Search - Red Hot Lover Tone :: #1 Player

The Only Rap Record I Play Over and Over

G. Vehar | Aurora, CO United States | 07/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first got into Tone through the House Party 3 soundtrack. His track, "The Illest," was the rudest, raunchiest, and most clever rap on that album. Tone is now a successful producer, but he needs to put out another record like this one.
#1 Player is full of clever rhymes that often incorporate the names of other rap stars and celebrities. "Now it's Common Sense that I'm Notorious with ladies / BIG or Small, I put it in your Bush, Babees" is but one example.
The songs all have phat drum tracks and simple bass lines, often overlaid with jazzy horns or keyboards. There are also guests aplenty, with Notorious BIG, MOP, Big Daddy Kane, Greg Nice, Don Barron, and Organized Confusion on various tracks. One of the highlights is "4 My Peeps," possibly the best posse song of all time, second only to EPMD's "Headbanger."
The only criticism I have is that "BMW" and "In Tha Game" have deplorable rhymes against women. "#1 Player" itself works fine as a Mack song without slamming the ladies, and "Take Your Time" has clever rhymes about a certain girl that are almost praising.
There's a non-LP track floating around the Net with Punchline and Wordsworth known as "The Beat" that is just as enjoyable, and Tone, if you read this, you should release it officially (along with the various remixes on your singles).
In the end, I pull this one off the shelf fairly often, whereas all my other rap CDs often go for a year without me giving them a listen. Any fan of mid-90s hip hop will love this album."