The Diary

iTunes Review

One of the most focused and fully realized concept albums in rap history, The Diary certified Scarface’s reputation as a master storyteller and ghetto sage. Like dozens of other street rappers in the early ‘90s, Scarface used his first two albums to present vivid portrayals of the daily lives of young black men in the hood — and he did it better than almost anyone. But as more and more rappers adopted that subject matter and gangsta rap crossed over to the mainstream with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Scarface intensified his perspective. Face investigated the scenes at the periphery of the drug dealer’s lifestyle. The Diary takes place in hospitals, at funerals, and within the web of police surveillance. Of course, the album looks at sex and murder — “Jesse James,” “G’s” and “One” are among the album’s best cuts — but it's permeated by feelings that lie beyond the perimeter of celebration. When he’s not stomping down the boulevard, Face turns his attention to double standards (“Hand of the Dead Body”), hate (“The Diary”) and depression (“Mind Playin’ Tricks ’94”). The heart of album is “I Seen a Man Die,” a rumination on death that is haunting and unyielding.