Kool Moe Dee resented the fact that in the mid- to late '80s, most of rap's founding fathers were enjoying little attention. But
Dee himself was one of the few exceptions, and the old-school survivor had a major hit with his sophomore effort,
How Ya Like Me Now. He would have done better to devote more time to storytelling and less time to boasting, but he definitely brings plenty of soul and spirit (as well as technique) to this material. Though not as strong as his first album, it definitely has its share of classics, including "Wild Wild West," a reflection on the nitty-gritty environment that surrounded rap during its early years; his denunciation of materialism "No Respect"; and the infectious title song, which was clearly inspired by
Dee's feud with
L.L. Cool J. A few years later, much of the rap world was sick to death of hearing about the feud, but in 1987, it was a major topic of conversation in hip-hop. ~ Alex Henderson