Scientifik - Criminal

1. Lawtown (4.75)
2. I Got Planz (Feat. Diamond D) (4.5)
3. Jungles Of Da East (4.5)
4. Overnite Gangsta (4.25)
5. Yeah Daddy (4.25)
6. Still An Herb Dealer (4.5)
7. As Long As You Know (Feat. Edo G) (5)
8. Fallen Star (4.75)
9. Downlo Ho (4.5)
10. Criminal (5)

I've often wondered what makes an artist popular. Mainstream penetration seems so easy to get to these days. Old-school artists rarely get the spotlight, if ever. But who's to say that Biggie or Tupac is better than any other artist? Without getting into the whole "Top 5 Dead of Alive" debate that you can find anywhere else online, I don't buy into it. Neither one of them are anywhere near my favorite MCs. Maybe I don't fully understand because I wasn't a fan of hip-hop back in the mid-90s. Rappers like Scientifik, who had considerably less appeal back then and now, have a lot less recorded material lying around. No unreleased tracks from the vault will ever appear. But that makes him no less worthy of praise. He's an excellent MC on this album with top-notch production that blends easily into the mid-90s flavor of rap, combining well-executed, no-nonsense rhymes with jazzy boom-bap production. Add 16 bars from Diamond D and Edo G and you've got a well-rounded (if short) package. It's been done time and time again, but in today's world, it's always a refreshing listen. Scientifik accomplished nothing new or groundbreaking in his time, but a trip back to the Second Golden Age is always a treat.

Sample Tracks

"Jungles of Da East"


"Still An Herb Dealer"


"Downlo Ho"


Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 9/10

Originality & Creativity: 8/10

Overall Grade: 87%

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