Personnel: Cormega; Ghostface, Jayo Felony, Kira, Large Professor, M.O.P., Spunk Bigga, Unda P, Dona, Miz, Kurupt.
It's unfortunate that much of Queens, NY rapper Cormega's career has been overshadowed by his role as one of Nas's primary nemeses, their feud dating back roughly to Cormega's replacement in Nas's supergroup, the Firm, in 1996. While Cormega may not receive the attention of the King of Queensbridge, he still flows with remarkable prowess. After all, he's a sought-after rapper on mixtapes not for his notoriety, but because he's one of the most skilled lyricists in hip-hop.
It's a beautiful thing to see the gifted veteran truly coming into his own on his third record, LEGAL HUSTLE. His loving, tongue-tripping ode to the history of rap on "Bring It Back" is proof enough of his contemplative talent; even with this oft-used theme, Cormega not only shines a new light on the old school of hip-hop, he might just have written its definitive four-minute history. Perhaps his best move, though, is resisting the chance to take pot shots, even teaming up with ex-Firm member AZ on the excellent "Redemption." A solid outing of straight-up rap, LEGAL HUSTLE reaffirms Cormega's indomitable skill.