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How the West Was One
Home > Complete List of "q-r" Artists > Rasco > Item 9
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How the West Was One
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by Cali Agents
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$16.98
At Amazon
on 9-12-2008.
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The Cali Agents are two experienced emcees from the West Coast, Planet Asia and Rasco. Both of them have released solo work. How The West Was One is different from most West Coast rap albums though, it has the West-oriented funk flavor, but also is very straight ahead. This works very nicely because both emcees are solid and have recognizable styles. Planet Asia is probably the better emcee of the two, he has an immediately noticeable abstract delivery, and a voice that sounds like a combination of Common Sense and Kurupt. Rasco has more of a simplistic style but he is straight to the point in his rhymes and flows well, which is the perfect complement to Asia's style. It's good to see they made this record out of the love for hip-hop music, and not for the money, despite the fact they are taking an exodus from the underground "back-packer" image. Production on the album varies from straight up hip-hop tunes, laid-back piano loops, and jazz backdrops. People like His-Panik, Paul Nice, Mad Lib and a host of others (mostly small-name producers who make good beats) are behind the boards. Asia and Rasco rap about evenly throughout, and there is only one guest here, Chuck Taylor. How The West Was One was released in 2000. Track-by-track review: 1. "Behind Closed Doors Intro" - Funny, in a stupid sort of way. You just have to listen to it. 2. "How The West Was One" - Solid track preparing the listener for the album to come. The beat is straight and Rasco shines especially although both emcees come with heat. Well-done. 3. "Cali Agents: The Anthem" - Probably would be the first single, if there were any singles released from this album. Excellent complex piano-loop produced by His-Panik, and both Asia and Rasco spit perfectly with it. A definite highlight, one of the better tracks. 4. "Crash The Boards" - A real head-nodder, some of the best production for a good track that really let these two jam. Good use of scratching on the chorus, which also makes the song a lot better. 5. "Up Close And Personal" featuring Chuck Taylor - Battle flow on here, everyone comes off viciously over a more gangsta-flavored beat. Everyone gets a piece on this track, the only one with a guest appearance, which makes it special. 6. "Never Forget" - A lot of people mentioned this as being one of the better songs on the album. I personally disagree, although it's a good track. The concept of the song is excellent though, to never forget where you came from and stay true to yourself, and discusses what happens to people in the music business when they don't stay true to themselves. However, the beat is a little generic, which gets in the way of the song but lyrically the track is superb and Planet Asia shines especially with this line, "I heard you went platinum on your first album, then why is it on your next you only sold about two-hundred thousand". 7. "Interlude" - Pointless introduction to the next track. I don't understand the point of it. 8. "This Is My Life" - Another good lyrical track, the chorus fits perfectly with the backdrop which is a definite plus. Both emcees come off nicely on here, although it's not one of the main highlights. 9. "Faces Of Death" - A good battle track that has Asia going solo, and he rips it. Classic battle form here, the usual braggadocio used also, but it's a great showcase for Planet Asia in battle mode. 10. "The Good Life" - Jazz-flavored track, with subtle pianos and the female vocalist on the chorus somewhat reminiscent of an old club. This track is one of the best on the album because of the good lyrical content shown by both emcees and the creative production atmosphere. 11. "Just When You Thought It Was Safe" - A darker feel on this song, not really a rewind track but sounds almost similar to a Wu-Tang backdrop. Memo produced this song, it's basically decent, not a rewind song but not bad at all either. 12. "Talking Smack" - Typical Cali Agents track, solid battle lyrics over a tight beat, this time produced by 427. The beat changes slightly as Rasco and Asia rap on it, which is a nice touch. Overall a nice track. 13. "Real Talk" - The worst track on the album, and the only bad song on How The West Was One. It almost has a Ruff Ryders-like feel to it, which is a bad thing. The beat is corny and sounds happy-go-lucky and doesn't suit Asia and Rasco's style at all, even though their lyrical prowess isn't shown as well here because of the bad production and commercial feel. 14. "...What You Heard" - Classic track in every form, probably the track with the best replay value (except for maybe the "Cali Agents Anthem"). Planet Asia really shines here over the beat which is amazing. The track is about how back-packers hate that they are not staying in the "underground" stereotype. A personal favorite. Overall a great album lyrically with some pretty good production to match. The album is not quite classic but definitely has some excellent material. A lot of good rewindable tracks. Both emcees go off on nearly every song and only one truly bad track. - 4.5/5.0 - One of the better albums of 2000.
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How the West Was One
Available from Amazon
Price: $16.98
Updated on 9-12-2008.
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