Lost Boyz Legal Drug Money Album Cover

Songs such as the LP`s fourth and fifth singles, «Music Makes Me High» and «Get Up,» reinforced the band`s penchant for connecting with high-profile producers for hits circulating on radio stations. «Renee,» perhaps the band`s best-known song, remains one of hip-hop`s most incisive and heartbreaking stories. The song solidifies frontman Cheeks as a true presenter who can not only move a lot with vocals and rhythmic tempo, but also a lyrical craftsman who can narrate a detailed and linear romantic tragedy. «Renee» is mostly set in the band`s hometown, Queens, and is more alive than ever a street fairy tale shown in hip-hop. The saga, which involves drugs, sex and violence, is part of an elite storytelling class alongside classics like Slick Rick`s «Children`s Story» and Ice Cube`s «It Was a Good Day.» «The Yearn» was another highlight of Legal Drug Money. Although the song`s producer`s verse, Pete Rock, is absent from the alternate version of the song, the album version includes a rare verse from the band`s hype man, Freaky Tah, making it one of the album`s most rewarding moments. The song was also released as a single for the 1996 compilation album America is Dying Slowing to help the Red Hot Organization raise awareness of AIDS through pop culture. The safer sex anthem becomes a microcosm of the Lost Boyz`s hit repertoire, with Cheeks` sung nursery rhyme perfectly complementing late-night club speakers or the loud volume of cars as they walk through downtown streets. The chemistry between cheeks and tah was as fun to watch as any combination of presenter and wingman from the 90s, fully equipped with bespoke dance moves that made for some of the most entertaining rap videos of the time. Legal Drug Money is really effective as a debut album and is probably underrated for its versatility and innovation.

Although it was both a critical and commercial success, the album was considered one of the dormant gems of one of hip-hop`s most competitive years. A quarter of a century after its release, we throw our glass on the memory of Freaky Tah and Spigg Nice as we put a bottle on the Queens quartet that helped us dance our own pain in the mid-90s through a series of hits that began with an LP that helped bring hip-hop back to its essence. As the album`s first single, «Jeeps» featured the band`s signature sound with catchy hooks, outstanding ad-libs from Freaky Tah and consistent rhymes from Mr. Cheeks. He also strengthened the group`s talent for selecting outstanding productions. The nodding track is a perfect example of why Mo Bee became one of the most important sound forges, especially in the context of the East Coast sound of the 90s. The track sits right next to songs like Craig Mack`s «Flava in Ya Ear,» Biggie`s «Warning» and 2Pac`s «Temptations» at the creative top of Mo Bee`s full resume. Customer reviews, including star ratings of products, help customers learn more about the product and decide if it`s right for them. To calculate the total number of stars and the percentage distribution per star, we do not use a simple average.

Instead, our system takes into account things like updating a review and whether the reviewer purchased the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to check for reliability. Under the direction of Terrance «Mr. Kelly, the Cheeks` The Lost Boyz officially launched their career in August 1995 with the release of one of their most popular hits and memorable anthems of the summer.» Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz» is an enduring classic from hip-hop`s boom-bap era and a career highlight of famed producer Easy Mo Bee. Cheeks officially introduced the band with his fight raps: «Who`s the best / I want the best to come and test me / so I can release some stress from my chest G / Are you down to go pound for pound / toe for toe, blow for blow, round for round / I wonder `coz I bring thunder and rain / `Causin` confusion to your brain.» As a band, the Lost Boyz possessed a rare and special spark, with their highly infectious chemistry, energy and versatility that seemed to help them deliver a new trick for each song. Legal Drug Money is as dark as a project ever presented by a Queens band or artist, with its rough street stories and raw deliveries, but it`s just as ambitious when it reminds us that the daily struggle for survival on the streets deserves a celebration. Twenty-five years ago, for example, listeners were offered a lyrical tour of Queens in southern Jamaica, New York. A neighborhood alongside Hollis that helped shape hip-hop icons like Russell Simmons, Run-DMC, and LL Cool J, all of whom helped define the genre from the mid-80s and beyond. Following in the footsteps of notable artists from southern Jamaica, such as Organized Konfusion co-founders Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po, as well as select members of Onyx, the Lost Boyz set out to tell their own unique story and take a distinctive path as residents of the historic hip-hop district.