Way Back: Kiss Of Death (2004)
“I'm everything controversial
Underground, gangsta rap slash commercial”
Jadakiss on “What You So Mad At?”
The year was 2004, and the grand shift in hip-hop was occurring. The epicenter of rap was becoming Atlanta, and no longer it’s place of origin, New York. Lyricism was being brushed aside in favor of more flashy records that people could sing along to. Quietly, and maybe most importantly, gangster rap was nearing the end of its run as the coolest branch of commercial rap (see career arch of 50 Cent). This put the witty, Yonkers-born MC, Jadakiss, in a tough position heading into his second full length album. Sure, his first album Kiss the Game Goodbye went gold, but could he thrive in a musical landscape that leaned further and further and away from what he does best? He tapped as many big name features and producers as possible to find out on Kiss of Death.
The album starts with a foe gangster movie skit, a staple of many New York rap albums. The first real song is “What You So Mad At?”, an upbeat tune produced by Black Key. On this track, Jada echoes what he still says until this day, “cause I done been too nice for way too long, they can’t hold me back I’m way too strong”. Kiss references his longevity and consistency in the game and how they’ve outlasted the label issues that preceded this phase of his career.
Perhaps the highlight of the album is the Scott Storch-produced “Time’s Up”. Paced by a hook from the late, Nate Dogg, Kiss delivers some of his most memorable verses:
“'Cause I'm a nigga that hate to settle
And I'm a man of the Lord but I still can't shake the devil
Moved away and still can't escape the ghetto, what?!”
The video has a cameo from Hassan Johnson, aka Wee-Bey from HBO’s The Wire, and the Sheek Louch of the Lox. In the video, Jada works with Hassan and a few others to pull off a major scam in a pre-Katrina New Orleans setting.
He rejects the generation of rappers that talked tough in their rhymes but never actually lived those experiences:
“All you shooting is the breeze, a bootleg Uzi
I'm just waiting on a q like Suzie, don't lose me”
The major single was “Why?” featuring Anthony Hamilton. Produced by Mobb Deep’s Havoc, the song was everywhere during the Summer of 2004 climbing as high as #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the style of 50 Cent’s “21 Questions”, this track was littered with inquiries. Jadakiss asks “why” to a number of issues in society, that include the judicial system, his people, and the music industry.
It wouldn’t be an album without the obligatory track for the ladies, and Mariah Carey blessed the second Scott Storch-produced song on the project. The verses aren’t mind-blowing, but Mariah shows out on the chorus. In all, it was a solid collaboration for the duo that hadn’t teamed up since the Honey remix in 1997.
The most notable deep cuts are likely “Real Hip Hop” and “By Your Side”. Jada taps Ruff Ryders Sheek and Swizz Beatz on the former and speaks to a Creative Source sample on the latter. The rest of the album is filled with a few lesser tracks with significant features. You’ll find a beat from the Neptunes, and features from Styles P, Kanye West, and Eminem.
Kiss Of Death went on to be certified platinum by the RIAA. It’s one of the last great commercial albums to come from a New York rapper before the South officially took over the rap scene. Spin this album for it’s 15th birthday to hear when Jadakiss began cementing himself as one of hip-hop’s all-time greats.
