The cover (not anywhere online, unfortunately): Huli standing in the middle of the street with rowhouses on either side, holding stacks of bills wrapped in rubber bands in each hand, wearing a white-on-red LRG jacket with matching hat. Solo jumpoff from Nature's Problem, representing Baltimore with traditional east coast street hustler lyrics about how there's nothing worse in the world than a snitch over mostly southern-sounding beats with a grunty heavily accented flow. Album in every CD store and chain in the area since last month. For a long time only heard him referred to as Hulio Shallone, on the radio and even on the 92Q website, but on the cover of the album it's just Huli, no O.

Intro
Sample of one of those "Prayer" tracks from DMX albums, the one that starts "it's 2 o'clock and I'm about to hit the streets" etc.

Better Get 'Em
One of my favorite verses on the album: "here goes another one, another bit, another nigga goin' down, facin' 30 plus from the mouth of a cruddy snitch, they on that dumb shit, whole clique you run with, bout to tell them ass niggas, snake in the grass niggas, pile on me cause I got figures, I wish you would, same nigga you grew up with in the neighborhood, backstabbin', not the ones that got habits, I'm talkin' about the ones claimin' they poppin' them guns, you see 'em, they always braggin' on capers, soon as they get out, come home without no papers, always an excuse or some fake explanation, niggas in the hood still embrace him, I don't know why, they back on the block again, done picked up some work, scrambled up a few friends, now they on, done punched in the clock for the cops, lookin' for the next nigga to watch to snitch on"

This Is My Hood / This Is My Hood (Remix)
Huli's first big solo hit, one of the biggest local songs in '04, and the remix that ended up maybe even bigger than the original that jacked the beat from Pitbull's "Dammit Man".

My Testimony f/ Nel
Beautiful fluttering trebly sad melody over clicky drums, heavy-hearted hook: "I'm tired of seein' homeys at funeral ceremonies, moms are cryin' on me, this is my testimony, my life, my struggle, my pain, some of us made the most addicted to the game"

Soakin' Wet f/ Keisha
The previous track ends with a porn soundclip, 30 seconds of moaning and slapping sounds, and then one of those X rated sex jams where even the chorus is dirty as hell, chick singing: "fuck my mouth, nigga, work my neck, ooh I know this pussy's wet, I'm just dyin' to see see how many nuts you can bust for me". I'm wondering if the Keisha on this song is the same Keisha Diggs who's done vocals on a lot of Rod Lee club tracks like "Come On Baby" (Remix) and "Sweet Candy".

Don't Give A Fuck
Has the same sample as Freeway/Young Gunz "Full Effect". I'm kind of annoyed at how sparse the liner notes are, no samples or even producers credited. I like knowing who did the beats on local albums, sounds like the same producer on most of the tracks but Huli never shouts them out.

Take Ya Girl
I wrote about this song a minute ago but just finally figured out where I recognized the sample from, it was also used in LL's "Hey Lover".

Smooth Criminal
No relation to MJ, but one of the hottest beats on the album, feels like a hit but it's too short, barely 2 minutes long.

The World Is Yours
When the album first dropped it looked like the song w/ Paula Campbell would be a hit but now this is the one that's starting to get spins. I really never have gotten sick of chimpmunk samples, and I love the blaring YOOOOOOOURS on the hook. Although, there are so many club joints and R&B tracks on this album that when he says "I came to talk to the ladies for a minute" it's kind of insulting.

Hit 'Em Up
Creeping ominous beat with shouting hook that reminds me of "Throw It Up". At the end of the first verse when he switches his flow up he kinda sounds like MJG.

It's B-More f/ Nature's Problem and 2 Hood
Big finale hometown pride posse cut, but no wait, it's a gooey soft sentimental beat, worse than any of the other ones earlier in the album, with too much singing, and the rapping way too low in the mix, and it goes on way too long.

Labels: Huli Shallone, mixtape/album review