Koch Records
2006
The Death Of Willie Lynch (Explicit)
About This Album
Seemed like poet/rapper Black Ice's debut album was promised years ago, long before he wowed everyone for five consecutive seasons on HBO's Def Poetry Jam. Stunning appearances on Method Man's Tical 0: The Prequel and Pete Rock's Soul Survivor II -- both released in 2004 -- got people talking, then the "first spoken word artist signed to Def Jam Records" announced two years later his debut was landing on Koch. If his liner note "thank you" to his label ("To KOCH...If the record industry was organized religion, you guys are the yoga center!!!") doesn't convince you the move from major to indie was a smart decision, one listen to the unaffected The Death of Willie Lynch will. First off, there's no parade of superstar guest stars and producers. Instead, Black Ice has enlisted a handful of well-chosen guests and stuck with one producer for the whole shebang, Eric "Booty" Greene. Rather than being a scattershot showoff album, the latter choice keeps Ice's debut flowing like it should, with Greene offering a wealth of ideas without ever losing sight of that "hang together" feeling so many anticipated debuts ignore. It allows Black Ice to roam freely from the opening, bragging track to the heartbreaking "The Ugly Show," which sounds a lot like Kanye West addressing parental neglect with a Rose Royce sample.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,5,6,7,8,9,11 and 12)

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