Browse by Artist: KOOL G RAP & DJ POLO

Artist:	KOOL G RAP & DJ POLO
Title:	Wanted: Dead or Alive
Label:	COLD CHILLIN'
Format:	2CD
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	TEG 77508CD

"Marley Marl remained on board, and Large Professor and Eric B. also hopped on to help produce Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's second album. With a wider range of sounds and the expansion of G Rap's lyrical range, Wanted: Dead or Alive is wholly deserving of classic status. The opening 'Streets of New York' remains one of the most thrilling and unique rap singles released; the sparse rhythm, adorned with assured piano runs that complement the song to the point of almost making the song, falls somewhere between a gallop and a strut, and G Rap outlines more vivid scenes than one film could possibly contain. The track cemented their role as East Coast legends and showed Kool G Rap's talent as an adept storyteller like nothing before or since. Likewise, 'Talk Like Sex' is the nastiest, raunchiest thing he ever recorded, with 'I'm pounding you down until your eyeballs pop out' acting as an exemplary claim, as well as one of the few that is printable, made in the song. The boasts, as ever, are in no short supply, but 'Erase Racism' takes a break from the normal proceedings with guest spots from Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie. It's both funny and sobering, with Biz's Three Dog Night chorus providing comic relief after each verse. This album is only part of a major swarm of brilliant rap records from 1990, but it will never be lost in it, and it's important because it's the release that influenced Rakim and Kane to step their game up to levels they didn't know they could go to. Cold Chillin' and Traffic proudly present Wanted: Dead or Alive, available for the first time as a double disc set, including the original album, and a plethora of substantial bonus material, from artwork to audio. With all the songs being digitally re-mastered, this project has been thought out, done right and handled with care, and we hope you enjoy it."

Artist:	KOOL G RAP & DJ POLO
Title:	Live and Let Die
Label:	COLD CHILLIN'
Format:	2LP
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	TEG 77512LP

"A strong case could be made for Live and Let Die as Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's crowning achievement. Who can really say for sure if the controversy surrounding the cover artwork, which shows the duo feeding steaks to a pair of rottweiler's, in front of two noose-necked white men, clouded a proper consensus? The artwork could have been even more graphic according to the liner notes by legendary photography/art director George DuBose. With across-the-board stellar production help from Sir Jinx and Trakmasterz, G Rap (who also produces) continues his no-holds-barred narratives that peaked with Wanted: Dead or Alive's 'Streets of New York,' but most everything on this album comes close to eclipsing that song. 'Ill Street Blues' is practically a sequel, and it manages to use more swanky piano vamps and horn blurts without making for a desperate attempt at capitalizing on a past glory. Few tales of growing up in a life of crime hit harder than the title track, in which G Rap displays the traits, unforced frankness, that unmistakable voice, and a flow that drags you involuntarily along, that made him a legend. The album is one story after another that draws you in without fail and they come at you from several angles. Whether pulling off a train heist, venting sexual frustration, analyzing his psychosis, or lording over the streets, G Rap is a pro at holding a captive audience." Includes 22"x22" poster of the cover.

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