Steady B

Warren McGlone, aka Steady B, was never a gangsta rapper. Instead of rapping about thug life, the Philadelphia MC specialized in East Coast battle rhymes; he spent much of his time attacking "sucker MCs" and explaining why he felt his rapping was superior to theirs. But sadly, the things that gangsta rappers address -- thug life, urban crime, and violence -- became a reality for Steady B and his colleague Cool C, who does some rapping and mixing on Steady's fifth Jive album, Steady B 5. When Steady B's career went downhill, he and Cool C turned to violent crime -- and in 1996, they were charged with armed robbery and murder. Steady B was looking at a possible death sentence but, after making a confession, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Recorded in 1991, Steady B 5 was the last solo album that he recorded before his downfall. The Philadelphian produced most of the material himself and, true to form, he makes battle rhymes his main focus. A few of the tunes talk about something other than sucker MCs; women are the subject of "Girl's Gonna Getcha" and "Pay Me Baby," a humorous description of a material girl. But Steady B spends most of the album lambasting rival MCs. Unfortunately, what worked well for him in 1987 and 1988 was sounding tired and predictable in 1991. Steady B always had strong rhyming skills and never had a problem flowing, but technique for the sake of technique (or flow for the sake of flow) has its limitations and can eventually grow tiresome. While Steady B 5 isn't a bad album, it isn't a terribly interesting one either. Nonetheless, the CD will, despite its limitations and shortcomings, interest the rapper's die-hard fans -- if for no other reason than the fact that it was the last solo album he recorded before going off to prison five years later. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide