The Testament is one of Hip Hop’s premier throw back albums.  It was intended to be released in 1997 on Def Jam, however, the label felt Mega lacked the superstar quality needed to succeed and the album was shelved indefinitely.  Since then fans have sought after The Testament for years.  Now after eight long years it is finally here.

    While The Testament may not rival The True Meaning and The Realness, it is an intriguing look at the early days of a rising emcee.  It is evident how much Cormega has grown since The Testament, as his delivery and song making has improved.  Even though The Testament is proof that Cormega has matured as an emcee, the album still provides that gritty and uncompromising edge. 

      The Sha Money XL produced “Angel Dust” personifies the Queens Bridge sound perfectly with its haunting piano loop and murderous lyrics.  Mega comes out swinging on the track, with lines such as, “The crime-matic mind, my rhyme status shines, like a nine matic.  Yo, I’m Scarface for real, I wanna die blasting.”  Mega’s over the top Mafioso storytelling on “Dead Man Walking” continues to display his raw hunger, as does the mixtape classic “Montana Diary”.  Mega then smoothes things out with the thug love of “Coco Butter”, and the introspective “Love Is Love”, which utilizes the same sample of Killah Priest’s “B.I.B.L.E.”.  However, The Testament’s true hit of nostalgia comes from Mega’s response to Nas’ Illmatic letter on “One Love”. 

     The Testament is Cormega’s way of closing one chapter in his life and moving onto the next.  The album displays Mega’s young and energetic hunger and is a welcomed edition in Queens Bridge history.  While the album lacks the depth of The Realness and The True Meaning, it gives the listener a portal into Cormega’s past and some closure after all these years.