Review Summary: Forgettable debut that showed what was to come for the duo.
Any hip hop head knows (or should know) who Gang Starr is. When thinking about the duo, typically you think of their classic albums Moment of Truth, Daily Operation, and their other efforts following their debut. However, most people (understandably) seem to forget about their debut record, No More Mr. Nice Guy" This album was the first anybody had heard from the duo, consisting of DJ Premier and MC Guru, and it showed promise.
If you enjoy Gang Starr's albums from the 90s, chances are you may find this album hard to get into, as I did as well. The music here isn't bad by any means, but it's nothing impressive or special, especially considering how good their later albums are. The production is dull, and Guru improved as an MC later in his career. The lyrics on here are quite simplistic, but with all that said, there are some standout tracks. The main one being "Manifest", and "Manifest (Remix)". These songs are almost identical, and are some of the only tracks worth listening to again on this album. The lyrics are pretty laid-back, and it's the best production on the whole album. "Conscience be Free" is a great song too. This song is about being positive in what you do, with production that shows us a glimpse of what DJ Premier would be capable of on "Step in the Arena".
No More Mr. Nice Guy, is a decent, but forgettable album overall. This is an interesting album to listen to to hear Gang Starr's growth, but there is a low replay value here. I suggest listening to this if you're a big fan, but otherwise, go ahead and skip to their next album.
Ratings:
1. Premier and the Guru: 3.5/5
2. Jazz Music: 4/5
3. Gotch U: 3.5/5
4. Manifest: 5/5
5. Gusto: 3.5/5
6. DJ Premier in Deep Concentration: 4/5
7. Positivity (Remix): 3/5
8. Words I Manifest (Remix): 5/5
9. Conscience be Free: 3.5/5
10. Cause and Effect: 3/5
11. 2 Steps Ahead: 3/5
12. No More Mr. Nice Guy: 4/5
13. Knowledge (feat. Damo D-Ski): 3/5
14. Positivity: 3/5
Best songs:
Words I Manifest (Remix)
Manifest
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Jazz Music
DJ Premier in Deep Concentration
Weakest song: Knowledge
Production: 7.3/10
Lyrics: 7.6/10
Overall rating: 75/100
Grade: C
