He narrates the title track from the front seat of a getaway car, racing through the streets, fleeing the police after a successful bank robbery. That G Rap is able to shift perspective and worldviews from one track to the next speaks to his prowess as an emcee. As a whole, G Rap’s lyrics on Wanted are far more crime influenced, as G Rap seems to relish living the “gangsta lifestyle” and everything that goes with it. Though “Streets of New York” may be Wanted’s undisputed masterpiece, the long player takes its character from songs like the title track. The beat, produced by Large Professor, incorporates guitar from Fatback Band’s “Gotta Learn How to Dance” and what sounds like a live saxophone and piano. “They must desire for the sound of siren / A bag lady dies in the alley ways / She’s seen the last of her days inside the subways.” He juxtaposes the snapshots that encapsulate the lives of the desperate with descriptions of pimps, players, and drug dealers, each profiting from the lives destroyed by the vices that they encourage. “It gets tiring the sound of a gun firing,” he laments. G Rap wields his attention to detail like a scalpel, painting with his pen intricate and intimate portraits of those living on the edges of existence, forgotten by society and consumed by despair. It’s not an exaggeration to say that “Streets of New York” is the greatest of these. I’ve written extensively about great hip-hop tracks where the artist provides a thorough view of life in the ghetto. And still he manages to outdo himself with the first single from the album. Besides being a precise lyrical surgeon, G Rap is among the most gifted and vivid narrators to ever pick up a microphone. Wanted starts with “Streets of New York,” literally one of the best hip-hop songs of all time. Butcher also served as a chauffeur of sorts while the album was being recorded, shuttling Large Pro back to high school after all-night sessions. Butcher was highly skilled behind the turntables, his furious yet precise scratches complementing G Rap’s presence as an emcee. G Rap often alluded to a DJ named “the Butcher” on Road to the Riches, and finally brought in a cut-master with that moniker over a year after the fact. Though DJ Polo gets his name on the album’s cover, the majority of the scratches on Wanted were done by Andrew “Dr. & Rakim for Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em (1990). Extra P had come on to help finish some of the production his mentor had begun to work on with Eric B. Large Pro had been mentored by production legend Paul C., serving as his assistant in the studio. Kool G Rap linked up with longtime friend Eric B., getting him to executive produce the album. Marley Marl is almost completely absent from Wanted, as the duo had decided to move on from working with one of the most renowned producers of all time. On the album, G Rap has improved as emcee, fleshing out his concepts more, while still demonstrating complex lyrical techniques.Ī “sub-plot” of Wanted concerns its production credits, specifically who produced what. When you hear other artists talk about why Kool G Rap influenced them or why he’s their favorite rapper, the stuff they talk about is most prominently displayed on Wanted. Wanted: Dead or Alive is more focused in its execution and cohesive in its sound. It’s an exceptional album that shared a lot in common with other debut albums by Cold Chillin’ artists, pairing dazzling lyrical displays with tracks that covered many of the other pre-established bases (dedication to the DJ, love song, club song, etc.). Released on Cold Chillin’ Records, it was produced in its entirety by Marley Marl, one of the central architects of the Juice Crew (of which Kool G Rap was a member). Kool G Rap and DJ Polo are likely best known for their debut full-length, Road to the Riches (1989). In another year crowded with some all-time great lyrical performances, Kool G Rap is still mostly without peers. Accompanied by his partner Thomas “DJ Polo” Pough, the duo creates their strongest and most cohesive release, which is also one of the finest albums of 1990. He’s a near-perfect storyteller, verbal technician, and lyrical brawler, dominating all these areas and more throughout the album. His sophomore album, released 30 years ago, shows him at the height of his abilities. If you ever need to make a case for why Nathaniel “Kool G Rap” Wilson is one of the best emcees to ever breathe air, play Wanted: Dead or Alive. Happy 30th Anniversary to Kool G Rap & DJ Polo’s second studio album Wanted: Dead or Alive, originally released August 14, 1990.
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