Outsidaz Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
Some of New Jersey's finest hardcore lyricists make up this underground unit known as the Outsidaz (Young Zee, Pace Won, Az Iz, Slang Ton, et al.). Members of the Outs gained some notoriety in 1996 after dropping verses for the track "Cowboys" on the Fugees' breakthrough album The Score. The crew went on to release the under-noticed EP Night Life in 2000. The posse's outlandish frontman, Young Zee, has the kind of voice and brash wit that can light up a record, and The Bricks definitely contains its share of flammable material. While many underground records warble and drone on account of dull, amateurish production, The Bricks economizes with swift Jersey-laced funk and multi-layered noise. The textured musical component is anomalous for the style as most thug/battle MCs often stick to stripped beats. Mega-producer Rockwilder, who long since went the way of producing made-for-MTV tracks (including the hideous "Moulin Rouge," for example) manages to bring back a little green funk for "Keep On," but the rest of the beats truly scald the skin like a pit full of hot coals. DJ Twinz drops a funkadelic banger for "Who You Be," which features rap's version of Simon and Simon, Method Man, and Redman. Also, tracks like the fluttering, flute-powered "State to State" and the drug hijinx track "Rehab" are further clever postulations from these raw-dog hip-hoppers. While the Outs serve notice to their reputation for lyrical savagery throughout, in the end the album bogs down a bit after the crew seemingly runs out of ways to do tracks about afterparties, drugs, and punk-MC bullying. This type of release could never truly shake up the rap game, but it does supersede a large majority of modern rap records and even calls to mind some of the better efforts from years past. ~ M.F. DiBella, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ever since rap's beginnings in the late '70s, battle lyrics have been a major part of hip-hop culture. In fact, rap has had some of the most competitive artists since bebop -- just as bop was famous for its saxophone battles of the 1940s and 1950s (Dexter Gordon vs. Wardell Gray, Phil Woods vs. Gene Quill, Sonny Stitt vs. Gene Ammons), hip-hop has been full of artists who spent much of their time rapping about their microphone prowess and dissing rival MCs. Of course, not all rap is about battling. Some MCs consider battle lyrics limited (which they are) and would rather rap about social and political issues, male/female relationships, or why they love or hate malt liquor. Regardless, battle lyrics will always be a part of hip-hop culture, and they're the main focus of Night Life. On this EP, New Jersey's Outsidaz finds countless ways to brag about their rapping skills and explain why they consider rival MCs inferior. While Night Life underscores the limitations of battle rhymes, you have to give the group credit for their technique and their often clever lyrics. These artists are saying the same thing that countless battle-minded rappers before them said -- that they're the best in their field and put the sucker MCs to shame -- but Outsidaz often find clever and amusing ways to say it. Ultimately, the storyteller approach to hip-hop holds one's attention longer than battle rhymes, which can wear thin after awhile. As Night Life demonstrates, however, microphone warfare is an art that, despite its limitations, isn't without its pleasures. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
