One definite key to success is to follow in the footsteps of those who have succeeded before you. This way you limit your failures and have a measuring stick for your success. It’s not fool proof, but it can be very effective. That’s what Kurupt told a young group from his hometown that was looking to make their break into the industry. Now the theory is being put to the test with this collaborative event titled Kurupt Presents: Tangled Thoughts – Philly 2 Cali (Good Hands Records). A crew of Philly MC’s that started their buzz on the East coast and built on it on the West is being co-signed by the DPG that did the exact same thing years ago. This latest effort also puts him in the position of executive producer, responsible for the possible success or failure of the project.The combination on many levels works very well. Cas, De and Tek are a self contained unit with Tek serving as mc/producer for every song. They sway back and forth from the hardcore, swagger-filled East coast flows to the fun/gun/sun flow that has come to embody west coast hip hop. This is mostly determined by who is on the track with them. On cuts such as “Til Tha Sun Come Up”(featuring Freeway), “Chedda Chasin” (feat. Ab Liva) and “Product of My Environment” (feat.Gillie Da Kid) they relapse into that familiar Philly flow. The other songs featuring Kurupt and other left coast representers such as “That Hood S###” and “Real One” with a hard spitting Gail Gotti show that they truly have been soaking up more than the Cali sun since they packed up and moved there in 2005. They also show their ability to hold their own next to better than average guest appearances.With all the production being in-house, they gain credibility as a real group and not a gimmick. The beats are solid; however they suffer sometimes from too much influence from one coast or another. Some of the songs go a little too hard at establishing what side they represent (“Big Boss’n”, “These Jawns”). To their defense, these were mistakes that Kurupt was able to side step for most of his career because his Illadelph roots were unknown to the masses.This is a testament to a good idea turning into a good product. It also puts Philly 2 Cali on solid ground, thanks to the other footprints in the sand.
