Released in August 1999 and going Gold the following month, Violator: The Album is a hip-hop compilation, from Def Jam Recordings. Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, and Noreaga from Violator Records appeared on the album, which was the first from the label under the Def Jam umbrella.

With a serious lineup of producers such as The Beatnuts, DJ Scratch, Diamond D, and more, it was destined to do well. Also with artists like Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Mobb Deep, Ja Rule among others, this certainly didn’t do it any harm.

This wasn’t what attracted me though! More often than not initially its the album artwork that draws me to an album and then I start to read, and this was no exception. The artwork is superb featuring some of the artists appearing on the album in caricature. On a personal note only two tracks from the album did it for me. Vivrant Thing from Q Tip was a bit of a guilty pleasure (gulity, because it gained very commercial success) and What you come around here for which is right down my alley with its cheeky sampling of Lionel Bart’s ‘Pick a Pocket or Two’, featuring Busta and Lord Have Mercy etc..

Tracklist

“Intro” – 2:54
“Vivrant Thing” (Q-Tip) – 3:10
“Whatcha Come Around Here For” (Flipmode Squad) – 4:13
“I Wanna Fuck You” (Noreaga) – 3:55
“Say What” (LL Cool J) – 3:51
“First Degree” (Da Franchise, Ja Rule) – 4:01
“Heavy Weights” (Fat Joe, Big Pun, Eightball) – 4:29
“Ohh Wee” (Cru) – 3:52
“Do What Playas Do” (Mysonne, Mase, Eightball) – 4:08
“Nobody Likes Me” (Mobb Deep) – 4:05
“Nobody” (Next, Mysonne) – 4:45
“Thugged Out Niggaz” (Capone-n-Noreaga, Final Chapter) – 3:42
“Shit That He Said” (Big Noyd) – 3:48
“Beatnuts Forever” (The Beatnuts)– 3:05
“What My Niggaz Want” (Cam’ron, Busta Rhymes) – 2:41
“The Truth” (Mysonne) – 4:13
“Who Can I Trust” (Cormega, Lil’ Wayne) – 4:02
“Bus-A-Bus (Remix)” (Busta Rhymes) – 3:33
“Violators” (L Boogie, Sonya Blade, Noreaga, Mysonne, Prodigy, Busta Rhymes) – 5:37
“Outro” – :11