| From The Darkness Into The Light | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 18, 2000 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 40:06 | |||
| Label | X-Ray | |||
| Producer |
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| Mellow Man Ace chronology | ||||
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From The Darkness Into The Light is the third studio album by American rapper Mellow Man Ace. It was released on July 18, 2000, via X-Ray Records. The twelve-track record featured guest appearances by Cypress Hill and Profound. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
Mellow Man Ace scored a major crossover hit with 1989's "Mentirosa" but, by 1993, the Havana-born rapper was without a record deal. Released in 2000, From the Darkness Into the Light was his first album since 1992's The Brother With Two Tongues . Eight years is a long time for an MC to go without a new album—especially when you consider how much hip-hop trends can change from one year to the next. But Ace, who was 33 when this CD came out, has no problem changing with the times and delivering an excellent album that is mindful of 2000's rap tastes. A revitalized Ace divides the disc into a Dark Side and a Light Side, which might lead one to assume that he is dividing his time between hardcore rap and pop-rap like he did in the past. But that isn't the case.
Enlisting such producers as DJ Muggs (of Cypress Hill and 7A3 fame) and Tony G., Ace avoids pop-rap—this release doesn't offer anything as commercial as "Mentirosa"—and sticks to hardcore rap. Truth be told, the Dark Side and Light Side are equally hard-hitting. The album has a consistently serious tone; Ace tackles a lot of social issues (everything from urban violence to child pornography), and he speaks candidly and openly about the fact that he went from fame to obscurity. Regrettably, From the Darkness Into the Light wasn't the major commercial comeback he was no doubt hoping for—the album received very little attention. But that doesn't make it any less compelling. [3]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cleopatra's Dungeon Intro" | Collective Funkateerz | 1:47 |
| 2. | "Is It You" | Collective Funkateerz | 4:41 |
| 3. | "Guillotine Tactics" (featuring B-Real and Profound) | Collective Funkateerz | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Miracles" | Collective Funkateerz | 4:26 |
| 5. | "Promotor Super Estrella" | DJ Muggs | 2:43 |
| 6. | "Future Shock" | Collective Funkateerz | 3:33 |
| 7. | "Heaven" | Collective Funkateerz | 4:58 |
| 8. | "Ten La Fe" | DJ Muggs | 4:02 |
| 9. | "Bring It Back" |
| 4:28 |
| 10. | "Feel Tha Steel" (featuring Sen Dog) |
| 3:52 |
| 11. | "Sly Slick and Wicked" (featuring Sen Dog) | 3:49 | |
| 12. | "Cleopatra's Dungeon Outro" | Collective Funkateerz | 1:40 |
| Total length: | 40:06 | ||
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California, formed in 1988. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and they have obtained multi-platinum and platinum certifications. The group has been critically acclaimed for their first five albums. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast hip hop and 1990s hip hop. All of the group members advocate for medical and recreational use of cannabis in the United States. In 2019, Cypress Hill became the first hip hop group to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Latin hip hop is hip hop music that is recorded by artists in the United States of Hispanic and Latino descent, along with Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean, North America, Central America, South America, and Spain.
Rap metal is a fusion genre which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables.
Ace of Base is a Swedish pop group, formed in 1987, originally consisting of siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, with Ulf Ekberg.
Ulpiano Sergio Reyes, better known as Mellow Man Ace, is a Cuban-American rapper known for bilingual delivery and novelty rhymes. He was born in Cuba and moved to Los Angeles with his family at the age of four.
Delinquent Habits is an American hip hop group, formed in Norwalk in 1991. They are known for their Latin-tinged rap, which is both melodic and hardcore. Their first album was executive produced by Cypress Hill member Sen Dog and featured guest appearances by Sen himself as well as Puerto Rican New York City rapper Hurricane G. Their second album, Here Come the Horns, again featured Sen Dog as well as Sen's brother, pioneering Latin rapper Mellow Man Ace. The melodic Merry-Go-Round featured the female singer Michelle Belle. The group chose to focus more on hardcore rap on their fourth offering, Freedom Band.
Chicano rap is a subgenre of hip hop that embodies aspects of Southwest Mexican American or Chicano culture. It is typically performed by rappers and musicians of Mexican descent.
Louis Mario Freese, known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper. Since 1991, he has been one of two lead rappers in the hip hop group Cypress Hill, along with Sen Dog. He has also been a part of the rap metal band Kush (2000–2002), the hip hop supergroup Serial Killers (2013–present) and the rap rock supergroup Prophets of Rage (2016–2019). He has released a variety of solo mixtapes, as well as two solo albums: Smoke n Mirrors (2009) and Tell You Something (2020).
Senen Reyes, also known by his stage name Sen Dog, is a Cuban-American rapper and musician who is best known as a member of the rap group Cypress Hill and as the lead vocalist for the heavy metal band Powerflo. He has been developing a solo career in addition to his work with Cypress Hill and Powerflo, and is the lead vocalist for rap rock band SX-10.
Greatest Hits from the Bong is the greatest hits album by American hip hop group Cypress Hill. It was released on December 13, 2005 via Columbia Records. Production was handled by Alchemist, DJ Khalil, Fredwreck, T-Ray and Cypress Hill themselves. It features guest appearances from Tego Calderón.
Take a Look Around is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Masta Ace. It was released on July 24, 1990 through Cold Chillin' Records with distribution via Reprise Records. Recording sessions took place at House Of Hits in Chestnut Ridge, New York and at Libra Digital Sound in Long Island City. Production was handled by Marley Marl and Mister Cee.
"How I Could Just Kill a Man" is the debut single by hip hop group Cypress Hill from their eponymous debut album, Cypress Hill, and was their first major hit in 1991. It was released as a double A-side to "The Phuncky Feel One". The song was also in the movie Juice (1992). It was re-released in 1999 with Spanish lyrics and a new video. It is featured as the first track on their greatest hits compilation Greatest Hits from the Bong. It was voted number 79 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs.
First Come, First Served is the third solo studio album by American recording artist Kool Keith, and the first he released under the alias Dr. Dooom. It was released on May 4, 1999, by Funky Ass Records. The album featured guest appearances from Jacky Jasper and Motion Man, and was produced entirely by KutMasta Kurt and Kool Keith. It peaked at number 48 on the Heatseekers Albums.
"Evil Ways" is a song made famous by Mexican-American rock band Santana from their 1969 self-titled debut album. It was written by Clarence "Sonny" Henry and originally recorded by jazz percussionist Willie Bobo on his 1967 album Bobo Motion. Alongside Santana's release in 1969, "Evil Ways" was also recorded by the band The Village Callers. The lyrics of the song are written in simple verse form.
Escape from Havana is the debut album by rapper Mellow Man Ace. It was released on August 29, 1989 by Capitol Records. Production for the album was contributed by the Dust Brothers, Tony G, Def Jef, DJ Muggs and Johnny Rivers. The album received a positive reception from critics who praised the East Coast and Latin-influenced production and lyricism. Escape from Havana peaked at number 69 on the Billboard 200 and spawned three singles: "Rhyme Fighter", "Mentirosa" and "If You Were Mine".
The Brother With Two Tongues is a studio album by the American rapper Mellow Man Ace. It was released in 1992 via Capitol Records.
Ghetto Therapy is the first collaborative album by American rappers Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace as the Reyes Brothers, released on June 13, 2006 via Latin Thugs Entertainment LLC.
Diary of a Mad Dog is the debut solo album by Cypress Hill rapper Sen Dog. It was released September 30, 2008 via indie label Suburban Noize Records. The record features guest appearances by the likes of Kottonmouth Kings, Demrick, B-Real, Mellow Man Ace, Slip Matola, and J-Killa among others.
Mad Dog American is the debut album by American rap rock band SX-10. It was released on June 6, 2000. The twelve-track record featured guest appearances by the likes of Mellow Man Ace, Kottonmouth Kings, Everlast, Rey Oropeza, and DJ Muggs & Eric Bobo from Cypress Hill.
"Mentirosa" is a single by Mellow Man Ace from his debut album, Escape from Havana. It was one of the first songs produced by Tony G, with scratches provided by Tony's fellow DJ at Los Angeles' KDAY radio station, Julio G. The song was Mellow Man Ace's lone hit single, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 24 weeks on the chart. "Mentirosa" was additionally certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and was 99th on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1990. The track is performed in Spanglish, and samples "No One to Depend On" and "Evil Ways" by Santana.
