April 07, 2017

Capone-N-Noreaga "Next" Feature (Vibe, 1997)

Capone-Noreaga Vibe Next March 1997 The War Report

I discussed my appreciation for the 'Next' features in Vibe on a post about Jay-Z recently, today I am back with Capone-N-Noreaga, who were featured roughly 6 months after Hov. Ironically, Capone-N-Noreaga's debut album, 'The War Report,' was the first CD I ever bought and I copped it on Woodhaven Boulevard, a few blocks from the Lost Battalion (and Lefrak) where I met Nore in the 90s. I never wanted to leave cassettes (or vinyl) behind, but I was already a few years behind technology.  In Queens, 'The War Report' was the album you heard from every car once you hit the boulevard. From 'T.O.N.Y.' to album cuts like 'Live On Live Long,' it was everywhere. Instead of discussing the album, however, I wanna share the one remix that I especially liked and wasn't included on the album, the Sam Sneed version of 'Closer.' It got me thinking, how hard it must've been to complete and promote the album with 1/2 the crew behind bars. The 'Closer' remix was a logical choice as the 3rd single, since it was one of Nore's solo joints from the album. Oh, and while I made the shift from cassettes to CDs in '97, it was the cassette single that gave me the remix!