The Realness II is Cormega’s sixth studio album and the follow up to his 2014 album, Mega Philosophy. It is also the sequel to his 2001 debut, The Realness. The album was first announced during the summer of 2022, with the lead single, "Essential," released on August 12th. The album has features from Hip-Hop legends such Nas, Havoc of Mobb Deep, and Lloyd Banks, with Nas being one of Cormega’s most frequent collaborators, dating back to the days of The Firm. One of Queens' most consistently dope and thought-provoking lyricists, his roots date back to the days of the park jams. I'm super glad Mega and Nas were able to repair their differences and continue to show their growth as artists and men. It's also rumored that this album was so taxing on Cormega to make (the pressure/shadow of The Realness being the main reason) that he will never do another sequel again lol. He definitely put together a great project, dig into it below and cop the physicals in stores now.
With a fresh batch of new material, Cormega's "official" debut, The Realness, manifests under stealth-like conditions. Yet, it successfully conveys what his aborted Def Jam debut, The Testament, implied three years previously -- that Mega is one of the most promising thug poets to emerge in quite sometime. Though the usual live-guy repertoire and topic matter is recycled, Cormega paints with a broader lyrical brush then most hood aficionados, as his articulate verses far surpass the limitations of what the typical halfway crook is capable of expressing. Displaying a gripping range of vocal gifts, "The Saga" and "Fallen Soldiers" offer vivid street mathematics with Kool G. Rap-like narrative abilities. Likewise, Mega's ode to hip-hop, "American Beauty," is a continuation of Common's "I Used to Love Her," where his love for the art is evident: "Primo treated her good, made her the queen of my hood." Though the sonic landscape of The Realness is headlined by the Infamous Family members Havoc and Alchemist, it is a handful of upstarts (Jay Love, Big Ty, Sha Self) who carve out the LP's sound identity. This cast of rising and unknown names turns in a yeoman's job behind the boards, meshing a diverse assortment of ominous synth and keyboard arrangements around Mega's deep lyricism. While Mega has had to weather Def Jam's businessman ways, and his own inner demons (jail time) to get here, he may never taste redemption this sweet again. - AllMusic. Listen....
Cormega shared an important message that echoes many of the sentiments that I wished to share today; he said: "2020 was a tumultuous year. Holiday season is hard to bear for those who may have lost loved ones during this challenging year. Think of your family and friends who lost someone this year and give them the gift of compassion and make sure they are OK. And if they aren't, do what you can to make sure they are. To all those who are feeling down at this moment, I send my sincere wishes of better days for you and I wish everyone a safe and good-moment-filled holiday season. Peace." Additionally, my brother Supastition released a song in 2007 that still captures relevant thoughts for the holiday season. The track is produced by D.R., and is a dedication to those less fortunate who are struggling during the holidays. You can hear that below, and as for the Christmas card above: if you were on their mailing list in the 90s, you undoubtedly got a Christmas card sent out by Tommy Boy Records. This particular card features Naughty By Nature and illustrations from the legendary Andre LeRoy Davis. The card says, "Have a Happy Holiday and a Naughty New Year! From your friends and family at Tommy Boy." I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, however you celebrate. I also wish you good health and better days ahead. Keep the faith! Much love and thanks for checking out the site and all of the support. Last minute gift ideas? HERE.
On this episode of Drink Champs, N.O.R.E & DJ EFN chop it up with the legendary Cormega. As a Drink Champs alumni, Mega & The Champs dig deeper to discuss his career, Queens, settle some old beefs and a whole lot more! After receiving one of the biggest shout outs from Nas on his song “One Love,” Mega never looked back. Cormega talks about his success as an independent artist, breaks down the meaning of all his projects and what they all meant to his career. Mega also shares stories of Big Pun, The Jacka, Nas, The Firm and more! I don't post all the episodes of Drink Champs - although I am a fan! - but Cormega deserves his flowers as a man + artist, so dig into it below...
Cormega (Mega) brings you a secret project entirely produced by STREETRUNNER with Co-Production by Tariq Azzouz. Cormega describes this as art, culture and vibes. The Mega project has only one feature by Havoc of Mobb Deep on the song “Live Your Best Life”. All Instrumentals are also featured on this release, and the lyrics to all the songs are printed on the back of the vinyl record jacket and in CD and cassette artwork. This is Cormega’s first solo release since his 2014 Large Professor produced “Mega Philosophy." He's always got a lot of perspective and truth to share in his music, which has earned him a loyal fanbase over the years. Stream "MEGA" below...
"I don't even know how this song came out. It's a freak accident and a blessing. It's like having Jordan with Abdul-Jabbar, etc. I always said that if I had to do a song that reflected NY, I'd get some of the top people from those boroughs. So Kane was the pinnacle of Brooklyn, KRS-One is The Bronx, I said I'll hold down Queens even though I'm not from that era. For Westchester, New Rochelle and Mount Vernon, the outer areas was Grand Puba. Then Long Island is Rakim. I wanted to get Force MDs to rep Staten Island, but they're there in spirit. I had an alternate for every slot since people like Rakim are hard to get. My second choice was EPMD for LI. So Parrish Smith came through and did it. If I couldn't get Kane, somebody suggested Special Ed, but he said he wanted $10,000! I said hell no, he ain't had a record out since The Smurfs was on. Kane came through and blessed it, plus he ain't kill my pocket. KRS-One came through and did it with no problem. Then Puba came through and we had the stack of money waitin' and he did his thing. I'm not afraid to admit I was a fan of somebody. For me to sit and watch Kane spit was a crazy honor. The song is my greatest achievement as an artist. No matter what I sell, I'm trying to get Red Alert to do the intro, he'll rep Manhattan. Now I just gotta get Ralph McDaniels to do the video. I have a title, but I'm not gonna say yet..." The track was originally released to blogs/radio in July '08 with the title "Fresh," but when Cormega's Born and Raised album officially dropped in October 2009, it was called "Mega Fresh X," with production from the legendary D.I.T.C. producer Buckwild. Listen to it below...
"After an affectionate shout out from Nas on 1994's "One Love" and an appearance on The Firm's 1996 hit "Affirmative Action" landed him a brief stint in the short-lived supergroup, Cormega was thought to be the next in a long line of poetic Queensbridge MCs. But after battles with Def Jam, the ex-con's 1996 debut was locked away in the label's vault, unheard by the masses. "Available on the Web for years but not as an official release until 2005, The Testament showcases an MC with an eye for the details, detours and dead-ends of the New York drug game. It should have solidified Cormega's place among a golden generation of 'Bridge-associated rappers. Instead, it's just another overlooked relic of Eastern aggression." - Vibe, August 2008. Fans may not remember that The Testament was highly anticipated at the time, with several tracks appearing in The Source's Fat Tapes section. For the project to have been shelved is still hard to understand all these years later. Unfortunately, The Testament is not available through Spotify, so peep the gem, "One Love" below...
The full album review in Vibe Magazine is below...
The latest episode of the #1 podcast, the Combat Jack Show, features the Queens veteran Cormega. In stark contrast to every trend and negative stereotype plaguing our culture, Cormega & Large Professor have stepped up to release a golden era album in 2014 with their latest effort "Mega Philosophy." Cormega has stepped into the role of street poet & reinvented his career with the same formula that got him on; he's just stayed on a consistent and positive path to get it done, independently. On the production is Large Professor, who is a humble giant in the music industry; he's the guy behind the guy for many of hip-hop's most impressive collaborations & has done it all without changing his slang, his roots or his unique perspective; a man of true loyalty. Cormega walks listeners through a track by track of "Mega Philosophy," get a proper listen to the interview below!
Cormega is back with his first new album since 2009's Born And Raised. Mega Philosophy is entirely produced by Large Professor. This album is positively inspiring, conscious and incredibly deep. Large Professor’s tracks hit hard with his authentic “Boom Bap” sound creating an audio landscape for Cormega's lyrical wisdom. The album features heavyweights such as Black Rob, Nature, AZ, Redman, Styles P, Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan and more. In the years in-between releasing this new album Mega’s viewpoint has been further honed by being involved in efforts for political and social change. Some of these events include being active in the protest of Trayvon Martin’s murder, going to Haiti to help with the earthquake relief efforts and a life-changing trip to Africa for Uganda Empowers. As Mega states with this new album, “Hip-Hop used to be journalistic; people spoke on what they saw and what they felt. So much has happened in the last few years, but a lot of artists aren’t talking about anything. I’m fighting for our culture.” Listen to Mega Philosophy below... (Updated).
"Cormega Gets Real: In 1997, it seemed the Firm was poised to be hip-hop's newest supergroup. Consisting of solo artists Cormega, Nas, Foxy Brown, and AZ, the Firm ruled the airwaves and charts with its Aftermath/Interscope debut, The Album. But personal conflicts among the group members left Cormega to fend for himself - which he's been doing ever since. Initially signed to Violator/Def Jam, the rapper created anticipation for his solo debut, which is finally coming to fruition. The Realness (Legal Hustle/Landspeed) was released July 24 and entered Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at No. 24. "They mad me on the shelf too long," Cormega says about his decision to leave Violator/Def Jam. "If you feel you're good at something and somebody's holding you back from doing it, then you're going to want a change of scenery. I was on the label since '96, and I was patient," adds the rapper, who remains on good terms with Def Jam. "It wasn't like I was a difficult artist. I was so patient - I waited three years and nothing came out." Cont'd below...
"He decided to change all that by taking matters into his own hands and releasing an album on his own label, Legal Hustle. "I had majors still hollering at me, but I wanted to put an album out this summer," the Queens, NY native says. "I got tired of disappointing my fans. Regardless of whether or not it was my fault, I'm the one who wasn't out, and people look at that. But by the time we got through the paperwork, etc., my album wouldn't have come out until 2002. With the indies, once you do your music, that's it." "Some people thought I should have called it "The Realest, but that is a self-promotional declaration," Cormega says. "Who am I to declare that I'm the realest? The Realness is just a reflection of what's going on in my life. It's the essence of it, rather than a bravado declaration." Having recently completed the album, which features production by Havoc of MobbDeep, Alchemist, and Ayatollah, Cormega is already preparing a follow-up set." Billboard 8/01
