Nature "For All Season" (2000 + HBD, Nature!)

I've already posted the press kit for Nature's gem of an album, For All Seasons, as well as his original Next feature in Vibe, and two volumes of the Queens Classics mixtape series. But, today -- on Nature's born day -- I'm diggin' back, once again, to 2000's For All Seasons. I remember I was traveling from Queens on the LIRR (Woodside line - after 2 buses) out to Nassau, Long Island to college - I'd get off at Hempstead and take the bus or walk from the Westbury line, which was a HIKE! I specifically remember packing Nature's For All Seasons and LL Cool J's G.O.A.T., which I think were released about a week apart, and I ran those projects (among others) that fall semester of college traveling back and forth. Nature was 50 Cent before 50 Cent, yet he obviously never reached the highest of heights that 50 did. He came up in the mixtape scene, had the industry ablaze with crazy records, freestyles; a ton of classic features and so on, landing him a solo deal to release the long-awaited album on Columbia Records (home of Nas). My favorite joints off the album were "Man's World," "We Ain't Friends," "The Ultimate High" with Nas, "Young Love", "Nature's Shine" and "I Don't Give a Fuck" - oh, and "Young Love," too. It had joints, perhaps not the critically acclaimed release, but it did have joints! The Queens Classics mixes fill in all the gaps, minus "If I Ain't a Thug," which I'm still trying to get my hands on! Critics labeled the album as an uninspired effort that lacked hooks and content-driven lyrics, but like today, I still go back to it from time to time. If you were outside -- especially in Queens -- you remember what a threat Nature was on a track in that timeframe. So, Happy Born Day, Nature! Dig back in For All Seasons, streaming below...

Don't forget to dig into the archives for more...

The Firm "The Album" (October 21, 1997)

Nas and his cohorts have all the right ingredients for the perfect music Molotov; gold and platinum artists and producers, street credibility, a femme fatale, and a young protege. Yet The Firm routinely jumps back and forth over the skinny fence that separates failure from success. The foursome do, however, provide vigorous deliveries, renaissance rhymes, reflections on social conditions, and nicely timed mike tosses. Dr. Dre is on fire for some tracks; on some cheesy yesteryear shit for others. And although Nas is the apparent headliner, the verve and poetic acumen of his secondary architects prove the album's high points. Nas sounds crisp and clear but often comes off as unfocused, too infatuated with the high life and overly concerned with with polishing his laurels. But his clique's nimble-tongued members come through. They've got points to prove and doubts to squash. AZ, preparing for his forthcoming album, Pieces of a Man, steps up with tight, intertwined street stanzas that gain depth with every listen. Delivering on the initial promise he showcases on Nas's 1994 "Life's A Bitch," the Visualiza threads metaphysical thoughts, occult teachings, a taste for the glamorous life, and hip-hop's ever present one-upmanship into awesome aural lattices.... And Foxy is full of the kind of post-pubescent confidence that comes with having just recognized the power of the p#ssy. She's never been a better rhymestress than she is on The Firm.... Equally interested in cunnilingus as in being a cunning linguist, Foxy turns the tables around like a female Too Short, leaving pearl juice dripping from the speakers. You forget that she's an 18-year old kid playing grown-up. The up-and-coming Canibus assumes his regular role as show-stealer. But a plethora of guest appearances--including Noreaga and Half-a-Mil, Pretty Boy and Wizard--all get significant mike time,  blurring the focus of The Firm.... Ultimately, The Firm is heavy on motif, okay on concepts, and DOA on plot, while its overbearing skits and filler material pull the project into the mire of gimmickry. The Firm, though, even with star turns from AZ, Nas, and Foxy, misses its mark. This tight-knit work fam looks good together, sounds good together, but... is a little bit shaky. You'll be hitting fast-forward before your morning cup of joe wears off. - Vibe Magazine.

There are still songs on this I love, but the Vibe review wasn't wrong either ... 

The Firm "The Firm Album" (Cassette Sampler, 1997)

"The Firm was like this hip-hop supergroup. All three of them - Nas, AZ, and Foxy Brown - had reached a level of success by this time, so getting the three of them together was a real challenge. AZ was an hour late, Nas was an hour late, and Foxy was even later, like hours and hours, so I decided to work with AZ and Nas first and got some individual shots. I remember Nas was wearing this big "QB" (Queensbridge) medallion. I shot this at Sony Studios soundstage. I was always really inspired by the Blue Note albums, so I used filters for the lights and also added a filter on the lens, and that gives it the red tone. When you apply red filters to black-and-white photos in particular, it does something really magical to skin tones." - Jamil GS (Contact High). Just about anything that could be said of The Firm's 1997 group album has already been said, surely, but just wanted to revisit the album on its anniversary and aside from the photoshoot above, also share the original album sampler (via cassette) that was hosted by DJ Clue and released to promote the LP. It's dope that Cormega is back in the fold of things and is featured on the King's Disease LP. Of course, respect to Nature, who had one of the best mix tape runs at that time. He bodied everything he touched on those early Clue mix tapes. Anyhow, released on 10/21/97.... listen to the sampler below.

Firm Biz ad from The Source's cover issue with Nas, Foxy & AZ...

Nature "For All Seasons" (Press Kit, 2000)

Speak to the hip-hop legends of Queensbridge, and many will tell you that their paths of success were filled with temptation and evil spirits: devils on their left shoulders eager to fill the do-gooding angels on their right with six shots from a nine millimeter. These were the realities of this 49-acre housing project. Still are. So when one of the poverty-stricken community's rhyme warriors make it big, the community rejoices. First, they celebrate the fact that one of their own has safely reached the soundproof booth. Second, and of equal importance, they get excited because this accomplishment brings forth hope aspiring MC's still engulfed by the struggle. - Press Kit (2000). Nature was moderately considered one of their success stories. He was burning up the mixtape scene at the time, a full-length was much-anticipated, as all his features and mixtape cuts were insane! While his album didn't necessarily live up to the hype - and The Firm album was considered lackluster, too - I still think there were enough joints on For All Seasons to maintain his 'hood status. "Man's World," "We Ain't Friends," the Nas-assisted "Ultimate High," "Young Love," "Nature's Shine" and "I Don't Give A Fuck" were all in rotation at the time. The LP was mostly produced by Poke & Tone of the Trackmasters, alongside L.E.S., Ski Beatz, Lord Jamar, and more. There were a number of records that coulda been included, but you can dig into the archives for the 2 volumes of Queens Classics from Nature to fill in those gaps. Revisit Nature's For All Seasons below...

Part of Nature's For All Seasons Press Kit, 2000...

Nature "Queens Classics 2" (Album Stream)

I haven't stopped rockin' Volume 1 of Nature's "Queens Classics," now he's back with a second throwback release! More Queens hood classics with tracks featuring Half A Mil (R.I.P.), Styles P, Nas, Pete Rock, Noreaga, Fat Joe, FT, Capone-N-Noreaga, DJ Clue, Littles, 50 Cent & lots more. Hit the tags to dig up the first Queens Classic, and dig into this release below to get that old feeling back!

Nature "Queens Classics" (Album Stream)

The Queens kid inside me is rejoicing at the release of Nature's "Queens Classics." Nature had a real run in the late 90s! Having a hand in some of the greatest mixtape cuts, unreleased tracks and definitely Queens classics, this run through his back catalog should stir up a lot of nostalgia for anyone that kept an ear to the street at the time. The 15-track compilation features tracks with Tragedy Khadafi, Blaq Poet, Nas, Noreaga, Littles, E Moneybaggs, ACD and more. There's only track I don't see on here that I've always tried to get my hands on; the track floated around with the names "If I Ain't A Thug" and "Bitch Ass Cat," not sure what it was officially called. Anybody? I also remember coppin' white labels with the tracks "Jungle Music," "Magic & Bird," and other tracks on the project that give me similar memories to reminisce on. Get nostalgic, dig into this one below...

The Firm "The Album" (Rap Pages, December 1997)

"When Dr. Dre left N.W.A. to start Death Row Records with now-convicted felon Marion "Suge" Knight, he brought with him a sparkling track record peppered with numerous gold and platinum records. Unfortunately for Dre, since he escaped Death Row's death row to establish Aftermath Records, he has been unable to duplicate earlier achievements. His label debut  bombed and the Firm, a conglomerate of rappers masquerading as money launderers and cocaine traffickers, fails miserably. The Firm, consisting of Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ and newcomer Nature, first appeared on Nas's It Was Written on "Affirmative Action cut. "Affirmative Action" spun far-fetched tales of cocaine trafficking via Columbia and deals that suddenly turn sour. The insanity continues on the Firm. Instead of only one song depicting such foolishness, the entire album consists of uninspired, rehashed concepts pilfered from movies, such as Goodfellas, The Godfather, Casino and, of course, Scarface. Trackmasters shares production duties with Dre and seem satisfied with making records that probably pose as clever and original pieces of work to most of today's teens. For instance, "Hardcore" is a ripoff of Cheryl Lynn's "Encore," "Firm Biz" bites Teena Marie's "Square Biz" and "Fuck Somebody Else" boldly jacks the Jones Girk's "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else."

"With the Firm's roster of MCs, one would expect this album to be laced with hit. Nothing could be further from the truth. The lyrical content of this debacle is bland. Nas continues his love affair of Latin American-mafioso-Cali cartel fantasies. Usual escapades of bartering p#ssy for loot, as well as breaking down the mathematics and intricacies of the drug trade are detailed by Foxy - again! AZ continues his career as the connected-but-not-yet "made" underling, and Nature never appears comfortable behind the mic. He ends up as the odd man out in the Firm's musical soiree. The Firms is a partnership that desperately needs to be dissolved." - Rap Pages, December 1997. Honestly? While my aim is to only post about content I enjoy - and I do think this album had a few redeeming moments - I have to agree, this album really did disappoint me a bit back in '97. So, I post this only to say, even though it features some of my favorite artists, they had a fair share of misses, too! Or, maybe I need to remove expectations from it, because with that collective, it shoulda been amazing!

A.C.D. "Kings Of NY" (12", 1998)

A.C.D. was a hip-hop duo consisting of Ammo & A-Dog from Queensbridge, New York. Their breakthrough track in '95-96 was a joint with Mobb Deep called "Street Life." It got a ton of love on college radio, Stretch & Bobbito ran it for weeks, and I remember both A.C.D. & L.E.S. freestyling and dropping off a demo or two, as well. This "Kings of NY" 12" didn't drop until 1998 on HitList Records. It featured Nature, who was tearing up the mixtape scene and was arguably one of the hottest artists in the underground at the time. Rick Rude produced the record, as well as their second 12" "In The City" and "Mos N#ggaz" in 1998. The duo dropped a few mixtapes in later years, the first of which was "Korna Klaimers," which had a lot of those early records and features to re-familiarize people with their come-up. After that, "American Dream" and "No Witnesses" in 2006 on Black World Entertainment. A-Dog was also one of the 41st side joints from Lakey the Kid. I never asked what A.C.D. stood for, but if you've ever been to court, you might be able to guess? Dig in...

Nature in Spin Magazine (September, 2000)

"With hip-hop's current fixation on all things bling-bling, blue-collar rapper Nature sticks out like a 40-dog of brew in a case of Moet & Chandon. "People may look at my style in a bad way because they're used to the growling and the big chains," says Nature of his no-frills emphasis on skills. "They brainwashed. I gotta take 'em back and walk 'em through them steps again. 'Cause all the guys I ever liked did it like that." Growing up in the MC fertile Queensbridge housing projects in Long Island City, New York - which also spawned Marley Marl and Mobb Deep - supplied Nature (real name: Jermaine Baxter) with no shortage of musical role models. He's been assaulting urban eardrums since 1997 when fellow QB resident Nas recruited him for overhyped hip-hop supergroup The Firm (which included Foxy Brown and AZ). Dedicating his deadpan cadence to colorful crime-rhymes and ribald confessions ("Doggystyle was my favorite position,") Nature upstaged his jiggier colleagues on thug anthems like "I'm Leaving." But the Firm's champagne-dream image left the 27-year-old with a bad hangover. "We were supposed to be the ill rap crew," he says. "But I couldn't really be accepted rocking suits. It didn't feel street." Peep The Firm's "Phone Tap," cont'd below...

"No such paid-in-full posturing pollutes Nature's solo debut, For All Seasons. It's a crafty platter of metaphorical flair, compelling boy-meets-girl / girl-caps-boy-for-f#cking-around narratives, and vivid ghetto reminisces that recall Nas' early poetics. Furthermore, lines like "You know the motto: we live for today, f#ck tomorrow / We only makin' time for the ho's to swallow" (from "Man's World") demonstrate that Nature's knack for sublimely offensive observations remains intact. "With a lot of guys nowadays, their words kinda dissolve," Nature says. "But I know when I get on the mic, my whole verse isn't gonna go by without you sayin', 'Where those rhymes comin' from?' Comin' from the hood!" - Chairman Mao, Spin Magazine (September, 2000) // Save a copy of the feature below.

Nature "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (June, 1999)

"I'd rather be the underdog and do real good," says soft-spoken Nature, "than have a lotta hype then bust." On this chilly March day, Nas's 23-year old protege appears to have an unwavering air of confidence... With a tight debut album set for summer release, Nature's feelin' good about life in the rap game. Before he was Nature, Jermaine Baxter was a shorty coming up in NYC's notorious Queensbridge projects. He and Nas went to the same school. Then in 1997, after a three-year bid, Nature linked up with his illmatic counterpart and was thrust into the spotlight as the fourth member of the Firm, featuring Nas, Foxy Brown, and AZ. But pressures from outside and within the group left Nature with a bitter taste in his mouth. "In the Firm there was, like, a lot of different egos and politics involved," he says. "Excluding myself, you had three heads who sold millions of records on their own. But when it came time to come together, the whole image wasn't pure." "The Firm was on a gangsta vibe," Nas would later say, "while Nature's bringing that gritty shit. Brothas ain't get a chance to hear (Nature's) side of the story yet. And I want brothas to feel the fire and anguish of his story." (Updated: I've never found a CD-Q of this track, but let's go back to the mixtape days with DJ Clue's exclusive Nature cut, "If I Ain't A Thug." Got a copy?) Cont'd below...

"Nature's being very cautious with his forthcoming solo debut, For All Seasons (Trackmasters/Columbia). He tests tasty selections like the raw jail tune "Biddin' It" on the ears of folks in his Queens neighborhood. So don't expect to hear any Cristal-poppin', radio-friendly R&B rap. "Personally, I don't dance," Nature says, grinning. "I respect dance music, but I'm trying to make tough songs. I want to add to the game, not subtract from it." Following in the footsteps of Nas, Nature also sees his impending success as a bridge for his new group of rappers, Wild Gremlins, to build upon. "We went all year with Harlem World," Nature says jokingly. "Much love to them, but we want to go back to Queens for a little while." This underdog will have his day." - Vibe (6/99).