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Early 1997 through mid-1999 were the two years that Master P and his No Limit cronies were literally ruling the Hip-Hop airwaves. If you were Master P, everything was great. You were making more cash than you could possibly ever spend, you were gaining more exposure than you ever dreamed of and, while doing this, you had to change nothing about your successful, albeit formulaic, musical approach. The only problem with this approach was that all of your artists (of which there was probably more than 15 signed to your label at one point) all rapped about the same topics in the exact same manner. This is where Mac (born McKinley J. Phipps, Jr) enters the picture.

Mac was a blessing in disguise for the label. Although he never did the numbers Master P, Silkk the Shocker or Mystikal did, he was, without an ounce of doubt, the most lyrical rapper on the roster. He could flow with the best of them and weave a coherent narrative like nobodies business. His second LP, "World War III," which would also be his second (and last) for No Limit before he landed himself a 30-year prison term for murder, further exemplified his talents. No matter the situation for Mac, whether innocent or guilty, No Limit fans can't deny the staying power that "Shell Shocked" has had nine years after its original release.

It's a shame that P isn't still working with with his one-time in-house production unit Beats by the Pound (now known as the Medicine Men) any longer. If there was ever one No Limit album that showcased their talents perfectly, this is it. Dark, foreboding at times, perhaps even militaristic (weren't all 1998-1999 No Limit albums?); this is the formula that future No Limit albums failed in capturing. They opted for a more danceable, pro-New Orleans sound instead of that "starky" minimalism that is delivered here by the BbtP crew in spades. If there is anything negative to be said it's that at 22 tracks in length, there are bound to be some mediocre beats found here and there.

Mac is the real star of the show on "Shell Shocked," though, and P gives him 22 tracks (21 songs and an outro) in which to flex his lyrical muscles. While most No Limit artists were busy bragging about their guns and banana clips, Mac was busy creating a varied debut album. Covering everything from thug anthems and club joints to concept tracks and detailed, East Coast-like narratives, Mac delivers his early promise of being the man on the Tank with the lyrics. Not only was this one of the most varied NL albums printed, but Mac is also one hell of a rapper as well.

"Shell Shocked" is almost everything a No Limit fan could hope for; ill beats, crazy lyrics and fire concepts. A few tracks are weaker than others, but that's to be expected with any No Limit album given the length of most of them ("Shell Shocked" included). Mac has always been No Limit's best lyricist and "Shell Shocked" gives you every reason to wish him well, hope he gets parole and gets back to doing what he does best; making bomb ass music.

9/10