Although Cormega was kicked out of the AZ, Nas, Nature and Foxy Brown group The Firm some time before the groups' debut album, he joined Def Jam records and was working on his own never released debut album The Testament. Soon after, he was facing jail time on charges unknown to me and never released that album. Some years later, he's finally released his true debut album, The Realness. Although I had high expectations for it, it lived up to be everything I had believed it to be and is nothing short of amazing. Though Nas would say different, Cormega is almost a reincarnate if him. With this said, its hard not to notice the street poetry, the delivery and multi-syllable flow thats apparent throughout the albums fourteen tracks. Although many would probably disagree with me, but Cormega's style is, perhaps, better than Nas ever could have thought. While Illmatic is a classic album of street poetry, The Realness deserves, in every right, to be in that particular hall of fame.  
 
 
Below Is A Track Listing And Their Overall Rating:  
 
1. Dramatic Entrance (*****)  
2. American Beauty (*****)  
3. Thun & Kicko (*****)  
4. The Saga (*****)  
5. R U My Nigga? (*****)  
6. Unforgiven (*****)  
7. Fallen Soldiers (*****)  
8. Glory Days (*****)  
9. Rap's A Hustle (*****)  
10. Get Out My Way (*****)  
11. You Don't Want It (*****)  
12. 5 For 40 (*****)  
13. They Forced My Hand (*****)  
14. Fallen Soldiers (Remix) (*****)  
15. Killaz Theme (*****)  
 
 
Dramatic Entrance is a classic album opener. Instead of an intro or a skit to level everything out with talking about nothing and various sound effects that make no sense, we get an actual track.  
 
The low-key, very angelic beat is brought to life by a rather complex drum loop and extremely well-fitting harp sound effects and a scaling keyboard effect tops everything off. Without a doubt the beautiful production is only one part of this seemingly ingenious album opener. The actual lyrics are second to none. Cormega doesn't fuck around with bragging, various comments or just rambling on about nothing, he actually kicks a few verses that touch down on his time before this albums release and how few thought he would actually record this classic album.  
 
The overall effect of hard-hitting lyrics, an on-point flow and suiting production is downright amazing. The one thing I was most surprised at was the fact that he didn't waste any time getting into the actual rhyming and deep subject matter that The Realness undoubtedly has.  
 
The following track, American Beauty, is a rendition of the classic Common track, I Used To Love H.E.R.  
 
The overall effect is still the same as 'Mega uses the metaphor of a woman for the various uses that Hip-Hop has for both the underground and the mainstream. Over low-key, relaxing production, his poetic lyrics spill the message into your ear-drums and the whole idea seems fresh again. His lyrics are second to none and his flow perfectly suits the slow, saddening beat extremely well. The only problem I have with this particular track is that even though his lyrics are extremely good, the track is too short for him to actually go into any detail that wasn't heard on Common's version.  
 
A few tracks up, we come to my favorite track, bar none on the album. R U My Nigga is a questionnaire of trust and loyalty.  
 
With a beautiful beat provided by Jae-Supreme that consists of a brilliant synthesizer section, a scarce drum loop and a bass kick that tops it all off, Cormega retains his poetic lyrical elements. The subject is brought to brilliant light both by his approach to the subject matter and his street poetry that is included through the track playing off of trust in the streets and his actions that may even warrant distrust. The idea being handled this way is a fresh idea and works considerably well.  
 
To top it all off, listening to valid points over a first-class beat with poetic elements thrown in as well, you can expect a classic track which is exactly what comes from this. ("The insecurity of things they might never see/Makin' niggas minds corrupt, then my nine erupts/Denyin' what, life you had expired/You tried your luck, then died for what/You asked for forgiveness but my eyes was shut/You wasn't wise enough, to stop me from risin' up/Are you my nigga?")  
 
Skipping over the dramatic Unforgiven which seems to recall the events that lead to his incarceration, we come to the heartfelt and emotional Fallen Soldiers.  
 
Over melancholic bass lines and a keyboard effect that is as somber as the bass lines themselves, Cormega reaches into the Heaven's and tries to connect with his deceased friends. With complex, emotional lyrics that are as simplistic as they can be incredibly deep rhyme-wise, you can never say Cormega isn't emotionally honest. With each bar he comes off as pained and regretful, as many of us are after we've lost a loved one.  
 
Not only is he incredibly serious and melancholic in tone, his subject matter touched whoever is lucky enough to hear this brilliant track. Emotionally lyricism is one thing, but crafting a great beat over poetic lyrics that craft more emotion than the production itself is stellar. Without a doubt the introspection here is one of the many stand-outs on The Realness.  
 
The following track, Glory Days, shines because of its original and extremely well-produced beat and it's retrospective, professional lyricism.  
 
After that particular track, we come to another outstanding moment. Rap's A Hustle is an original metaphorical track that uses the idea of pimping for emceeing. 'Mega's pen is the prostitute and he is the pimp; this is an extremely original idea in and of itself.  
 
It doesn't come as any surprise that the production is stellar. Over a scarce drum loop, airy sound effects and a keyboard-style background that gets your head nodding immediately, he kicks his original subject matter with no faltering moments. He drops the poetic elements for more Old School-styled lyricism which is slightly simplistic in the rhyme department but just listening to his great use of metaphors is a great listen in and of itself.  
 
As well, over a beat that is near perfect in every aspect makes the track all the much better; without a doubt this extremely fresh view of Hip-Hop is something that more Hip-Hop needs to utilize.  
 
You Don't Want It follows later on in the album and is a better example of the battle raps you'll find throughout The Realness. Much in the same vein as Get Out My Way but lighter in tone, 'Mega spews venom and Nas and everyone of his other peers.  
 
Over a piano arrangement and a light drum loop, 'Mega drops insult and truthful statements to verbally attack Nas with multi-syllabic rhymes and a scheme that is both complex and on-point flow-wise. Without a doubt this even outweighs Nas' diss to 'Mega, Mobb Deep and Nature with Destroy & Rebuild from Stillmatic simply because he doesn't use typical battle tactics but instead uses the honest truth. This approach is something not many chose to use. 'Mega doesn't resort to immature insults but relies on great lyricism and valid points to explain the situation with Nas, and belittle him. (You wanna talk violent, but Sig P.'s for solution/I stalk silent, when I proceed execution/Taught by the, realest niggas to walk the planet/With one thought you vanish, like the Corp. remanded/You on the Ave with your weak mans frontin)  
 
The albums ends with the great freestyle 5 For 40 the introspective They Forced My Hand and a classic remix to the already perfect Fallen Soldiers.  
 
Even with the album appearing done, after about two minutes of waiting after the Fallen Soldiers (Remix) ends, another track starts up. An ominous background starts up over a dark bass line, the sound of a record popping and low vocals darken the track all the much more.  
 
Killaz Theme II is and outstanding track, so it comes as a surprise that its a bonus track and isnt included in the track listing. Both member of Mobb Deep appear on this track and assist Cormega on dropping some extremely dark, ominous lyrics about the true reality of the streets with a hardcore edge. All three give a great performance with their own distinct flows and subject matter for this particular topic. Although its not officially the album closer, the lyrics themselves leave a lasting impression and leave the album on an extremely good note.  
 
This is one of the greatest albums of all time; I would even go as far as to say it's the modern day Illmatic. Out of every one of the fourteen tracks, none of them approach being weak and are all stellar. Cormega sticks to the streets here and never approaches selling out, which means this is an essential albums for every real Hip-Hop fan. The outstanding lyricism, great subject matter and fitting production makes this one of the greatest albums you're likely to hear within the category of street poetics. Find it, buy it, live it.  
