Cormega - True Meaning (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

Another classic, but it's not The Realness

Cormega | QBC | 07/15/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Cormega has always been the hip-hop underdog. Although well known throughout the QB streets, he has never received the accreditation he so deserves in the game. Booted from The Firm & dismissed by Def Jam, Cormega's debut album, The Testament, never saw the light of day, released only through underground bootleg's & compilations. Mega refused to give up, and in 2001 he finally accomplished the release of an official debut, entitled The Realness. Now, let's face the facts, The Realness was a raw, rugged & honest street album, hip-hop at it's finest, standing alongside such classics as Illmatic & Reflection Eternal. Anyone, let alone Cormega, would be hard-pressed to make another album as good as The Realness. And yet Cormega dared to try. In The True Meaning we see mostly the same level of rhyme & production that we saw in The Realness. Mostly. And yet, here & there, tiny cracks in Mega's perfection begin to appear. The title track sounds lazy & weak in comparison to the rest of the album. Mega can flow to any beat, but he's just way too slow & lazy on this track. The rest of the CD is up to Mega's standard, yet something is very noticeable. AH yes, all the tracks are much too short, most of them are only 2 verses long! The Come Up, which features The Large Professor in an effective collabo, only sees Mega delivering a single & fairly short verse! Worse yet, on Take These Jewels, Mega spits the same verse he delivered on Loyalty from Screwball's album!!! Some beat biting is also evident throughout the album, but that is not as important. The next thing that must be noticed is the album's depth. Live Ya Life is a nice, conscious track which brings back memories of The Saga from The Realness. The Legacy is also a great Alchemist-laced track which reminds me of Glory Days. All is good, but where's the equivalent of American Beauty? And where are the deeply moving dedication tracks like Fallen Soldiers & the Remix? Instead, Mega has opted to take some more shots at Nas in A Thin Line, Love In Love Out & Endangered Species. He says he doesn't want to undergo the Joe Frasier stigma, and yet he continues to throw needless disses at Esco. OK Mega, we get the idea, you're the better MC, now cut it out. Mega should concentrate more on making conscious songs like Life Ya Life. Apart from the mishaps, this is a very good album. Introspective, Verbal Graffiti, Built For This & Therapy are the four standouts which are performed to the absolute best of Mega's abilities. Songs like these show us what Hip-Hop is really about: raw, rugged beats & dope rhyming. My favourite track would be Therapy, in a very close contest with Verbal Graffiti. To sum it up, Cormega has indeed dropped another classic street album. The average underground Hip-Hop fan will be more tham pleased with the content of The True Meaning. How-ever, the die-hard Cormega fan will undoubtedly agree with me on my comparison of this album to The Realness: It's almost as good, but not quite.Peace to all y'all fans of real hip-hop. Y'all know whassup!One."

Mega the phat cat kingpin of NYC!

Joey Carter | Tha DUC, VA United States | 06/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ay yo...bottom line you if your a fan of Hip-Hop and Not that Hip-Pop bullish...you need to get this album! Cormega is still spittin tha realness on this album...all tracks are bangin you won't have to hit skip one time on this, and your head will stay noddin. The production on this album is on point all the way through, Mega did a good job recruiting some top..yet slept on producers such as Hi-Tek and Alchemist. The thing I like most about this album though is it's pretty much all Mega, it's not one of these solo albums that has a guest apperance on every song cuz Mega doesn't have to hold back on lyrics, he can write the tightest lyrics all deliver them as well. Mega exlpains his beef with both Nas and Jay-Z on this album..while he never says any names, if your a fan of hip-hop you'll pick up on it...check the song "Love in Love out". This is probablly the best album I have heard in a long time definatly 5 stars...so do yourself a favor and pick this up!"

Hip-Hop's best MC in the game!

Jason Machen | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love the way this album was set up. Like most rappers their follow up albums sound the same as their previous ones. Not Mega on The True Meaning. It's different from the Realness. Of course the Realness was the album of 2001 next to Nas's Stillmatic. To me the True Meaning has a nicer feeling than The Realness. He dosen't mention Nas on here. On one song he explains the times on how he was treated dealing with the Firm and Def Jam Records. He chose underrated producers such as L.E.S., Hi-Tek, and Hangmen 3. This album is a must buy because you can feel his lyrics on it."

Amazing Sophmore Effort From Cormega

Drew | New York | 05/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For most of you who are aware of Cormega, you know that this is really his third album after The Testament and The Realness but The Testament was shelved. However, all three albums are great and The True Meaning is no exception. Mega is an amazing lyricist who speaks about his travels through the streets with such simplicity and skill. Like he says, "Rhymes like these leave your mind at ease." You can tell that Mega is a true fan of hip hop who just has a real love for what he's doing and not the money and fame that results from his rapping. In my opinion, Cormega is every bit the rapper that Nas is and if you took away Illmatic, Mega would be better. Still, they're both extremely talented and it's too bad that they're enemies now. Anyways, onto the songs...

1. Introspective - Real nice intro to start of the album. Just a 2 minute track with a nice, slow beat with Cormega just ripping through the song. "And Big didn't give the crown up and this means his unwilling departure still makes him king." 10/10

2. Verbal Graffiti - Mega's flow is unmatched on here. He just rhymes flawlessly over this strange but still hot beat. This song shows his love of hip hop with his intensity. "Lyrics are furious. I reign imperious." 10/10

3. Live Ya Life - This is a lot like Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up" but not as good in my opinion. It's still an excellent song with Cormega going through problems in the hood and with a good chorus. Very sad and emotional song. "The only way you gonna make things right, Is to get yourself together and Live Ya Life." 9/10

4. Ain't Gone Change - Just a short freestyle about how Mega won't change (as the title suggests). "I'm Queensbridge most respected rapper. That ain't gone change!"

5. The True Meaning - My favorite song on the album. Cormega raps over a blazing beat and lays out some great lyrics about how things were and how they are now for him. "If I affected your life, in any way trife, when I was doing crime forgive me." 10/10

6. A Thin Line - This is basically a diss song to anyone who has or will oppose him. It sounds as though it's directed at Nas but it's for anyone willing to go against Mega. Great beat too. "Should have kept it real you put your fate in your hand. I guess that's the way it was planned." 9/10

7. The Legacy - Amazing beat with Cormega just going through his own "legacy" and how he came to be where he is now and who he met along the way. No hook. "It was '85, Queensbridge was crazy live." 9/10

8. Love In Love Out - Great song with Cormega rhyming about his falling out with Nas and The Firm. He details the story with some great rhymes over this slow and sad beat. Not a diss song because he's just going over what happened and explaining why they don't get along anymore. He even says he's proud of Nas. "I respect you as an artist although I'm no longer fond of you. I gave you love from the heart unlike the people surrounding you." 10/10

9. The Come Up - Pretty good song featuring Large Professor. Not really feeling the beat and Mega only has one verse but the lyrics are good by both. "I'm consumed with, the essence of the street. I'm destined to be, on a level I've yet to see." 7/10

10. Built For This - Extremely good song with a great beat and great lyrics. Definately a lesson in how to rhyme and he just flows right over this tight beat. "I live the rhyme I visualize. You ain't real I see it in your eyes." 10/10

11. Soul Food - West Coast sounding beat with good lyrics as he tells a story about a girl. "I'm feeling your style, your conversation, your smile. I've been patient a while, there's no escaping denial." 8/10

12. Take These Jewels - Mega rhymes over a soft beat about friends and loyalty. He warns against friends becoming enemies and you can't help but think that it's inspired by his former friendship with Nas. "The symphony ain't complete till the curtains close. And you upstate thinking you deserve parole." 9/10

13. Endangered Species - Again, Mega warns people against starting with him. He describes what will happen and explains how he is. Very strong track. "Nothing sweeter than revenge. The vengeance is splendid, your body extended. White chalk and forensics." 10/10

14. Therapy - Hot beat and some very tight rhymes as well. Mega is just summarizing himself for everyone and goes out on a high note. "To ease the mind, I analyze between lines I vandalize with rhymes. When I recite, I hold the mic like a nine." 10/10"

Classic...

asterrt | Jackson Heights, NY USA | 06/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The True Meaning takes on a different flavor than The Realness, though again this is vintage Cormega. As the name of the first track may imply, this album is a bit more introspective than his first, delving into more varied topics and issues. Cormega is NOT for the commercially inclined, he is for the hip-hop connoisseur. His lyrics often take on multiple meanings, and his rhymes are of often so complex that you need to listen a number of times before you see what he's getting at. The True Meaning has something for everyone; standout tracks (though every track is great)include Verbal Graffiti, The True Meaning, Soul Food, and Endangered Species. The track which caught me most by surprise was 'Ain't Gone Change', where Mega questions 'Does freedom have a meaning if you're trapped in your ways?" The True Meaning is way beyond its time, and I have a feeling people will be looking back on this one as they did with Wu-Tang Forever - an album which will not receive the recognization of skills and creativeness it deserves until years later..."

Search - Cormega :: True Meaning

CD Details

Synopsis

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews