Search - Nature :: Pain Killer

Nature first came to the world's attention in the mid-90s doing intros for DJ Clue's mixtapes, solo and alongside early mentor/rival Nas, and his notoriety peaked with his collaborations with Nas, AZ & Foxy Brown as The Firm, although ongoing collaborations and associations with Tragedy Khadafi, Mobb Deep, Cormega, Capone & Noreaga have kept his fanbase aware of his presense in the game. He returns to the arena with "Pain Killer", a lethal injection to the stale state of Hip Hop in 2008, a seamless sequence of deft lyrical deliveries over innovative beats. His debut on Columbia "For All Seasons" is considered a classic by many Rap fans, alongside "Illmatic", "Ready to Die" and "Reasonable Doubt", as one of those early '90s full lengths that succeeds start to finish. This new album, evidence that Nature has not been growing stale since his last release, is a showcase of today's up-and-coming beatmakers, anchored by more seasoned producers Dub Sonata and Scram Jones. Nature's confidence is evident by his sparing use of guests that compliment his style; N.O.R.E., Prodigy, Doo Wop and Kool G Rap each provide a verse here or there, as well as a rare microphone appearance by board man Scram Jones himself. The effect is a return to "Illmatic" - era albums, with the focus being the emcee, rather than the crew, and it s a quality listen.