With the rap scene full of hot joints from New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, many may not be prepared for what lies in Philadelphia. Philly's Most Wanted (PMW) is making some noise and all of it is good. The City of Brotherly Love just gave hardcore hip-hop fans something else to pop into their CD players.

     After popping the CD sampler containing this duo's latest works, I am definitely anticipating their full CD. PMW are Boobonic and Mr. Man, who received the help of mix master DJ Clue, on this six-song demo. If this is just a taste of what to expect, I can't wait for the full meal. Right from the opening track, which contains a freestyle rap with a sample from Dr. Dre's Next Episode, I knew I was in for something special. Almost every song after this seemed to beat out the last song.

     Beanie Sigel makes a guest appearance on Suckas Pt. 2, which contains the following rap: I've got make a movie money/you've got take a bitch to see a movie money. That is so cool; at least in my book. I like raps like that. Still, occasionally, PMW falters with uninspired, lame lines, like, ask Michael Jackson who is B-A-D. That's bad for all of you who can't spell, and that's bad for this group, too. Still, PMW totally makes up for it with some phat beats, quick paced and original rhymes that differ from the rap you'll hear in other cities in terms of pace and speed.

     I'm the type of n***a that gets a whole lot of cash/I'm the type of n***a that gets a whole lot of ass/I'm the type of n***a that gets a whole lot of cash/I'm the type of n***a that will pull out fast. Combined with a crazy phat beat, lines like these make each song memorable and have your head nodding whether you wanted it to or not. Now, I have to admit that at first, I didn't like this CD. I gave it a quick run-through and didn't really pay it any mind. Then I decided to give it another try while I was working out and I'm glad I did. I was paying attention on this occasion. I all ready liked the beats, but this time I was listening to the words and enjoying every song, sometimes relaying songs like Cross the Border, featuring a phat hook (an aspect of popular or commercial music that "grabs" people and makes it easy to like or remember the song).

     The hook in this song is performed by a girl who is trying to let her man know she'll do anything for him. Will you run across the border mama/I'll run across the border papa/And what will you bring me back mama/I will bring you back papa/And don't forget/I won't forget/What I need/What you need. Add that portion to a mariachi bounce beat provided by the Neptunes and you have a catchy song that will most likely be receiving crazy amounts of airtime.

     PMW is putting Philadelphia on the hip-hop map. Will Smith, Eve and The Roots also hail from Philly, but this group is helping to bring the focus to the local scene. The themes are similar to rap from other cities, such as talk about street life and the song Suckas, which is an anthem against player haters. Still, the slight differences make Philly's Most Wanted hip-hop's latest success.

     Drop me a line with your comments on this article. I can be contacted at JMinners@ybfree.com.

Return to YBFREE.com's Main Page