This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
As a member of whimsical rap outfit De La Soul, producer Prince Paul pioneered the now-mandatory rap skit.
Here, he takes it to its logical extreme: A movie-length, dialogue-heavy hip-hoperetta about a young MC who deals drugs to earn money to finance his demo tape, with predictably disastrous results. The cast is as good as any rap movie — Everlast, RZA, Chris Rock, Big Daddy Kane and Kool Keith, among others — but Paul’s playful production and joyously funky flow are the real stars of what may be one of the most ambitious hip-hop recordings of the year.
