MC Eiht Releases The Tracklist & A New Song From His Collabo Album With DJ Premier (Audio)

One week ago, MC Eiht and DJ Quik released not one but two collaborations on Q-U-I-K & Problem’s Rosecrans album. Those tracks, which closed the Diamond Lane Music Group release signified peace after a beef that dominated the 1990s in Rap music. Two Compton, California natives who literally threatened each other’s lives on wax not only reached armistice, but showed that they worked just as well as partners in rhyme as street and industry nemeses. Since making a standout feature on Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 good kid, m.A.A.d city album, Eiht has since been fast at work with DJ Premier on Which Way Iz West. Executive produced by the Gang Starr and PRhyme member, that LP is now releasing after nearly five years of promotion, on June 9.

In a career that once included more than 15 years in a 12-year time span, Which Way… appears to be one of the biggest albums of Eiht’s 30-year career. The lead single is “Represent Like This,” which features fellow 1980s L.A. Rap icon WC. Dub’ and Eiht each share history with Mack 10, who was WC’s Westside Connection band-mate, and previously backed the Compton’s Most Wanted MC at Hoo-Bangin’ Records. Produced by Austria’s Brenk Sinatra, the song features scratches by Preemo:

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Besides WC, the album has a strong cast that includes Cypress Hill’s B-Real, Kurupt, The Lady Of Rage, Bumpy Knuckles, Tha Outlawz, Xzibit, and onetime Geto Boys member Big Mike. C.M.W. also makes a return on “Last Ones Left,” one of the four songs produced by DJ Premier. In 1992, Preemo remixed “Def Wish II” for C.M.W. as part of their Music To Driveby campaign.

“I decided to release the Dub C track first as an ode to true west coast music and because [WC] is a true West Coast originator” Eiht said in a press statement. “I wanted to give fans a familiar taste of what were about and due to [DJ] Crazy Toones passing away, it just seemed like the appropriate way to honor my ‘cuzzins’ as they were one of the first artists I had the honor of rocking with early in my career.  This is for the West Coast and our heritage and it was only right to ‘Represent Like This.’” DJ Crazy Toones, who is WC’s brother and longtime DJ/producer for Ice Cube and Westside Connection, appeared in this song’s upcoming music video. He died in January of this year, due to heart attack.

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The tracklisting to MC Eiht’s Which Way Iz West:

1.)  “Shut ‘Em Down” f/ Tha Outlawz
2.)  “Represent Like This” f/ WC & DJ Premier
3.)  “Compton Zoo”
4.)  “Heart Cold” f/ Lady Of Rage
5.)  “Pass Me By” f/ B-Real
6.)  “Runn The Blocc” f/ MayLAy (produced by DJ Premier)
7.)  “Gangsta Gangsta” f/ Kurupt
8.)  “Got That”
9.)  “Medicate” f/ Xzibit
10.)  “Born To Hustle” f/ Big Mike
11.)  “Sittin’ Around Smokin’”
12.)  “As I Proceed”
13.)  “Last Ones Left” (f/ Compton’s Most Wanted & DJ Premier (produced by DJ Premier)
14.”  “4 Tha OG’z” f/ Bumpy Knuckles (Produced by DJ Premier)
15.)  “You Nia’z”

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The album is released by Premier’s Year Round Records imprint, in conjunction with MC Eiht’s Blue Stamp label.