How the West Was One (Cali Agents album)
| How the West Was One | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 13, 2000 | |||
| Studio | Darcman Studios | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 64:28 | |||
| Label | Nu Gruv Alliance, Ground Control | |||
| Producer | Paul Nice, His-Panik, M-Boogie, Madlib, R'Kasha, Protest, Memo, 427, Roddy Rod | |||
| Cali Agents chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Source | [2] |
How the West Was One is the debut album by the rap duo Cali Agents.[3] It was released in 2000 via Nu Gruv Alliance and Ground Control.[4][5] It contained production from Paul Nice, His-Panik, M-Boogie, Madlib, R'Kasha, Protest, Memo, 427 and Roddy Rod. The album did not make it to any Billboard charts, but a single titled "Good Life" made it to No. 36 on the Hot Rap Singles.
The Source listed the album as one of the top six independent records of 2000. The album has sold over 50,000 copies without any major distribution.
In May 2004, Rasco's Pockets Linted records re-released the album with bonus tracks.
Critical reception[edit]
The A.V. Club wrote: "How The West Was One is an endless battle-rap session that serves as little more than a thorough assertion of the duo's lyrical dominance. Thankfully, Rasco and Planet Asia are battle-rappers of the highest order, excelling in nearly every aspect of rapping other than lyrical diversity."[6] Exclaim! thought that "the focus on slinging hard-hitting verbals means that the sum is ultimately less than its parts, preventing this fundamentally sound collaboration from being great."[7] CMJ New Music Monthly stated that the duo "swims in uninspiring four-track production."[8]
Track listing[edit]
| # | Title | Length | Producer | Performer (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Intro: Behind Closed Doors" | 2:33 | ||
| 2 | "How The West Was One" | 4:14 | DJ Paul Nice | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 3 | "Cali Agents: The Anthem" | 3:18 | His-Panik | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 4 | "Crash The Boards" | 4:34 | M-Boogie | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 5 | "Up Close and Personal" | 4:31 | Madlib | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 6 | "Neva Forget" | 3:46 | His-Panik | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 7 | "Interlude" | 1:05 | ||
| 8 | "This Is My Life" | 3:36 | His-Panik | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 9 | "Faces of Death" | 4:27 | R'Kasha | Planet Asia |
| 10 | "The Good Life" | 5:25 | Protest | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 11 | "Just When You Thought It Was Safe" | 4:17 | Memo | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 12 | "Talking Smack" | 4:51 | 427 | Rasco |
| 13 | "Real Talk" | 4:12 | Protest | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 14 | "Fuck What You Heard" | 4:44 | Roddy Rod | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 15 | "Outro" | 0:45 | Bill Baren |
Bonus tracks[edit]
on 2004 release
| # | Title | Performer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Point Blank Range" | Rasco, Planet Asia |
| 2 | "Who Thinks The Style Is Fresh" | Rasco, Planet Asia |
References[edit]
- ^ Forrest, Luke. How the West Was One at AllMusic
- ^ "Record Report: Cali Agents – How the West Was One". The Source. No. 128. New York. May 2000. p. 222.
- ^ "Cali Agents | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ "Cali Agents, Slum Village To Release Debuts". MTV News.
- ^ Margasak, Peter. "Slum Village, Bahamadia, Spontaneous, Cali Agents". Chicago Reader.
- ^ "Cali Agents: How The West Was One". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "Cali Agents How The West Was One | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca.
- ^ "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. August 8, 2000 – via Google Books.
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