MASTA ACE INCORPORATED

The second album from Masta Ace Incorporated, Sittin’ on Chrome spawned three top 100 hit singles, “Born to Roll” which went top 25 the previous year and is included here, and both “The I.N.C. Ride” and “Sittin’ on Chrome”. Sonically, the album represents some of the best production elements of mid-90’s East Coast Hip-Hop, including darker, heavier passages with angular hooks and combines those with laidback, funky synth lines and a conceit about a “wild cousin from the West” that sets the listener up for a seamless blend of two competing sensibilities – a rare feat at the height of the mid-90’s Gangsta Rap popularity. This is The I.N.C.’s best-selling record and it’s apparent why – there’s not a weak track in the bunch. Chrome is an essential album from the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.