West Koasta Nostra (Explicit)

by Rob TheakstonIt'd been far too long since Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. reared their collective menacing heads around the scene. After disappearing for several years, the clan regrouped with a monster of a record in West Koasta Nostra. It's a welcome return for the group, whose production skills and lyrical delivery are as fierce as ever. However, it all seems as if something is missing. What makes this album as strong as it is can't really be contributed to the production or Boo-Yaa's rhymes, but the unbelievable quality of the guest appearances that carry the album through start to finish. Aside from having an average of three guests per track, Mack 10, Kurupt, and Knoc-Turn'al all make strong appearances that rival deliveries on their own respective albums, but it's Cypress Hill's B Real and Eminem's appearance on "911" that unquestionably makes the track the crown jewel of West Koasta Nostra. It's not a classic on par with 1990's New Funky Nation, but for those longtime diehards who had been awaiting a return to form, West Koasta is welcome relief.