Artist:              DJ $crilla
Title:               Versatility
Label:              Shank Recordz
Year:               2001
Location:         Cleveland
Rating:             3,5 of 5
Review by:      Dead Eye

The underground is about to explode! And when I say “underground” I mean the real underground. Not the folks who sell Gold and claim to be “underground”. I´m talking about the people who surround them self with a little clique of hungry, up coming, talented rappers. Like DJ $crilla and his Shank Recordz family. They don´t have a big budget, they don´t get help from major magazines, they have to do everything them selves. But one thing they truly got – TALENT! It´s amazing how many great rappers the world are holding back, but I´m telling you it´s just a mater of time before people like $crilla and others like Mister Blue, Keepa, B-Low, DJ Shy 1 and others start selling bigger numbers of each release. As long as they keep on doing what they are doing I´m very positive that they will detonate like a bomb!

Let´s get down to this album from DJ $crilla called “Versatility”. Got 20 songs plus a hidden bonus cut. Many songs where produced by a person named DJ Pooh – but please note that this is not the same Pooh that made Snoop´s 2nd album. The album starts of with a common intro. Nice done, nothing extra just a good starter! DJ Pooh talking bout Shank etc. Then we have the first song called “Make It Hot” and it´s a definite heater. It features Rone, Infinite & Desmin Split. The thing about them is that they are from Cleveland so you might expect a sound influenced by Bone but please believe it when I say that they don´t sound anything like Bone. Actually, it´s more of a down south sound here. A bit bouncy and all. Mister Blue who represents that S.C.O.R.N. click in Miami produced the song. So it´s West meets South here, and the outcome, well one of the top 5 songs on the album. All the rappers came tight here. The chorus is simple but catchy. “Make it hot nigga/The shit´s on fire /I got the mic in my hand burn it down to the wire!” I also like the movie sample in the beginning here. Pretty much everything about this song is perfect, a great opener!

“What We Be” features a lil tongue twisting over a piano inspired beat. This is like the only song where you could see a clear Bone influence, but hey the influence could also come from people like Twista or Do or Die. Don´t look too much at the fact that they are from Cleveland. You will find a whole other sound here. The verse I like the most is not $crilla´s on this song, even though he came really tight. It´s the verse from Illy-I of MCC who came so damn tight here. Spitting fire to the fullest! DJ Bosko who really did a good job here made the beat!

I mentioned Mister Blue earlier, he´s an affiliate of $crilla and Shank Recordz. He did a song for his album called “Take It Off” about strippers. Since $crilla was on that he made a remix for it here. I have heard the original version as well, but actually I think I like this version even more. This is something for all the strip joints playa. Blue and $crilla fit each other very good and Blue once again produced a nice beat!
 
“Gutter Shit” features Infinite, Verbatim and Illy-I. This song is str8. However it´s not one of those really out standing tracks. It´s not a bad song in any sense but there are much more original songs then this one. Still check it out cause it´s a cool track – no doubt! “No Hook Needed” on the other hand is hella good. It features Verbatim & Intuition/Predator. $crilla goes first here and he has some good stuff here “Like Master P you been falling off” and “I never seen a nigga suck so much” are tight lines. However P fans might not agree with the first statement but it´s a good metaphor! Also the line “Like a black man in a horror movie/You´re a dead man” it´s real and humorous at the same time!

We have an Interlude by T-Money here and then a song called “Jealous Niggaz” which also makes it to the top 5. This almost reminds me of what Three 6 did in 94-95. Slow beat, devilsh rapping and the chorus is a screwed voice saying the title over and over – love it. Might be the best of all songs here! It features Adam Shaw and DJ Pooh, who also produced the beat. This shit is lovely playa! If you´re a fan of Memphis stuff from 94-95 you will love this! Yeah – I said Memphis, cause that´s the vibe I get here. Is not at all the Cleveland sound most people know, that´s why I put it in perspective so y´all can get a feeling of what they have going on.  “Bumpin Than A Motherfucka” is also very nice. Once again I could compare it to a southern sound it´s not West Coast stuff to a 100% or maybe we are experience a whole new West Coast sound here. Because trust me, you have not heard any West Coast records like this one before.

“Lyrical Transformer” is on another page. A bit East Coast influenced. It´s a dirty sound, raw and ugly. Like a director’s cut version of your favorite movie. It features Verbatim & Illy-I. All verses are good and the beat by Gauntlet is perfect to this song! The album also have a softer love type of song called “Everything” which is about ghetto love. And we also need that type of music. Marvin Gaye originally made the chorus for his song with Diana Ross called “You Are Everything” I like this junt very much.

“Freestyle turned Battle (Off The Top Of the Dome)” features Lil DC and this is a freestyle session over Swizz Beats song “Scenario 2000”. I like $crilla the most here: “Never dis DJ $crilla´s flow/Don´t you know you never dis a CEO/Cause I´m jacking beats/And I´m jacking lyrics/Next thing I´m gonna jack is your fucking spirit!”

Another Mister Blue song featuring $crilla that has been remixed is “Pimps Up, Hoes Down”. However this song don´t really do anything extra for me, it´s not that outstanding. It´s about bitches and pimps of course. “Shank Party” is a song that is featured on here in two different versions. First the original version and then later the remix. The flows are all good here, however I like the remix even more. It´s a very good club type of track, put it on at any party and you´re cool! Turn the Shank Party into your party!

DJ Pooh has a phone skit after that and then the song “Mass Destruction Pt. 1” which just is out of this world. This is how good the underground truly is! You should stop sleeping on these cats in the real underground. They have been laying low, but not for too much more time. It´s new folks time to shine soon. Soon they are done paying dues, and when they hit the bigger scene they will cause drama playa! The beat by DJ Pooh is probably one of his better. I really like it! The sound is almost a south meets east! With a west twist to it – amazing!

“Scrilla´s Niggaz (The Beginning Version)” is a click song with his folks; L.K.G., Statis Quo, ACE & Verbatim of the MCC. All verses are tight. One thing  $crilla does is that he uses his real name, Chris, a lot. Many rappers hide behind there artist name, but $crilla always represents with his real name also – cool! Then we have the remix of “Shank Party” I love it, this is a real West Coast song. Not too many songs are 100% West Coast sounding like I told you, but this one is. Ride to this playa. It´s not as much a club track as the original version but it´s a whole lot better. You bump this song in your ride at any time, especially if you live out west playa!

Yet another Remix is up next. “Bumpin Than A… (Remix)”. I actually don´t know which version I like best here. They come with two different flavors. This version almost features a Detroit twist, like Esham a couple of years ago. It´s a tight track, that´s for sure! DJ Pooh makes the outro. Good beat! A typical skit beat if you know what I mean! The bonus cut is the song Shank Remix of Mister Blue´s song “Bang”. Lovley way to end the album, Blue did the beat and $crilla mixed it and the two of em comes tight with their verses. Blue seems to be a good partner of $crillas.

So all in all, let me give you a picture of DJ $crilla. He´s one hungry playa, that´s for sure. Now, nobody receives over night success, so what he needs to do now along with his Shank family is to continue paying dues even though it might seem hard at times. Not every underground rapper has the potential to hit a bigger scene but trust me when I say that $crilla do have the beats, lyrics and talent for it. He could go very far in this game as long as he stay focused and makes the right decisions and work with the right people. And when you do see him make it big, as always REMEMBER where you heard about him first! Keep up the good work $crilla!

Peep his work at: www.mp3.com/shankrecordz

Rating: 3,5 of 5

Review by Dead Eye

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