Onyx, DMX and Redman, all on the same album! What more can one ask for! This album was a real treat for me. It features live, from NYC, performances by Onyx, Def Squad(Keith Murray, Redman and Erick Sermon), DMX and Cormega. With guest appearances by Foxy Brown, Method Man and The Lox. Why was this album such a treat for me, you ask? Well, Onyx has always been one of my favorite rap groups. They were one of the first groups to turn me onto rap. DMX is one of my favorite up and coming artists in the hip hop scene. He's got an in your face style that will not be reckoned with and Ruff Ryder beats that are phat. Redman has always been crazy and I love his style. His latest album, "Muddy Waters", is one of my favorite albums. I've always thought that a live concert featuring these three would make for one of the best rap concerts of all-time. Obviously it was good enough to spawn this 'Survival of the Illest' live album. What amazes me even more, is that Def Jam was able to get the often imprisoned, Method Man, Keith Murray and DMX all together and out of jail at the same time. That alone makes this album worthy of much praise.
This album's got real energy! 'Survival of the Illest' provides all the best songs by each featured artist (6 songs by Onyx, 8 songs by members of Def Squad, 8 songs and a poem by DMX and 3 songs by Cormega). If you're not a hip hop fan, then this album might just turn you onto hip hop. DMX, Onyx and Redman make this album completely worth-checkin' out. But, if you've already got all the material by these artists, then it's probably not worth buying. It's a great album, but if you've got all the same material already, you can listen to it on the individual artists' albums where you can be assured that it's the highest quality and that the artists aren't going to forget the words. This album was amazing and if you're not familiar with the Onyx, DMX, and Redman trio then I recommend that you go out and buy the album today.
www.brockwayent.com
(Originally posted on HipHopCanada.com)
This review was written November 18, 1998