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2 Black 2 Strong MMG's name can be a little confusing, and I don't think I really cleared it up before. "2 Black 2 Strong and the MMG" would make more sense, because 2 Black 2 Strong, a.k.a. Johnny Marrs is the front man, and MMG, or Mad Motherfucking Gangsters, is his crew. So yeah, it's really just the one guy rapping, and the production is by... Chill Will of The Get Fresh Crew. I guess Chill Will had another side of himself he wanted to express after doing all the soft, party records with Dougie, because he also produced the classic, hard rock single "Begs No Friends" by Strickly Roots.
So, the title is in reference to 110th St, famous for being the dividing line between Harlem and the gentrified Central Park. There's a classic, gritty 70s film about it called Across 110th St, which sparked the even more famous Bobby Womack song of the same name. So this is kind of the rap version of that (though Pretty Tone Capone also made a pretty terrific "Across 110th St"), though it doesn't make the obvious choice of sampling any of it. Instead it flips a super tough break from a Lyn Collins record produced by James Brown and his band.
And really, the break makes this record. It sounds incredible. Really abrasive instrumentation and slow, smashed drums. The subtler smooth bassline sounds like it's taken from somewhere else, but it's the same sample. Then the dusty horns come in on the hook; it's perfect. Because, honestly, Johnny doesn't exactly have the nimblest, most impressive flow. He's no Rakim; he gets most of his vocal strength just from yelling. Not that he doesn't make it work. I described him before as a cross between Public Enemy and Willie D, but here he's on more of an early Fat Joe meets Freddie Foxxx tip. And lyrically, he doesn't have much to say besides you better think twice before stepping onto his side of the 110 and shouting out every single member of his crew. But that's all you need; this is a killer, no fucking around record.
The 12" makes it look like it might have some interesting remixes with titles like "Uptown's In the House Mix" and "Harlem Radio Mix," but really they're just minor edits of each other. You also get the Instrumental and Acapella, which is nice. And the B-side is the album track "Only the Strong Survive," also produced by Will. It's a much faster, higher energy track with a killer "Funky Drummer" break and a dramatic piano loop. It's pretty hot, too; and his flow's a little tighter when he's forced to rhyme twice as fast. There are album, radio and instrumental versions for that one, and it comes in an inconspicuous sticker cover. It's one of those records I really feel doesn't get the attention it deserves, probably because MMG got overshadowed by their own controversy of the previous record. But it's too bad, because this is the one that really stands the test of time; a legit Harlem anthem.
