In 1997, many gangsta rappers still insisted on coming out with albums that sounded like countless other gangsta rap releases. One of the many offenders was this CD by
Ruthless Juveniles, a trio of faceless teenage gangsta rappers from New Orleans. Originality is the last thing you'll find on
The New Beginning, which has absolutely nothing to set it apart from numerous other gangsta offerings of the 1990s. "Bloodthirsty," "Unsolved Murders," "Thuggin'" and every other tune on the disc sounds like fifth-rate Spice-1 (minus his production values), and the uncreative rappers insist on recycling a lyrical approach that was already sounding incredibly stale seven years earlier. Some talented rappers came out of the Crescent City, but
Ruthless Juveniles weren't among them. This forgettable, knee-jerk CD is definitely something for hip-hoppers to stay away from. ~ Alex Henderson