Scarface's 2nd solo album isn't so much a leap forward as it is a refinement of a formula. Like all Face albums from this era, we get violent threats ("Comin' Agg"), vivid portraits of psychological angst ("The Wall"), street storytelling ("He's Dead," "Mr. Scarface: Part III"), confessional autobiography ("Now I Feel Ya"), social commentary ("I'm Black"), & cinematic interludes. But what makes this album different is signaled in the first few seconds of the intro, which feature the sound of Scarface choking on a spliff before saying "Twist you up a big ass joint before you play this song."
Now, I've heard enough gross gagging on ganja to last 2 lifetimes, & I don't particularly like starting off an album with it, but it does effectively clue us in to what's coming. More than any other Face album, this one is aimed at smokers. The lyricism we've come to expect is still there, but the deep bassy grooves, long tracks (only 2 of the 13 proper songs are under 4 minutes, & 5 of them are longer than 5 minutes), slower overall tempos & general syrupy feel all add up to an album that's aimed squarely at chemically altered listeners. The album takes its time--the punchy songs Face is known for aren't really a factor here, & it's a good 20 minutes longer than the albums that came before & after it.
Thankfully, for an album that places so much emphasis on musical atmosphere, the production here is some of the best Face ever had. Most beats are produced by the legendary N.O. Joe, with Smith & Bido handling 3 tracks & Face himself handling 2. The production is clean, organic & moody, & there's not a lackluster beat on the album. A handful of the songs are completely dependent on their funky grooves, like "Strictly For the Funk Lovers," which is 6 minutes of thick Rap-A-Lot slap bass (I smell Mike Dean) & a spoken-word performance by Scarface along with a wailing singer discussing something called a "doo-doo chaser." Then there's "I Need a Favor," which consists entirely of a conversation in which Face convinces his girlfriend to have sex with his business partner. There's something very gay about this kind of arrangement where 2 guys fuck each other by proxy, & I'm not sure if that's what Face intended, but regardless, as long as it's all consensual, blessings to all concerned. Rapless tracks like "I Need a Favor" & "Strictly..." would be annoying & mess up the flow of the album if the beats weren't so spectacular--flawlessly mixed with hi-hat & tambourine touches keeping them interesting even as they ride their fat waves. "Let Me Roll," produced by Scarface, also falls into this category--while it does feature rapping, it's fairly substance-free, just Face talking about smoking weed, & the main attraction is the beat with its tinkly piano, up-front bass & stoned atmosphere.
When Face does choose to rap seriously on this album, it's up to, or even surpassing, his usual standards. "The Wall" is one of the better portraits of madness he's written--framed as a visit to his therapist, a conceit Face has used several times. He describes a Sartre-esque, dreamlike scenario where an insurmountable wall haunts him both before & after death. The drops into silence after each verse are tremendously effective & give the song a dramatic musical presence. "I'm Black" is another beautifully written piece, probably Face's most convincing & thorough anti-cop screed. Another common Scarface topic, the anti-snitch manifesto, is explored in "Dying With Your Boots On." The album's only throwaway is "Funky Lil Aggin," which only exists as a feature for 2Low, the 13 year-old gangsta rapper whom I'm positive Scarface ghostwrote for. The track is all about the novelty of hearing a little kid rapping filthy, & holds no real replay value.
Rap-A-Lot production simply never got better than The World Is Yours, because it was the album where Face, Joe, Dean etc. allowed themselves to go crazy with the loping funky side of the musical endeavor. I might return to The Diary more often, but I'm grateful I got to experience this album back in the day, before I cleaned up my act & found myself outside its target audience.
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