August 17, 2021

Scarface "The World Is Yours" (August 17, 1993)


Does the Original Gangsta from Houston's 5th Ward ever run out of lyrics about bitches, punk ass n!ggaz, punk cops and the life of a G? Apparently not. After the huge success of his solo debut, Mr. Scarface Is Back, and performances on Kool G Rap's Live And Let Die ("Two To The Head"), the South Central soundtrack ("Street Life"), Compton's Most Wanted's Music To Driveby ("Dead Men Tell No Lies") and the Geto Boys latest album Till Death Do Us Part, Face hits us with his second solo release. This time out Scarface takes a break from the straight up hardcore gangsta boom and goes for the G-style gangsta funk that's sweeping the country. You might want to call this one "The Chronic Pt.II with a 5th Ward Swing" because of its easy going funk beats that are perfect for n!ggaz to get budded to as they roll up on a spot to chill. When Scarface proclaimed that he had the mind of a lunatic, the man wasn't lyin'. His lyrics are like guerilla warfare, with good and evil going toe-to-toe and evil beating the shit outta good. "The Wall" is a psychological profile of a gangsta who tries to go over and around his problems instead of hitting them head on. On "Do Me A Favor," Face gives an "Indecent Proposal" of his own when he asks his woman to break his homie off some p#ssy. That's some sick shit, but only Mr. Scarface could go there and make it sound cool. Other dope tracks include "Let Me Roll," a live bass guitar funk jam about getting budded and rollin' with the homies, "You Don't Hear Me Doe," a fat gangsta beat that's made to ride to, "Dyin' With Your Boots On" with its fat live sample of Fukadelic's "I Betcha" and Scarface's 9mm lyrics. Cont'd...



The best song, the somber "Now I Feel Ya," finds Scarface reflecting on the major events of his life. Only now, after run-ins with other gangstas, women and the unjust killing of his bodyguard by Louisiana police officers, does he fully understand the value of the street knowledge his parents kicked to him as a child back in the gap. The only real disappointment comes with "Mr. Scarface Part 3: The Final Chapter," which has dope new rhymes but is limited by the familiar plot structure and a beat that seems watered down when compared to the first two episodes. Overall, The World Is Yours kicks straight up non stop funk without heavy samples from beginning to end, but it comes up a little short on concept and structure. But when you're Mr. Scarface and the "world is yours," it doesn't really matter. - The Source (Sept., 1993). Face is easily one of the greatest MCs of all-time!