Mixerr Album Reviews #78

This is Michael Mixerr. Today I will review Still Here by Lil Sin who now goes by the name Young Namar. Still Here was released on CD in 2005 on Lil Sin's SoufField label. (The re-release was in 2010 I think.)
This has to be Lil Sin's most underrated albums next to his other albums such as Who Got Yo Back and My Secret. The album has that 90s/2000's San Antonio sound with that Doo-Dooism sound with the bass guitars and heavy synths. Poppa Squali produced a majority of this album.  Santee might have been on here as well. I don't know.
I LOVE the drum programming throughout out the whole album! Production is on point! This is more rock oriented. It still has Hip Hop/Rap though.

Anyway, on with the album! Lil Sin marks his return in the Intro. Lil Sin discusses his previous successes in the Intro. Lil Sin brought you Frustrated By Death, which later brought Who Got Yo Back. Who Got Yo Back was rated 4 mics in the Source Magazine and 3 ½ mics in the Murder Dog Magazine. It should have been rated 5 mics in the magazines I just mentioned because it is THAT GOOD! TRUST ME! Lil Sin thinks his best album was Frustrated By Death.

The title track Still Here lets us know that Lil Sin isn't going no where. He takes on a journey of his music career. Lil Sin also talks about how he toured 1,000 cities across the world! He talks about he and BLVD Records had made connections and deals with different people such as Bun B, Pimp C, Ant Banks, Lady Lunatic, and whole bunch of other people. Also different companies such as BLVD Records, Unstoppable Records, PRC Recordings, Villain Recordz, Tone City Recordz, Mendez Productions, Big Ballin' Recordz, Southwest Wholesale, and Select-O-Hits. All that good shit! I love the rock guitar sample used on this tack. It has that rock feel to it. Especially the drum programming. Poppa Squali has great piano skills.

Cop A CD has an Arabic flute beat to more of a Middle Eastern beat. More of a Middle Eastern feel to itself. It's a lot different from any other Lil Sin song. It's a great song! I just wish it were a bit longer.
That's all.

On the song Success, Lil Sin again show cases his previous successes. In 1996, Frustrated By Death sold over 300,000 copies. In 1998, Who Got Yo Back sold over 300,000 copies! In 2000, My Secret sold 300,000 copies. 2000 was the same year that Livin'-N-Sin sold around 1,000,000 copies!! (Platinum status for those of you who believe Lil Sin or not!!)
As Lil Sin put it "It ain't about the money, nigga. It's in your heart." Not about selling out to mainstream music.
I think Lil Sin might be giving us a hint to why he's not BLVD Records anymore and now on his own label SoufField. Along with PRC Recordings with Santee. Lil Sin mentioned he's not well off financially because his brother is gone. I'm assuming this happened in 2001.

This applies for both the songs Still here and Success. As I said before… For those who don't know, Lil Sin (Ronnie Warner Jr.) is from the Eastside of San Antonio (Eastwood). He started out on BLVD Records with Clyde Williams III aka Sugabear and C-Ordell in 1995 while working on his debut album Frustrated By Death and C-Ordell's Under Investigation album. They both got him started in the music business. So did his father Rodney Warner Sr. (R.I.P.) Every time Lil Sin releases an album, it usually sells around 300,000 copies.

Clyde Williams III aka Sugabear ran BLVD Records from 1995 to 2001 in San Antonio, Texas.
BLVD Records, Youngsta Records, Suthern Merchandise, and Tone City Records were running things in the 90s when it came to Hip-Hop/Rap. San Antonio had an up and coming Hip Hop/Rap scene in the early to mid 90s. Such as P.K.O., Twice Tha Power, Brown Tribe, Tribe 46, MC Falcon, Chuy Loko, C-Ordell, K-Sam, Nino (Pony J), C-Stud Ville, Princess Kaos, Choice, DJ Trini B, and many more!!! Record labels such as Youngsta Records, 210 Records, On Time Productions, Big Ballin Recordz, Mendez Productions, PRC Recordings, Villain Recordz, and 3rd Degree Entertainment were up and coming record labels in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
Lil Sin is now on his own label called SoufField and has been since 2001. He says it feels good to be on his own independently.

On with the other songs. Can't Wait is about sexual intercourse. It's also about getting sprung. (You all should know what I mean.) Basically it's just sexual intercourse between love couples.
Can I (Next 2 U) is about Lil Sin loving relationship with his girlfriend. It's about settling down, getting married, having kids, and investing in their homes. The loves never ends until death. The song was done in 2004. In the middle of Can I (Next 2 U), Lil Sin finds out that his girlfriend had cheated on him with another man. His feeling are hurt so bad. The human beatboxing can be heard. Can I (Next 2 U) songs like a song that came out of the late 80s. I'm not sure what the sample is.

The human beatboxing can be heard at the very beginning of Jonny. Jonny saw the gangster lifestyle at an early age. Jonny chose to live his life in a maze and now he wishes he could turn it all back. He's in jail obviously as a consequence. Jonny was a fighter in school and on the street. Now he's lost a friend. 25 to life is what he's dealing with.
The streets can make you or break you. It's really hard to trust your click. Nobody knows who you are anymore. Jonny used to be a rap star with a plush lifestyle. All the cars and women are gone. Jonny messed up his life. Jonny acts gangsta when he isn't. Jonny thinks he's a baller when he's broke. Jonny smoke pot when the situation is hot. Information was leaking in the club by hoes. Jonny wasn't expecting thugs to have slugs. Jonny's family is on the line. The feds are getting closer to Jonny thanks to a snitch. US Marshals are on foot. Jonny hasn't eating in weeks and he's running out of places to hide. Money is tight. So he decides to take a trip to Port Aransas, Texas. Maybe Jonny will do good in Kansas and do damage. He's still laying low of course.

The song Gangsta is about who's gangsta or not. Look at this fat ass faggot saggin' his pants and wears a colorful rag on his head. The colors seen on the American and British flags. (Bloods & Crips reference for those who don't know.) With that pistol in hand you want to act like you're all bad when you're really not. Just ready to put some people into body bags. That's how you really want to represent your gangs? That's just a sad case of dumbness.
A snitch is at a club. Some thugs slip something into his liquor. Outside the club is where the thugs catch the snitch slippin'.
The production is on point as I said before. I love the drum programming skills by Poppa Squali. He has great programming skills!

Be Glad has that Rock sound to me. That's what I think. Lil Sin explains why you'll never have a friend like him. There is no friend like Lil Sin. If you do find a friend like Lil Sin, it won't be him. It will be someone else.

On Neva Been Here, Lil Sin explains the relationships with his 2 sons, Trevion and Kevin. He's trying to be the father he can be. He's no longer into that gangsta lifestyle he was in when he did Frustrated By Death with C-Ordell in 1996. He's trying to do the family thang. He was also living Austin at the time. During that time in 1995 to 1996, Lil Sin was living in Boston. He went back to back from Boston to San Antonio while having to kids. (2 sons Kevin and Trevion.) Lil Sin wants be there more for his kids.

Moments In Love samples the Art of Noise song Moments In Love.. Except the tempo, speed, and pitch have been altered. Also there is extra drum programming to accompany this song. This song is about have sexual intercourse.

The human beatboxing can be heard at the very beginning of Space Rain. This song has more of an electronic feel to it. It's Young Namar. This is probably another sex song. I can hear drum samples also.

The last track is Thank U. Gangsta Horne (Winston Horne) is mention on this track. He died in 1995. It's a shame. His parents are meant mentioned as well. This song is dedicated to everyone who helped Lil Sin in his music career. Lil Sin is the man to all of his fans when the mics in his hands. Lil Sin would be shooting people and selling drugs if he didn't rap and do the family thang. His kids gotta eat too. As I explained before, Lil Sin's not trying to be gangsta anymore. He's trying to do the family thing. (Family thang.) That was in 1996. He's gotta focus on the present and future.

This album is really good. If you get the chance, buy it! You won't regret it! Lil Sin has never put out a bad album. Take my word for it! Lil Sin is a mix of Scarface, 2pac, Tha Realest, Tela, and Devin The Dude.
I rate this album, Still Here, 5/5*****!!