Einer der geilsten Rapper aller Zeiten für mich von dem man leider
bis auf zwei Hände voll Features nichts mehr nach seinem Debut
gehört hat.
Hier noch ein uraltes Review von nem Typen,
der das Album anscheinend nicht so gern mochte
(das Zitat am Anfang ist hammergeil und der spricht
CPO fka Lil Nation sämtliche Fähigkeiten ab...hahaha)
Und hier noch ein uralter Bericht von 1990(!!)
Tales from the dark side
AT SIX FOOT TWO INCES AND 25 STONE,
Rapper Lil’ Nation is appropriately named. “Almost as large as many small countries,” he’s as intimidating as his rhymes, as big as CPO’s beats.
Another native of the city of Compton, Lil’ Nation gave up a six year life of crime at the age of 18, and – like his long time friend MC Ren – decided to go into music.
CPO’s debut on Capitol, ‘To Hell And Black’, is another braze embodiment of West Coast gangster lifestyle, and with tracks titled ‘Homicide’, ‘Gangsta Melody’, and ‘Ballad of a Menace’, you’re left in no doubts of the content before the needle’s hit the deck. Produced by Ren, it’s a grinding, 10-track soundtrack to street violence – nothing new, but another chapter in the annals of realism rap that contrasts so starkly with East Coast consciousness. How did the name CPO – Capitol Punishment Organization – come about?
“We where sitting around talking about how we where not down with oppression, not down white supremacy,” he explains. “Oppression was the main thing – the biggest wrong that we could think of, we needed the biggest pain we could think of – capitol punishment of that wrong. So the Capitol Punishment Organization was born.”
Lil’ Nation kept telling Ren he could Rap, but the NWA emcee refused to believe him. Until one day, Ren accidently heard one of Lil’ Nation’s tracks – “Ren started producing me that day!” he exclaims.
On the whole, ‘To Hell And Black’ is a measured but funky affair, with only a couple of tracks matching the aggression of the lyrics. To the churning backbeats, Lil’ Nation fires his incendiary raps in uncompromising terms. “I consider it fun to smoke a nigger with a gun” and “With no hesitation I put a gun to your head and blast it” (’Gangsta Melody’)
That song in particular is a musical incarnation of life here in Compton,” he says. “You won’t have a problem shooting me, I won’t have a problem shooting you – it’s that simple. Compton is not nice place to live, it’s not even a nice place to visit at some times. I think that people are starting to believe that Compton is a tourist spot! But every night somebody gets killed. It’s a real hard life.”
Lil’ Nation acknowledges that CPO’s graphic portrayal of street life is at odds with the positivity of likes of KRS-One, but says; “People from the East Coast – like KRS-One – are speaking knowledge, speaking politics, which are things we don’t know, but things should know. What we’re doing on this side is speaking about what we do know, which is living in a violent environment. There are conflicts, but there’s truth in what we do.”
The track ‘CPOsis’ is, he explains, “the musical incarnation of CPO”, relating an implacable theory about dealing with white supremacy. “If the Aryan Nation comes up against CPO, they’ll be coming up dead,” he says. “I think we’re starting to confront white supremacy on a head to head basis. The only way we’re going to get rid of oppression in any shape, form or fashion is to deal with it – abolish it – by some type of confrontation, a violent confrontation. Hopefully, it won’t have to be a physical confrontation, and hopefully we can just do it with words.”
But do you really believe your lyrics are a good way towards verbal reconciliation?
“I think so. To me, you got to get people to listen. Once you can talk to them about whatever you want to talk to them about. I think this is the first step towards some kind of movement.”
So are you saying your records are positive?
“I think something controversial is going to come out of my records, I don’t think anything positive will happen. I’m trying to stir the public up to the point where they have to confront me, and ask what’s going on, so I can let them know.”
Violence and revolution aren’t curious bedfellows, but Lil’ Nation must be an eternal optimist to believe the established order will view his efforts as progressive. He’ll get the attention, sure, but as for anything else…?
Would he like to remain part of the growing Ruthless family?
“Oh definitely! Capitol are just distributing it, but it’s out on Ren Records. I like where Ruthless started out, I like how it started out, and where it’s going.”
As well as his right hand man, DJ Train, Lil’ Nation also worked with the group FOE on ‘To Hell And Black’. Look out for their own release soon, again on Ren Records.