Capone-N-Noreaga

The career arc of Queens-based rappers Capone and Noreaga mirrors the transformation of New York City mainstream rap from gritty representation of crime-riddled streets to glossy fantasies of the good life. The duo immediately distinguished itself with Capone's nasal delivery and clear-eyed vision of street life, coupled with Noreaga's often hilarious and nonsensical rhymes ("I run laps around the English Channel," is one of his choice lines). Their 1997 debut, The War Report, proved an instant sensation with songs like "L.A., L.A.," in which the two threw themselves into the fray of the East Coast/West Coast rap battles that were raging at the time.

The group faced adversity early on, when Capone was sent to jail before The War Report was released. With his partner in rhyme turning to crime, Nore-aga released his first solo album, 1998's N.O.R.E. Noreaga's union with then up-and-coming producers the Neptunes was a kind of rap alchemy, collaborating on anthems like "Superthug" --and many more in the future. N.O.R.E. made Noreaga a viable solo act, but his followup, Melvyn Flynt -- Da Hustler, is an un-focused let down, offering little humor and no ex-hilarating club track, perhaps due to the passing of Noreaga's father. In 2000, Noreaga reunited with Capone for the forgettable The Reunion, which lacks the chemistry of their debut. Noreaga, rechristened N.O.R.E., released God's Favorite in 2002, reteaming with the Neptunes for two stellar cuts, "Nothin' " and "Grimey," though the album was plagued by too many guest appearances from some of N.O.R.E.'s less talented cohorts. (CHRIS RYAN)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide