Juelz Santana Presents Skull Gang: Takeover

It’s official: Juelz is a boss! After years of playing second fiddle to Cam’ron in Dip Set, Juelz is a free man and can do whatever he wants. First order of business, create Skull Gang.

Now I’m not gonna front, I was under the assumption that Skull Gang was mainly composed of dudes using the T-Pain machine to sing and left the rapping to Juelz Santana. So like I told my homie, J-Rod, I was ready to shit on this mixtape with a fury that hadn’t been seen since I chased Easy Jesus VSOP with a milkshake. But the joke was on me and this mixtape turned out to be a banger.

First of all, the production and instrumentals chosen for this mixtape were off the hook. Definitely made for the 'hood by 'hood niggas. From the guitar riffs on “Drama Fold” to the “Electric Relaxation” instrumental used to make “Relax,” where Juelz imitated Phife Dog’s verse by spittin’, “I like ‘am black, white, Puerto Rican or Haitian / Asian, Jamaican--body that’s bangin’ / no discrimination, I like all races / fryin’ pan man, make ‘em pop like bacon / I love naughty girls, Baby I give spankings / and if it smell good then I’ma drop my face in…”

Can’t front, the man makes a good argument: If it smells good then it must taste good, right?

Other nostalgic sounds that were used came from Jeru The Damaja (“Droppin’ Some Shit”), Naughty By Nature (“Peepin’ Swag”) and Case (“Touch Me Tease Me”).

But what really had me feeling this mixtape was the chemistry that Juelz, Un Kasa and Richmond Rabb have on a track together. Their styles complement each other’s in a way that hadn’t been seen since the early days of G-Unit (Okay, maybe not that good, but pretty damn close). And together they're actually more explosive than Cam, Juelz and Jim when they rock together on a track. And I can’t front, even T-Pain’s son, John Depp (dude using the T-Pain machine to create a career for himself) got right on some of the hooks on this mixtape. But I’m still not co-signing any dude that uses the T-Pain machine and that includes T-Pain.

Word to everything, I think Skull Gang could be the next “It” group if they play their cards right. The chemistry is there and if they get the proper producers to jump it off then they’re gonna be a problem.

If they get on top don’t’ be surprised if G-Unit starts to subliminally dis them. Who knows, maybe even Cam will begin the onslaught on his former protégé. Only time will tell. What I do know is that this mixtape is gonna get more burn on my stereo than any Dipset album.---The Infamous Omar

Hottest Joint: "Drama Fold"

Weakest Joint: "Body Like A Maserati"