I have a list of rappers that I believe are underrated or underappreciated, and Chubb Rock is one of the latest that I’ve added to that growing list. As I stated during my previous few Chubb Rock reviews, it’s not that I was completely ignorant of his music. I rocked with his singles (no pun) and enjoyed the handful of cameos he made on other artists’ records in the nineties, but before 2016, I had never listened to an entire Chubb Rock album. I bought a used copy of I Gotta Get Mine Yo! sometime in the early 2000s, and in 2016, I found a CD copy of And The Winner Is. Neither album was spectacular, but Chubb Rock gave me enough on the albums to gain a newfound respect and appreciation for his lyricism. It also put me on a mission to track down the rest of his catalog, which is why we’re here today.

The Mind is Chubb Rock’s fifth album and his second consecutive release without the production help of his longtime partner, Hitman Howie Tee. This time around, Mr. Rock calls on KRS-One, Easy Mo Bee, Frank Nitty, Elliott Ness, Nick Wiz, Rob Swinga, Domingo, and a few more names that I don’t feel like listing. Just know there were a lot of hands that helped shape the sound of The Mind.

I didn’t even know that The Mind existed until a couple of years ago when I saw a three-dollar used CD copy staring at me from the bargain bins at a spot I frequent. I’m excited to listen, and hopefully, it fares better than the other two albums.

Reputation – Chubb kicks things off with assistance from KRS-One as the two emcees talk their shit over the Teacher’s rugged instrumental. Chubb flexes a rougher vocal tone than usual, which works with the backdrop, and Kris does a little of his signature chanting before he gets into Blastmaster mode. The track feels more like a KRS-One vibe, but Chubb still pulls his own weight on it (no pun).

I Am What I Am – Chubb uses Easy Mo Bee’s sinister audio canvas to rap from God’s perspective, through his point of view, of course: “I live in the souls of men, and women, and pilgrims and children who wiggle to the rhythm/ Just go, the people have corrupted themselves/ They toke the devil’s smoke, puffing their Ls/I’ll send my only son down to bless you, and observe how you know him, and that will test you.” This was a cool concept, and Chubb made it sound intriguing.

Beef – Das EFX and PMD join Mr. Rock as the group has a round table discussion about hip-hop beef and how it evolved from innocent verbal wars to full-blown murder, which makes for a fitting conversation on the heels of the Tupac and Biggie tragedies. Frank Nitty slides the team a slick instrumental that slivers abundantly and magnificently. All parties involved deliver adequate performances, but Chubb’s wit is on full display during the song’s closing verse (I love how Chubb playfully addresses a beef one of his guests on the record was involved in).

Life – Chubb gives a short bio about his childhood and entrance into the rap game, while his then-label mate, Billy Lawrence, fills in the hook with a solemn revamp of the refrain from Diana Ross’s “Theme From Mahogany.” The hook and instrumental sound too sad for Chubb’s content, but it’s still a decent record.

The Mind – The title track fittingly finds Chubb Rock’s cerebral artistry on display with a well-played vocal clip from another intellectual emcee and Chubb’s fellow Crooklyn Dodger alum, Jeru The Damaja, on the hook. I like Chubb’s brainy content, but Nick Wiz’s flip of Bob James’ “Nautilus” (a hip-hop staple) is stale as a four-month-old loaf of bread that someone forgot to twist-tie the bag close.

The Man – Elliott Ness samples Alexander O’Neal’s “Sunshine” to create an R&B-stained groove for our host to speak to the ladies about men. Even though his message is for the ladies, men could learn a lot from his lessons (I’m sure some women would refer to Chubb’s oration as mansplaining, but whatever). The catchy singing on the hook and the instrumental reminded me of “Brenda’s Got A Baby.” All in all, I enjoyed this record.

Games We Play – Easy Mo’s instrumental sounds like the sedated version of Craig Mack’s “When God Comes,” which he also produced. Chubb’s “dad reprimanded his bad ass kid” vocal tone and well-thought-out rhymes complement the grim production well.

I Will Survive – Mr. Rock reflects, boasts, and shows appreciation for the decade-long rap career he’s cultivated. I literally chuckle every time I hear Chubb’s Charles “Rock” Dutton kick line, and how many rappers can you name that refer to their catalog as an anthology? The rhymes were solid, but even if they were not, you can’t go wrong when sampling Roy Ayers’ “Searching” for the instrumental.

Don’t Sleep – Elliott Ness continues with his eighties R&B-themed backdrops. This time, he feeds Chubb Rock an S.O.S. Band-assisted instrumental (the song title and the hook come from the same record) that our host takes to task, handcuffing it and beating it into submission. I’m fully awake now. This was fire.

East Vs West (Remix) – This is kind of a continuation of “Beef” from earlier in the sequencing, but this time, Chubb tackles the subject with no assistance, specifically addressing the so-called coastal feud. The original mix (which is not included on The Mind) used the same Ahmad Jamal sample that Premo used for Fat Joe’s “The Shit Is Real.” The Domingo-produced remix comes with energetic, ominous vibes that I thoroughly enjoyed, and it sounds better with Chubb’s content than the original instrumental. Despite the awkward “you’re still a nigga” rant toward the end of the third verse, this was dope.

Clear The Decks – Chubb’s rhymes remain sharp, while the chimes and horns woven through the instrumental sound pretty but a little boring.

Mr. Rock – Chubb does a little reminiscing about his journey through this “roguish genre” and touches on how it’s changed for the worse through the years. He also shouts out some of his contemporaries that inspired him, which includes A Tribe Called Quest (Tribe Degrees of Separation: check)). Al B. Sure joins in on Chubb’s recollection by singing the hook, and he sounds horrendous. Rob Swinga’s somberly melodic instrumental works well with Chubb’s trip down memory lane.

Party Right – Chubb continues with the nostalgic theme from the previous record. This time, he’s looking back at the party scene of yesteryear, when you didn’t have to “Roll ten deep ‘cause kids get ill after eleven.” Rob Swinga and Swanny D soundtrack the affair with an interpolation of Cheryl Lynn’s “Shake It Up Tonight,” with Kya singing on the hook. This was a fun, upbeat way to close out the album.

The Mind is essentially Chubb Rock’s swan song. He would re-emerge in the mid-two-thousand with a mixtape and a couple of independent collaborative projects, but let’s be honest. No one was checking for Chubb Rock by then. And if you were one of the few, it was strictly out of loyalty. Ironically, not many were checking for Chubb Rock in ‘97, which is a shame because he was still in his prime.

The Mind is a fitting title for Chubb Rock’s fifth LP. Throughout the album’s thirteen tracks, he puts that prestigious Brown University education to work, filling each track with cerebral rhymes and well-timed wit, delivered in his stern baritone vocal tone. The Mind doesn’t have Chubb’s signature singles that featured his backup dancer, Hotdog, going crazy in the videos. But his shrewd bars paired with the overall quality production make it a much more consistent and enjoyable listen than And The Winner Is and I Got To Get Mine Yo!

Maybe Chubb Rock’s underrating is due to his intellectual rhyming style, which may be too meaty for the average hip-hop fan to grasp or appreciate. On “Clear The Deck,” Chubb raps: “My cerebrum tends to gas then leave ’em.” Chubb might just be talking shit, but many a true word is spoken in jest.

-Deedub
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