About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

The tricky thing about being a successful rap collective is sounding fresh each time out. A signature production style always helps. That's why RZA's orchestrations usually provide the best beats for the Wu-Tang Clan and why Mannie Fresh is the man who directs Cash Money artists. But when production gurus let new members steer the beats, the results can be hit-or-miss. This is the case with the latest mixed-bag compilation from the Yonkers, New York, crew Ruff Ryders. On Vol. 3, RR head music maker Swizz Beats is only credited with one track ("Some South Shit" featuring Ludacris, Fiend, and Young Wun ), and the disc suffers in his absence. Instead, lesser-known knob twiddlers (mostly P.K. and Needlz) concoct synth-driven, head-nodding beats that don't match the master. There are still moments of braggadocio brilliance. On "Keep Hustlin'," the LOX spill menacing boulevard bully rhymes over a muted keyboard loop and tumbling drum fills, and DMX lends a coming-of-age cautionary tale on "Friend of Mine." Yet, the two best songs are dominated by non-Ruff Ryders: "Eastside Ryders" featuring Styles P of the LOX and Tha Eastsidaz, and "They Ain't Ready" with Jadakiss and Bubba Sparxxx flowing over a haunting Timbaland soundbed. Unlike its predecessors, Ruff Ryders, Vol. 3 sounds less like a family reunion and more like a house party with its share of uninvited guests spouting gutter rhymes and delivering breakneck beats. With Swizz behind the boards, however, perhaps this effort would have sounded more like a true Ruff Ryders family affair. Brett Johnson, Barnes & Noble

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating:
• Ratings: 2Reviews: 2