Capone-N-Noreaga - Channel 10

Queensbridge stand up! QB's dynamic duo are back with a new full-length. It's called Channel 10, no doubt to remind you that you're reminded that these are the same guys who dropped The War Report last century. CNN have been through their trials and tribulations in recent years. It's often forgotten that the shooting incident and subsequent perjury that got hot tranny mess L'il Kim sent upstate arose from an altercation with the CNN crew. 

Neither party in CNN is an angel. Capone spends a lot of time catching cases and/or violating parole, which allows Nore (or N.O.R.E., for contractual reasons) ample time to be hip-hop's Luther Vandross and gain/lose a hundred pounds at a time when he's not releasing lukewarm reggaeton. This is the skinn(ier) Nore, so his breath control is pretty tight and he comes hard with it. I'm always kind of a Nore hater until he drops something, and once again I'm kinda feeling him.

Capone I was never the hugest fan of, but he holds his own here. I certainly don't want to hear another Capone solo record, and anyway, N.O.R.E and Capone together are a good thing. They do another conversation type track in The Argument, cracking dozens and generally bickering over a pretty banging beat. There are guest shots from cameo king Busta Buss (on the first single Rotate) that almost make up for the shitty auto-tune hook that Ron Browz cooks up and decent verses from The Clipse and Maino on My Hood. The Dogg Pound contribution on that track is best unmentioned. I can't believe that I'm this taken with this record, but Channel 10 is definitely one of the best hip-hop releases so far this year. It's out today and is really worth checking out, even if you're not toting Glocks and/or slinging rock. Pick up Channel 10 here and keep tabs on CNN via this handy link.

R