He was introduced some five-plus years ago on The D&D Project, a loose knit compilation of up & coming artists backed by people like DJ Premier and The Beatminerz, shortly following a 12″ bid during the independent boom with “Closer To God”, a true to life tale about catching a bullet, with DJ Premier again manning the boards. But his moment of truth came on Gang Starr’s fifth album, with a definitive verse on “Make ‘Em Pay”, one that gave Primo’s beat such a feeling of realness that it scored The Source Magazine’s Hip-Hop Quotable – Dopest Rhyme Of The Month. Since then, Krumb Snatcha has released his Snatcha Season EP, but attempts at achieving longevity with Long Awaited: Snatcha Season Pt. 2, a full-length debut backed by the likes of Nottz, The Beatminerz, Curt Cazal and others.

While Primo isn’t here to hold Snatcha’s hand this time around, Krumb’s team does attempt to mimic his sound on tracks like “Hustle”, and the obviously M.O.P. inspired “Jungle” (feat. Teflon). Meanwhile, taking the place of top producer, Nottz steps up to the plate animating Krumb’s poetics, once again proving himself to be one of the most slept on producers of the moment. His signature sound that has laced Busta Rhymes and his Flipmode Squad is prevalent on joints like “Do U Wanna” (feat. BoogieMan & Top Gun) and “Can’t Get None” (feat. Lord Tariq), as Krumb and his crew spit venom at hoodrats and golddiggers. Notably, disrespect isn’t aimed towards all women, as Krumb Snatcha’s sensitive side seems most honest, whether he’s shouting out ma-dukes on the thoughtful, yet painfully executed, “Mother’s Love”, or giving shorty-boo a shoulder to cry on, on the likable “Take your Pain Away “.

Still, there are feeble attempts at concocting jiggy-club hits, such as “Fabulous” and “Afta The Club” – two failures sounding just as contrived as fellow Gang Starr fam Afu Ra’s attempt “Caliente” on his own Body Of The Life Force LP. Krumb does seem in his element though, when churning out raw street anthems such as the memorable “Killer In Me”, “We All Die Tonight”, or “Can’t Stop (What U Ain’t Started Yet)”. And like “Closer To God” or “Make ‘Em Pay”, Krumbsnatcha’s most powerful moment lies in when he paints pictures of realistic everyday ghetto life, as he does on the poignant “Jungle”.

While Krumb Snatcha may not seem to be the toughest emcee to emerge from Baldhead Slick’s clique, he is a quintessential representative of the ghetto, and definitely speaks to the streets. While this material is over one-year old, Krumb’s more recent releases, such as his Training Day duet with M.O.P., “W.O.L.V.E.S.”, shows that he has improved since the recording of this album; and by allowing him a few more years in the game, and possibly the chance to polish his sound, (perhaps executed best by sticking with one producer), Krumbsnatcha may one day achieve Gang Starr levels of respect.