Search - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo :: Live & Let Die

Dante's Inferno + NYC + Gangsta Tracks

Jabari Adisa | Chicago, IL United States | 06/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With this LP G Rap effectively put the nail in the coffin of so-called Gangsta Rap (yes, I'm aware that the genre continues to limp long blindly).I say he put the nail in the coffin by expanding the limitation of the genre, upping the ante and showing that no one - other than perhaps WC and The MAAD Circle - could deliver a complete, provocative and thoroughly entertaining work of art.G Rap loses points for run-of-the-mill misogynist rants, but scores points in virtually every other category.G Rap is a rhyme master. His story telling is top notch which is where his competitors fail. G Rap lends us a lens with which we can measure why some people make the choices they do. He never digs down into the self-aggrandizing / self-indictment of his students (Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, etc.). He simply shows you the situation - allows you to feel the appropriate emotions - and then shows you the outcome.Masterful!Now, having said that. This album probably won't be very comforting to you if you aren't a heterosexual Black male. But that's who he was delivering this to anyway. Try to open your mind and ears. You might actually like it.G Rap. Kick more verses for us, homie!"

G. Rap in his prime (it's like watching a gangster film)

Wayne Maye | Petersburg,VA | 04/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After dropping two gems on hip hop, Kool G. Rap & D.J. Polo returned in 92 with the AMAZING third album. G. Rap was still in his prime with Live And Let Die, an album SO gangster it's beautiful. Ever wonder why Kool G. Rap was always looked at as one of the greatest MCs of all time, this album shows why. Here's the review:Album Highlights: NO FILLER, this is ONE gangster film, every song from the intro to the final song is worth a listen.Production: Thumbs up.Lyrics and Subject Matter: Thumbs up, if you LOVE storytelling raps, this album is for you.Originality: Thumbs up.The Last Word: While truly better than Road To The Riches, but CHALLENGED by Wanted Dead Or Alive, this may or may be the BEST Kool G. Rap album EVER. He represented here with the gangster storytelling. He might not have made an impact in record sales, but he's still on of the greats, as he proves on this album. A STRONG RECOMMENDATION. Don't sleep on this album."

"You better be careful crossing the street..."

Phil Watts, Jr. | Petersburg, VA USA | 11/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every thug rapper to come out in the past 3 years has been trying to make an album like this. And they still can't come close.The Kool Genius of Rap gets Ice Cube's homie Sir Jinx to bring in a chunk of that West Coast Funk for a huge amount of this album.
Things start out with "On the Run", where G Rap tells a story about a drug dealer being given the job to deliver a huge case of money...and he makes a run for it. In "Crime Pays", G Rap tells people that it's easier to rake in dough by breaking the rules than it is to follow them. The "Train Robbery" sinks listeners in as he and his boys get chased by the Laws after robbin' the train. "#1 with a bullet" Sir jinx uses a Chi-Lites sample while G Rap and Big Daddy Kane go on a killin' spree. "Operation CB", my favorite joint, show G Rap trying to get some booty while tryin' to fend of knuckleheads trying to get in the way! I was on the floor laughing when I first heard this! "Ill Street Blues" is a joint that is considered a classic by many. This is the only good beat Trackmasters has ever made in their entire career. I have no idea what G Rap did to make the otherwise mediocre Trackmasters come up with a beat like this, but it needs to be done more often! "Edge of Sanity" is a chilling story of a man trying to find a way to support his wife and kid despite the fact that he can't get a job, so he robs a corner store, and faces jail time, all while finding out his wife is creppin with someone else. The album ends with "2 to the head", where G Rap, Mr. Scarface, Bushwick Bill, and Ice Cube go all out in a straight up bloodbath! Good wholesome entertainment.Everyone who is a fan of the current thug rap that's popular right now needs to find this CD. This is one of the albums that served as a blueprint to the madness to come..."