Search - Tragedy Khadafi :: Against All Odds

Quintissentially Queensbridge

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 04/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Intelligent Hoodlum, a former member of Marley Marl's Juice Crew, released two excellent albums in the early 90s, spent eight years in and out of the streets and incarceration, and reemerged in 2001 as Tragedy Khadafi with "Against All Odds." The transformation experienced during this time is fairly drastic, but Khadafi remains the incredible lyricist he was at a young age. Tragedy Khadafi is the blueprint of a Queensbridge lyricist. His dramatic, literate tales of street crime, depression, and loss over somber beats create a sound that is quintessentially Queensbridge, and really not too far removed from the familiar sounds of Cormega, Capone-N-Noreaga, Mobb Deep, and Nas. "Against All Odds" is a good album, but at times it can be frustrating. At his best Khadafi is as effective as any of the aforementioned, capable of evoking great emotion and telling grim and enticing stories. Sometimes though, he is weighed down by conventional rap clichés, and the boring hooks and subject matter make it sound like a good lyricist on cruise control. One might accuse him of being a little one-dimensional. There is an incredibly impressive list of producers, but at times, the production doesn't help his case either. Producers include legends Prince Paul, Just Blaze, Sha Money XL, and Spunk Bigga. For every great, east coast hardcore beat on the album there's a completely uncreative and boring one. Guests appear on eleven of the fifteen songs, and they do a good job. The good songs do outweigh the skip material on "Against All Odds" though, and it really does show the amazing rapper and character that Tragedy Khadafi is. This is an album I recommend to fans of Queensbridge hip hop.



After the intro, the album begins with the title track, which is excellent, one of the best on the album. Over an awesome, fast, and angry beat, Tragedy spits three of his finest verses, explaining "the saga of his life." The collaboration "Crime Nationalists" with Headrush Napoleon and Tasha Holiday follows, a nice cut. "Lift Ya Glass" is boring musically but has pretty good verses from Khadafi and Imam T.H.U.G. Ja Rule makes a high profile appearance on the interesting prison commentary "Bing Monsters," which also features Headrush Napoleon. "Live By the Gun" is a nice song, fairly similar to a lot of the album, and it is followed by my favorite song, "They Force My Hand," a Queensbridge classic featuring fellow QB underground legend Cormega. Over some beautiful production, the duo delivers some truly heartfelt verses about growing up hard between a great chorus. The slow and thoughtful "Permanently Scarred (I Don't Wanna Wait)" uses a similar concept, telling sad stories while provoking deep thought, and an unlikely hook from the "Dawson's Creek" theme for another very effective song. "Sidewalk Confessions" has understated, tough production with great lyricism from Tragedy, Headrush Napoleon, and Killah Sha. "Say Goodbye" is a fair song, skippable for me, an angry shout to dishonest women. "Blood Type" is an angry diss track aimed at another QB rapper, a decent listen. "What Makes You Think" is boring, clichéd, and forgettable. The Milz collabo "Never Bite the Hand" is a highlight, and "T.M. (Message to Killa Black)" is a strong track musically and lyrically. The album ends with two of its very best songs. "2-5 Radio" is an upbeat party track, the only one of its kind on this disc, with a great beat and chorus. "In Memory Of" if a heartfelt song to his lost friends and family, the best verse being about his mother.



"Against All Odds" is a very appealing yet inconsistent album. Big fans of Queensbridge hip hop should surely add this to the collection, while more casual fans might find it a little redundant. In any event, it's a very entertaining and emotional album that listeners are sure to like. I don't like this as much as his next album, Still Reportin', but I still recommend it."

True reality rap

Don Black | UK | 06/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this album is what true thug aka reality rap should be like! tragic circumstances and life on the streets presented in a way that is fresh and intelligent. all tracks are great but its tracks like memory off, perminantley scarred and the excellent TM is when tragedy excels him self from the Cliché my gun is bigger than your gun mentenality like other thug rappers. after listening to this i now see that trag was the true brains behind capone N noreaga and how they have fell off with out him."