Masta Ace
Album : Sittin’ On Chrome
Release Date : March 20, 2001
Label : Rhino Records

Customer Review :

"The most important slept-on album ever !
I say this because at least Slaughtahouse got some attention. Delicious Vinyl artists were pretty much on their own when they hit Capitol, which was getting ready to shut down its Black Music Division, in ’95. This album was out of print for tooooo long, but Rhino/WEA picked all their stuff back up.
Anyway, rewind to 1995. The East Coast-West Coast nonsense was picking up nuff steam on a daily basis. Masta Ace already proved to be "Chronic"ly ahead of his time with the critical theme of and storyline-based Slaughtahouse, and continued the trend with Sittin’ On Chrome, the peace summit y’all should have had last year.
Experimenting with his "Brooklyn Bass" sound (and yes, capitalizing off of the "Jeep A$$ N !gg@" remix "Born 2 Roll," ’cuz he has to eat like you and I), Ace answered Rodney King’s searing question to the affirmative. Although he didn’t work with any West Coast artists or producers, he probably did so to prove that sound and music are universal, and nothing to be territorial about. For those who say he sold out, show me the G-Funk knock-offs you speak of. "What’s Going On !," "Sittin’ On Chrome," "U Can’t Find Me," and "Da Answer (Phat Music is Da Answer ! Yet the two rappers many of you consider "the greatest" couldn’t see that)" were Ace’s interpretation of the sounds rolling in from the West and the South, and he rendered them creatively. The lyrics followed this album’s storyline (which was similar to the last album’s storyline) faithfully, and made this a feel good album about a bad situation. The skits, instead of glorifying coast-based stereotypes, were like clips from a ghetto Seinfeld before that brand of humor became played out.
The complaints I’ve seen in reviews of this album have me convinced that people have forgotten what Hip-Hop was about in the first place : squashing the funk in more ways than one. As a work in total, Sittin On Chrome served its primary purpose : to entertain. It could have also brought people together if the label and the media took this album’s potential more seriously. After all, this is one of the dudes who was in the f**kin’ Symphony, man !
Regardless of that, Masta Ace blessed us with two consecutive classics—we wouldn’t receive the third of the trinity for another 6 years, but he still hit us with that all too vital message tempered with his patented sense of humor. Hit us one more time, Ace. Hip-Hop needs another "Original Concept.""

Track Listings :

1. Intro
2. I.N.C. Ride
3. Eastbound
4. What’s Going On !
5. B-Side
6. Sittin’ on Chrome
7. People in My Hood
8. Turn It Up
9. U Can’t Find Me
10. Ain’t No Game
11. Freestyle ?
12. Terror
13. Da Answer
14. 4 da Mind
15. Born to Roll
16. Phat Kat Ride, Thed

No profanity, or inaproppriate remarks.