Mixtape album, no rating given.

     After Rasassination we had to wait 7 years (yes, seven years) to get an album out of the self proclaimed “King of the West Coast.” Now we get 2 albums (or mixtapes if you will) in less than 6 months! Ras Kass came back hard with Institutionalized but apparently didn’t feel that the industry was taking him seriously. So what does Ras do? Come right back with Revenge of the Spit, a “fun” mixtape/album if you will that puts a spin on the Revenge of the Sith theme (check the 2 goofy cover arts of Ras rolling with the light and the dark side). While Ras staked his claim as one of the west coasts finest, one has to wonder how much gas does John Austin have in his tank?

    Revenge of the Spit is basically a mixtape of Ras Kass showing off his connections and slaying previously released beats. Take “Hello Summa” for instance, Ras flexes his own lyrical muscle over the “Dear Summer” beat that Just Blaze cooked up for Jay-Z. Usually when an individual tries to follow up on a beat Jay-Z crushed, the results are futile. But Ras Kass is a whole different story. Here Ras puts his own spin on the concept and makes it fit his body of work. Instead of leaving summer like Hov did, Ras introduces himself to the very season Jay left behind. The results are enticing to say the least.

    Ras also sides with some of hip hop’s finest emcees. He tackles the “Go Crazy” beat with Talib Kweli, sandwiches himself between Busta Rhymes and ODB on “Get This Money” and teams up with his fellow underappreciated emcee, Royce 5’9″, for a lesson in lyrical finesse on “Future & Past.”
Lyrically, Ras is still a beast as he menaces joints like “US Open” and clowns around with “Just a Lil Bitch.” The latter is a reworking of 50 Cent’s “Just a Lil Bit” complete with Ras’ sense of humor (“I want a 3 foot dwarf/just a lil bitch/show me a hot ass midget/I’ll fuck a lil bitch”). He even surprises many underground heads with “Hit Me On My Blackberry” which is produced by none other than 9th Wonder. For those who wondered if the pairing would work….well it definitely has. Whether we will see the combination in the future is another question.

    Revenge of the Spit is vintage Ras Kass and is basically Ras keeping his lyrical swords sharp while reminding everyone that he is coming for that crown. Sure we would have loved to hear some original production but many who need a Ras fix will be more than happy to pick this CD up. Now we have to wait for Ras to find a label to put out a real album.