Under the guidance of
the Notorious B.I.G.
,
Junior M.A.F.I.A.
released their first single, "Player's Anthem," in the summer of 1995, along with the full-length
Conspiracy
. Not surprisingly, the group's music resembles that of
The Notorious B.I.G.
's
Ready to Die
, complete with an opening sound collage. Considering
was one of the seminal hip-hop releases of the early '90s,
could have been an inspired, enjoyable sequel; instead, it's a fitfully successful replication of the earlier record's strengths. The major problem is
doesn't have enough personality to distinguish themselves from the
B.I.G.
, who appears on four of the album's songs.
Little Kim
, the group's only female, does bring things to life on occasion, but it isn't quite enough to save the entire album. Nevertheless, the
Clark Kent
-produced "Player's Anthem" is a classic single, riding on its rubbery bass and surprisingly warm sentiments. Although
contributes some killer rhymes to the song; he fits into the overall sound of the single, but he doesn't dominate. Instead, the true personalities of
shine through, and they are impressive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine