Remember Z-Ro's Crack?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We'll
examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should?
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Crack was the first of Rother Vandross's drug-themed albums, followed by Cocaine and Heroin, and soon to be followed by Meth, Syrup, Pot, Chocolate and Children's Tylenol. With regards to his discography, Crack was a relatively quiet album with no street anthems or radio-ready tracks, though "Tired," featuring Mya and subtly brilliant production by Tone Capone, did rate on MTV for a few weeks.

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Although Crack has gotten increasingly better with age, there isn't really a standout track. "Lonely," perhaps the most heartbreaking song, is one that most people will be able to recall, but beyond that, it's a little less than a toss-up.

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Best Song on the Album

If we're strictly talking about production, "Tired" gets the nod. It was almost Maroon 5-ish in its softness, and presented an interesting background for Ro to roam around. But musically, "Tired" stands taller than just about all of the other tracks, though some will no doubt champion the nine-minute-plus freestyle "25 Lighters," which comes at the back end of the album.

Most Earth-Shattering Line on the Album

"I don't wanna die lonely." Christ. Hearing Z-Ro say this - the indomitable, indestructible, impossible Z-Ro - is just devastating. It's fun to pretend that he's this shark of a person, a cold, calculated killer with intentions that never drift beyond the next baby he's going to fling into a tree stump, but there's an actual person with actual feelings behind all of that. And to hear him talking about something so mortal, something so basic, is pulverizing.