Before there was a group called N.W.A. there were individually, angry, young Black males; roaming through darkened alley ways, surviving the roughest of street tests and emerging, once again as survivors. All of them had a story to tell; all of them wanted to be heard; all of them searched for an answer. But the true base of power for any group has been the individual strength and character of its members. And now, since they've stepped the fuck off! another MC emerges for the fall out -- "The Black N!gga that they call Ren." At a time when we were starving from a lock of hosts to boast about the west coast, Ren was rehearsing for his debut. "I had a rep at Roosevelt Jr. High, me and DJ Train (of JJ Fad)." M.C. Ren went on to high school with his reputation in tow. By the time he graduated, Eazy-E, from around the corner, was knocking on his door. Back in 1987, "Eazy was trying to get me and Train to sign on Ruthless for a solo deal, but Ice Cube had left to go to school. Eazy had me write some material for the N.W.A. album, so me and Train's solo project had to be put on hold." Now, Ren is ready to rock the mic on his own. He's out to show and prove what he is made of, 'cauz "Real N!ggaz Don't Die." Listen to Kizz My Black Azz, cont'd below...
Kizz My Black Azz, the debut EP on Ruthless/Priority, is the first sign of life since N.W.A.'s EFIL4ZAGGIN. This six track EP was produced by Bobcat, a member of the Boogie Men Production team, which ironically produces some of Ice Cube's songs. "The Final Frontier" is the first single to hit the streets. "The Final Frontier" expresses Ren's lyrical intent to handle all MC's that think gangsta rap is just a category. "Rap is getting away from where it started," explains M.C. Ren. "Everybody is trying to be like Hammer and have a band playing behind their raps." The hook on this will have even the most passive of listeners thinking of Ren, whenever real rap is the subject, "Who iz it? - The Black N!gga that they call Ren." The intro kicks in with the 'back in the day' piano riff from "The Bridge Is Over," and is woven throughout the entire cut with a nice sax handling the breaks, while Ren flows like melted I-C-E. "Right Up My Alley" begins as a neighborhood eviction of the local smokers (crack addicts) from the alley in which Ren reigns supreme and turns into the news story of the week. Our reporter Ren spins the rhymes and weaves the tell tell story of the day to day events in the alley; "90% of the black males from the streets got a spot in their neighborhood where all the dirt goes down -- gambling, drinking, dope-selling -- you know." - Press Kit (Priority Records, 1992). Also, check out the write-up in The Source (August, 1992) below...
