The War Report


The War Report is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga. The album features the singles "L.A., L.A.", "T.O.N.Y.", "Illegal Life" and "Closer". Tragedy Khadafi appears on more than half of the album's songs and served roles as both producer and executive producer. Despite its strong underground overtones, the album was a commercial success, listed on 1997's Hip Hop/R&B Top Five, and certified Gold in the US.

Significance and impact

Considered a classic by fans and critics , The War Report's signature sound was distinctively underground and hardcore for its time, a trademark that garnered street credibility for the group. The unique chemistry of Noreaga's unorthodox lyrical delivery, combined with Capone's streetwise slang and Five Percenter references, established the duo as a household name within the hardcore hip hop community. Furthermore, the album created a large and devoted cult following for the group and launched the solo career of Noreaga, who subsequently went on to achieve significant mainstream success.
More importantly, The War Report is often credited with reviving East Coast and hardcore hip hop, signaling a return to realistic and gritty hardcore street aesthetics and spelling an end to the surrealistic, ostentatious, and narratives of mafioso rap. Beginning in the end of 1996 and throughout 1997, mafioso hip-hop gradually lost its critical acclaim within the underground scene from which it originated. As it crossed over into the mainstream, the concept was becoming increasingly generic. Upon the release of The War Report, however, Capone and Noreaga brought new life into the gangsta rap subgenre, becoming an instant underground phenomenon that foreshadowed the rise of similarly styled emcees who went on to cross into the mainstream for the remainder of the mid 1990s, into the late 1990s and into the following decade.
The success of the album managed the group to make a sequel titled . The album was originally scheduled to be released on June 15, 2010, almost exactly 13 years to the original, but it was pushed back a month later to July 13, 2010.

Track listing

#TitleProducerFeatured ArtistLength
1"Intro"Charlemagne1:32
2"Bloody Money"EZ Elpee4:33
3"Driver's Seat"Nashiem Myrick & Carlos "6 July" Broady for The HitmenImam T.H.U.G. & Busta Rhymes3:40
4"Stick You"Naughty ShortsTragedy Khadafi4:43
5"Parole Violators"Havoc, Tragedy KhadafiHavoc & Tragedy Khadafi2:30
6"Iraq "EZ ElpeeCastro, Musaliny, Mendosa & Troy Outlaw5:33
7"Live On, Live Long"Naughty Shorts4:50
8"Neva Die Alone"BuckwildTragedy Khadafi3:23
9"T.O.N.Y. "Nashiem Myrick & Carlos "6 July" Broady for The HitmenTragedy Khadafi4:28
10"Channel 10"Lord FinesseTragedy Khadafi3:21
11"Capone Phone Home" 1:43
12"Thug Paradise" D-Moet Tragedy Khadafi3:30
13"Capone Bone"Marley Marl3:37
14"Halfway Thugs"Charlemagne3:13
15"L.A., L.A."Marley Marl, J. Force Mobb Deep & Tragedy Khadafi4:49
16"Capone-N-Noreaga Live" 2:43
17"Illegal Life"Havoc, Tragedy KhadafiHavoc3:49
18"Black Gangstas"BuckwildTragedy Khadafi2:59
19"Closer" DJ Clark KentNneka4:04
20"Capone Phone Home" 1:33

^Busta Rhymes' part is cut off before he starts. He only appears on the last 20 seconds of the song, ad-libbing over the hook.
The songs "Stick You," "Parole Violators," "Halfway Thugs," and "L.A., L.A " are partially edited, even though the album was released with an explicit-lyrics sticker.
Sample-clearance issues caused two tracks, "Married to Marijuana" and "Calm Down," to be cut from the retail version of the album. Both songs were originally on the promo version sent out for reviews but were omitted from the retail album when it hit stores. Both became popular mixtape and underground radio tracks and were released as white label 12-inch singles.

Samples

Singles