“Classic Limited Edition” was the debut album from Boston rap group Made Men. Released on August 24, 1999, the initials of the title are a backronym for the letters found on some Mercedes models. Though their first album as Made Men, group members Benzino and Antonio Twice Thou had performed together in the controversial early gangsta rap crew Almighty RSO since 1986. Third member Cool Gzus had also been part of another early and influential Boston rap group, TDS Crew. On this album, Benzino, Antonio Twice Thou, and Cool Gzus draw on their experience (“15 Years In”) and Boston roots (“3 Stripe Killaz”) to make braggadocious mafioso claims (“Wise Guys for Life”, “Cold Hearted”, “Keep it Movin'”, “I Wanna Made Man”, “Right Now”, “Classic Limited Edition”) of violence (“Clockin' C-Notes”, “No Matter What”), tempered at times by melancholy (“Blowin' Circles in the Wind”) and the complications of romance (“Must be Love”, “Not the One”). They are assisted by high-profile guests like the Lox (on the can’t-miss “Tommy’s Theme”) Dillinger, Kurupt, Master P (on the popular “Is it You? Deja Vu”), Big Pun and Ma$e (“Is it You? Deja Vu remix), Montell Jordan ("Sticky Situation”), and Queen Pen. Production is clean and contemporary, if not exactly visionary. Beats were handled mostly by the Hangmen 3 (which overlapped with the group itself) and D-Dot, with other tracks from Daz Dillinger, Trackmasters, Dame Grease, LES (of Nas fame) and an unknown Kanye West (“Just You and I”). It would also be their last album together, although the group would appear on guest spots and concerts as Made Men in the coming years. The album was somewhat successful, peaking at 60 on the Billboard 200. It is infamous for receiving a 4.5 / 5 mics rating from The Source magazine, of which Benzino was a principle with friend David Mays. Despite its tarnished reputation, subsequent obscurity, and the dissolution of the group that released it, the album remains a classic limited edition staple of Boston hip hop that is worth a re-listen today.