"Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin / Black, White, New York you make it happen." Post-9/11 album from The 5 Boroughs' own! Mike D, MCA (rip), and Ad-Rock pay tribute to the city that raised them, offering commentary on the wider implications of the tragedy that shook up NY (and the world) some years prior. Gotta love the hand-drawn(?) cover showing the Twin Towers still standing. The conviction and lyrical dexterity with which the trio employs to talk about the issues is where the genius of this full-length lies at: the obscure pop-culture references, humor, and tales of old New York are all classic Beasties but updated and specially formulated for consumption by the world still recovering from ramifications the September 11 attacks. In terms of production, the Boys benefit from MixMaster Mike's one-turntable-and-a-mixer style, and the stripped down beats offer plenty of room for the rhymes to shine on. Highlights: "An Open Letter To NYC," "Ch-Check It Out," "Triple Trouble," "Hey Fuck You," and "Right Right Now Now."  

• gatefold sleeve
• music label: UMe 2017

reviewed by nakinboots 01/2018