Turnaround-Long Awaited Drama [Explicit Lyrics]

Having had the opportunity to hear the album, as it was eing created, I wondered what the world would think about this crew from Jersey, Passaic and Hackensack, respectively. I already knew they were dope. We all grew up together rocking rhymes, beats and life. K-DEF has always been dope as a DJ and beat maker, since 1980, when we started ryhming together in the 5th grade. LARRY-O was always dope on the mic, since we met up in 1987. When they came together as "The Get Right Crew" in 1989 it was magical. And, as "REAL LIVE" they created a classical piece of Hip Hop. Unfortunately, they didn't get the opportunity to flourish as a group. K-DEF went on to produce joints for "Lords of the Underground", "LL Cool J", "World Renonwn", GhostFace Killah" and others. And by the way, that's my peoples. ONE.

I write because I suffer, Inc. (Passaic NJ)

Despite low profile statuses, New Jersey natives K-Def and Larry-O were tenured vets by the time they released "The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama" as Real Live in 1996. I've long contended that K-Def, a protégé of Marley Marl, was the most underrated producer of the 90s. Here, he exhibits his recognizably rich, textured beats, clean polish, and great ear for sound. This is trunk-rattling New York hip hop by the mid-90s formula, and it functions perfectly as such. While this isn't necessarily his best work--many of the samples are obvious and overall this isn't of the quality of his beats on Here Come the Lords, Keepers of the Funk, No Mercy, and Tragedy: Saga of a Hoodlum, throughout the album it's hard not to be impressed; musically it is extremely appealing. His heavy funk and rough percussion bear the mark of his excellent craftsmanship.

Larry-O is a fun mafioso rapper but can come across as somewhat basic. He provides shoot-em-up tales of drug trafficking, rarely with more insight or philosophical musings than your average East Coast gangsta circa '96. Still, he pulls off impressive verses frequently enough and is blessed with a quick tongue and strong flow somewhere between Biggie and PMD. He assumes mob characters with varying success and exhibits a good presence. I'd like him to vary his subject matter a little more, but overall his performance is quite appealing.

Early highlights are the gritty opener "Pop the Trunk," funky "The Gimmicks," and the phenomenal "Larry-O Meets Iceberg Slick," where Larry-O develops his alter ego over a smooth, dark gem of a beat. The best track is "All I Ask of You (Commin' Thru)" which is one of K-Def's finest tracks, a slow, somber, and melodic masterpiece. Larry-O comes through himself with a great hook and some of his more thoughtful verses. Title track "The Turnaround" is also excellent, a rugged and well-constructed statement. Both versions of "Real Live S#!+" are bangers, the remix a posse cut featuring an all-star roster including Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna, Lord Tariq, and Killa Sin.

"The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama" is forgotten today because it didn't have a monster single or revolutionary approach to make it stand out among the classics dropped in '96, but it is an endlessly solid LP with some certified bangers, impeccable production, and charming East Coast sound. I recommend "The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama" to fans of this wonderful style.

Larry-O and K-Def were no rookies in the rap game back in the mid 90's. K-Def has been hanging around legendary producer Marley Marl, and Larry-O has been making hits as well since the late 80's. In mid 1995, they collaborated and dropped the first single "Real Live...". That song showed promise in the rap game and had everyone waiting for the full album The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama. One listen is all you needed to realize how underrated this album really was.

What really stands out is K-Def's production. The beats on this album are fantastic, as all of them will keep you listening. K-Def knows how to pick his samples on this album very well. "Pop The Trunk" is cleverly made mixing vocal samples from Redman and Prodigy. As the following song is well produced and has a sample from Biggie, "I see the gimmicks, the wack lyrics..." "Ain't No Love" is excellent with K-Def working Bobby Blue Bland's "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" (Many may recognize the sample and title Jay-Z used on one of his albums).

Larry-O is a great rapper as well. His flow is very much on point and very charismatic. On the singles "The Turnaround" and "Real Live..." shows how great a lyricist he is. The only problem I had with him was almost every song, Larry-O's talks a lot about the Mafia lifestyle of being apart of a drug cartel, moving weight internationally. You would have thought that he wrote most of his rhymes while watching the movie Scarface, and he rarely, if any moment, steps outside of that boundary.

There are a few guest appearances here. Ghostface Killah, Killah Sin, Lord Tariq, and Cappadonna appear on "Real Live...(Remix)", which makes it good to hear some different voices here on the album. On some versions of the album is "The Turnaround (Remix)" with Tragedy Khadafi and Capone. I believe that has to be the hottest track on this album.

One could wonder why Real Live never continued to drop albums after this one. This album shows much promise between the two artists. With Atlantic Records having this out of print, one could only hope for a reissue of this album because current prices are too high to pay for. If you see this on shelves, don't hesitate to pick this up. Peace.

Lyrics: B+
Production: A
Guest Appearances: B+
Musical Vibes: A+

Top 5 Tracks:
1. The Turnaround (Remix) (featuring Tragedy Khadafi and Capone)
2. Ain't No Love
3. Money and Shows
4. Gimmicks
5. Real Live...

Honorable Mention:
1. The Turnaround
2. Real Live... (Remix) (featuring Ghostface Killah, Killah Sin, Capadonna, and Lord Tariq)
3. Pop The Trunk