a good song; simply put, Mack 10's not a sex rapper. Next!
12. 10 MILLION WAYS - Ice Cube creates another instrumental using more funk samples, although unlike some of the previous beats, this sounds plain smooth, perfect for a good ride. Lyrically, Mack 10 raps more about hustling, gang-banging, or more specifically, trying to make a living the hard way, such as robbing gas stations. While not the most original song, Mack 10 sounds more at home here, and all in all, the final product is quite solid.
13. MOZI-WOZI - Yet another sex rap, which includes an intro of Ice Cube warning the listener to use condoms, and encourages sex rap. It's another Ice Cube production, which sounds awkward; it sort of sounds like a mid-90s Bay Area-style beat, but the emphasis on using a horn (which sounds slightly creepy), and a pretty shitty R&B-style hook (assuming this was an attempt to gain widespread airplay), bring this song down. Of course, it doesn't help that Mack 10 isn't a sex rapper, and without any support, the song completely fails.
14. Mack 10's The Name - The 88X Unit drop a very strong and aggressive sounding G-funk beat, sounding akin to something that would be on Dogg Food. Unfortunately, Mack 10 sucks over this beat; his lyrics are pretty monotonous, and his flow doesn't really fit well with the pace of the instrumental. You can tell he struggles to adjust his typical slow, crooked flow to a more faster pace. Overall, a pretty low note to end the day's proceedings.
SUMMARY: In all honesty, Mack 10 is actually a pretty solid mid-90s gangsta rap album. While there aren't any revolutionary game-changing songs to be found here, or anything that will somehow inspire you to write an A+ college essay, for what it's worth, it does it's job pretty well. The beats are typical 1995-sounding funky West Coast instrumentals, which are mostly on-point. Surprisingly, the quality control is strong with this one; there are only a few duds here and there, but there is only one truly awful song (one that was probably a last minute addition anyway), and the subject matter is on-point for most of the day. Lyrically, Mack 10 isn't going to win the Pulitzer prize anytime soon, but he is interesting enough to want to listen to, and keeps listeners engaged.
BUY OR BURN?: If you can find this album for cheap, I suggest that you buy this. There are enough tracks here to keep you entertained, and will go nicely in a West Coast collection.
BEST TRACKS: "On Them Thangs"; "Wanted Dead"; "Foe Life"
