1996 was a good year for the Lost Boyz. The Queens collective would see five singles reach the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, and their debut album, Legal Drug Money, would peak at number six on the Billboard 200 and receive a gold certification just sixty days after its release. The commercial success of LDM would lead to a handful of cameos appearances from Mr. Cheeks, which, in turn, would help raise the Lost Boyz’s profile. Almost a year to the date of LDM‘s release, Lost Boyz would look to build on their freshmen momentum with the release of their sophomore effort, Love, Peace & Nappiness.

Like its predecessor, LP&N would use a production-by-committee approach, enlisting some of the same producers that worked on the debut (Charles Suitt, Mr. Sexxx, Buttnaked Tim Dawg, and Easy Mo Bee). It would also include work from Ron G, and fresh off the success of co-producing Black Street’s hit “Don’t Leave” with Teddy Riley, Bink would also supply a handful of instrumentals for the album. The producer selection was a winning combination for LB as LP&N would earn them their second consecutive gold plaque. But even though the sales for LP&N matched those of their debut, the reviews for the former weren’t quite as flattering.

LP&N is another album new to my ears. I’m not sure how this will go, but at minimum, they came up with a clever album title.

Continue to rest in peace, Freaky Tah.

Intro – The album begins with an ominous slow-rolling instrumental (credited to Bink and Charles Suitt) and Mr. Cheeks greeting the listeners with a few super rough draft freestyle bars that are headed nowhere fast. And, of course, Freaky Tah’s signature ad-libs are hardwired into the track.

Summer Time – Who doesn’t like summertime in the city? Cheeks paints a picture of warm weather, hot chicks, blunts, brews, and hangin’ out with the homies. Tah supplies ad-libs, and an uncredited female vocalist (I use the term “vocalist” loosely) sings the hook. Cheeks’ take isn’t groundbreaking material, and the record is not as good as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s 1991 rendition, but it’s a decent, mildly funky bop.

Me & My Crazy World – This was the lead single from LP&N. Mr. Cheeks sounds like he’s on the therapist’s couch, sharing the details of his complex love life that has him smitten by two women. The first two verses were intriguing, but by verse three, the story loses its legs, and I was over it. Ron G’s “happy-go-lucky” backdrop was a little dry for my tastebuds, and the background singing from an anonymous man was unwarranted.

Beasts From The East – After a quick weather forecast, Bink drops an epically fire instrumental with pensive undertones for this Group Home/Def Squad cipher session. Cheeks is joined by A+, Redman, and introduces the world to the lyrical dexterity of Canibus. Cheeks, A+, and Redman spit decent to solid verses before Canibus transforms into a lyrical hyena and completely devours his co-workers and Bink’s backdrop with an incredible fifty bars. To say Canibus stole the show would be a severe understatement. His verse might be the best verse spat in 1997.

Love, Peace & Nappiness – The title track (which was also the album’s second single) finds Mr. Sexxx (horrible moniker, by the way) revamping the instrumental to Slick Rick’s “Hey Young World.” Mr. Cheeks’ rhymes are all over the place, Freaky Tah returns to sprinkle more of his ad-libs throughout the song, and King Keiwanee and Da Blak Pharoah add a little reggae flavor at the end of the record. It’s not a great or horrible record. I guess that would make it mediocre, but I’m trying to stop using that word so much.

Black Hoodies (Interlude) – Aarian Pope shares a short-spoken word poem that speaks from the perspective of hood cats. It’s a nice start, but it needs more meat on its bones.

So Love – Mr. Cheeks is in the mood for love, or at least he pretends to be during this record. Ike Lee III (not to be confused with Spike) hooks up a radio-friendly bop for Mr. Cheeks to spew fluffy cliches to express his love and affection for the apple of his eye, while another unnamed male singer sings the hook, accompanied by off-key singing from Cheeks and the crew. I like the warm, feel-good vibes this record radiates.

My Crew – Easy Mo Bee gets his only production credit of the album, and he makes sure to make it a good one. Mr. Cheeks, once again, is joined by A+ and Canibus as the three use the handsomely rugged and raw backdrop to celebrate their Group Home click. Canibus doesn’t match the fiery performance he astounded with on “Beasts From The East,” but he still sounds impressive. It’s a solid record with a catchy hook.

What’s Wrong – Buttnaked Tim Dawg and Terence Dudley build the backdrop around a funky Quincy Jones loop as Cheeks addresses those who have a problem with his lifestyle. The head noddable instrumental and catchy hook make this one a winner, even with the missing question mark at the end of the song title.

Certain Things We Do – Cheeks shares the deeds of a night out with the crew at a new spot, where the liquor is flowing, the blunts are blowing, and the fly ladies are abundant and ready to be chosen (sounds like a great time to me). Ron G’s slick backdrop fares much better than his work on “Me And My Crazy World,” giving meaning to Cheeks’ superficial commentary.

Games – Mr. Cheeks opens up and gives the listener a glimpse into his tumultuous upbringing, and I’m the biggest sap for vulnerable raps (bars!). Mr. Sexxx soundtracks Cheeks truncated bio by interpolating Sweet G’s 1983 record “Games People Play” (I feel like I’ve mentioned that song before on the blog), which features an interpolation of Issac Hayes’ “Ike’s Mood I” (a sample you can’t really go wrong with). Shoutout to Lost Boyz for giving the pioneering emcee, Luv Bug Starski, a cameo on this track.

Get Your Hustle On – Mr. Cheeks takes a rare break and hands the mic to Freaky Tah to hold things down solo. Tah definitely had one of the most unique voices in hip-hop, but this track reconfirms why Mr. Cheeks was the mouthpiece for the group. I like the dark, laidback instrumental, though.

Tight Situations – Cheeks jumps back into his storytelling bag for this one. Bink sets the tone with a cinematically suspenseful backdrop that Cheeks uses to share a tale of “pussy traps” and retaliation. It’s the equivalent of a hood flick I’d watch on Tubi.

Day 1 – Though he raps three verses, Cheeks doesn’t have much to say, but I’m a sucker for drowsy melodic grooves like this. Thanks, Bink.

Why – This one starts with a faux news reporter discussing Allen Iverson and his issues with the media during his rookie season before going into a report about Lost Boyz inciting riots at their shows. It’s a super random skit, but it tripped me out to think AI’s rookie year was almost thirty years ago. Then, as A Tribe Called Quest did with “What?” and Common and Mos Def (excuse me, Yasin Bey) would later do with “The Questions,” Cheeks and Freaky Tah ask a series of rhetorical questions. The only difference is Cheeks and Tah’s questions come with no insight, depth, or wit, making for embarrassingly bad content over a decent instrumental.

From My Family To Yours (Dedication) – The LB, along with Queens Most Wanted, close out the album with a record dedicated to those who crossed over to the other side, with a strong emphasis on Biggie and Pac. Bink’s sorrowful chords put you at the scene of a Black Pentecostal Church funeral, and when paired with the sad content, it’s enough to move one to tears. The “Baby bay-bay/holler if ya hear me!” chant at the beginning and closing of the track was another heartwarming homage to the two fallen icons. A powerful record built around some very sad shit.

From the little that I knew about Lost Boyz, I went into Legal Drug Money thinking it was going to be a legal crock of shit. From the few singles I’d heard, I didn’t believe Mr. Cheeks had the presence or lyrical ability to carry an entire album, and I most certainly didn’t think the production would be strong enough to entertain. Surprisingly, the shit was alright. Cheeks didn’t sound as bad as I thought he would, and I was pleasantly surprised by the solid hooks and quality production. Much of the same applies to Love, Peace And Nappiness.

Someone must have told the Lost Boyz that Freaky Tah’s ad-libs on LDM were too much as they sound scaled back on LP&N, and when they do appear, they’re turned down and more contained, which I appreciated. Mr. Cheeks will never be mistaken for a wordsmith, yet his raspy, high-pitched vocal tone and simple rhyming style start to grow on you. Or maybe he just becomes more tolerable. Or it could be the catchy hooks and enjoyable production that make Cheek’s rudimentary rhymes easier to digest.

Whatever the case, Lost Boyz manage to pull it off again. They introduce the world to one of the most masterful emcees to ever grace a mic (Canibus) and give the hip-hop nation another solid album.

-Deedub
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