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2LP
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GET 51315LP
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"By the time that M.O.P.'s 4th full-length hit in August of 2000, they were true vets in the rap game, with battle scars to prove it. Debuting seven years previous with 'How About Some Hardcore?,' the Brownsville, Brooklyn duo of Lil' Fame and Billy Danze had blazed a heavy path through the underground for the remainder of the decade, never faltering with an aggressive, brassknuckled vocal style, frequently bolstered by DJ Premier's top-tier backing. Warriorz was a true game-changer for M.O.P., as the album catapulted the pair onto the upper echelons of the rap charts, where they shared real estate with softer and cornier stars of the day. One major reason for the album's success was the runaway hit 'Ante Up (Robbin Hoodz Theory),' produced by D/R Period, who broke them into the game with 'Hardcore.' The song -- fueled by triumphant horn stabs and a diesel, four-to-the-floor beat -- was the perfect mix of hard and catchy, and Fame and Danze flexed over it with finesse. To this day it is used everywhere from movie soundtracks to Sesame Street YouTube videos. Staying true to their essence, the album flaunts hardest-of-hard Brooklyn bangers from start to finish. In an era where hip-hop was getting more syrupy than Nyquil, M.O.P. proved that they could hit the charts while staying raw. And the album still shines to this day."
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7"
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GET 734EP
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"'Ante Up' was the first single from M.O.P.'s full length Warriorz. The cut dropped in 2000 and its success paved the way for Warriorz to open in the 25 slot on the Top 200. For the Get On Down reissue -- 'Ante Up' is paired with the remix of the cut on the B-Side (originally the flip of 'Cold As Ice'). The remix is nothing to sleep on -- with features from Busta Rhymes, Remy Ma and Teflon. Stats and features aside -- 'Ante Up' is one of the most powerful and energetic records of its era. Everything fit this song perfect, the intro, the incredible DR Period beat, Fame and Billy Danzes catchy as hell hook and countless quotable 'Hol' dat'. M.O.P had already cemented themselves as the streets #1 pick but this right here was the atomic bomb. Only a few hip hop singles dropped post-2000 were both an immediate smash hit and had anything resembling this sort of long term staying power."
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