Phantom Gangsta Chronicles, Vol. 1

AMG Review of Phantom Gangsta Chronicles, Vol. 1

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

Whether you look at it as an aboveground mixtape or a disjointed compilation of loose tracks, Phantom Gangsta Chronicles, Vol. 1 is a minor entry in the Styles P discography. The liner notes are minimal, the running time is short, and the highlight of the set isn't a Styles P cut at all. It's Straw & Trav's gangsta party number "I'm Your Pusher" that steals the show with its infectious "You don't want it with me" chorus plus a tight loop that combines funk with Duane Eddy-style guitar. Throw it in a Tarantino film and it'll blow up. Styles' big moment is the "no regrets" number "Nuttin Come EZ," which features a piano line straight out of the Bruce Hornsby playbook, but this stark look into the past has its impact blunted by all the other lesser and like tracks included. Mega-fans of the rapper and his D-Block crew already have most of these cuts on underground mixtapes, but they may find the bonus DVD filled with videos and live performances of some interest.