Guerilla City – Guerilla Black

For a relative newcomer, Guerilla Black sure has a lot going for him on his debut album, Guerilla City. Here he is, a new face on the national scene (from Compton, he is), not affiliated with anyone (let alone any posse), not down with any particular scene (the West Coast had been relatively silent in recent years), and not signed by any significant label (Virgin Records, not exactly a brand name synonymous with rap). Yet, this lack of credentials aside, Black has himself a damn impressive debut album. For one, he sounds almost exactly like the Notorious B.I.G. -- no joke, almost exactly like Biggie! And not just his voice itself but also in terms of delivery and subject matter (and moreover, he even looks like Big). It's quite amazing, the resemblance. There are moments while you're listening to his album when you drift off for a moment and forget the rapper you're listening to isn't actually Biggie. It's a downright ghostly experience! And Black knows it, too, making the connection for you before Guerilla City even gets a couple minutes underway. No doubt this resemblance was his ticket to the big time, but there's more to Guerilla City than that. The second major virtue the album boasts is solid production courtesy of Carlos Broady, Red Spyda, Mario Winans, Jazze Pha, Roy "Royalty" Hamilton, Rodney Jenkins, Rick Rock, and Fredwreck Nassar. And these are just the most notable producers! Quite an impressive roster of talent to work with, especially for a newcomer, huh? And these guys don't just make beats; they craft a number of could-be hits too long to count on one hand. Believe it or not, Guerilla City is one of the best rap albums to surface over the course of 2004, even if you've never even heard of this guy before and even if nothing commercially significant ever comes of this stellar debut. And if you think that's just good ol' hyperbole, give one of these songs a studious listen and you'll think twice: dare sample either the chilly "What We Gonna Do" (with a trademark Nate Dogg hook) or the lovely "You're the One" (with a trademark Mario Winans hook) -- two of the best-crafted, most accessible Biggie songs the Notorious one never recorded. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide