Rappin' 4-Tay

It's "a Bay thang" as one of the San Francisco Bay Area's premier artists takes his 1994 bow. There are touches of the g-funk revolution (the whirring harmonics of "Sucka Free" and fat, loose bass lines throughout) that enveloped the West Coast in the early to mid-'90s, but 4-Tay's quick flow also points to his earlier, East Coast brethren. The themes are familiar: weed ("Dank"), partying ("Tear the Roof Off") and loose women ("She's a Sell Out"). The jewel of the collection is the god-like "Playaz Club," with its infectious sample carried from the opening bars of William Bell's "Private Number."