Rise To Power [Edited]

Give Kane & Abel credit for breaking from No Limit records, perhaps realizing that if they were one of the many soldiers in the No Limit army, there was no way they could ever distinguish themselves. Unfortunately, Rise to Power -- their first effort for their own label Most Wanted, which is just a subsidiary of EastWest -- might as well have been released on No Limit, since it follows the same basic structure, sound, and style of a No Limit release. True, they try to mix it up a little, including a Spanish version of "Get Cha Mind Right" at the end (it might just be an alternate version, but the intention is noble), but the fact is, the music is generic Dirty South and the rappers aren't distinguished. They happen to turn out a couple of good cuts, such as "Straight Thuggin'," but they will only be of interest to aficionados of this genre -- much like most No Limit albums. Kane & Abel may have been able to leave Master P's stable, but they by no means escaped. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine