Kurupt Albums (8)
'The Frank & Jessy Story'
Release Date 9/30/2008
Tracks 15
Label Daz Dillinger
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Presents Tangled Toughs: Philly 2 Cali'
Release Date 5/22/2007
Tracks 19
Label Traffic
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Same Day, Different Sh*t'
Release Date 6/20/2006
Tracks 14
Label Dogg Pound Gangstaz Recordings
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What The Critics Say
The 2005 release of Kurupt's Against tha Grain was surrounded by drama. It was promised in early 2004 and then delayed, and it's the reunion of the snarling rapper and Suge Knight's Death Row, a label suffering a decade-long dry spell after dominating the early '90s. The album itself is strong -- well rounded and slick but with sharp teeth and a hard ghetto punch. When the album addresses the Death Row drama -- utilizing some old rhymes by the late 2Pac for "My Homeboys (Back to Back)," overusing up-and-comer, label signee Eastwood -- things slow down a bit. Front loading all your highlights isn't the greatest idea either, but they're slamming highlights and lead to the album's darker and still satisfying second half. "Throw Back Muzic '86" is the kind of ghetto-sentimental "back in the day" club banger that gets you on the radio and restores all your street-cred in one swoop. Less contrived are the venomous and completely aware "Speak on It," the bitter and tense "Anarchy '87," and the claustrophobic stomper "Deep Dishes," but "Stalkin'" takes the cake. On the track, West Coast producer Sir Jinx proves that he just isn't heralded enough by layering jump rope chanting teen girls over a loop by cult Krautrockers Can. It's a very non-Suge Knight moment, but the scrappy Kurupt might be showing him the way with this album. Against tha Grain recalls when gutter creativity and phat West Coast beats were the label's bread and butter and all the driven music steamrolled over the competition with little concern for what people -- or the boss for that matter -- were sayin'. Taking the label from here is up to Suge since there's plenty of evidence Kurupt is hungry enough to dominate with or without him and by any boot-to-the-head means necessary. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey'
Release Date 7/10/2001
Tracks 16
Label Antra
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What The Critics Say
Following his career-establishing debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992, Kurupt quickly proved that he wasn't your standard West Coast gangsta rapper. No, Kurupt is much more than that -- he has brash charisma and more than enough attitude. He doesn't shy away from drama and isn't afraid to speak his mind. Yet character only goes so far -- even in rap. On Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey, Kurupt finally brings some substantial creativity to that sense of character. This was what prevented Streetz Is a Mutha from being a great album -- he had rhymes and beats but couldn't bring it all together into a satisfying album. He does that here, to an extent. Yes, Kurupt finally manages to bring a sense of songcraft to his rhymes on Space Boogie. Every song here seems to capture a different motif: Some take a feel-good Cali-sunshine approach, others capture a theatrical gangsta approach. In addition, Kurupt employs a number of talented West Coast guests (Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Nate Dogg), which brings a sense of variety, and employs primarily one top West Coast producer (Fredwreck), which brings a sense of cohesion. So when you break the album down to its elements, Space Boogie has all the makings of a perfect rap album. But it ultimately falls a bit short. More than anything, Kurupt's songcraft goes a little too far as he seems willing to try everything from hardcore rap ("The Hardest...") to pop-rap ("It's Over"). And by sadly inviting along Fred Durst and DJ Lethal from Limp Bizkit, in addition to Everlast, Kurupt's ill-fated crossover ambitions seem a little too overt. Still, even if Space Boogie doesn't quite realize its ambitions by overreaching, it shows that Kurupt's on a steady path to superstardom. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Tha Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha'
Release Date 11/2/1999
Tracks 18
Label Antra
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Philly native and Southern California transplant's second solo venture minus Daz Dillinger (though Daz supplies production and makes a few lyrical appearances) is hardcore West Coast rap dripping with funk and violence. Kurupt, a truly talented and versatile lyricist who appeared on Pete Rock's Soul Survivor, prefers to downplay his wordplay in favor of confrontational flows on Streetz Iz a Mutha. This is an angry and somewhat controversial record, mainly on the strength of the damning "Calling Out Names." Streetz represents true new-wave SoCal gangsta rap. Daz drops a few LBC funk tracks, namely "Your Gyrlfriend" and the title cut. Dr. Dre provides a signature track and guest emcees on the laid-back "Ho's a Housewife." A philharmonic track provided by Bink Dawg lights up "Trylogy," and Kurupt teams up with the legendary Blastmaster KRS to show his more abstract side on "Live on the Mic." Production is slack in places, and those looking for anything but hardcore may be a little disappointed. This is a very listenable joint, swelling with an updated G-funk sound, but the lyrical content is not for the faint of heart. A veritable who's who of West Coast rappers make guest appearances, including Jayo Felony, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Xzibit, Warren G, Dr. Dre, T-Mo from Goodie Mob, and KRS-One. Fans of Tha Dogg Pound and L.A. hardcore will definitely dig this. Unspectacular but solid, this was part of a late-1999 West Coast revival. ~ M.F. DiBella, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Kurupt is an example of a hardcore rapper who has one foot on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast. The MC grew up in north Philadelphia, but after moving to L.A., he became associated with Death Row Records and worked with the Dr. Dre/Snoop Doggy Dogg/Warren G crowd. When Death Row fell apart and Death Row's infamous Suge Knight was serving hard time in prison, Kurupt resurfaced with his A&M-distributed ANTRA label. The first ANTRA release was Kuruption!, a two-CD set that contains a "West Coast Disc" and an "East Coast Disc." While the West Coast disc has more of a G-funk flavor, it isn't devoid of East Coast influences. Kurupt may have been influenced by the California rappers he hung out with, but he never abandoned the type of tongue-twisting complexity that has often characterized New York rappers. The East Coast disc, meanwhile, lives up to its title -- tunes like "No Feelings," "Light Shit Up," and "The Life" emphasize verbal technique and provide tongue twister after tongue twister. Kurupt's rapping skills are strong; in terms of subject matter, he's content to boast about his rapping skills and hurl profanity at other MCs. The end result is an uneven release that does have its moments. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
