Personnel: Spice 1, Noreaga, Saafir, Too Short, Yuckmouth, Spook Tha Man, Half-A-Mil, Ike Dirty, Din Fin, Kyoz, The Luniz (rap vocals); Roger Troutman, Danesha Simon, Cherelle Fortier (vocals); Kirk "Kizzo" Crumpler (various instruments); Michael Denten (guitar); Tony Harmon (keyboards, drum programming). Producers include: Rick Rock, Dave Meeze, Mo'Benjamin, Grand Exultant, Kirk "Kizzo" Crumpler. In the early '90s, following the lead of his mentor, the prolific Too Short, Bay Area rapper Spice 1 released albums chronicling the stark realities of ghetto life. What made Spice 1 unique at the time was the completeness of his lack of reflection on the subject in his rhymes. His life was what it was and nothing else, no remorse, no joy. Spice 1 manages to still find his niche on his sixth album, IMMORTALIZED, despite the exponential explosion of similar rappers thanks to the grassroots success of labels like No Limits. Spice 1 hardly alters his style or stance, which is abundantly clear on tracks such as "U Can't Fade Me," a raw story about a pregnant girl claiming paternity that will be patently offensive to most women who breathe oxygen. While much of the record does feature similar disturbingly violent, often hateful lyrics, to be upset about them would miss a main point. What's remarkable about Spice 1 is his cold, textbook view of his world, innovative then, still vital in 1999. What's easy to overlook about Spice 1 is the excellence of his vocals, which weave and bob through his ebb-and-flow lyrics, spreading his bleak gospel.

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Personnel: Spice 1, Noreaga, Saafir, Too Short, Yuckmouth, Spook Tha Man, Half-A-Mil, Ike Dirty, Din Fin, Kyoz, The Luniz (rap vocals); Roger Troutman, Danesha Simon, Cherelle Fortier (vocals); Kirk "Kizzo" Crumpler (various instruments); Michael Denten (guitar); Tony Harmon (keyboards, drum programming). Producers include: Rick Rock, Dave Meeze, Mo'Benjamin, Grand Exultant, Kirk "Kizzo" Crumpler. In the early '90s, following the lead of his mentor, the prolific Too Short, Bay Area rapper Spice 1 released albums chronicling the stark realities of ghetto life. What made Spice 1 unique at the time was the completeness of his lack of reflection on the subject in his rhymes. His life was what it was and nothing else, no remorse, no joy. Spice 1 manages to still find his niche on his sixth album, IMMORTALIZED, despite the exponential explosion of similar rappers thanks to the grassroots success of labels like No Limits. Spice 1 hardly alters his style or stance, which is abundantly clear on tracks such as "U Can't Fade Me," a raw story about a pregnant girl claiming paternity that will be patently offensive to most women who breathe oxygen. While much of the record does feature similar disturbingly violent, often hateful lyrics, to be upset about them would miss a main point. What's remarkable about Spice 1 is his cold, textbook view of his world, innovative then, still vital in 1999. What's easy to overlook about Spice 1 is the excellence of his vocals, which weave and bob through his ebb-and-flow lyrics, spreading his bleak gospel.