Time Is Illmatic

The Lords Of The Underground are the Newark-Cleveland trio that met in the early nineties while attending the Raleigh, North Carolina based HBCU, Shaw University. As the story goes, it was the Cleveland, Ohio native Lord Jazz, who brought Doitall and Mr. Funky (who ironically are both from Newark, New Jersey but didn’t meet until in Raleigh)together to form the LOTUG. Shortly after forming the group, the trio recorded a demo to shop for a deal. Lord Jazz had a connect who was working with Marley Marl, which opened the door to get their demo into the legendary producer’s hand. Marley liked what he heard and the rest is history. The Lords Of The Underground would sign a deal with Pendulum and released their debut album Here Come The Lords in 1993.

Marley Marl, along with his production protégé, K-Def, would handle all of the production on Here Come The Lords. The album didn’t move a ton of units but it did receive critical acclaim and some even refer to it as a classic.

But classic is a term that is often thrown around way too often in hip-hop.

Here Come The Lords – Here Come The Lords opens with the title track that has Mr. Funky and Doitall boasting and accusing somebody of biting their style (I’m curious who their referring to) over K-Def’s jazzy horns and smooth instrumental. Doitall takes what sounds like a quick jab at Das EFX (even though later they would publicly deny having any qualms with the dreaded duo) with his line “So catch it, no stutter in my flow but I wrecks it, and caught you on the dills from my jam called “Check It””. From the jump, you get a taste of Funky and Doitall’s animated style. And while they might not sound that impressive lyrically, their colorful personalities will keep you entertained, along with K-Def’s solid backdrop.

From Da Bricks – Mr. Funky invites his cousin Jam-C to join his self and Doitall in the booth, as they each spit a verse to show love and rep for their beloved hometown, Newark, New Jersey, which they affectionately refer to as “Da Bricks”. K-Def’s instrumental is decent, but none of the parties involved say anything memorable or worth quoting.

Funky Child – This was the second single released from Here Come The Lords. When this first came out back in the day I wasn’t really feeling it. Maybe it was the duo’s high-pitched animated voices, or the cartoonish image they presented, dancing around in diapers in the video. Whatever the reason, time has helped me appreciate the song, and there is no denying the ridiculously sick Marley Marl/K-Def produced instrumental.

Keep It Underground – Decent Marley instrumental, decent rhymes from the Lords, and an unwarranted dis aimed at PM Dawn courtesy of Doitall. Taking shots at PM Dawn is like robbing an old blind lady.

Check It (Remix) – The original version of this song was on the B-side of LOTUG’s “Psycho” single. This remix uses the same lyrics as the original but has a different, and much improved, instrumental. Decent enough, I guess.

Grave Digga – The duo uses this one to acknowledge everyday people who make bad decisions and ultimately dig their own graves. It’s a nice change of pace to hear Funky and Doitall do a song with an actually topic and not just freestyle their way through it. Marley’s instrumental (which sounds very similar to Q-Tip’s work on ATCQ’s “Sex On A Platter”, only a few bpms slower) is nice and works well underneath LOTUG’s content.

Lords Prayer – Get it? Lords Of The Underground? Lords Prayer? Pretty clever song title, guys. The Jersey boys sound decent and drop some clever punch lines (specifically the bit about Jimmy Swaggart), and Marley’s jazzy horns and mid-tempo backdrop sounds nice underneath them.

Flow On (New Symphony) – LOTUG invite Kid Deleon and Sah-B to join them on this cipher joint. Marley’s instrumental is pleasant and none of the emcees involved embarrass themselves (Doitall surprisingly gets a great jump out the block on his verse, but quickly loses his momentum), but it’s almost blasphemous for them to refer to arguably the best posse cut in hip-hop history in the song title.

Madd Skillz – K-Def and Marley combine to concoct one of the best instrumentals of the evening. And its dopeness apparently motivated the duo, as their rhymes sound stronger than the rest of their spit up to this point. This was dope.

Psycho -This was the first single released from Here Come The Lords. Marley brings a high energy instrumental for Funky and Doitall to pretend that their psychopathic emcees over. While the duo’s crazy act isn’t even remotely convincing, Marley’s dark instrumental is pretty entertaining.

Chief Rocka – This was the third single from Here Come The Lords, and the song that will always define LOTUG’s career and catalog. K-Def builds this brilliant instrumental around a sick loop of the bass line from Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel” and the somber saxophone notes from John Coltrane’s “Amen”. Mr. Funky and Doitall aren’t spectacular, but you’d have to be a pretty terrible emcee to derail this beautiful backdrop. Get ready for this: K-Def’s instrumental is arguably a top ten hip-hop instrumental of all time. Yeah, I said it.

Sleep For Dinner – This one is built around a joke from Damon Wayans’ Last Stand HBO comedy special, where he claims his family was so poor some nights all they could afford to eat was sleep for dinner. Mr. Funky and Doitall do a good job of making light of what in reality is a pretty sad and heavy dilemma. Unfortunately, Marley’s instrumental is sub par.

L.O.T.U.G. (Lords Of The Underground) – The Jersey duo use this rough K-Def backdrop to sing praises to themselves, because this is hip-hop and that’s what rappers do, son. Funky and Doitall sound decent, but K-Def’s instrumental is the true star of this one.

Lord Jazz Hit Me One Time (Make It Funky) – K-Def lays down a smooth instrumental that Doitall and Mr. Funky use to shoutout their deejay, Lord Jazz. Jazz gets a chance to showcase some of his skills on the one’s and two’s and spits a quick verse as well.

What’s Goin On – Here Come The Lords should have ended after the last song. Instead it continues on with this forgettable bonus track, and Doitall’s rhyming reaches new lows.

I’ll keep this wrap-up short and sweet, because sometimes less is more: Here Come The Lords is not great, but it is a quality debut from LOTUG. Marley Marl and K-Def do a solid job scoring the album, and while Doitall and Mr. Funky (who is clearly the more polished emcee of the two) aren’t great emcees, their personality makes up for what their rhyming ability lacks.

-Deedub

The original cast of Onyx consisted of the threesome of Fredro “Q” Starr, Big DS (rip) and Suave (aka Sonee Seeza). In 1990 the Queens bred trio inked a single deal with Profile to test the waters, and released the single “Ah, And We Do It Like This”. The song was not terrible, but it definitely had a more laid back sound than Onyx fans would become accustom to hearing. Ultimately, the single didn’t do well and Profile decided not to pick Onyx up for an album deal.

After parting ways with Profile, Onyx lost their in-house producer B-Wiz, who decided to go down south and sell drugs (a decision that would soon lead to his death). Around the same time, Fredro’s little cousin, who rapped but wasn’t taking it too serious, begin to hang out with Onyx and record with the team. His cousin was Sticky Fingaz. The demo that ultimately convinced Jam Master Jay to sign Onyx featured Sticky rhyming on it, and even though Sticky wasn’t an official member of the group, Jay would only sign Onyx if Sticky was a part of the team. Sticky became an official member (even though DS and Sonee weren’t crazy about the addition), Jay signed the revamped version of Onyx to his Columbia Records/Def Jam imprint (JMJ), the quartet shaved their heads (which according to Fredro symbolized a new beginning), took on a much harder and grimy sound, and the mad face invasion was born with their debut album, BacDaFucUp.

Jam Master Jay and newcomer, Chyskillz would handle the bulk of the production for BacDaFucUp, and the album would go on to earn Onyx a platinum plaque (thanks largely to their smash crossover hit, that we’ll get to in a little taste). But more importantly, it received heaps of critical acclaim, as some even consider it a classic.

Well, lets bacdafucup and revisit this one.

BacDaFucUp – BacDaFucUp opens with this dark instrumental, as the 4 man crew yell in unison for you to “move back muthafuckas” because “the Onyx is here!”, followed by Fredro shouting the intro and album title. This quickly bleeds into the next song…

BichAsNiguz – This Jam Master Jay (who I’ll only refer to as JMJ for the rest of this post)/Chyskillz instrumental has plenty of energy and still manages to have a slightly dark low-key feel (I love the drums on this one). All four members of the group put all their energy into this song giving it all they have, but Sticky Fingaz makes it clear from the jump that he’s the HNIC and the only one in the crew with real bars, as he sons the rest of the team and shuts things down on the final verse of the song. This was sick.

ThrowYaGunz – This was the lead single from BacDaFucUp. Over a dark Chyskillz produced track, the quartet keep the energy high, as they instruct the listeners to “throw ya guns in the air, and buck, buck like ya just don’t care”, in between their  hyper aggressive verses. Side note: Premo would later sample a piece of Sonee Seeza’s verse from this one for the hook on the classic Jeru Da Damaja record “Come Clean” (‘”Oh oh, heads up, cause we’re droppin’ some shit).

Here ‘N’ Now – Chyskillz keeps the dark mood going with this pitch black backdrop. And Sticky Fingaz’ dark and horrorcorish verse, will leave you a bit uneasy and make you a fan of the dude’s lyrical prowess. Side note: Premo would also sample a portion of Sonee Seeza’s verse from this song (“and to all y’all crews, whatever!”) for another Jeru song joint (“Whatever”).

Bust Dat Ass – Short call and response interlude.

Atak Of Da Bal-Hedz – JMJ and Chyskillz take their first break from behind the boards, as they let someone going by Kool Tee hold down the production on this one. The backdrop is not as dark as the previous songs, but it does still have a devious feel hidden within the melodic mood the horns bring to it, and fits in to BacDaFucUp‘s overall color scheme. Regardless of who is behind the boards, Onyx still brings the ruckus on this one.

Da Mad Face Invasion – Interlude.

Blac Vagina Finda – This song marks the first weak track on BacDaFucUp. JMJ and Chyskillz build the instrumental around an overly often used sample of Bob James’ “Nautilus” and “Take Me To The Mardi Gras”. The backdrop is garbage, and Sticky Fingaz doesn’t even muster up a solid verse on this ode to black pussy.

Da Bounca Nigga – Interlude.

Nigga Bridges – Hot garbage. Well, maybe not hot, but it is garbage. The hook (which plays off of the children’s song “London Bridge”) may be the worst hook in the history of hip-hop. I’m dead serious.

Onyx Is Here – Onyx recycles the instrumental from the opening interlude “BacDaFucUp” and slightly alters the hook for this one. This is actually pretty dope.

Slam – This was the second single from BacDaFucUp, and the song that Onyx will always be remembered for. JMJ and Chyskillz combine dope horns, an infectious bass line and an energetic backdrop with Onyx’ high energy and catchy hook, and turn it into an unintentional crossover platinum selling hit that would also give BacDaFucUp a hefty push to eventually becoming a platinum selling album as well. I don’t think even Onyx thought this song would become the pop sensation that it did back in the day. Classic.

Stik ‘N’ Muve – Legend has is that this is the song that got JMJ to sign the bald headed foursome. In Brian Coleman’s Check The Technique, Sticky Fingaz says they had to change the instrumental for this song because they couldn’t get clearance on the sample used in the original mix, and goes on to say “the original beat was fuckin’ incredible”.  Well, I enjoyed the JMJ/Jeff Harris instrumental on this mix, so I would love to hear what the original backdrop sound like.

BichAsBootleguz – Interlude.

Shifftee – JMJ and Chyskillz hook up another dope dark instrumental for the self-proclaimed “official nasty niggas” to get shifty and grimy over. And Sticky Fingaz delivers his best verse of the album.

Phat (‘N’ All Dat) – I’ve never been a fan of this one. Although, I still laugh every time I hear Sticky Fingaz tell Fredro to “shut the hell up” after he interrupts his verse with nonsense.

Da Nex Niguz – The hardcore heartless foursome show a little vulnerability on this one, as they discuss the depressing scenario of catching your girl giving head to the next man. Fredro left me laughing and scratching my head when he says “she was sucking the next nigga’s dick… I was just watching this, it was monotonous, I couldn’t picture the next nigga’s dick in my girl’s esophagus”. He clearly doesn’t know the meaning of “monotonous”, as there is no way in hell that watching something like that could become monotonous, no matter how many times you’ve watched it. Kool Tee’s dark groove compliments the fellas colorful verses well, resulting in another winner.

GetDaFucOut – Over a moody bass line, an almost hysterical Sticky Fingaz (who sounds a lot like Busta Rhymes on this one…hindsight bright idea: A Busta Rhymes/Sticky Fingaz collab album would have been interesting to hear) quickly informs the listener that BacDaFucUp is over, so they need to the “GetDaFucOut”.

Jam Master Jay insisting that Sticky Fingaz be added to Onyx is probably the best move the group ever made, even if they were forced into doing it. There is no question that the self-proclaimed “mad author of anguish” is the chief emcee and carries the lyrical load throughout BacDaFucUp. Led by Sticky, Onyx’s animated hyper-energy and horrorgangster rhymes mixed with quality and consistently dark production, make BacDaFucUp an overall solid album and very entertaining listen, as long as you’re not looking for substance. Long live the bald heads!

-Deedub

We last heard from Monie on her 1990 debut album Down To Earth, which created quite a buzz for the London bred emcee, largely due to, not one, but two, Grammy nominated singles. I’m still surprised that even with the two hit singles, Down To Earth didn’t earn Monie a gold plaque. Regardless, she would return in 1993 with her second album, In a Word Or 2.

For In a Word Or 2, Monie would trim down the number of hands involved on the production side of things, bringing in Juice crew founder and producer, Marley Marl to handle the bulk of the production duties (and one very special guest brought in to provide the musical canvas for two songs…more on that later). Even with Marley Marl’s involvement, In a Word Or 2 received mix reviews and didn’t sell nearly as well as Down To Earth.

In a Word Or 2 would be the last album from Monie Love, as she would go on to focus on motherhood and other endeavors, and currently hosts her own show on Shade 45 on SiriusXM radio. And somehow the girl went from being a cutie in her twenties to a hottie in her forties. Fountain of youth mucher.

Wheel Of Fortune – Monie Love opens In a Word Or 2 in search of Mr. Right, and tries her luck at love on the proverbial “wheel of fortune”, which is also a reference to the longest running syndicated game show in America (and quickly approaching 60, Vanna’s age is starting to show, folks). After four unsuccessful spins, Monie, tongue in cheek, says she’ll try her luck on the Love Connection (how many of you remember that game show? I wonder what Chuck Woolery’s doing these days). Monie’s rhymes are cute, but Marley’s instrumental is as plain as water.

Greasy – Over a mediocre Marley instrumental, Monie shares three different stories of dudes who went of ashy to classy. Not a fan of this one.

Sex U All – On this one, Monie’s all fired up after getting a phone call from another chick who claims Monie’s banging her man and threatens to send her crew to beat Monie down with baseball bats if it continues. Monie then spends the next three verses checking the chick and the man that’s trying to play her, or as she calls, she’s getting “sex u all”, which apparently is slang for handling things the right way (weird mucher, but I’ll roll with it). Marley’s frantic paced backdrop fits well behind Monie’s aggressive rhymes. Despite the nonsensical hook and song title, this one was decent.

Mo’ Monie – Over a decent low-key backdrop, Monie’s in battle mode, firing shots at those with ghost writers (“a plus will be given, if correct is how you’re livin’, and the rhymes you recite are yours, not given”), and it sounds like she may have fired a shot at Das EFX on the second verse (“it’s a bore to the brain, diggity, diggity, diggity, shut the hell up, I can’t understand a word your saying”). Overall, this was pretty dope.

I’m A Believer – Monie uses this one to encourage the listener to believe in his or her self. Unfortunately, Monie’s message falls flat, thanks largely to the instrumental behind her that is impossible to believe in.(That what almost a tongue twister.

Let A Woman Be A Woman – Monie male bashes over a mediocre Marley mash-up (hey, that was almost a tongue twister!). I’m not a fan of this one, but I’m still curious on who’s she’s calling a “little Chuck D wannabe” on the final first.

Full Term Love – Over a signature Marley Marl r&b flavored hip-hop instrumental, that sounds similar to his work on LL’s “Around The Way Girl” (which Monie actually references in her last verse), Monie’s in search of an everlasting love (you better find Jesus, girl!). Some true heads may find this song too soft, but every now and then I can enjoy a r&b/hip-hop concoction when mixed together properly. This one sounds fresh and goes down smooth. Side note: this song was first released as a single on the soundtrack for the incredibly cheesy Kid N Play movie, Class Act.

Born 2 B.R.E.E.D. – This was the first single from In a Word Or 2. The late great Minnesota grown Prince, provides a clean, smooth and slightly r&b tinged backdrop (with a co-production credit going to Steve “Silk” Hurley) for Monie to spit over. At first glance, the whole Monie Love/Prince collaboration seems kind of strange, but makes more sense considering they were both signed to Warner Brothers at the time. Despite the ridiculous acronym in the song title (Build Relationships where Education and Enlightenment Dominate), which only rivals the corniest of 2pac’s acronym for “nigga” (Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished…but at least each letter in Pac’s acronym is accounted for. What’s up with the “W” for “where”, Monie?), this ode to motherhood is pretty nice.

In A Word Or 2 – Prince gets his second production credit of the evening, as he provides a soft mid-tempo instrumental for Monie to display her love and affection to the one she loves. For some reason Monie raps in a whispering voice that sounds beaucoup awkward. But her whisper is a lot more tolerable than the cheesy Prince backdrop and corny reggae chant and hook. This is a perfect example of bad rap and r&b.

There’s A Better Way – Marley hooks up a smooth jazzy instrumental that Monie uses to reminisce over a former crush that got away and ends up with HIV. Monie’s storyline may have some holes in it, but she leaves you with a bit to think about. I like this one.

4 Da Children – Before Trick Daddy, Monie, um, loved the kids, and she sends this one out to the youth. Not one of the strongest songs on In a Word Or 2, but it’s passable.

Born 2 B.R.E.E.D. (Hip-Hop Mix) – Marley Marl hooks a bouncy remix for the lead single. Marley’s jazzy horns help turn this into a pretty solid remix, but I still prefer Prince’s backdrop to this one.

I kind of beat up Monie’s emcee skills on Down To Earth (read my opinion on it here). After listening to In a Word Or 2 several times over the past week, I think I was too hard on her. Monie doesn’t possess the lyrical prowess of a Lauren Hill (who is the goat of female emcees, and has a slot in my top twenty of all time, man or woman), or the commanding voice of a MC Lyte or Lady Of Rage. But she proves on In a Word Or 2 that she can rhyme, and unlike most female emcees past and present, she actually penned her own shit, and that alone should count for something. Because she doesn’t have the sharpest rhymes or sickest rap voice, the production behind her becomes even more crucial, and unfortunately Marley Marl’s lackluster production doesn’t give In a Word Or 2 the sonic lift required to make the songs memorable.

I’ll sum up the album’s downfall  in a word a or two: Marley’s fault.

-Deedub

By 1993, Ice-T had 5 albums under his belt (four solo albums and one with his experimental rock band, Body Count, which I’m not touching with a ten foot pole on this blog) and 5 gold or better selling albums, which is impressive in any genre of music. Along with a successful run in the music industry, Ice-T also begin his career in Hollywood, making his impressive acting debut (I’m not counting his cameos in those corny Breakin’ movies from the early eighties) as police detective Scotty “I want to shoot you so bad my dick’s gettin’ hard” Appleton in Mario Van Peebles hood classic New Jack City. This would lead to a string of more starring roles in movies and television, including his current starring role as Odafin Tutuola in Law In Order: Special Victims Unit. It’s kind of ironic that the man behind “Cop Killer” has made a living acting like a cop since the nineties. But I digress.

Hollywood would not stop Ice-T from continuing with his first love. He would return in 1993 with his fifth solo release, Home Invasion. The album was originally supposed to be released on Sire/Warner Brothers, but after the controversy and heat they received for Body Count’s 1992 single “Cop Killer”, the powers that be demanded that Ice-T change the “controversial” cover art for Home Invasion (which depicts a white male teen with headphones on listening to hip-hop, with images of violence, sex and murder (and Ice-T) surrounding him (he also has some Donald Goines novels and Malcolm X books to go with his diet of Ice Cube and Public Enemy)). Ice-T wanted to stay true to his art and kept the original cover, which led to him parting ways with his long time label home and releasing Home Invasion on his newly found Rhyme Syndicate Records distributed through Priority Records.

With all the delays and label switching, many of the songs from the original cut of Home Invasion were altered or completely removed from the final product. Home Invasionwould receive mixed reviews from the critics, but that wouldn’t stop Ice for earning his sixth gold plaque.

But you already know what it is. I’m not concerned with quantities, I demand quality.

Warning – Home Invasion opens with this short interlude that has Ice-T giving a list of dirty and derogatory words you can expect to hear on the album. Then he informs the listener that “this is not a pop album”, so leave now if that is what you’re looking for, before finally ending it by telling every one to “suck my muthafuckin dick”. Awe, what a gentleman.

It’s On – Ice-T takes on The Source (who apparently dissed him, Ice Cube and Chuck D? I must have missed that issue), fair weather fans, cops, labels and wack emcees.  The DJ Aladdin/SLJ instrumental is solid and Ice-T sounds cool, but the hook is trash.

Ice M.F. T – I’ve mentioned this on past Ice-T album reviews, but I’ll say it again: Ice has decent lyrics (most of the time) but his flow and delivery get sloppy quite often. That is very evident on this song (he actually reminds me of Willie D on this one), as he raps with a chip on his shoulder. The hook (which is simply Ice repeatedly saying “Ice, Ice muthafuckin T”) is corny, and the DJ Aladdin/SLJ concocted backdrop is pretty generic.

Home Invasion – Over a mediocre Aladdin/SLJ instrumental, Ice uses this title track to invade white kids heads and fill their brains “with hard drums, big guns, bitches, hoes and death”(see the album cover artwork). Some of Ice’s bars are so sloppy on this one it’s almost laughable. This was not good.

G Style – DJ L.P hooks up a decent backdrop for our host to brag and boast as he puts his gangster style on display. Not one of my favorite Ice-T records, but it’s decent.

Addicted To Danger – Aladdin and SLJ create a dark instrumental (which is suitable for midnight marauding) that Ice-T uses to paint a tale of a street hustler whose hustle catches up with him by the end of the song. Ice sounds like he just woke up as he literally talks his way through his rhymes in a sleepy monotone vocal. I love the backdrop, but Ice’s delivery kills the good vibes.

Question And Answer – This is a brief interlude that Ice uses to dis rappers who started off hard-core only to switch to making intentionally pop records when their hard records didn’t hit any more. Ice hi-lariously, makes it clear that he’s not dissing rappers who started out pop, which is pretty much his way of giving his boy Hammer a pass, who he gave a shout out to on O.G. Original Gangster.

Watch The Ice Break – Aladdin (and SLJ) throw our host “some old fly smooth shit” to talk his shit over. Ice-T has struggled on most of the album thus far, but he actually sounds pretty tight over this brilliant backdrop.

Race War – Over a frantic Aladdin/SLJ backdrop, Ice-T warns of a looming race war if America doesn’t straighten some of its issues out. The sloppiness of Ice-T’s flow reaches new heights on this one. Not a fan.

That’s How I’m Livin’ – In the same sleepy monotone talking style he used on “Addicted To Danger”, Ice-T layouts his bio over a brilliantly bleak Aladdin/SLJ concoction. The instrumental borrows a few different loops from Herbie Hancock’s “Ochoa Knose” (from the Death Wish Soundtrack) that gives it a sinister feel and makes it a bit unnerving to listen to, which I’m sure is what they were aiming for. Unlike “Addicted To Danger”, Ice’s sleepy style actually works well over this dark backdrop.

I Ain’t New Ta This – This was the first, and I believe only single, released from Home Invasion. Over a dope instrumental driven by an infectious bass line, Ice-T sets out to prove he’s a vet in this here rap game. This is definitely one of Ice’s better rhyming contributions to Home Invasion (the dude uses “pugilist” in a rhyme, how often have you heard an emcee use that word? And he gets cool points for showing Gang Starr love on the final verse), and combined with the dope Aladdin/SLJ instrumental, this may be the strongest song on the album.

Pimp Behind The Wheels – Ice-T and his deejay Evil E switch roles, as E grabs the mic and Ice provides the cuts on DJ L.P.’s decent instrumental. Evil E doesn’t sound terrible (spitting his Ice-T penned rhymes), but he shouldn’t quit his day job. I’m just sayin’.

Gotta Lotta Love – Our host dedicates this one to all the gangs who came to a peace treaty after the Rodney King riots. Kudos for the sentiment, but Ice-T’s rhymes are trash, and Donald D’s instrumental is very forgettable.

Hit The Fan – Over yet another dark instrumental (produced by Ice-T and someone named Trekan), Ice reminisces about a mesmerizing chick he met in a club and shares every intimate detail of their encounter. Am I the only one that finds it hilarious that Ice multimillion albums selling T is naïve enough to believe some strange chick he just met at a club when she tells him “I’ve seen you on the movies and T.V., I love your records but I ain’t no groupie”? Once again, Ice’s flow isn’t tight, but this time his lyrics manage to paint a pretty vivid picture, as the backdrop accommodates them well (I love the tribal like drums that come in at the end of the song).

Depths Of Hell – Aladdin and SLJ once again break Ice off with a nice canvas, and this time he uses it to share his rags to riches story. Well, kind of. He takes a few detours, like when he threatens to “fuck up a nigga and drop kick his bitch”, and later boasts how his posse will kill you in the club if you get out of line. Reggae artist Daddy Nitro drops by and provides a chant for the hook that works well with this song. Side note: This song was also included on the Trespass Soundtrack that was released a few months before Home Invasion.

99 Problems – Ice-T invites 2 Live Crew member, Brother Marquis to join him on this duet, as the two take turns counting off all the different types of women they have as a round about way to let you know that getting women is the least of their problems (Jay-Z would later borrow Ice-T’s hook and song title on The Black Album (which coincidentally was going to be the album title for Home Invasion after Ice-T initially agreed to change the album cover due to pressure from the heads at Sire/Warner Bros), which does a lot better job of getting the song’s point across). The hard instrumental is quite the contrast to the duo’s light-hearted content, but this is still a fun record.

Funky Gripsta – Ice introduces his 14-year-old female emcee protégé, Grip to the world, as she gets a solo track on Home Invasion. Grip sounds like a female version of Mr. Funke (from Lord Of The Underground, whom I’ll be discussing further very soon) only less lyrical. Ice-T, Aladdin, Wolf and Grip are given a co-production credit for the instrumental that switches more than a hooker in a ’64 Impala hooked with hydraulics, and ultimately ends sounding a hot mess. At the end of the song Ice-T promises a solo album from Grip, which we’re still waiting on (well, I don’t think anyone is really waiting on it, but you know what I’m getting at…). Legend has it that Grip’s vanity label, Tuff Break, was dropped from A&M Records before and album was ever released. Now that’s a tough break (*rimshot*). Grip, the production, hook and the song title all fall short of the glory of God.

Message To The Soldier – Ice-T goes back to his sleepy speaking style, as he gives advice to all the rappers who want to stand for something in the name of hip-hop. The Aladdin and SLJ backdrop uses portions of the same loop Eric B & Rakim made popular on “Don’t Sweat The Technique”, although not nearly as effective as the latter. And the ill piano loop brought in on the hook sounds like something Premo would use. Ice-T’s verses are pretty useless, but he does drop a few jewels at the end of the song.

Ain’t A Damn Thing Changed – Ice-T ends Home Invasion spitting a short accapella spoken word piece. And with that, we’re done.

I’m not sure if it was all the controversy and changes prior to the album’s release, his budding acting career, or maybe him coming to the realization that he would no longer have the fine ass Darlene Ortiz on his arm. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Ice-T wasn’t totally focused and committed to Home Invasion. Ice-T has never been a great emcee. His flow is often sloppy and I wouldn’t classify him as tier 1 wordsmith, but he does have hustle, charisma, strong song ideas (usually) and a great knowledge and understanding of hip-hop and its history. On Home Invasion, other than his new found obsession with Ice Cube (he mentions him on at least four different songs), Ice doesn’t really cover any new territory, and his past issues with sloppiness reach new plateaus, and at times is down right embarrassing. DJ Aladdin and SLJ (who provide the bulk of the production) do their best to steady the ship, and even though they hit more often than they miss, the voyage (at just under 74 minutes with 19 tracks) is too long and Ice-T’s shoddy microphone work causes too much damage to keep the vessel from sinking.

-Deedub

We first heard from the Jersey City brother duo PM Dawn in ’91 with their debut album Of The Heart, Of The Spirit And Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience, which earned the Cordes boys a gold plaque, thanks largely to the crossover hit “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss”. While PM Dawn was praised by hipsters and pop music critics alike, they received the cold shoulder from most of the hip-hip community, who found their brand of hip-hop too soft and corny. Back in the day, I also wrote them off as corny, but after finding their debut in the dollar bin and listening to the album in its entirety for the first time last year for this blog, I actually found it pretty enjoyable (read my thoughts on it here). No, it’s not your traditional hip-hop album, but time and maturity helped me appreciate Prince Be’s parables and the duo’s smooth jazz/folksy production sound.

PM Dawn would return in 1993 with their follow-up, The Bliss Album…? (Vibrations of Love and Anger and the Ponderance of Life and Existence), and like it’s predecessor, it would earn brothers Cordes another gold plaque, heaps of critical acclaim from hipsters and pop critics, and leave hip-hoppers with a stank face.

Sadly, on June 17, 2016, after years of health issues, Prince Be passed away from compilations related to his diabetes, at the still relatively young age of 46. Upon his death The New York Times said PM Dawn was “both underappreciated and quietly influential”. Even if you didn’t like PM Dawn you have to admit they helped opened the lane for abstract acts like Arrested Development, Outkast, and later the emo-rap movement led by the Drakes and Kid Cudis of the world.

Rest in peace, Prince Be. (And rest in peace to my Aunt, Wanda Marie Cotton, who passed away on July 15, 2016).

Intro – The Bliss Album…? opens with a soundbite from a man speaking about “strange words” and the importance of understanding them (which anyone slightly familiar with PM Dawn, knows can be challenging at times), followed by a soundbite from a woman (who sounds like either Wendy or Lisa from the Purple Prince’s (rip) band The Revolution) describing “Prince”, which PM Dawn uses to describe the voice of their two-man crew, Prince Be.

When Midnight Sighs – I’m not sure what the hidden meaning is in Prince Be’s softly spoken word lyrics. Is he speaking from the perspective of a righteous God unhappy with the sins of his creation? Or did Prince Be actually sit up and weep every night as the clock stuck twelve? And how exactly does midnight sigh? Prince Be’s lyrics may be a bit too abstract, but I actually like the mellow instrumental playing underneath him.

So On And So On – PM Dawn builds this backdrop around a loop from David Batiste & The Gladiators “Funky Soul” (that they would later be sued for sampling, but would walk a way victorious as a judge would rule in their favor). Prince Be puts on his singing cap for this semi-gospel/pop joint. No this is not a “hip-hop” song, and I completely understand if you don’t like it, but I kind of like its funky popish vibe.

Plastic – Prince Be decides it’s finally time to spit a few bars, as he confronts the many haters and naysayers who considered him too soft or a wack sellout for his pop/hipster style. This song may contain the strongest rhymes I’ve ever heard Prince Be spit (not that we have a lot to work with, I’m just sayin’), and the funky backdrop was kind of nice.

The Ways Of The Wind – Prince Be sings over an airy instrumental, and it ends up being a decent pop joint.

To Love Me More – Over very soft music (this one doesn’t even have drums) Prince Be goes into croon mode. His lyrics can be taken as a love song to his significant other or a love song to God. Not a terrible song but it sounds a little bit too much like another song on this album (that will discuss in a little taste).

About Nothing (For The Love Of Destiny) – This is another one I wouldn’t consider a hip-hop record, but I’m digging the hipster groove on it.

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – This is a remake of The Beatles song with the same song title. I’m not a fan The Beatles version or PM Dawn’s take, but I did kind of dig the guitar riff (which sounds like it may have been lifted from Prince’s guitar solo at the end of “Let’s Go Crazy”. Prince isn’t credited in the liner notes, so I could be wrong.) brought in during the hook.

Beyond Infinite Affections – Finally, Prince Be decides to spit bars again. On this one he discusses life, life after death and faith in God (I think?). Be’s lyrics are okay, but the dope jazzy piano loop helps make this the strongest hip-hop song on The Bliss Album…?

Looking Through Patient Eyes – The second single from The Bliss Album…? uses elements from George Michael’s’ “Father Figure” and reminds me a lot of “The Ways Of The Wind”. Only Prince Be decides to go back in to his airy spoken word style instead of singing. Not really feeling this one.

Filthy Rich (I Don’t Wanna Be) – Prince Be tip toes over this soft backdrop with his poetry, that is too abstract for my liking. Being that PM Dawn were Christians, I’m assuming the concept of this song is based on the Biblical scripture from Matthew 19:24 or Mark 10:25, which both talk about how hard it is for a rich man to enter the gates of heaven. Not a fan of this one either.

More Than Likely – Prince Be invites Boy George to help him with this duet that was also released as the third single from The Bliss Album…? I’ve never considered Boy George a great singer, though he seemed to sound decent on most of his eighties pop records. But the acoustic backing on this one exposes all his vocal flaws, and his nasally vocal tone quickly becomes a nuisance to the ear. This one is terrible.

The Nocturnal Is In The House – This is easily the hardest track on The Bliss Album…? Prince Be puts a little bass in his voice and spits boastful bars on the mic. The backdrop is cool but Prince Be’s rhymes are garbage.

When It’s Raining Cats And Dogs – I’m a sucker for a sick bass line, and this song has a funky one that is bound to get your head nodding, no matter how hard you try to deny it. This actually sounds like something The Weekend might do today. As long as you’re not looking for a pure hip-hop record, you’ll appreciate this one, a little taste.

I’d Die Without You – This was also included and released as a single off the The Boomerang Soundtrack in 1992, and is arguably the biggest hit in the PM Dawn catalog (and the song I felt “To Love Me More” aped). Over a soft and soulful instrumental, Prince Be’s in croon mode as he lets the objection of his affection know she is the sole reason that he continues to breathe. Yeah, it’s a bit cheesy and sappy, but this is still a really good song. Even if it was released today I think it would be a hit. Timeless classic.

While PM Dawn’s Of The Heart may have been a bit too abstract, soft, emo or corny, for most hip-hop heads to digest, the fact that Prince Be was actually rapping (or spoken wording) on the majority of the album, qualifies it as a hip-hop album. The Bliss Album…?, is absolutely not a hip-hop album. Prince Be spends the majority of the album as a pop r&b singer, crooning over airy pop instrumentals, only spitting rhymes on special occasions. That said, if you can look past Prince Be’s severely coded riddles (or are willing to take the time to decode them) and take The Bliss Album…? for the pop record that it is, you’ll appreciate a sizable amount of the album, or at least the instrumentals.

-Deedub

By 1993 Queen Latifah and her Flavor Unit crew were a force to be reckoned with. The Queen herself already had two respected albums under her belt, while her fellow New Jersey brethren and Flavor Unit members, Naughty By Nature, were quickly on their way to their second consecutive platinum selling album. Add that to the relationships they begin to form with established artists (like Heavy D and D-Nice) and up and coming artists(like Dres from Black Sheep and Apache), the Queen and the King (Latifah’s long time business partner, Sha-Kim) of the Flavor Unit decided it would be a good idea to release a compilation album that would showcase some of the artists listed above and give exposure to some of their extended Flavor Unit family members that otherwise might not get a chance to show their skills on a global platform. And Roll Wit Tha Flava was conceived.

Roll Wit Tha Flava would be released on the vanity Flavor Unit label (under the Epic Records umbrella), and surprising to no one (including the Flavor Unit), the album didn’t sell a ton of units, but it did help spark one group that would go on to achieve mild success in the industry (more on that later).

Side note: If you spell the crew name Flavor Unit, why change the “Flavor” to “Flava” in the album title? It’s not like it earned them any street cred. Secondly, if you’re going to have a picture of all the artists featured on the compilation, have a picture of ALL the artists featured on the compilation (why the hell is Apache’s name listed on the pic panel but his pic is completely missing? And where the hell was Treach during the photo shoot?).

But I digress…

Bring The Flavor, La – It’s only right that the Queen of the crew gets the first spot on this compilation. Over a moderately funky Tony Dofat instrumental, Latifah warms the mic up for the rest of her squad. This song would also be included on Latifah’s Black Reign album, released later the same year (but with out the “La” in the song title).

Roll Wit The Flava – This title track was the lead (and I believe only) single released from Roll Wit Tha Flava. Over a jazzy D-Nice produced backdrop, Treach, Chip-Fu (from the Fu-Schnickens), Freddie Foxxx, Latifah, Heavy D, D-Nice and Dres all contribute a verse to this Flavor Unit cipher joint (even though Chip-Fu, Heavy D and Dres aren’t official members of the crew, they were still invited to roll with the Flavor, or “Flava”).

Uuh – This is D-Nice’s self-produced solo joint. D-Nice has never been a great lyricist but he’s decent on this one, and his instrumental is pretty nice too. The hook is garbage, but two out three aint’ bad.

Sounds Of Fattness – The female emcee group, Bigga Sistas make their world debut on this one, and unfortunately, it doesn’t fare well for the trio. The Algebra and Bosco produced instrumental is the audio equivalent of faucet water. And the ladies (the emcee on the second verse sounds a lot like the once kid sensation Wu-Tang affiliate Shyheim) end up being all bark no bite as their content doesn’t match their energy (and even their energy sounds synthetic).

Badd Boyz -The Almighty RSO (which depending on what day of the week you ask them, is an acronym for “Rock Shit On” or “Real Strong Organization”) was the Boston outfit consisting of DJ Deff Jeff (not the west coast Def Jef, who was actually a part of the Flavor Unit for a quick minute as well), E Devious, Tony Rhome and Ray Dogg, better know as Benzio (who played a big role in ruining the credibility of The Source, and more recently, was a part of the embarrassingly cheesy reality TV show Love & Hip-Hop). The Ray Dogg/DJ Deff Jeff concocted instrumental infuses samples from Tom Tom Club’s “Genius Of Love” and somebody’s version of “Misdemeanor”, and the results are not good, much like the verses contributed by The Almighty RSO.

Gimme Head – Female emcee Leshaun invites Cee (of, or as the liner notes spell it “uv” Da Blakmarket) to join her on this duet, as they take turns dissing each other and both demanding the other give oral pleasures (the hook is literally just Leshaun screaming “Gimme Head”). Think of Apache’s “Who Freaked Who”, only will less polished emcees. The E. Menal (also a part of Da Blakmarket) backdrop is weak and the song falls flat as well.

On The Bone Again – And we have our first worst song of the year candidate. The 4 man crew (maybe five?) going by The Brooklyn Assault Team take turns discussing their unsuccessful attempts at getting booty while going through a horny spell (listen to the blunt ways they ask the ladies and it’s no surprise none of them obliged). It’s bad enough that their content is juvenile but their rhyme schemes are elementary as well. And the dude singing the hook (which is a corny play off of Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again”) sounds worst than TJ Swan, if that is even possible. The Eric Black produced instrumental isn’t terrible but it’s not good enough to even make the song sound decent. Hell, forget the year, this may be the worst song ever recorded, period.

Rough Enough – Freddie Foxxx is an emcee’s emcee who may have never received the exposure he should have, but still has the ability to spit fire. His verses on this song are pretty nice, but his trash self-produced instrumental and garbage hook derail this train from the track, quickly.

Let Yourself Go – Latee (who we last heard make a cameo on Apache’s “Woodchuck”) is one of the original members of the Flavor Unit, and though he never released an album, he does get a solo joint on Roll Wit Tha Flava. C. Bacon hooks up a decent backdrop for Latee, who proves he can spit a little taste.

Freak Out – This one opens with Nikki D’s man questioning where she was the previous night, before her voicemail comes on with a message from a male voice that her man quickly assumes she’s creeping with and follows up the accusation with a smack to her face. Nikki then threatens to kill him (and sounds very convincing) and spends the rest of the song throwing her dirt in his face and rubbing his nose in it. Nikki sounds okay on her verses, but the hook it butt and S.I.D.’s instrumental is pretty weak as well.

Enough Is Enough – Rottin Razkals’ joint. Need I say more? I was hoping that at least Kay Gee’s instrumental would be dope, but that was a hot mess too.

Keep It Real – S.I.D. finally shows up for this Flavor Unit party, as he provides the music for this Apache solo joint. Neither S.I.D.’s instrumental or Apache are all that impressive, but they sound like Premo and Rakim compared to most of the other songs on this compilation.

Since You Asked – Based on the picture in the liner notes I’m assuming that Groove Garden is a duo, with the female being the emcee and the dude the deejay/producer. The nameless female emcee has a dope rapping voice and nice flow but her content is a bit too abstract for my liking. The instrumental is decent, though.

Bring It On – Naughty By Nature drops in fashionably late. Kay Gee redeems himself from the hot mess he gave the Rottin Razkals a few songs prior, and hooks up a solid up-tempo backdrop that Treach freaks nicely with minimal assistance from Vinnie.

Roll Wit’ The Flava (Extended Version) – The instrumental and verses are pretty much the same as the original (the last few bars of Dres’ verse are cut short), with a few additional verses from Bigga Sistas and Leshaun and Cee added on.

Hey Mr. DJ – This would later be the first single released from the female singing duo Zhane’s debut album, Pronounced Jah-Nay, and would go on to be a decent hit and spark a mildly successful career for them. The ladies smooth harmonies over Kay Gee’s soulful instrumental never gets old. Easily the best song on Roll Wit Tha Flava.

When the Flavor Unit starters pop up on Roll Wit Tha Flava, things tend to sound pretty good. The problem is the majority of the album spotlights B and C tier Flavor Unit associates, and none of them fair well (hell, some of the more polished emcees don’t even fair well). Maybe the results would have been slightly better if Latifah and Sha-Kim recruited Kay Gee to handle the production for the entire album (he produced three songs on the album, and two of the three are the stronger songs on the project), but if the Queen had balls she’d be King. As is,  Roll Wit Tha Flava is a hot mess and a poor representation of the once respected Flavor Unit name.

And that concludes this special Flavor Unit segment. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

-Deedub

Sticking with the Flavor Unit theme…

After a forgettable debut album, the trio from East Orange, New Jersey would change the group’s name from New Style to Naughty By Nature, and thanks to the monster hit “O.P.P.”, their self titled sophomore effort would earn the crew a platinum plaque. Even though “O.P.P” was a pop hit, Naughty By Nature was a hip-hop classic, which put both Kay Gee’s quality production and Treach’s fierce rhymes and flow on display. Naughty would return in 1993 with their third release, cleverly titled 19 Naughty III.  

Like the previous record, the production on 19 Naughty III would be kept in-house and handled by Kay Gee, and another monster crossover hit (that we’ll get to in a bit) would push the album to earn the Jersey boys their second consecutive platinum plaque (this time, in less than 90 days after its release).

But is 19 Naughty III a classic from the Jersey trio?

19 Naughty III – The album opens with Vin Rock, in a distorted vocal (i.e. 2pac’s “Soulja’s Story” older brother voice), reintroducing his self, Kay Gee and Treach to the listener. Then Kay Gee’s slightly generic instrumental drops for Treach to spit a few warm up bars over. Not a great start to 19 Naughty III, but I’ve heard worst opening songs.

Hip Hop Hooray – This was the lead single from 19 Naughty III, and next to “O.P.P.”, is the biggest hit in the trio’s catalog. Kay Gee hooks up rumbling drums and lays a smooth flute loop over it, for Treach and Vinnie to show some love to the genre that took them out of the hood. This is a hip-hop classic that you’re bound to hear on a throwback mix from time to time.

Ready For Dem – Now here’s a collab from left field: Treach and of all people, Heavy D, tag team the mic over a simple and rough instrumental. Without question, Treach is the stronger emcee, but Heavy may be the best ever at saying absolutely nothing but making it sound good with his polished flow. He does bring life to the hook with his reggae chant, though. This was dope.

Take It To Ya Face – I love Kay Gee’s instrumental on this one. It has a rough feel that will make you screw your face and at the same time make you want to pull out the linoleum and hit some b-boy moves. Or at least try to. Treach and Vin use the hard backdrop to take turns making threats. This was nice.

Daddy Was A Street Corner – Speaking of hard, this instrumental definitely falls in that category, with a bleak feel to it as well. It makes for the perfect backdrop for Treach to shout out the streets for raising him in his father’s absence (it kind of works as a companion piece to “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”). I’ll admit, I slept on this one back in the day. This is a hidden gem.

The Hood Comes First – Keeping with the dark mood, Kay Gee serves up yet another one for Treach and Vinnie, who pledge that no matter how successful they become in hip-hop, their peeps and the hood will always be top priority. Treach takes a shot at Twista (calling him a “quick tongue fraud”) and dedicates his entire second verse to Roxanne Shante, who had previously fired shots at Latifah (the “hide your gat” line is in reference to the album cover for Shante’s 1992 release The Bitch Is Back). This one sounds as good today as it did back in ’93.

The Only Ones – Just in case there were any questions, Treach opens this one up singing “we don’t have any connection in the drug game” and addresses the mistreatment of black men by the police (20 plus years later and that subject couldn’t be more relevant), before completely deviating from the plan on the last verse (although I still chuckle every time I hear him brag about boning your girl into a coma). Treach is dope on this one, but the Kay Gee/S.I.D. concocted instrumental matches Treach every step of the way, as they take a loop from Nu Shooz “I Can’t Wait” and turn it into a bassy up-tempo masterpiece.

It’s On – The second single from 19 Naughty III opens with an extended (and unnecessary) skit that attempts to re-enact how this Kay Gee and S.I.D. produced instrumental came to be (I absolutely love the instrumental Kay Gee has playing in the background when S.I.D. stops by his crib to let him hear the horn loop). Eventually, the monster instrumental drops and Treach raps circles around it, while Vinnie tries to keep up, and takes shots at…Sir Mix-A-Lot? Not sure what that beef was about, but if Vin and Mix-A-Lot were to battle, I got my money on Mix-A-Lot. Regardless, this is a certified banger.

Cruddy Clique – Over a grimy Kay Gee backdrop (complete with rough horns), Treach spits more fiery darts in the listeners ears. And no matter how many times I hear this song, Treach’s line about Michael Jackson buying someone else’s face to replace his own, always makes me laugh.

Knock Em Out Da Box – If hip-hop had a D-league, the Rottin Razkals would dwell there. Eternally. Over a frantic backdrop, they join Treach on this cipher joint, and as expected they aren’t that good. This is easily my least favorite song on 19 Naughty III.

Hot Potato – Freddie Foxxx slides by to help Treach with this duet, as they pass the mic like the song title suggest. I like Kay Gee’s mid-tempo mild-mannered backdrop, but I would have liked to hear these two ferocious emcees go back and forth over something more rough. As is, it’s still solid.

Sleepin’ On Jersey – The Flavor Unit leader, Queen Latifah drops by to assist with the hook, as Treach takes more shots at Twista (instructing him to “tongue twist his ass back to Chicago”), and I’m still not sure who his line “FedEx your ass to Kansas” is directed at (If you know, hit me in the comments, please). Kay Gee’s instrumental is slightly decent, and overall the song is as well.

Written On Ya Kitten – This was the third and final single from 19 Naughty III. Over a sleepy Kay Gee instrumental, Treach boast about his sexual prowess and the importance of leaving his name imprinted on the female genitalia. After “Knock Em Out Da Box” this is my second least favorite song on 19 Naughty III. Side note: The smooth jazz QDIII remix for this song sounds a lot better than the original mix (the “Shandi’s Smooth” remix uses the Isley’s “In Between The Sheets” loop, and is pretty decent as well).

Sleepwalkin’ II – This one picks up where “Thanx For Sleepwalking” left off (the instrumental even sounds a lot like the original’s). After two quick humorous verses from Treach, the song bleeds into the final song (even though they’re listed as separate songs on the liner notes and the jewel case, they actually play as one track)…

Shout Outs – Kay Gee gives his shout outs over a dope backdrop (that I would have loved to hear Treach demolish). His list is kind of lengthy, but that just means you get to enjoy his ear pleasing backdrop longer.

19 Naughty III has a much darker feel than the Naughty By Nature album. Where the previous album’s production was a blend of hard backdrops and melodic grooves, the production work on 19 Naughty III is consistently dark and bleak (with a few exceptions) from beginning to end. And that’s not a bad thing, considering most of them are dope. And even though Treach doesn’t sound quite as hungry (and a bit too focused on speed rather than content) as he did on the previous album, he still manages to deliver quality rhymes, while Vinnie, well, is still Vinnie. 19 Naughty III may not be the same level of dope as Naughty By Nature, but it was nice to see them go in a slightly different direction this time around and still deliver quality product.

-Deedub

Insert this one right after Brand Nubian’s In God We Trust

Anthony Peaks, better known to the world as Apache, was one of the original members of Queen Latifah’s emcee collective known as the Flavor Unit. He got his start ghostwriting for different rappers, and while the liner notes don’t confirm this, many in the know claim he penned most of the verses on Latifah’s debut album All Hail The Queen.

The first time I heard Apache spit was on Naughty By Nature’s cipher joint “1, 2, 3” from their debut title album. While it would have been a hard task for anyone in the earlier nineties to murder Treach on his own shit, Apache gave him a run for his money with his hungry flow and tenacious verse on that song (go ahead, give it a listen). That verse and the fact that he was part of the Flavor Unit (which was poppin’ at the time), helped the Jersey City native ink a solo deal with Tommy Boy Records. Apache would release his debut album, self deprecatingly titled, Apache Ain’t Shit .

Apache Ain’t Shit did produce a modest hit (that we’ll get to in a bit) but didn’t move a ton of units, and despite production work from some of the best hip-hop producers of the era, it received underwhelming reviews upon its release. This would be the only solo album from the Flava Unit emcee, and as the nineties came to a close Apache found God and church and would walk away from his microphone and explicit rhymes.

Sadly, on January 22, 2010 Apache died from undisclosed causes (but natural, no foul play was suspected) at the age of 45. Rest in peace.

The Beginning – This intro introduces Apache to the world and coincidentally (I use the term “coincidentally” loosely, as I’m sure it was intentional) uses similar drums used on the intro to Sugar Hill Gang’s “Apache”.

Tonto – Apache uses Double J’s understated, yet dope instrumental (he borrows the drums and bass line from David Axelrod’s “Holy Thursday”, that most of you kids will recognize from Lil’ Wayne’s “Dr. Carter”) to introduce the ladies to his penis, that he affectionately named Tonto. Nikki D drops by to assist with adlibs and the hook (wonder what she’s up to these days). This one was pretty entertaining. You’re definitely laugh at at least one of Apache’s clever punch lines.

Do Fa Self – This was the second and final single released from Apache Ain’t Shit . Our host stops by a children’s classroom to share his struggle and the lessons he learned coming up in the hood, and he doesn’t hold any punches, or curse words for that matter (one of the kids even jumps on the mic to help Apache on the second first). DJ Mark The 45 King hooks up a nasty backdrop built around an eerie and slightly spooky organ loop that will have you vibin’ as you shake your head listening to Apache’s unfiltered advice to the youth.

Gangsta Bitch – Apache was never a huge name in the rap game, but casual hip-hop fans will remember him for this single, which was a modest hit back in ’92-’93.  Q-Tip (even though the liner notes credit A Tribe Called Quest) slides our host a beautiful instrumental that he uses to speak about the type of woman he desires and all the attributes and qualities that come in a gangsta bitch (which include great sex, doing stick ups, drug dealing and taking her son gun shopping). Apache’s wittiness and personality shine through on this one. Hip-hop classic.

A Fight – Apache’s ready to drop bombs on the first white boy he comes in contact with on this one. He even borrows the old hood playground chant (“a fight, a fight, a nigga and a white, if the nigga don’t win, then we all jump in”) for the hook. Double J’s instrumental samples the same JB’s bass line first made popular on Showbiz & A.G.’s “Soul Clap”, which just reminded me that I missed reviewing the duo’s debut album Runaway Slave, but I digress. Not a big fan of this song.

Kill D’White People – Short interlude that kind of goes hand in hand with the previous song.

Hey Girl – Apache uses this one to call out a money hungry chick that’s trying to play him. He invites Milo and Collie Weed (I’ve never heard of that strand either) to do a little reggae style chanting and assist with the hook. This is a song I completely forgot about. When I read in the liner notes that Large Professor produced it, I got a woody. Then I played the song and my woody quickly disappeared. It’s not terrible (The Meters’ lifted bass line is kind of nice), I just expect so much more from an Extra P produced track.

Apache Ain’t Shit – Over a frantic paced S.I.D. produced backdrop, Apache boasts about being a womanizing no good dog. Apache’s content is kind of juvenile but as long as you don’t take him too serious you’ll enjoy this one.

Blunted Snap Session – This is the longest, most unnecessary and unamusing, interlude in the history of interludes. It was included to set up the next song, but the insults the guys and girls are throwing at each other aren’t funny, and are kind of uncomfortable to listen to, especially when one of the dudes threatens to rape one of the ladies pussy.

Who Freaked Who – Nikki D makes her second appearance of the evening, providing the women’s perspective, as she and Apache take part in this battle of the sexes. Literally. Apache and Nikki deliver solid verses (Nikki’s second verse paints a sexy visual that might leave you with a stiffy), but Diamond D’s instrumental is very underwhelming…and where is the question mark in the song title, dammit?!!

Get Ya Weight Up – Apache’s on some emcee battle shit on this one. Diamond J’s hard instrumental (I love the horn loop on the hook) serves as the perfect canvas for Apache’s aggressive boasts, threats and shit talking.

Woodchuck – Apache gets the production credit for this cipher joint, as he invites his Flavor Unit brethren (Latee, Cee, Double J, Vin Rock and Treach) to brag about how much pussy they get. Unfortunately, Apache’s instrumental is dry (no pun intended) and none of the parties involved say anything worth quoting.

Make Money – Our host uses this one to give advice to the fellas and the ladies (I love his line “Sex appeal, be real, I don’t understand, fake hair and nails and you’re looking for a real man”) on how to make money, which Apache apparently thinks can only come by criminal activity, which is kind of sad. Double J’s instrumental is decent. I like the bass line, but a better mix would have made it and the horn loop on the hook stand out more.

Wayz Of A Murderahh – This was useless and a pretty weak way to end the album.

You can’t judge a book by its cover, or a cd by its liner notes. Based on the list of all-star producers who worked on Apache Ain’t Shit (i.e. Extra P, Diamond D, Q-Tip and DJ Mark The King), one would think that if all else failed at least the production would bang. Granted, each of the producers listed above are only accountable one track each, but even those four instrumentals are hit and miss, which also rings true for the rest of the album. Apache is a decent emcees and at times his wit and charisma shine through, but his abundance of sex talk becomes a bit monotonous after a few listens. Ultimately, Apache Ain’t Shit ain’t all that good.

-Deedub

After the release of his debut album 2pacalypse Now, a lot of things begin to change for 2pac. With one solo album under his belt and a starring role in the 1992 hood classic movie Juice, Pac was quickly becoming a celebrity. Unfortunately, with his new-found fame came problems, to which many credit to his metamorphosis from the conscious black militant emcee to the real life heartless character Bishop that he played in the movie. Whatever the case, 2pac would return in 1993 with his sophomore effort Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…

Pac would pretty much rely on the same group of dudes to handle the production on Strictly that worked on 2pacalypse Now. The album received solid reviews and many consider it Pac’s breakout album, as it would be the first album to earn him a gold plaque (it would eventually go on to earn him a platinum plaque as well).

Random factoid: Pac’s second album was originally supposed to be titled Troublesome 21 and released in the fall of ’92, but Interscope did not want to release it due to Pac’s violent content on several of the songs. The album was scrapped and only a few of the songs from that album survived to make it to Strictly. Most of the songs from Troublesome 21 would be released later on any one of the million 2pac posthumous albums, but you can easily track down the album in its entirety on the web.

Holler If Ya Hear Me – Strictly opens with the lead single from the album. Pac’s roadie Stretch from Live Squad hooks up a busy up-tempo backdrop that Pac brings plenty of energy to as he attempts to get an amen from the congregation for his politically charged black militant content. I never really cared much for this song. Stretch’s instrumental is blah and Pac’s lyrics are sub par, plus his cadence on this one becomes annoying after the first verse.

Pac’s Theme (Interlude) – Interlude that features 2pac sounds bites (and an oddly placed Speech from Arrested Development sound bite) over a pleasant Underground Railroad produced instrumental.

Point The Finga – By 1993, 2pac was fastly becoming a polarizing figure, as controversy begin to swirl over his head and meet him at every turn. On this one Pac addresses some of the things people were accusing him of at the time (including a man who shot and killed a cop after being pulled over and ridiculously tried to blame it on the lyrics from 2pacalypse Now’s Violent”). Big D The Impossible hooks up a bouncy bass lined backdrop (tongue twister much!), which I never really cared for, but it would probably sound impressive in a boomin’ system. I’m just sayin’.

Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude) – Big D The Impossible gets another production credit on this one (with a co-production credit going to Pac), hooking up a somber and emotional backdrop that Pac uses his distorted chopped and screwed voice (i.e. the older brother from 2pacalypse Now’s “Soulja’s Story”) on to drop a few jewels for the listener’s ear. This interlude will definitely leaving you reflecting on Pac and his brief life.

Last Wordz – Pac invites the legendary Ice’s (no, not Isis. Ice’s as in Ice Cube and Ice T) to join him on this cipher joint. Bobcat’s instrumental sounds like a poor man’s DJ Muggs beat, and while none of the three emcees sound impressive, if I had to pick a winner on this one, the title would definitely go to Pac. That said, I’m not a fan of this one.

Souljah’s Revenge – The title is in reference to 2pacalypse Now’s “Soulja’s Story” (not sure why he decided to add an “h” to the end of “Soulja” this time around, but whatever). The brothers from that song are back at it (apparently the younger brother who died in a shootout with the cops on that song got his Lazarus on), as they take turns firing verbal shots at the police (it’s also the third consecutive song that Pac uses his “one nigga, teach two niggas” line…enough!). Bobcat redeems himself from the last track and hooks up a hard backdrop (that sounds a lot like the instrumental from Death Certificate’s “Wrong Nigga To Fuck Wit”) for Pac to spark the revolution over. This would have been dope to hear live back in the day, especially when he goes into the chant at the midway point of the song.

Peep Game – This is a song I completely forgot existed. Pac invites Deadly Threat to join him on this duet, as the two share the mic like a joint. Unfortunately, neither one of them smoke it properly and just end up choking all over it. Pac and Threat are only part of the problem, considering Bobcat’s instrumental is garbage as well. By the way, this is the third consecutive Bobcat produced track and concludes his contribution to Strictly, leaving him with a .333 batting average. One out of three is pretty good for hitters in baseball, not so much for a hip-hop producer. The blandness of this song must have forced me subconsciously to block it from my memory.

Strugglin’ – The brother duo of Stretch and Majesty (better known as Live Squad) join Pac on this one. Stretch and Maj sound almost identical with their raspy and muffled flows, that put a strain on the ear when trying to understand what the hell they’re saying. Their influence must have rubbed off on Pac for this one, as his rhymes sound like they were sanded into and lost in the instrumental. I do like the Live Squad’s up-tempo backdrop, though.

Guess Who’s Back – Here’s an unlikely collabo: Special Ed and his DJ Akshun, get the production credit for this laid back slightly drunken, but nice, instrumental. Once again, Pac’s rhymes are overpowered by the backdrop, and it was kind of sad to hear him rhyme “I went from hustling dicks to making hits, busting flicks, now I’m sure to be rich by ’96”, knowing now that he would die the same year.

Representin’ 93 – Truman Jefferson (who’s great-grandfather was Thomas Jefferson’s second cousin’s great grandmother’s brother’s first cousin’s brother’s slave) gets the production credit and hooks up a nasty chopped and screwed backdrop (with an ill slowed down Scarface sound bite on the hook) built around a random Joe Public (remember them?) loop. Pac’s rhymes range from mediocre to cheesy with lines like “how you gonna play me like a sucka Dunkin Donut?”. I did like his second verse, which sounds like a shout out freestyle. And Pac invites the elder brother from “Soulja’s Story” back to spit the final verse. Again, Truman Jefferson’s instrumental is sick.

Keep Ya Head Up – This is easily one of the top five biggest hits in Pac’s storied catalog. D.J. Daryl rips Zapp’s “Be Alright” instrumental at wholesale, and Pac stands up for his Nubian sisters (because “2pac cares, if don’t nobody else care”) and delivers some of his strongest bars on Strictly. Dave Hollister (credited as Dark Angel in the liner notes) drops by to provide adlibs and sings the hook. This is one of those songs that will always make the legendary rapper beloved, regardless of his many contradictions.

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… – Laylaw’s (yes, the same Laylaw that was a founding member of Above The Law) instrumental sounds like its playing in slow-motion and makes me want to take a nap when I hear it (I actually just yawned thinking about it). Pac does his best to work with what he’s given, but his bars aren’t potent enough to bring energy to the title track’s sleepy backdrop.

The Streetz R Deathrow –  Stretch hooks up an emotional and soulful backdrop that Pac uses to confront the demons he’s faced since his youth coming up in the hood. And we all know Pac was at his best when confronting demons and paranoia in his songs. This one would have fit in perfectly on Me Against The World.

I Get Around – This was the third single from Strictly and is easily my favorite song on the album. Shock G (who is pretty much the D-Flow Production Squad that the liner notes give the production credit to) hooks up a beautiful instrumental for Pac, himself and Money B to remind the ladies that “the Underground just don’t stop for hoes”. It would have been nice to hear Humpty make an appearance on this one, but regardless it’s a hip-hop classic that never gets old.

Papa’z Song – Big D The Impossible returns and hooks up an emotional instrumental that Pac and his stepbrother Wycked (who you may know as Mopreme from Thug Life or as Komani from The Outlawz, or by his government name, Maurice Williams) use to fire verbal darts at their Pops for being a dead beat. Interestingly, Pac raps as the absentee father on the final verse (in his “Soulja’s Story” older brother vocal), giving an explanation for his absence and asking his sons for forgiveness. I love the funky guitar licks the song fades out with. This is a well orchestrated and executed Pac jewel that is heavily slept on.

5 Deadly Venomz – Strictly ends with Pac, Stretch, Majesty, Treach and the wildcard, Apache taking part in the cipher, and surprisingly, Apache delivers the strongest verse. It’s pretty sad to think that three of the five emcees on this song are now dead (Pac, Stretch and Apache). I’m not a fan of Stretch’s instrumental or the song, for that matter.

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… marks the end of the revolutionary Pac and the birth of the gangster Pac, as both personas are at war throughout the album. I’ve never thought of Pac as a great lyricist, but an emcees who’s strongest when he draws from his emotion, so it’s no surprise that he’s at his best on Strictly‘s more emotional songs. My biggest issue with Strictly is the mix, as the music tends to drown out the vocals throughout the album (it definitely sounds better when listening to it through headphones). But even a good mix wouldn’t have helped some of the lackluster production on Strictly, which tends to miss more often than it hits. Strictly is my least favorite 2pac album and the most inconsistent project in his catalog (and no, I’m not including the billion posthumous albums that came later in that statement).

-Deedub

It can be said that Craig A. Miller, better known to the world as Kam, put the LA neighborhood of Watts on the proverbial hip-hop map. Unlike many of his west coast counterparts, The Nation of Islam member chose to spew substance on the mic instead of tough guy gangster raps. The first time I heard Kam was on Ice Cube’s “Color Blind” from the Death Certificate album. His streetwise conscious verse delivered in a smooth laid back vocal tone is part of the reason that song is, in my opinion, one of the best posse cuts of the nineties. It was only right, since Cube gave the Watts native his first break that he would sign with Cube’s Street Knowledge imprint and release his debut album Neva Again on East West Records.

Kam would recruit a handful of producers to provide the backdrops for his black conscious messages on Neva Again. And while Neva Again didn’t move a lot of units, it was held in high regards by most critics upon its release.

Let’s give her a listen and see how it holds up twenty plus years later.

Intro – The album opens with a simple backdrop (provided by Coze, Stone, Stan The Guitar Man and Toothie, who collectively make up Torcha Chamba Productions) and a soundbite taken from a speech by Farrakhan (which is the second consecutive post that his name pops up).

Peace Treaty – This was the lead single from Neva Again. Solid Scheme (the duo of Chris Charity and Derek Lynch who were responsible for most of the production work on Das EFX debut album Dead Serious) hooks up a funk heavy instrumental that sounds like something EPMD would have hooked up and spit over back in the day (and very similar to their work on Das EFX’s “Straight Out The Sewer”). Kam uses it to shout out the Bloods and Crips for the peace treaty the revival gangs came to after the Rodney King riots. This was decent.

Stereotype – Kam uses this one to address some of the stereotypes that whites place on black people. Rashad builds the instrumental around the commonly used James Brown’s loop (“Papa Don’t Take No Mess”) as Kam cleverly dispels some of these ignorant myths.

Still Got Love 4 Um – This was the second single and the primary reason I checked for Neva Again in the first place. Over a smooth laid back instrumental (produced by T-Bone from Da Lench Mob) Kam reminisces about the relationships he formed growing up in the concrete jungle as a “little nappy head nature boy” and pledges his allegiance to his homeboys no matter where life takes him. This is easily my favorite song on the album.

Hang ‘Um High – Kam is throwing a hanging party and all black preachers, drug dealers and child molesters are invited, as pay back for their trickery and dastardly deeds on the black community. The Torcha Chamba Production team builds the instrumental around a loop from Faze-O’s “Riding High”, and it works fairly well underneath Kam’s verses.

Drama – Kam uses a Mr. Woody concoction to talk about the drama that comes with living in the Watts area of L.A. I like the Three Dog Night’s loop and the Graham Central Station vocal sample, but the Marvin Gaye Troubled Man loop (the same “”T” Stands For Trouble” loop used on Brand Nubian’s “The Meaning Of The 5%”) adds nothing to the song. This is one of those songs that you might not dig the first few times you listen to (like myself) but after a few listens it begins to grow on you.

Neva Again – Kam calls out America for its many evil deeds since its formation. While I can get with Kam’s content, the Rashad produced backdrop has a new jack swing feel that I can’t really get into.

Y’all Don’t Hear Me Dough – Kam’s on his soapbox again as he tells crooked cops, his homeboys that bang white girls and eat pork and neighborhood snitches, “I told you so”.  Mr. Woody gets his second and final production credit of the evening, and it’s decent enough I guess; so is the song.

Ain’t That A Bitch – Kam remains on his soapbox as he criticizes the school system and how the American government treats its veterans. Solid Scheme gets their second production credit of the evening on this one, and while it’s not a terrible instrumental, it’s not great either. This song could have been left on the cutting room floor.

Holiday Madness – Torcha Chamba Productions hooks up this dark instrumental that Kam uses to question and call out the hypocrisy and silliness in the traditions behind Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and July 4th. Kam definitely makes some solid points on this one that will leave you with something to think about.

Watts Riot – Kam invites Ice Cube to join him on this one, as they take turns addressing some of the injustices that affect black people in America, and threaten to spark another Watts riot if things don’t change. DJ Pooh hooks up a rough instrumental that works well underneath the duo’s militant bars. Ironically, a few years later Kam and Pooh would be at odds with Cube over some business handling (aka money dispute) and recorded and released the Cube dis record “Whoop Whoop” as a single from Pooh’s solo album Bad Newz Travels Fast. According to Kam, the beef with Cube was resolved even before the single was released, but I’m sure the label (Atlantic) pushed them to release it as a single in an attempt to cash in on the controversy. In the end, it didn’t pay off.

Outro – I guess its only right since Torcha Chamba Productions opened Neva Again with an unimpressive backdrop that they end it with one just as boring. Kam only uses it to give his shout outs over, so I’ll give them a pass.

Kam definitely has a lot to say on Neva Again, and he stays true to his black militant stance as he delivers quality conscious bars, wasting no time on nonsense (i.e. boasting, bitches and flossing). The production on Neva Again is not spectacular (but decent), and Kam can come off a bit too preachy at times, but overall it’s a solid debut from the Watts native.

-Deedub