Institutionalized

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Fresh out of jail, California Dreamin! West Coast avenger Ras Kass is back with a vengeance, proving he's still got the lyrics and panache to keep his city on the map. Fifteen original songs, boasting lyrical contributions from Xzibit, E-40, G-Unit's Young Buck, and Crooked I, coupled with production from Rick Rock, Jelly Roll, Da Riffs, and Scram Jones, position this legend for an extreme takeover. Ras Kass currently has features and reviews in every major magazine including The Source, XXL, Complex, Fader, Elemental, and Mass Appeal. His single 'No Luv' is getting major spins on Power 106 & Sirius Radio, and is getting heavy saturation on mixtapes by Green Lantern, Kay Slay, and Sickamore, among others. Traffic. 2005.

Institutionalized,Ras Kass,Rap

Institutionalized

Institutionalized

Average customer rating:

Creative album from Ras Kass.

Ras is out of touch

Ras Kass "Institutionalized"

Great but not best

Best MC hands down...!!!

Institutionalized
Ras Kass
Manufacturer: Traffic Entertainment Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music
General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Revenge of the Spit

Poison Pen

Eat or Die

Ras Kass Presents: Re-Up

Rasassination

ASIN: B000BM6AQK
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Album Description

Fresh out of jail, California Dreamin! West Coast avenger Ras Kass is back with a vengeance, proving he's still got the lyrics and panache to keep his city on the map. Fifteen original songs, boasting lyrical contributions from Xzibit, E-40, G-Unit's Young Buck, and Crooked I, coupled with production from Rick Rock, Jelly Roll, Da Riffs, and Scram Jones, position this legend for an extreme takeover. Ras Kass currently has features and reviews in every major magazine including The Source, XXL, Complex, Fader, Elemental, and Mass Appeal. His single 'No Luv' is getting major spins on Power 106 & Sirius Radio, and is getting heavy saturation on mixtapes by Green Lantern, Kay Slay, and Sickamore, among others. Traffic. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Creative album from Ras Kass........2007-08-05

I dont know what to say, it have all been said below me.. but Ras Kass created a very creative album this time, the lyrics are on top, he always been one of my favourite lyricists of all times.. he shows alot of sides on this album, i asume he had alot on his heart since being in jail for a while.

anyways, good to have him back in the game.. 4,5/5 ..... since u can't give that.. 5/5

Ras is out of touch.......2007-03-07

Im a big Ras fan, ever since he dropped "Soul On Ice" I've been defending him and listening to his stuff
He's one of the best lyricist from the West, and a legend in the underground
In fact, he's solidified himself as the premiere lyrical genius from the West
However, as such I gotta call him out when his stuff is losing that touch that he had on his first joint
With that said, "Institutionalized" falls short of what Ras is capable of doing
First off, the beats are getting more and more commercial
As someone who started and has thrived in the underground, Ras should keep it real...
Most of "Institutionalized" has commercial beats, over commercial hooks
In addition, its got that wack R&B flavor to it...very much like your avg mainstream "rapper"
To your avg mainstream hiphop fan, that's fine, but true hiphop heads know that its not Ras' style
Although "Soul On Ice" had subpar beats, they made that album a classic, kuz instead of focusing on the beats, we listened and deciphered Ras' lyrics....the beats only complimented that dark and underground feel that the album carried
Therez about 3 or 4 songs that have good beats ("Expect Me" and "Shine"), the others are too commercial and boring
Second, too many guest artists...
I don't mind Krondon, Xzibit, and Crooked I who are real MCs
But when u got E-40, Killer Mike, Jellyroll, GUnit, and other wack artists...in addition to all the R&B singers, it screws up the image of an album
Not to mention, screws up Ras' style
Third, the subject matter
I've always been impressed with Ras' subject matter
He could spit about kicking with the boys, capitalism, car crashes, and just plain emceeing
But now he's imitating all the mainstream rappers
All the love joints that he has on this album take away his image he pushes in this album
In addition, he's focusing too much on the material posessions
We used to hear, from Ras, about how he could kill an MC with lines like this and that, but now we get how much money he gets, and his drinking, and f**king girls, and all that repetitive mainstream garbage
Ras is capable of making thought provoking music, I don't understand why he wants to focus on trivial s**t
Fourth and most importantly, his lyrics
For the most part, this album lacks Ras' legendary lyrics
His rhymes are too simple, too straightforward, and too mundane on "Institutionalized"
Im used to hearing Ras lyrics, that take you two or 3 times of repeating to understand (Ex: "Im walking on skulls, kuz Im two steps ahead")
It may be that he was pushing this joint out too fast, but this album leaves u wanting the Ras of old
To sum it up: any Ras fan that has "Soul On Ice" and has heard of "Goldyn Child" or "Van Gogh" or his old, early stuff will be disappointed
To new Ras fans, they'll be delighted
Half of this album is good, the other half bad
Nothing insane or amazing on this one

Best song: "Shine"
Best lyrical song: "Expect Me"
Best beat: "We run the streets"
Worst: Half of this album

Ras Kass "Institutionalized".......2007-02-09

Love Rassy and is my fav emcee of all time but this was alright. I found that personally, his "Revenge of the Spit" mixtape has a longer play life with me. A handful of overall beastly tracks but most of the production was alright. Rassy delivers verbal venom as usual but we are waiting for the album with the whole package on the boards.

Great but not best.......2006-12-04

This was a solid effort by ras kass yet again. Ras is by far one of the top mc's in the world and gives us another good effort, recording it right after doing a few years in jail. The album is definatley heavily influenced by his stay in prison, and he delivers it quite well. My favorites were Shine, Write Where I Left Off, and Air'em Out. He has a few tracks with the likes of G-Unit who in my opinion should be bowing down to ras kass and end up screwing up already forgetable songs. The ones with spider loc and young buck are wack and they have no business being on the same track as ras kass. The production lacks (probably because it was rushed out) but his lyrcism saves the day. I would buy his first album Soul on Ice and Rasassination there better than this, but this is till great despite a few forgetable tracks and some funny yet useless dave chapelle skits.

Best MC hands down...!!!.......2006-09-25

Your favorite rapper is a Ras Kass Fan...!!! Need I say more... lol If anyone know how I can cop that Van gough now Golden Child... let me know...

Soul Music: