Music To Driveby (CD)

There are West Coast classics, and then there is Music To Driveby, the third album from the group that birthed MC Eiht: Compton’s Most Wanted. Although the group started in the late ‘80s with multiple MCs (including Tha Chill and Boom Bam), by 1992 Eiht was pulling the group’s vocal weight – supported by DJ Mike T on turntables and production – and even producing and co-producing tracks.Music To Driveby might lack beats-per-minute variety, but to fans that’s not a bad thing. Across the board, this is mid-tempo, super deep, funky hip-hop, made for cars creeping along boulevards across the West and South, and it’s about as good as it gets for such purposes. Just about filler-free, the album struts intensely and with purpose, as Eiht throws tales of Cali street life at fans for an hour straight, almost without a break.This solo marathon is given a respite only once, with Scarface’s guest spot on “N 2 Deep,” an excellent hood roller supported by a soulful guitar lick sampled from Lyn Colli