Y2K

by Roxanne BlanfordControversy sells -- it's a well-known fact in the recording industry -- and the group Screwball learned this lesson quickly. This inner city quartet first gained notoriety when they released the somewhat disturbing single "Who Shot Rudy?" (concerning the fictional shooting of New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani). With the debut of their full-length CD, Y2K, Screwball continued to illustrate harrowing tales of coming of age in New York, specifically in the Queensbridge section of the Bronx. Their style is immediate and unrelenting; their stories are vivid and graphic. Guest stars on this record include life-long acquaintances Mobb Deep, MC Shan, Noyd, and Cormega. With the DJ Premier-produced track "F.A.Y.B.A.N." and some solo cuts that permit individual members to shine and show their rhyming skills, Y2K cleverly positions itself as one of the definitive rap releases of 1999.