Eastside, Long Beach, California emcee KXNG CROOKED releasing his 6th solo LP & the first in 7 years. Originally signing to Virgin Music & Death Row Records without making his debut, he would go on to become a member of Slaughterhouse until their disbandment dropping a total of 17 mixtapes as well as 10 extended plays & his last 5 full-lengths. My favorites include the relevant Good vs. Evil, it’s sequel & Gravitas produced by Bronze Nazareth. The latter being the last time Crook has given us a proper album of solo material since he focused on doing H.A.R.D. with his Slaughterhouse brethren Joell Ortiz, taking it all the way back to West Coast ‘96.
After the “Dayz of the Past” intro, the title track kicks things off reflecting what it was like around his parts 3 decades ago over a ghostly boom bap instrumental prior to “West Coast ‘26” carrying that same energy over on some g-funk shit pretty much bringing us to the present day. “7 Day Theory” smoothly celebrates 2 whole decades since he founded the Circle of Bosses a.k.a. C.O.B. just before “Safe” sends a prayer to God asking to be protected from those who want him smoked.
“Po No Mo” already hits the midway point of West Coast ‘96 talking about becoming wealthy after struggling with poverty for a period of time while the trunk-rattling “For the Love” explains the only reason he began making music when the game was dangerously grimy. “Retire You” gives off some heavy Zapp vibes so he can tackle more romantic subject matter leading into “Makin’ Playaz” instrumentally whipping up something The Neptunes would’ve made back in the early 2000s.
The track “Changez” winds down the last few moments of the album eerily talking about how he used to be a fool at a younger age & cherishing life nowadays, acknowledging some want to see him fall off in addition to the necessity of legitimate ones evolving if they wanna maintain & “Last Song” appropriately spends the remaining minutes appropriately taking up the closer giving it up to all the people in his life who’ve since passed away because he doesn’t know when his time’s coming.
Originally set to drop back in July, it would turn out KXNG CROOKED delayed West Coast ‘96 a little more & would consider it a worthy comeback for the Long Beach veteran although I wouldn’t put it above the Good vs. Evil saga or Gravitas. The production has more of a consistent west coast sound to it compared to the last 3 albums Crook put out by himself, refraining from any guest appearance to test whether or not his love for making music has faded.
Score: 7/10