Steve 'Flash' JuonAh yes. There’s nothing I like more than hearing rappers do bad impersonations of their favorite fictional mafia characters from the silver screen.
Wait — that’s not what I meant. As much as I like Al Pacino, I’ve had just about all I can take in one lifetime of people imitating him portraying charismatic criminals. It’s not hard to understand the appeal though given the way characters like Michael Corleone and Tony Montana infiltrated pop culture. If there’s one thing I actually DO enjoy it’s hearing snippets of their dialogue sampled in rap songs. As a narrative device it’s also not hard to see why a rapper would want to portray a “Made Man.” In mafia lore it’s a position earned through paying dues, paying respect, and unquestioned loyalty to your superiors. Once you are “made” you’re considered untouchable. Whether a petty street thug or a top rank capo, you can’t mess with a made man without starting a war — or so the story goes.
Now if we’re to draw this narrative out to its full logical conclusion, Percy “Master P” Miller is the don of his family No Limit Records. It should come as no surprise that his top lieutenants in the family would be actual blood brothers like Vyshonn King Miller b/k/a Silkk the Shocker. Their bond and loyalty is unquestioned even without the Italian crime family imagery laid over the top. Nepotism is a curious beast though and Silkk embodies all of its dangers. The most polite way I could describe his rhyme style is “spastic” and the most rude would be “hot garbage.” He flows like molasses in January — slowly or not at all. He starts and stops at ridiculous times while rapping with a method that I’ve never understood. Is it because he has no breath control? Is it because his brain can’t process the words he’s saying fast enough? Is it a misguided attempt to have an inventive style that stands out from his peers?
When “Made Man” works it’s almost by accident. Songs like “You Know What We Bout” benefit from pounding Craig B (Beats by the Pound) production and guest appearances from Jay-Z and Master P. I’ll even give “Somebody Like Me” the credit it deserves for being a crossover hit. Silkk toned down his erratic delivery to a tolerable level, songstress Mya gives him someone to pitch his woo to before she sings the hook, and The Whole 9 lives up to their name with a silky R&B instrumental. Even if you’re not normally into Silkk the Shocker it’s a song you can’t deny because it hits all of the right notes.
There’s a big problem though — this album is incredibly bloated at 73 minutes in length. Modern albums may be far too short, but there’s no reason to go to the opposite extreme here. No Limit Records pushed this album right up to the (normal) technological limit of what a compact disc can hold, and it results in a lot of filler songs. You don’t need to listen to “Mr. ’99,” “If It Don’t Make $” or “I Want to Be With You” more than once. Putting two “Commercial” breaks into an album that’s already over a full hour was unnecessary. Being selective would have been better. Keep songs like the Commodores sampling “End of the Road,” the Snoop Dogg featuring “Get It Up” and the always underrated Mia X starring “Put It on Something.” A lot of the rest of this album can easily be jettisoned.
I was tempted to include “It Ain’t My Fault Part 2,” but that song much like The Godfather Part III is an example of why some sequels are a bad idea. The beat doesn’t hit as hard as the original, and Mystikal completely outperforms Silkk both times, making HIM the actual star of the song as opposed to the featured guest. The first time it was kind of cute, but the second time it’s just embarrassing for Mr. Miller. “Made Man” isn’t the worst album from Percy Miller’s brother, and far from the worst in the expansive No Limit catalogue. It may even strike a nostalgic chord if it has been a while since you heard it, but then it will promptly go back on the shelf and start gathering dust again.