El Nino

In the late 1990s so many rappers are appearing on each other's records that it becomes easy to forget just whose album it is. On El Niño, Keith Murray, Erick Sermon, and Redman--all lethal MCs--took the next logical step and joined forces. The result? Chemistry class is in session. What cannot be understated is how reenergized the trio sound together. They appear invigorated with a sense of focus and duty: "Full Cooperation" is pure park-after-dark rhyming; "The Game" is the trio at its freshest, freely trading four bars each over classic cuts, breaks, and beats; and then there's "Ride wit Us," with one of the most surreal exchanges on the album, when guest rapper Too Short passes the mic to Murray over a Sermon beat. Juice Crew veteran Biz Markie also adds some old-school spice to a cover of "Rhymin' with Biz" that pairs the original hook with James Brown's "Payback" guitar. --Todd Inoue