Scarface’s Magnum Opus from 2002. He slays dragons, real and imagined.
Freshness Quotient: Fresh as a spring daisy. A stone-cold classic.
The Skinny: Face takes a walk around the old neighborhood. Along for the perambulation, pre-mogul Jay and pre-Kardashian Ye, and Beanie (not Feldstein). Also linking arms, Nas, Faith Evans and Kelly Price. The star of the show remains Face, whose no-nonsense verses hit like a two by four to the head. Crisp production and live instruments round out the show. Face teaches, preaches and mourns. Pay attention.
Fruit of the Vine: “Guess Who’s Back, where Hove needs a minute of your time. He’s thinking about dirt, but it’s not on his shoulder. “On My Block,” in which Face goes for a stroll. “Safe,” don’t even think about it. Nope. “I Ain’t The One,” Southern-fried G-funk. Scarface reminds us that he ain’t the one. Seriously.
Added bonus: A Bon Jovi sample. Points off: Face doesn’t rap over it. But he could if he wanted, too. No doubt.
Poetry In Motion: “You had to hustle, cause that’s how we was raised on my block/And you stayed on your hop until you made you a knot.”
