专辑简介

New Jersey rapper YZ made his debut in 1990 with the single "Thinking Of A Master Plan". Immediately following it was his debut album "Sons Of The Father", which was one of the final releases on influential indie hip hop label Tuff City Records. He discovered the group Poor Righteous Teachers- a group whom he would later become estranged with. Ironically, the two were connected by producer Tony D.- a producer who helmed both of their debuts. As Tuff City folded in the early 1990's, YZ laid low for a while and re-emerged with a different sound and a different label as well. He found himself on Tommy Boy's short lived sub-label Livin' Large Records- an imprint that was founded to cater to harder edged hip hop acts. It was there in 1993 where he would release his second album- the aggressive sounding "The Ghetto's Been Good To Me".

Due to his falling out with Poor Righteous Teachers, producer Tony D. noticeably absent. However, picking up the slack are a few newcomers. North Carolina producer Mark Sparks (who later became famous from his work with Salt-N-Pepa, Grand Puba and Mic Geronimo) handles three songs on the album. The first of which is "Second To Nobody", where YZ refuses to be in second place, and the songs "Barber Shop" and "Drink At The Bar", where he celebrates hanging out with the guys. A then-unknown Trackmasters produces the remix of the first single "Return Of The Holy One" as well as the title track "The Ghetto's Been Good To Me". He shows his excitement about being a first time father on "Newborn" and derides gangsta rappers for their posing on "It's Got To Stop". He collaborates with jazz bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma on the somber lament "Dead Love". Overall, YZ's "The Ghetto's Been Good To Me" is a great recording that went overlooked by many. Sadly, it would be almost a decade before he released another album. Despite being underpromoted, "The Ghetto's Been Good To Me" should serve as his opus.