Artist: DJ RIP & Supa SlipTitle: The Life Of An Outlaw & Best of The Outlaws and Tupac (Mixtape)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jay Peregrine
Great Music is Timeless. The Life of an Outlaw by DJ Rip and Supa Slip is a
double CD mixtape that offers one disc of current songs from the newer look Outlawz that now consist of core group members EDI, Kastro, Young Noble and new Outlaw affiliate Stormey. The second CD contains 32 songs of the
very best collaborations ever reorded between the Outlawz and the legendary thug immortal Tupac Shakur. The combination of the two discs is surprisingly complimentary as the Outlawz show and prove on their CD that they can stand on their own two feet, to a large extent, without the support of the Big Homey Pac.
One of the most notable aspects of the Outlawz CD is the significant improvement the group has made as song makers. Songs are structured very well and the hooks are tight without getting corny. They also possess a range and versatility that wasn’t as evident in the past. Their signature ride out flows are best displayed on tracks like “This is Life” and then they flip it get smooth with a ridah’s twist on tracks like “Beatiful” featuring The Inc’s Lloyd, showcasing their softer side towards women, again without getting corny with it. Other songs like “Dope Boy” with its catchy hook
and simplistic but bouncy beat could possibly give some of today’s commercial thugs a run for their spins on prime time radio. The warm and soulful “These are the Times” featuring a much welcomed verse from Khujo of
the Goodie Mob is an inspirational, Get up, get out and get something type of track. The Outlawz display the emotion, aggresiveness and compassion that embody the paradoxical complexities of Thug Life and One Nation thus making them the torch carriers for the remnants of Pac’s various musical movements in the minds of many fans. Without the leadership of Tupac obviously that movement doesn’t go very far or very fast but what the Outlawz are able to provide is good old fashion ridah music with a purpose and with a passion.
The second disc contains tracks that the Outlawz recorded with Tupac at least 9 or 10 years ago. These are songs
that sound just as good now as they did then and in at least one case (“Dr. Mr. President”) are just as relevant today. The songs selected are without question some of the very best songs recorded by Tupac and the Outlawz. From obscure classics such as “Lost Souls” and “The Good Life” featuring Big Syke, Pac’s other memorable supporter with the unmistakable flow to the World famous “Me Against The World” and the antagonistic “Hit Em Up” to the party classic “Thug Passion” this disc is a must-have for any true Tupac fan. DJ Rip and Supa slip have created one of the best greatest hits collections of Tupac’s music that can be found. On the other side of that coin, the only obvious flaw is that they used the Trackmasters mix for “Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up Pt. 2)” when they should have stuck with the original version.
Congratulations are in order to the Outawz for coming up with some very good material for their disc because disc two is all classic material and The Outlawz more than held their own in making their CD a worthy listen. Make no mistake about it, this IS a double disc, not a Best Of Tupac with a free bonus The Outlawz disc.
