classic 10/10
classic 10/10
"Fake niggas who tried to flex hard came and went, they couldn't match up wit the fly nigga wit his back against the wall. heads clock when i came in the door"-Ghostface Killah
tragedy and imam thug carried this album, shame you cant find it anymore, should have went platinum, queens all day
i have the European version on CD and always loved it since the first time i heard it. about a year ago i was gonna upload it to my iPod and the ripping process didn't work so i downloaded it instead. when i reached the last song "Closer" I was very suprised, because it was completely different from the one on my album...
after searching about information for this i now know that the US version of "War Report" has the original Clark Kent version of "Closer" while the EU presses (at least some of them) has a remix of the song by Sam Sneed (who was signed to Death Row at the time) and features different chorus vocals. check it:
some other things i've noticed over time about the album; the song "Stay Tuned" is listed as being track #12 but instead we hear the previously released "Thug's Paradise" in its place. the real "Stay Tuned" is a totally different track, an intro to Side B on the vinyl if you will. they must have changed this at last minute. i can only find the instrumental on YouTube but it has alot of shout outs by NORE on it:
the last thing is that i wish they would have put the song "Calm Down" with Nas on there instead of that stupid interlude where they are singing bullshit for three minutes. unlistenable + "Calm Down" sounds right at home on the LP - i often adds it to my iPod when listening to the album.
other than these minor flaws, the LP is more or less perfect and also features a lot of Tragedy Khadafi at his (imo) lyrical peak. overall, i give "The War Report" 9/10 or 4.5/5 if you will.
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r.i.p. Johan D, Kaddu, Ricke a.k.a. "Slick Rick" and the rest of the fallen soldiers - you'll never be forgotten!
This album is pretty dope. Probably around an 8/10 at least.
haha, reading these threads almost a decade later is pretty funny. i cut this down to the following tracks after listening to it a few times, and have played this version hundreds of times since.
Bloody Money
Driver's Seat
Stick You
Parole Violators
Iraq (See The World)
Neva Die Alone
T.O.N.Y (Top Of New York)
Halfway Thugs
L.A, L.A (Kuwait Mix Marley Marl)
Illegal Life
Black Gangsta
Tragedy Khadafi's verse on Neva Die Alone is probably one of my all times favourites. I guess we'll never know how much of the album's lyrics he wrote (contrary to what i ignorantly wrote 9 years ago haha) but it really doesn't matter, he dominates the tracks he's on. It remains (with Hell on Earth and a few others) one of the few hip hop albums i've listened to regularly since i first heard it.
It's a shame Trag's solo efforts never really lived up to the War Report, although even his worst lps have standout tracks reminiscent of this album.
i can resume this album in two words: TRULY MASTERPIECE
It perturbs me how this album is never brought up when classics are tossed around. I seriously hope that if Source magazine ever decides to do another retrospective where they go back and issue five mics to overlooked albums like they did back in 2002, that this is among them.
This dropped twenty five years ago today.
Bonafide classic
Every track on this is great. Black Gangstas, Channel 10 are personal all time favorite
It's strange because i agree that Noreaga does suck, but he's kind of great on War Report somehow. My memory of the exact timeline is a bit hazy, but i think Capone was locked up for much of the recording of the album - Nore had to step up and i think he did a pretty commendable job (especially considering how bad he is on subsequent projects). His verses add a bit of colour and levity (eg. the last part of his verse on Never Die Alone) to the album.
Also, when i saw this thread had been bumped i was going to comment that i have the album pared down to certain tracks and still listen to it regularly, and scrolled down to find i'd posted that exact fucking thing 8 years ago smh.
I don't think you need to pare down this album. Its nothing but gems.
I think Capone is on drink champs this week for the anniversary.
Illegal Life sample finally found. https://youtu.be/NRvtM0vj9OU?si=TByX8uvS39aAzUxS
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