Master P's cousin shot to relative fame as a founding member of production squad Beats By the Pound. So it makes sense that Mo B. Dick handled most of the production on his debut record. Gangsta Harmony isn't just another NLR burger; Mo B. produces, occasionally raps, but mostly vocalizes in, uh, gangsta harmony. Was it a shame that his time to shine solo came as the label's own star was dimming?
"Picture U and Me"--Slow-burning pre-coital skit. Making love to SWV and Star Trek, oh baby.
"Station Identification"--Really? Picture you screaming while being attacked with a flaming crowbar by me.
"Intercourse"--Puerile and amateurish. The woman sounds as though she's being forced to choose between taking a pipe up her ass or a broomstick up her vagina.
"U Got That Fire"--I'd much rather listen to "I Got That Fire" by Juvenile. Or "U Understand," also by Juvenile.
"Got 2 Git Mine"--For a guy so fond of singing, Mo B. Dick can't sing very well.
"Mo B.'s Theme"--His rapping is a bit better. The snares still wish he'd ramp up that "Tramp" sample.
"Part 3"--Of what?
C-Murder, Magic and Mia X stop by to liven up proceedings. Magic's great; he'll beat the shit out of you, then beat it right back into you.
"Twerk'm"--A bounce track sultrier than the title suggests. Yeah, twerking's been around forever. (Cavemen twerked! Jesus twerked!) I might could melt into this velvet overhead, down some shots, and make the middle of my arms smack the middle of my legs.
"U Fell In Love With a Gangster"--Like falling asleep with your head against the side of a fish tank, and all the fishes have stopped to gape at you.
"What's On Your Mind"--Silkk the Shocker? Buddy, you do not want to know what's on my mind. Did you mix this song too, asshole?
"Shoot'm Up Movies"--A touching (read: awkwardly hilarious) story about falling in love at the cinema.
"She smiled at me with big brown eyes." Wow, most people use their mouths. She's a keeper, Mo B.
"Smoke My Life Away"--Dedicated to "the children of the corn." The Stephen King short story or the short-lived rap group featuring Cam'Ron and Big L? Redman coulda rode this beat, no saddle.
"It's Alright"--The main musical hook is the intro to the Isley Brothers' cover of "Summer Breeze" played on a mini-Casio. C-Murder wooing a chick isn't as funny as I'd hoped.
"Want/Need"--Those horns got the fiber farts. My wants and needs are the same--for this album to end.
"I'd Be A Fool"--Laments over a trifling ho. Genuinely well-crafted and performed.
"As the Ghetto Turns"--When you hear this song, will you cry? 'Cause you know you're an idiot, if you cry.
"Could It B?"--A duet as sexy as pit bull puppies fighting over a box of decomposing kittens.
"Leave Her Alone"--Gangsta Harmony finally comes to a conclusion with an overly-long, utterly commendable anti-domestic abuse message. It quickly grows syrupy, but it's refreshing to hear a man on a hip-hop record urging women to reject abusive relationships.
Albums come much better than Gangsta Harmony. However, they also come much worse. Same with the cover. I'm more offended by the lack of flash. I get that No Limit had less money to throw at the P 'n' P guys as the 21st century approached, but they still should have made every key on that piano a different gem. Brilliant and durable. And how dare they defy Album Cover Rule #12: Never Place A Hot Bitch In the Distance.
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