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How the West Was One (Cali Agents album)

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How the West Was One
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 13, 2000
StudioDarcman Studios
GenreHip hop
Length64:28
LabelNu Gruv Alliance, Ground Control
ProducerPaul Nice, His-Panik, M-Boogie, Madlib, R'Kasha, Protest, Memo, 427, Roddy Rod
Cali Agents chronology
How the West Was One
(2000)
Head of the State
(2004)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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

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  1. ^ Forrest, Luke. How the West Was One at AllMusic
  2. ^ "Record Report: Cali Agents – How the West Was One". The Source. No. 128. New York. May 2000. p. 222.
  3. ^ "Cali Agents | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  4. ^ "Cali Agents, Slum Village To Release Debuts". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020.
  5. ^ Margasak, Peter. "Slum Village, Bahamadia, Spontaneous, Cali Agents". Chicago Reader.
  6. ^ "Cali Agents: How The West Was One". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Cali Agents How The West Was One | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca.
  8. ^ "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. August 8, 2000 – via Google Books.