Cormega is a somewhat underground emcee from Queensbridge that has been about for quite some time with little to no recognition. His first noticable foray into national spotlight was on Nas' LP Illmatic. the song One Love, was a letter from Nas to his friend Cormega whom he had met doing time in Rikers for murder in '90. Sadly, Nas brought Nature in to replace Cormega as his sidekick. Cormega was enraged and released a track, Fuck Nas and Nature feat Pretty Boy. This conflict has been settled to a degree, but there is still some tension between the two. As for Cormega on the mic, he's always been known for his incredible freestyles, but more than that, his drug kingpin-type rhyming. Whether it be smuggling keys or "leavin' Pauly to rest in his house/lyin' on his couch, wit' his dick in his mouth", his lyrics are always executed with that special touch that can only be given from the man with the Montana Way. One of his more prominent trcks available on the Angel Dust 12-inch or download through your favprite mp3 sharing network, is Killaz Theme II featuring Mobb Deep. His new LP, The Realness, will be released July 24, 2001.

The above write-up is now rather old but sadly, there is little change in the situation. Cormega is still one of the finest rappers on the planet, and he still gets no love from radio stations - which are the only way an artist can shift records these days. Tim Westwood played the new single a few weeks ago, once, but hardly talked it up a great deal - I've not heard it again since.

What has always impressed me about Cormega is that he is not afraid to genuinly get passionate on the mic. One often feels that such cult figures as Eminem feign at least a little of their energy, but with Cormega you can't help but feel he rhymes from the heart.

A typical example is on "Fallen Soldiers", arguably his finest release to date. "Did you ever lose a niggah you loved? Ever asked yourself is there a heaven for thugs? And will you be forgiven when your spirit is judged?" goes the hook. This song is about his older brother who was killed in a flair-up of gang violence, and he captures the mood of despair and self-questioning just perfectly.

I wonder if Cormega will ever make it in the mass market now. He doesn't seem afraid of selling copies; he's no NoFX. Maybe the record-buying public aren't ready for his sound and style just yet. Only time will tell.

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