Terror Squad:
True Story

Release Date: 23 August 2004

Reviewed By: Colin Aurelien

1. Nothin's Gonna Stop Me

2. Yeah Yeah Yeah

3. Hum Drum

4. Lean Back

5. Take Me Home

6. Streets Of NY

7. Bring'em Back

8. Yes Dem To Def

9. Pass Away

10. Let Them Things Go

11. Thunder In The Air

12. Terror Era

Talib Kweli - The Beautiful Struggle
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Minus Triple Seis, Cuban Link and the legendary Christopher Rios aka Big Punisher, the Terror Squad are back with the album 'True Story', the follow up to their ‘99 debut album 'Terror Squad: The Album'.

‘True Story’ sees Fat Joe move out from the shadow of Big Pun, the 25 stone former TS member who passed away in 2000. Back as the main focal point, the confidence of being the squad’s main artist is reaffirmed on the tracks 'Yes Dem To Def', 'Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me' and 'Lean Back' which will go down in hip-hop annuals as a classic track.

The induction of female squad member Remy Ma in 2000 means this is her debut on a TS album. Fans of Remy who are still waiting for the release of her debut album will be pleased to hear that she has used 'True Story' to confirm her growing reputation as one of the leading female rappers around today. Remy, who to date is best known as a feature artist, doesn't disappoint on tracks including 'Take Me Home', 'Terror Era' and 'Yeah Yeah Yeah', where her 16 bars are the highlight.

While Remy and Fat Joe feature heavily on the 12-track album, Tony Sunshine, Geddy and Prospect, the remaining members of the New York collective, don't let the squad down. Tony Sunshine, the R&B singer in the squad, demonstrates his versatility when he raps alongside Fat Joe on 'Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me'. Having listened to this track, any new prospective listener to Sunshine will then be pleasantly surprised to listen to 'Pass Away' as well as R&B track ‘Streets Of NY’, which he lays his soulful vocals over impressively. Geddy and Prospect also show up well on tracks 'Hum Drum' and 'Pass Away'.

‘True Story’ is essential listening with enough variety to keep even the less than ardent of hip-hop fans reaching for the play button. The album has a lot of everything, from the club banger 'Lean Back' to commercial tracks 'Take Me Home' and 'Streets Of NY', a throw back R&B track straight out of the ’80s. There is also something for the loyal Terror Squad fans with track seven, 'Bring 'Em Back' paying homage to Big Pun. This is definitely one for your CD collection.

Rating: 5 Out of 5

Top 3 tracks:

4) Lean Back
5) Take Me Home
6) Streets Of NY

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