Cormega - Born & Raised

stype_ones · Post by **stype_ones** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:50 am

I am hoping that it grows on me. I really like the album, but as previously stated, after waiting 7 years, and with all the hype, maybe I was expecting more. Like for example, I loved the movie Batman: The Dark Knight, but I had been waiting for it so long, it was almost anti-climatic. Even tho the movie was really good, I wished it had been more. Same goes for this album. Bu then you have a movie like Ironman, which I was like whatever about, I ended up loving it it, and it was surprising. Sometimes when you wait and wait for something, and you want it so bad, it is almost impossible for it to live up to your expectations.

The album is really solid tho, and Mega def does his thing and has matured with his ideas. Another thing that hurts the album is that I heard a bunch of the songs way before so now when I am listening to it, the songs are not new to me, so I might skip to listen to the next song or something and that is tampering with my initial listening experience. Add that to the short length and the fact that Dirty Game is on there, and it is fuckin up the flow of the album for me.

I will still copp this tho and support Mega, he is the man.

Comedy Quaddafi · Post by **Comedy Quaddafi** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:53 am

At this point, it's your own fault if you wear out the songs by the time the actual album leaks. I've abstained from listening to Dirty Game since forever, same goes for the leaks that were on Urban Legend.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:55 am

But Dirty Game was never suppose to be on this album. It's included for the obvious reasons. Now they can create the promo sticker to say "Two tracks by DJ Premier."

Comedy Quaddafi · Post by **Comedy Quaddafi** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:57 am

Really? I suppose that is slightly lame considering the length. Perhaps he shoulda thrown the SP remix on, instead.

stype_ones · Post by **stype_ones** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:01 am

Comedy Quaddafi wrote:At this point, it's your own fault if you wear out the songs by the time the actual album leaks. I've abstained from listening to Dirty Game since forever, same goes for the leaks that were on Urban Legend.

It def is my fault, and I usually can control myself with stuff like that, but not after waiting 7 years. As far as Dirty Game, I haven't listened to it for a long time, but bumped it like crazy back when it dropped. Bottom line is I like the album a lot, but for whatever reason, it just does not live up to my admittedly high expectations. At least not initially. I'm hoping that 6 months or a year from now, I will go back to this and say, 'Oh, I actually really love this record, it's classic'. It's happened before with albums, only time will tell.

House of Games · Post by **House of Games** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:16 am

Philaflava wrote:PM me plz.

thewool · Post by **thewool** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:24 am

pradadon wrote:I am hoping that it grows on me. I really like the album, but as previously stated, after waiting 7 years, and with all the hype, maybe I was expecting more. Like for example, I loved the movie Batman: The Dark Knight, but I had been waiting for it so long, it was almost anti-climatic. Even tho the movie was really good, I wished it had been more. Same goes for this album. Bu then you have a movie like Ironman, which I was like whatever about, I ended up loving it it, and it was surprising. Sometimes when you wait and wait for something, and you want it so bad, it is almost impossible for it to live up to your expectations.

The album is really solid tho, and Mega def does his thing and has matured with his ideas. Another thing that hurts the album is that I heard a bunch of the songs way before so now when I am listening to it, the songs are not new to me, so I might skip to listen to the next song or something and that is tampering with my initial listening experience. Add that to the short length and the fact that Dirty Game is on there, and it is fuckin up the flow of the album for me.

I will still copp this tho and support Mega, he is the man.

I wasn't fiending for this release... and think it's alright, but not amazing.

Verge · Post by **Verge** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:27 pm

I dunno, I'm happy with it.
I feel what people are saying, though.

This shit right here is fuckin ill-
Other Side
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Easily my favorite track on the album, for now.

aeokq · Post by **aeokq** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 2:46 pm

As usual, I have not heard a single song from this album. Albums are much fresher when heard for the first time out the system. And I'm not pushing play on those songs!

With this production lineup I am expecting great things. Going straight to Amoeba Music on Tuesday and copping this.

Yohan · Post by **Yohan** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 3:03 pm

Co-sign most of this thread.

Dat_Triflin_Ass_Dude · Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:56 pm

Philaflava wrote:After my 2nd listen I must say I, like many tend to do before an official release may have embellished a bit. This album is good, really good for today's standards and I'm sure it will fit comfortably among most Top 5 '09 releases. That said I can confidently say Born And Raised is not touching any of Corey's previous efforts. The production pales in comparison to The Testament, The Realness or The True Meaning. Lil Fame, Pete Rock, Large Pro, Nottz and Premier all do an adequate job, but I find myself trying to pick one track that is hotter than the 3rd best track off The True Meaning. Ayatollah arguably laced the hottest track on the album with Rapture.

I'm also having a hard time in finding many of those rewind worthy verses Mega is known for. I realize this sounds like a negative review than a positive one, but I'm only comparing to give you an idea. The problem is both of Cormega's previous albums were all stellar. It's equivalent to comparing every Nas release to Illmatic if you will.

I'm a huge Mega fan and I really do like this album, but I can't say in good conscience that this is better than anything he's done before or that it's the best album of the year. It's a good album, very good but it's also a bit on the safe side. Shorter tracks, padded topics and some unflattering guest appearances round out the album. And don't get me started on the mix and mastering of the album either.

Is it better than Only Built For Cuban Linx II? No way. The production doesn't touch it. There isn't a track as good as Surgical Gloves, Broken Safety, Jihad or New Wu. So let's end that speculation right now.

This album is definitely worthy of a purchase and it's definitely good, no question. But it just might not be what you expected after a 7 year wait. That's all I'm saying.

I've listened to it front to back 3x now since yesterday and i gotta co-sign this too. 1st listen I thought it was alright, 2nd listen I thought it was good, definitely good by today's standards, and on 3rd listen it stayed as "good", but nothing special.

kato · Post by **kato** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:20 pm

House of Games wrote:
Philaflava wrote:PM me plz.

Blanco · Post by **Blanco** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:16 am

I definitely prefer "Dirty Game" to be on this album rather than not - I don't own that half-ass project Mega did with Lake and having that song as a mp3 or smth doesn't count... I'm really satisfied that I can finally get that song - old or not, who cares - this is the best joint on the album!
Of course it could have been a bonus track or smth, but that doesn't matter that much

Monotonous · Post by **Monotonous** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:58 am

"Dirty Game" is up there with my favorite songs of all time

never gets old

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:44 am

For audiophiles out there, Dirty Game on the Lake album is better than this. This is significantly lower.

Comedy Quaddafi · Post by **Comedy Quaddafi** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:51 am

Blanco wrote:old or not, who cares - this is the best joint on the album!

Rapture is actually the best song. Damn I love that chune.

On the third listen this is much better.

How long has it been since somebody freaked a sax like on Other Side. Amazing.

stype_ones · Post by **stype_ones** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:17 am

I have listened maybe 10 times through and it def has grown on me.

Into- 4 mics
Girl- 4 mics
Love your Family - 4 mics
Get it in- 3.5 mics
The Other Side- 5 mics
Live and Learn- 4 mics
Make it clear- 4.5 mics
Journey- 5 mics
Define Yourself- 4 mics
What Did I Do - 3 mics
Dirty Game- 5 mics
One Purpose- 3.5 mics
Rapture- 5 mics
Mega Fresh X- 3.5 mics

4 mic album to me..

I can't deal with the beats for What Did I Do and Mega Fresh X, although I dig the rhymes, which is what saved those tracks from being even less. I'm really feeling everything else tho. 4 mics is solid.

blastmaster · Post by **blastmaster** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:47 pm

LOL. This album is awful. So pissed.

Knoxx · Post by **Knoxx** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:16 pm

kato wrote:
House of Games wrote:
Philaflava wrote:PM me plz.

EMCEE DARTH MALEK · Post by **EMCEE DARTH MALEK** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:46 pm

awesome production. mega's vocal delivery has not improved. his flows on the testament are better than on here. the best thing he can do before the release is re record the vocals on most of the tracks.

what's with MOP and questionable collabo song titles? they had bang time w/ styles p... now they're gonna 'get it in' with mega... pretty suspect

PopsUK · Post by **PopsUK** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:38 pm

How does it rank compared to the other releases this week - Royce and Fashawn?

Icesickle · Post by **Icesickle** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:10 am

After a few listens I really like this album.

Mega's cadence isn't all that, but his lyrics are far and above any other "street rapper" that's come out with an album this year. Great to see him not afraid act his age.

Some of the beats on here are really good: "Journey," "Dirty Game," "Mega Fresh X," "The Other Side," and "Make it Clear." I don't understand how you can have a problem with the beat on "Mega Fresh X." That's an epic beat.

My only problem with it is the mixing and some of the guests. Havoc doesn't hold his own on "Define Yourself" and Parish is out of place next to BDK, KRS, and Grand Puba on "Mega Fresh X."

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) · Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:30 am

Ithithkle wrote:Mega's cadence isn't all that, but his lyrics are far and above any other "street rapper" that's come out with an album this year.

Ahem..

Employee · Post by **Employee** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:17 pm

Icesickle wrote:After a few listens I really like this album.

ackbar · Post by **ackbar** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:18 pm

pretty dope. not as good as jacka's record

LONDON! · Post by **LONDON!** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:42 pm

True King wrote:album leaked and it's fucking great. don't forget to buy it on the 20th.

5 mic status, classic shit, classic album

illmas · Post by **illmas** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:25 pm

True King wrote:my only knock is it's only like 43 minutes and that includes Dirty Game which has been out forever.

I don't know how strict the rules about posting new albums are here, i can pm you guys links if you want

pm me pliz

Icesickle · Post by **Icesickle** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:47 am

Cormega Interview with XXL. He's gives some of the best interviews in hip-hop.

XXL wrote:Cormegaגs taken his fair share of knocks over the years. The first and most notorious was his much-publicized dismissal from hip-hop super group, The Firm. Then, Def Jam shelved his solo debut, The Testament, for five years and one-time partner-in-rhyme Nas added insult to injury with mocking bars on Stillmaticגs גDestroy and Rebuild.ג Still, Mega wouldnגt be brought down.

Against the odds, Cormega showed resilience and carved out his own lane, by putting out music that spoke directly to the heart of his fans. Through his own Legal Hustle imprint, the Queens native launched several full-length albums, a compilation and a documentary DVDגnearly all of which sold well independently. Furthermore, he was embraced by the blogs and Internet communities, resulting in his own story of success.

Now, the often underrated MC returns with his first solo album in seven years, Born & Raised, which arrives in stores today. Boasting production from Buckwild, DJ Premier, Large Professor, Havoc, LES and Nottz and guest appearances from a host of living legends, the project has a distinctly reflective feel. In a candid interview with XXLMag.com, Mega touches on the importance of independence, why Obama needs to clean up his backyard and clears up those Drake comments.

XXLMag.com: Your independent grind is well documented and pretty remarkable. How were you able to find success outside of the major label system?

Cormega: I think dedication and knowing what the fans want. Being independent helped me. A lot of times the label, they want you to follow what their ideology of success is. They may have a different idea of what you should do as an artist. I was able to walk the streets or go to the clubs, like real hip-hop clubs, and understand what the fans want. Itגs like customer relations, like how some stores allow you to provide feedback and give you a discount. Itגs like, no matter how big or small you are, the fans are involved. So youגll be here for a while, and your job security is based on performance. I know what my fans want, so thatגs why Iגve been somewhat lucky with my career.

XXLMag.com: Itגs been seven years since your last official solo album. Why was there such a delay between releases?

Cormega: My last solo album came out in 2002, but my daughter was born in November of 2002 also. So, I definitely wanted to see my daughter that first year. Thatגs why for a year, I didnגt do nothing. I wanted to be there for my kidגthat was my first child. I wanted to be the father thatגs there for his daughter. I fell back, but in 2004, I did the Legal Hustle compilation. We had Nate Dogg on there, Kurupt, Jayo Felony, M.O.P., Ghostface, Vybz Cartelג¦ That was a successful project right there. And then ג05, [my unreleased Def Jam album] The Testament came out and in ג07, I did [my DVD soundtrack] Who Am I?

XXLMag.com: Being that youגre your own boss, why didnגt you just flood the streets with music?

Cormega: Being in the industry, you got to understand when youגre an indie artist like me, when youגre an artist who isnגt a superstar, you only get so much spin. Say I come out with an album early ג09 and I get press and I then come out with [another] project. When Iגm ready to come out with a solo later that year, some of the magazines will front. Thatגs not a guess, this is fact. You can only market yourself for so much if youגre not a superstar.

XXLMag.com: One of the standout records on Born & Raised is גMega Fresh X,ג with Big Daddy Kane, Grand Puba, Parrish Smith and KRS-One. How did you get all those guys together on one track?

Cormega: I [wanted] to do a song that represents the Golden Era and let people see the people that was involved through the rise of hip-hop in the New York area. New York is five boroughs, then you got Long Island, upstate, and such and such. I decided to get one of my favorite rappers from each area. So, itגs funny how it happened, because I always had the person I really wanted and then I had a plan B in case I couldnגt get that person. That song is magical to me, so thatגs just me paying my respect back to them. Iגm proud to have them on my album.

XXLMag.com: You and Nas reunited on stage back in 2006. Is there any possibility of you two working together again?

Cormega: I donגt even think about it any more. Itגs like, we are both MCs and when you respect an MC, you work with him regardless, thatגs the bottom line, thatגs what MCs do or you try to. So, itגs like, he doing his thing, Iגm doing my thing. If it ever happens, it happens, but Iגm not holding my breath. Ever since The Firm situation happened and they did an album and everybody went their separate ways, Iגve never been pressed to do songs with any of them. Like me and AZ were just together in Europe last week, and we had one of the best talks we ever had. We were just speaking on how things were or they couldגve been or should have been. At the end of the day, life goes on. Iגm happy where Iגm at.

XXLMag.com: Thereגve been a couple stories recently where you didnגt seem happy about Drake and questioning his credibility. Care to speak on that and clear things up?

Cormega: That whole shit was bullshit. They only highlight the things that make me look like an asshole. That was for a radio interview and there were questions like, גWhat do you think about rappers like Drake rapping about the streets?ג They told me some of the lyrics and I said I canגt respect that. I canגt respect [rappers] that had a good upbringing or are rich that rap about the streets or the struggle, it just doesnגt seem realistic to me. Iגm just speaking what I feel.

XXLMag.com: So it wasnגt necessarily a problem with Drake personally but a bigger issue?

Cormega: Iגm just saying whatגs wrong with rap. Everybody is glorifying the stupidity, theyגre glorifying the derogatory treatment of women, everything derogatory is being highlighted and used to market hip-hop. And thatגs what I am against. If youגre an upstanding citizen or you come from privilege, rap about that shit, because that might help bring about change. Like, Will Smith. Nobody was mad at Will Smith, we loved him for what he did. He never rapped about gangsta shit. What I am saying is everybody doesnגt have to be a gangsta rapper.

XXLMag.com: Is that why you spoke out recently about teen violence, especially in the wake of the incident in Chicago that left an honor student dead?

Cormega: We do need to stop the violence. I havenגt really done enough research on the situation in Chicago with the child to really get into it, but it is a tragedy in itself. When it comes to Black people itגs always sterilized.

XXLMag.com: What do you mean?

Cormega: People always want the most civilized, the most clean Black people. It was a tragedy in itself that a kid was killed, but they play up the fact that he was a honor student. My thing is he if heגs a kid with failing grades, itגs still a tragedyג¦. Stuff like this happens everyday in the urban communities but it doesnגt get the media coverage or attention unless the minorities are extremely sterilized, like itגs the honor student, the ultimate churchgoer or the ultimate good guy. At the end of the day, a life is a life. Thatגs a reflection of Chicago and thatגs something Obama should take in his own handsגthatגs his backyard. He should feel responsible and take a self-stance on whatגs going on in Chicago because thatגs what put him on.

XXLMag.com: Hip-hopגs most successful artistsג content is violent, though. Isnגt there that paradox that if they tone it down it will affect sales?

Cormega: Of course. Why do you think artists are still able to rap about that? Because it sells. If it wasnגt selling, those artists wouldnגt get deals no more. Remember, there was a time when there was a bunch of pop or positive rappers, or rappers that was enlightening, those are the guys that have been pushed to the side. Not just rap, but America, period, was always fascinated with the bad guy, controversy, with money. Thatגs America for you. גSlav Kandyba

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:59 am

Surprise, surprise. Cormega was right and Drake is still a faggot. Case closed.

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) · Thu Oct 22, 2009 12:02 pm

This joint off the album with Lake was my shit :

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Buckwild on the beat.

The NiggaTodd thread about the Lake & 'Mega album being his go-to music if he were ever to find himself doing a bid = lost M2C classic.

:ntodd:

Cormega - Born & Raised

Re: Cormega - Born & Raised