''Roots of Evil'' is the second solo album by

Mafioso rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general thr ...

artist

Kool G Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Cr ...

, released in 1998 by Kool G's record label, Illstreet. It boasts two singles, "Foul Cats" and "Can't Stop the Shine", and reached No. 43 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album contains the first recorded appearance of

Papoose Papoose (from the Narragansett ''papoos'', meaning "child") is an American English word whose present meaning is "a Native American child" (regardless of tribe) or, even more generally, any child, usually used as a term of endearment, often in ...

Production and release

The album was recorded in Arizona, during a period of time where G. Rap was purposely avoiding New York. It was promoted with two singles, "Foul Cats" and "Can't Stop the Shine". "Foul Cats" tells the story of Kool G Rap being set up and his friend murdered by a rival gang. Seeking revenge, G Rap and his crew kidnap the girlfriend of one of the rival gangsters at gunpoint and force her to reveal her boyfriend's place of residence. They go to his home in

Jackson Heights, Queens Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, Woodside to the west, and today northern Astoria ( Ditm ...

, where they find him sleeping on the sofa and awaken him by throwing a glass of

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

in his face. They then discover his

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

stash and kill him by giving him a fatal

heroin overdose An opioid overdose is toxicity due to excessive consumption of opioids, such as morphine, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, tramadol, and methadone. This preventable pathology can be fatal if it leads to Hypoventilation, respiratory depression, a let ...

. When his girlfriend reaches for the phone and attempts to call for help, G Rap is forced to pistol-whip her and shoot her dead before he and his crew flee the premises. "Can't Stop the Shine" features a chorus sung by R&B singer Miss Jones. The

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

shows Kool G Rap and Miss Jones partying on a lavish yacht, and Kool G Rap surviving as assassination attempt by two hitmen in his villa.

Critical reception

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' wrote that "G. Rap's rhymes are so richly detailed that they put you right there in the heart of the action."

Track listing

Samples

*"Cannon Fire" **"Ballad for the Fallen Soldier" by

the Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American soul group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...

*"Can't Stop the Shine" **"What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'" by

Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills (born March 22, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to stardom as Dorothy Gale in the original seven-time Tony Awards, Tony Award winning Broadway theatre, Broadway run of the musical ''The Wiz'' ...

*"Da Bosses Lady" **"He's the Greatest Dancer" by

Sister Sledge Sister Sledge was an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consists of sisters Joni, Kim, Debbie, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. I ...

*"Foul Cats" **"Poor Abbey Walsh" by

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

*"Hitman's Diary" **"You Light Up My Life" by

Jean Carne Jean Carn, also spelled Jean Carne (born Sarah Jean Perkins; March 15, 1947) is an American R&B/soul and jazz singer. In mid-career, she added a final ''e'' to her name. Carn is a vocalist credited with a five-octave vocal range. Biography Carn ...

*"Let the Games Begin" **"Have Mercy on Me" by the East St. Louis Gospelettes *"Mobsta's" **"Ain't No Sunshine" by

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

*"A Thug's Love Story (Chapter I, II, III)" **"Mellow Mood (Part I)" by

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

Album singles

Charts

References

{{Authority control Kool G Rap albums 1998 albums Gangsta rap albums by American artists Mafioso rap albums