THE FIX (EX)

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: Scarface, Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Nas, W.C. (rap vocals); Kelly Price, Faith Evans (vocals); T. Mix (various instruments); Mike Dean (guitar, keyboards); Darrale Crooks (guitar); Uncle Eddie (bass); B. Johnson (drums); Kanye West (background vocals). Producers include: Mike Dean, China Black, Kanye West, Nashiem Myrick, Lee Stone. Personnel: Scarface, Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Nas, W.C. (rap vocals); Kelly Price, Faith Evans (vocals); T. Mix (various instruments); Mike Dean (guitar, keyboards); Darrale Crooks (guitar); Uncle Eddie (bass); B. Jordan (drums); Kanye West (background vocals). Producers include: Mike Dean, China Black, Kanye West, Nashiem Myrick, Lee Stone. On THE FIX, Scarface works overtime to show that a rapper can retain his gangsta credibility and still explore other avenues of expression. He lays down hard-hitting thug-life scenarios on such tracks as "Safe" and "Keep Me Down," but THE FIX is far from monochromatic. The bevy of producers add something special to each track, from the aforementioned "Keep Me Down"'s clever utilization of an acoustic guitar riff sampled from '60s folkie Tom Rush, to golden-touch crew the Neptunes adding some pop/R&B flavoring (not to mention the sensual vocals of Faith Evans) to the catchy "Someday." Thematically, "Guess Who's Back" finds Scarface singing the praises of old-school camaraderie with Beanie Siegel and Jay-Z, while the complex sociological analysis of "What Can I Do?" favorably recalls the Furious Five's classic "The Message."