Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie Presents…The Mad Rapper: Appreciate the Hate: The Mad Rapper Chronicles Vol. 1.

If you don’t know, kiddies, in the late ‘90s a few rappers—and even a country singer— dropped albums using alter egos they created. Noreaga was Melvin Flint (And it wack album, whoever you wanna credit it to), RZA became Bobby Digital (He had a few dope cuts on the album, but it wasn’t all that) and Garth Brooks became a whiter man (Like I’mma listen to any album by him). But D-Dot’s alter ego, the Mad Rapper, knocked all of ‘em out the box.

Hating on rappers with more money, more power, and more respect, the Mad Rapper’s interludes on those classic Bad Boy albums were the shit. Then he rode shotgun on Fif’s infamous “How To Rob” and it was a wrap. The Mad Rapper was officially a rapper. But that was then and this is now.

This mixtape had that T.I. vs. T.I.P. concept, except that it had more than three bangers and you can easily tell who was who—was T.I. any different than T.I.P. on that album? Some joints have the Mad Rapper getting it in and other’s showcase D-Dot’s skills.

Surprisingly enough, D-Dot is as good a rapper as he is a producer, even when D-Dot is… well, just plain ol’ D-Dot. When he’s himself he’ll spit slick lines from “Breathe” like, “Call a doctor, flow’s gotten sick / old fashion criminal, rap got me rich / sat back watched cats whack out New York / waited for a minute now I’m ready to talk / man, I got cracks to cook, it don’t take long and got a throwback Jacob on and you got makeup on? Do you know all the years that I’ve been getting dough / got guns, got hoes all itching to blow / gangstas awaiting my phone call / Brooklyn New Yorker smoking the boom – boom!”

Then as The Mad Rapper he’ll OD and say shit like this from “Baby”: “Took her robbin’ and stealin ‘ / we stole some bread / and I’m messing with her head, humping all on her leg / army fatigues on, eyes blood red / and whoever comes baby, pump ‘em full of lead / I love to stroke ya when ya talkin’ vulgar / the herb on your breath tells me you’re a smoker / my Backwoods missin’ tell me it’s an addiction / she like gettin’ high on the floor in the kitchen / nasty girl, talkin’ foreign lingo / she like her men dirty, she called me gringo / and she don’t give a damn if I put out a single as long as she jingle.”

I have to give it up to D-Dot for creating this mixtape. It’s sound was definitely a throwback to that ‘90s NYC hip-hop era that seems like nothing more than a nearly forgotten memory. But that’s expected. He did help craft classics like Life After Death and No Way Out (Let’s not front on Puff’s only good album). With the exception of E. Ness, all of his features (Busta, Cory Gunz, Papoose, Joell Ortiz & newcomer Ceion) were pretty good guest MC’s. Thank God he ain’t feature Chopper’s wack ass on this joint. That would’ve sent this mixtape’s value plummeting like the economy. Who the fuck gave that man a mic and told him to rap? Helen Keller?!

Anyway, dope mixtape. Only problem is, I don’t know which persona I prefer to listen to on a record. A laid back D-Dot or an over-the-top Mad Rapper.

Hottest Joint: D-Dot: "Breathe"; Mad Rapper: "The Corner"

Weakest Joint D-Dot: "Disco Freestyle"; Mad Rapper: "Carried Away"