Queensbridge emcee Cormega hasn't had the greatest career ever. Being one of the legendary Nas' proteges sounds all good, and it was, while it lasted. For a long time, Cormega and Nasty Nas were close friends and emcee partners. So in 1996 when Nas created the super-group "The Firm", Cormega was a shoe-in for the spot. Alongside fellow Nas' student AZ, Nas himself, and female emcee Foxy Brown, backed by Dr. Dre's production, they were destined to be royalty. Unfortunately, due to disputes with their record company, and between the two emcees themselves, Cormega was booted out of the group and replaced with another newcomer named Nature. To put this in laymens, this majorly p*ssed Cormega off. Cormega then proceded to light a fire in the New York Underground hip hop scene with a fury, laying out diss tracks all over. This created the buzz that got 'Mega signed with Def Jam, one of the largest hip hop record labels ever. After releasing his largely slept on, yet classic album The Realness in 2001, he returns with his sophomore effort The True Meaning.

Track List & Rating

1. Introspective (4 1/2 Stars)
2. Verbal Graffiti (4 1/2 Stars)
3. Live Ya Life (5 Stars)
4. Ain't Gonna Change (4 Stars)
5. The True Meaning (5 Stars)
6. A Thin Line (5 Stars)
7. The Legacy (5 Stars)
8. Love In, Love Out (5 Stars)
9. The Come Up f/ Large Professor (4 1/2 Stars)
10. Built For This (4 Stars)
11. Soul Food (5 Stars)
12. Take These Jewels (4 Stars)
13. Endangered Species (4 Stars)
14. Therapy (5 Stars)


Cormega is an extremely talented emcee, and more than once, i believe he may be even more talented than Nas at some parts. His lyricism is almost always on-point, well-written, and thoughtful. He follows the same formula that Nas followed on his debut Illmatic, which is straight-up street poetry. Cormega pushes himself to be one of the all-time great street poets, and he achieves it with The True Meaning and his other album The Realness. 'Mega opens the album with "Introspective", which is basically a short intro rapping freestyle track. 'Mega lays down some awesome lyrics about his current situation in hip hop over a memorable beat. He takes one very subtle shot at Prodigy with the lines: "My Chain never got Stolen". From the onset Cormega shows that he isn't holding back on nobody on this album.

"Verbal Graffiti" is another instant banger. Cormega gives us street poetry about violence and his childhood, including the mentality of the streets, mixed in with some braggadiocio rhymes. Hangmen 3 give us a unique oriental instrumental with some strumming guitars, chimes, and what sounds like a triangle. Cormega inserts some storytelling in the latter verses about how he was screwed over in his career.

Cormega gets introspective on "Live ya Life". Cormega gives us a memorable street anthem and the first real classic from The True Meaning. The track gives us a light-hearted feeling, similar to the production work on AZ's classic Doe or Die, only better-fit for Cormega. The piano keys, claps, violins meld perfect with Cormega's narrative and descriptive vocals. Cormega's street poetry hits an all-time high as he dedicates this to the women in the projects with problems, describes them in vivid detail, and offers intelligent solutions. He describes certain people who he knew, using descriptive verses of the true ills of living in the streets, and sort of gives them a small ounce of hope, but claims that it all comes from within. The fitting production and R&B chorus is a beautiful mixture with Mega's eye-opening lyrics. Definitely a must-listen to track.

On "Soul Food", Cormega changes up his style a bit, rapping about a relationship with a girl. He takes his first person rhyme perspective, seemingly rapping to the girl similar to the way Talib Kweli or Common has done in the past. However, don't get this confused with thuggish-love rhymes like Ja Rule, because this isn't the case. Cormega raps about dishonesty in a relationship, as he fell in love with a female who was already taken by another man. Cormega gives us a very unique and creative twist to these stories, vividly giving us his emotions. The knowledge exhibited by 'Mega is reminiscent of an older man, who has experience, yet Cormega is still very young, and very smart for his age. Yet Another classic on The True Meaning.

Cormega's hatred for Nas is obviously displayed on The True Meaning, and more than once. On "Love In / Love Out", Cormega focuses on the fact that Nas sold out, and raps about everything, including the infamous Firm dealings. He lays down verses taking down Nas harshly, responding to the disses on Nas' Destroy and Rebuild. 'Mega relies on punchlines insulting Nas' hypocrisy as a sell-out rapper and as a person himself. On "A Thin Line", we get a very pounding beat for Cormega to attack Nas. Once again, Cormega points out the fact that Nas was once a respected street poet, until he sold out. He rubs in the fact that he believes that Nas is fake thug. 'Mega paints a picture that Nas is the reason that 'Mega isn't on the same plateau as Nas is when it comes to fame, fortune, and respect, which is unfortunate since Cormega deserves it too, as he is also an incredible emcee. But Cormega doesn't just take on Nas, he also decides to throw in some shots at Mobb Deep emcee Prodigy on the DJ Hi-Tek produced "Take These Jewels". On this track, Cormega pokes fun in a much more light-hearted matter, insulting Prodigy's size and the fact that he got his jewels stolen so simple, and that all of his rhymes and trash talk was all bullsh*t because of that incident, and that he means nothing. Cormega is surprisingly a great battle rapper, and really lays it down on Nas and Prodigy in these tracks.

The name of the game with Cormega is pure street poetry, as nearly every track touches on this topic. However, the interesting part is that each track has a different type of street poetry, yet all of it is introspective, unique, well-written, and produced relatively well. On "The True Meaning", Cormega narrates amazing street stories about his "first career", namely drug dealing. Cormega gives us some of the most descriptive lyrics ever, touching on everything from his fiends, to his arrest, to the violence that comes with the life, all over a magnificent piece of production. Cormega pens another classic with that, and with "The Legacy". Cormega continues his street poetry about coming up and raised with a street mentality, this time dropping some names of some of his friends and idols who he knew in the streets. Its obvious that 'Mega learned a lot from these individuals, and proves it with his illuminary lyrics. On "The Come Up", Cormega raps pretty much the same, but his delivery a bit more light-hearted and feel good, same with some of the lyrics. Cormega raps with hope, probably hope that others can leave the struggle the same way that he has. Large Professor comes in to provide the beat and a verse. On "Therapy", Cormega decides to end the album with a more personal side of his street poetry, dropping stories about his life, and some important moments in his childhood. Over some masterful production, Cormega's rhymes light up the beat, making this yet another classic to close The True Meaning.

The True Meaning is an unbelievable sophomore album by the great Cormega. He has delivered not one, but two hot albums in a two year period, which is very difficult for most artists to do, specially nowadays, and 'Mega did it. Many times i feel that Cormega is slowly on his way to out-doing his teacher Nas because of the fact that he has given us two incredible albums, without any hint of selling out whatsoever. Whether he can achieve that, which is an extremely difficult feat, will all depend on time. But whatever you do, dont count Cormega out on none of it, because he is definetely the fastest one on his way...

4 1/2 Stars... rounded down to 4


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Going to Sleep