Big Mike - Somethin' Serious

Serious as a Heart Attack! (5 stars)

Big Mike made a splash in 1991 with his group the Convicts, but didn't really start to make waves until he joined up with the Geto Boys for their 1993 effort "Till Death Do Us Part". On that album, Big Mike definitely pulls his weight on par with Scarface and Bushwick Bill on collaborative cuts, and especially on the superb solo track "No Nuts No Glory". Just one year later, Big Mike would reach even greater heights with the release of his solo debut "Somethin' Serious".

Big Mike has one of the most appealing flows I've ever heard. He's definitely on the hardcore tip, but also provides wrenching social commentary. Most notably, the man is extremely intelligent, and that shines through in his delivery and exemplary writing style. Big Mike produces five cuts on the album himself, with N.O. Joe coming in with six cuts, and the remaining tracks are split between Mike Dean, Simon Cullins, John Bido, Troy "Pee Wee" Clark, & Michael Banks. The soundscapes match Big Mike's delivery perfectly, and really brings the record around full circle. My favorites are "World of Mind", "Creepin -- Rollin", "Havin Thangs", "Playa Playa" & "Daddy's Gone" featuring Scarface. However, there isn't a wasted moment in sight. Prepare to witness one of Houston's finest. "Somethin' Serious" delivers on all levels. August 26, 2008

BIG MIKE IS NO JOKE!

THIS CD WAS ON FIRE WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT BACK IN THE DAY. SOME OLD SCHOOL CD'S SOUND DATED AFTER AWHILE, BUT THIS CD IS STILL HOT! SOCIAL COMMENTARY, DEEP GROOVES, SOUTHERN SWAG...I MEAN TRACK AFTER TRACK, BIG MIKE GETS DOWN! I'M BUMPIN IT RIGHT NOW! January 19, 2008

Some Of That Southern Thang (Rating: 7 out of 10- -3.5 stars)

Being a replacement for a group isn't an easy thing to do, but as I can heard on the Geto Boys' Till Death Do Us Part, Big Mike has no problem handling that job. A year later, he dropped his debut solo album, "Somethin' Serious", at a time when some southern acts were making a name for themselves. In my opinion, the biggest standout on this LP, is the southern funky production. The production here is made by N.O. Joe, Pee Wee, John Bido, Mike Dean, Simon Cullins, Michael Banks, Pimp C of UGK, and Mike Barnett himself, so expect a lot of funky production here. Add those beats with Mike's wide range of rhymes from decent to great, and you have this album.

Some of the best tracks are on the beginning of the album. "Commin' From The Swamp" is an upbeat song with a nice sample in the hook that makes it dope. The next track, "World Of Mind" is great with it's slowed and funky production. Another one of the album's best track is "Ghetto Love" as Big Mike spits one long verse. "Smoke 'Em & Choke 'Em" is another standout. "Havin' Thangs" is carried by some funky production. "On Da Real" and "Playa Playa" has some head nodding production, but they don't standout like some of the other tracks do. "Southern Thang" is a good song with more funky production, but the track fails to standout as well, but the title track "Somethin' Serious" does standout. "Get Over That" is a great laid back song. "Fire" is a solid track (don't like the Ohio Players sample, it sound awkward), and features Rap-A-Lot label mate Tre-Deuce. Scarface comes in with the positive song "Daddy's Gone". And the album closes off with "On Da 1" which features Bun B, Billy Cook and A-Dog.

Overall "Something Serious" is a dope album. As I mentioned before, the biggest standout is the production. Big Mike has rhymes and they show on most of the album. At the same time, this album doesn't match to other southern albums that came out in '94 like Scarface's The Diary, and Outkast Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. But it's much better than some other albums that came later on like 5th Ward Boyz Rated G, and Tre-Deuce's Wicked Buddah Baby. If you're a fan of Rap-A-Lot or southern rap, this album is what I would recommend to you. Overall, this album is "Somethin' Serious". Peace!

Lyrics: B
Production: A-
Guest Appearances: B
Musical Vibes: B+

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Get Over That
2. Ghetto Love
3. World Of Mind
4. Daddy's Gone (featuring Scarface)
5. On Da 1 (featuring Bun B, A-Dog, and Billy Cook)

Honorable Mention:
1. Commin' From The Swamp
2. Southern Thang November 17, 2007

classic

When I bought this at circuit city, I knew how ill Big Mike was but I had no idea his CD would be this great. He's def. in my top 5 rappers second to Tonedeff. His lyrics are dope as hell and his flow is as smooth as it gets. Though I always knew this, I was expecting it to be just another gangsta CD and nothing more. I was wrong. This cd is full of substance and the beats have tigher bass than on The Chronic. I've noticed that usually when an artist actually has good beats, they fail to lyrically live up to the production which makes the songs become boring very quickly. Well Somethin' Serious is one of the rare rap CDs that do not live up to those standards, thankfully.
Dope CD, def. worth buying. August 25, 2007

Geto Boys stylings with a New Orleans twang

After his 1991 Convicts collaboration album with 3-2, Big Mike first gained fame as a member of Geto Boys on the album Till Death Do Us Part in 1993. He replaced Willie D on that album, and was only a temporary member. He was not really well received because although he is a by-the-books Rap-A-Lot MC and similar to the Geto Boys, his businesslike personality wasn't a great replacement for Willie D's utter craziness. So in 1994, he released his solo debut, "Somethin' Serious," which is a very good album. 1994 was a great year for hip hop and it was also a great year for the Houston-based Rap-A-Lot label, which also released Scarface's classic The Diary and Willie D's Play Witcha Mama the same year. Mike's debut has a similar sound to the other Rap-A-Lot albums released at this time musically. The producers include the in-house beatmakers like N.O. Joe, Mike Dean, and himself. The beats are pretty slow and funky, they have a southern-fried twang to them, and if you've heard any of the mid-90s Rap-A-Lot album you're fairly familiar with this sound. Musically the album is very consistent, it's simple but likable through its Houston grittiness. Big Mike is a native of New Orleans and Houston, and he has a style fairly similar to the Geto Boys. He's not as outstanding a character as Willie D or as great a lyricist as Scarface, but he's appealing. He's not flashy or glitzy, he's a determined and talented rapper who's pretty raw yet experienced. He eases from raps about his hometown and urban tales to laidback riding songs and even an occasional sex rap like his contemporaries. While there's no real outstanding standout songs, the album is extremely consistent, focused, and cohesive. Guest appearances come from Scarface and U.G.K. Like a lot of Rap-A-Lot's lesser known albums, this is of the same high quality as some of the more well-known releases, and it's always been quite underrated. "Somethin' Serious" is a very solid album of mid-90s southern hip hop, and I recommend it.

The album begins with "Comin' From the Swamp," a fast and introductory song where he represents his hometown and himself with a few determined verses. "World of Mine" is slow and deep. Mike assesses the state of people's mentalities in a depressed manner, the production is nice and this song's a highlight. On the great "Ghetto Love," which has my favorite beat on the album, Mike tells a story of his teenage years. "Creepin-Rollin" is decent, it's a pretty regular-sounding Rap-A-Lot song for this period, the production is solid but it's not a highlight, the hook and subject matter just don't do it for me. "Smoke `Em & Choke `Em" is much better, it's got a cool beat and Big Mike's performance is nice. I also like the flossy and rolling "Havin' Thangs." He supplies a reality check on "On da Real," where he speaks of his lifestyle and gives advice to deadbeat fathers and strugglers. The production on this song is among the best. "Playa Playa" is very appealing, it's got a great, laidback beat and hook, and the conversational raps are entertaining. The short "Southern Thang" precedes the solid title track, and the next song, "Get Over That," has a very cool beat. "Fire" is hard and threatening. My favorite song is "Daddy's Gone," where he addresses fatherhood and the dilemma facing many prospective urban fathers. The beat is great, with some saxophone instrumentals and a guest by Scarface. The album closes with the Houston posse cut "On da 1."

"Somethin' Serious" is not as good as the Rap-A-Lot classics like The Diary or Phantom of the Rapra, but it's a really good collection of a talented MC over Houston's best producers. Big Mike would go on to continue making underrated solo albums, and his next album Still Serious was similar in substance and quality. I highly recommend this album, this is premier southern hip hop from the golden age of rap, and especially because unlike a lot of the Rap-A-Lot releases from this period, it remains in print today. May 31, 2007

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