M.O.P.: Warriorz

Since the 1993 release of its first single, "How About Some Hardcore," M.O.P. has been a well-kept secret in hardcore hip-hop: The group has garnered enormous industry respect and plenty of high-profile guest appearances, but little mainstream success. The New York duo could change that with its fourth album, Warriorz, and more specifically with the monster single "Ante Up (Robbing-Hoodz Theory)." M.O.P. mentor DJ Premier produced six tracks on Warriorz, and while his contributions are stellar, he's nearly matched by M.O.P.'s own Li'l Fame, who distinguishes himself with such audacious production touches as the improbably peppy horns on "Nig-Gotiate" and the sped-up Foreigner sample on "Cold As Ice." M.O.P.'s subject matter still leans heavily toward urgent commands to respect both its home district (Brownsville, Brooklyn) and M.O.P., with dire warnings of what will happen to those who fail to heed its sage advice. On "Welcome To Brownsville," the duo even spells out the neighborhood's name, lest casual listeners mistake the two for, say, Canadian tourists. But they leaven their superhuman aggression (imagine a caffeinated Onyx) with just enough dark humor—inviting punks to visit them at www.iwillfuckyouup.com on "Calm Down" and proclaiming themselves the original Backstreet Boys on "Home Sweet Home"—to suggest that they don't take their super-thug personas too seriously. With 19 tracks running more than 73 minutes, Warriorz ought to run out of inspiration, but M.O.P. shifts styles (waxing nostalgic on "Old Timerz," getting reflective on "Face Off 2K1" and "Foundation") often enough to keep the album from growing monotonous. M.O.P. makes a lot of aggression go a long way, and if the mainstream continues to ignore the venerable duo, that's the mainstream's loss.