Time Is Illmatic

Late edition. For those keeping track at home, put this one right after Terminator X & The Valley Of The Jeep Beats.

As I’ve mentioned a time or two in the past, In 1997 I took a hip-hop hiatus. Biggie’s Life After Death was released on March, 25th, 1997 just a few weeks after he was tragically gunned down in Los Angeles. This would be the last hip-hop album I would buy for along while, and it sparked some introspection in me as I begin to contemplate life and death, reflect on Biggie’s eerie album title (and artwork), and the recent murders of two of the biggest artists in hip-hop within a six month period. It led to me going on a spiritual journey in which one of my first steps was ridding myself from all thing that I felt were distractions and “corrupt”, so I literally destroyed all my hip-hop cd’s and got rid of a ton of my cassette tapes (I would eventually buy them all back so the sacrifice would cost me a pretty penny in the long run but the lessons I learned during that break were invaluable). I eventually became a born again Christian which opened me up to a sub-genre of hip-hop often referred to as holy hip-hop or Christian hip-hop. As the new millennium rolled in, more and more Christian emcees were popping up gaining more attention from the mainstream media, to the point that today you might hear Christian emcees playing on mainstream radio, i.e., Andy Mineo and Lecrae. But long before Andy Mineo or Lecrae, there was Sup The Chemist aka Super C, who in my opinion was the first legitimate Christian emcee. Key word being legitimate.

If you read this blog religiously (no pun intended) then you may recognize the name from a group called SFC (an acronym for Soldiers For Christ) of whom Super C was the main emcee and producer. I actually became familiar with his solo work from the early 2000’s and eventually worked my way back through his SFC days, but that’s a story for another day. I bring all this up because Super C is the main reason I’m reviewing today’s subject.

The Dynamic Twins are identical twins Noel and Robbie Arthurton, who were born in the Bronx, NY.  The twins moved to California in the late eighties where they would link up with Super C, which would eventually lead to the twins signing a deal with the independent Christian label Broken Records, where SFC was also signed to. In 1991 they would release their debut album Word 2 The Wize, which Super C would be responsible for producing nine of the album’s fifteen tracks, and as I stated before, the main reason I rescued a copy from the used cd bins. That and its ninety nine cent price tag.

Mission – Word 2 The Wize opens with an eerie Super C produced instrumental and the Arthurton twins explaining the reason they rap:”To make a proclamation to a dying nation.” The instrumental was cool but both brothers sound like they have a mouth full of marbles.

The Judge – Super C hooks up a sick instrumental with an even sicker trumpet loop that sounds a little like something Premo may have done. The Arthurton boys use this one to talk about the pending judgment God will exercise and the wrath he’ll unleash on the world for its evil deeds. The marbles remain.

Fantasy – Our hosts hook up a funky west coast instrumental as they warn the listener about the dangers of putting too much value in this life and the things of this world. Guest vocalist Todd Stevens adds a solid vocal performance during the hook and their buddy X-L comes through to spit rhymes at the end of the song, which winds up being useless since you can’t make out anything he’s saying underneath Stevens’ vocal. Regardless of that snafu, this was actually pretty nice.

Backbiter – Our marbled mouth bretheren use this one to discuss the people that talk trash behind your back and spread rumors about you, which can also fall under the “haters” category. Why does everybody think they have haters? The other day I had a brother collecting carts in the parking lot at Home Depot come up to me and gave me a pound and then went into a rant about all the haters he’s got. Really? Does he seriously think he’s got people gunning for his position in life? But I digress. Super C hooks up a pretty solid instrumental for the backdrop and the twins actually sound decent spitting over it.

He’s All I Need – Our hosts hook up a corny new jack swing instrumental that is sure to make you push the fast forward button or stop listening to Word 2 The Wize all together.

Persuaded – Well, at least Super C’s instrumental was mildly interesting.

Real Thing – Super C hooks up another solid instrumental that our hosts use to uplift the real thing aka Jesus Christ. I can’t distinguish one mush mouth from the other but one of the brothers Arthurton says what may be the corniest rhyme ever recorded: “I don’t smoke the marijuana, (why not?), cause I don’t wanna”. Next…

Word 2 The Wize – The title song is actually an interlude. Super C combines a Barry White sample with a Lonnie Liston Smith sample for the instrumental and sprinkles sound bites from a sermon throughout.

Uptown – No, this is not an ode to Upper Manhattan. The Uptown the twins are referring to is Heaven, of course. This was pretty weak.

That’s How I’m Livin’ – This might be the worst cipher song in the history of hip-hip. The twins invite a few of their purified posse members X-L, M.C. Peace (whom we’ll be talking about more in the very near future), M.V.P., and Super C, to the studio for this one, and they all fall short of the glory of God.

We Need Love – Wow. Really? The brothers Arthurton take things back to 1985 as they not only rip LL’s song title (with one small change) but they hook up a cheesy Casio keyboard instrumental that resembles the one used for Cool James’ sappy hip-hop love ballad. Of course, our hosts aren’t talking about a woman, they’re talking about the love of God. The only good thing about this song was the guest vocalist Crystal Lewis, which was wasted on this corny effort.

I Aint Wit’ It – The Arthurton boys hook up a instrumental that borders on sounding goofy but manages to wiggle its way into a entertaining groove. Both emcees actually sound decent on this one as they discuss temptation and how to resist it. This might be the best overall song on Word 2 The Wize.

Shakin’ Off Dust – The whole hip-hop meshed with rock thing had already been done several times over by 1991, so Super C wasn’t treading any new water when he hooked up this rock tinged instrumental. Hell, Sup had already hooked up similar instrumentals for his own SFC records. Brothers Arthurton use this one to stick out their chest as if using a rock tinged instrumental qualifies them as “radical” Christian artists. One of the brothers even refers to their sound as too hardcore. Too hardcore for who? Joel Osteen?

Keep Goin’/Talk On Your Record – Over a forgettable instrumental our hosts use the first part of this song to encourage the listener to never give up on life and/or the spiritual race. The second part is used for the duo to give their shoutouts before being interrupted by Super C.

The Judge (Instrumental) – Because they knew how sick the instrumental was, they had to bring it back without the lyrics interrupting the music.

Super C does all he can to help save (no pun intended) Word 2 The Wize with his production but for the majority of the album these two God fearing emcees sound godawful. I don’t even think Premo’s beats could have saved Word 2 The Wize. Or Jesus himself, for that matter. And just so we’re clear, I’m not hating on their content. I at one time, many moons ago, spit rhymes to uplift the heavenly father and have heard many Christian emcees, who in my opinion, spit better than most five percent, conscious, gangsta, and atheist emcees. Talent knows no religion and neither does wackness. I hope Noel and Robbie have repented for making this hot garbage.

-Deedub

2Pacalypse Now marks the beginning of the solo career of arguably the most influential rapper in the history of hip-hop. Tupac Shakur. I’m not going to write an in-depth bio on his life as there is already a movie and gazillions of articles, books, websites, etc. readily available at your fingertips with that info. So, here’s a brief recap.

Born June 6, 1971 in Brooklyn, NY, 2pac was the son of Black Panther Party member, Afeni Shakur. Pac’s birth name was Lesane Parish Crooks. It’s believed his mother gave him this name to avoid her son being targeted by the many enemies of the Black Panther Party movement at the time. Before he turned two, Afeni would legally change his name to Tupac Amaru Shakur, after Amaru II, who was a 18th century Peruvian revolutionary who was executed after leading an uprise against the Spanish rule.

2pac and his family moved from New York to Baltimore, and during Pac’s high school years they moved to Oakland, which is where he linked up with Digital Underground. By joining DU Pac was able to travel the world, primarily as a back up dancer and made a few cameos on their records, most notably on “Same Song” off the This Is An EP Release record. Pac would eventually ink a solo deal with Interscope (side note: after 2pac’s death Afeni Shakur was granted the right to re-release all of Pac’s Interscope releases on her label Amaru Records, distributed through Jive. So if you purchased any of his first 5 albums after 1997 they may have the Amaru Records imprint on them instead of Interscope), and released his solo debut in late ’91 2Pacalypse Now. The liner notes give credit to The Underground Railroad, Big D The Impossible, Shock G, Pee Wee, Jeremy, Raw Fusion, and Live Squad for the production, though it doesn’t say who worked on which songs specifically. So, whatever.

Upon it’s release 2Pacalypse Now received pretty solid reviews. The album is now 5 times platinum but I’m sure those numbers exploded after his death in ’96. During the 2Pacalypse Now days I don’t think any one thought he would become the mega star he became in the next five and sadly, final years of his short life.

Except Pac.    

Young Black Male – Pac starts of his solo career with a less than spectacular opening track. His flow sounds sloppy and rushed, which makes it difficult to make out most of his rhymes as he describes the attributes that make up a young black male. Luckily it’s only one verse, so you don’t have to strain your ears too long trying to make sense of his lines. To add insult to injury, the instrumental was pretty boring as well. It was kind of funny to hear Pac diss St ides and shoutout 8 Ball, considering he would later do a St. Ides commercial. Remember the St Ides hip-hop campaign in the early nineties? They had everybody from Rakim to Warren G in their commercials.  And I’ve still never bought a bottle of the crooked I.

Trapped – This was the lead single from 2Pacalypse Now. Over a bangin’ bass line and an organ sample that gives the song a bit of a reggae feel, Pac discusses how the Amerikkka system is set up to trap young black males in the hood, a life of violence and crime, and prison. He slows down his rhyming pace and sounds 100 time better than he did on the opening song. It’s kind of sad when you reflect on the fact that Pac was wise enough to see the snare but unable to avoid the trap during his 25 years on earth.

Soulja’s Story – This is one of my favorite 2pac songs of all time. Pac tells a story from the perspective of two brothers trapped in the hood. The older brother ends up doing a bid after he’s busted for selling dope. Then the younger brother is instructed by his mother to go and break his older brother out of prison. As you would probably expect, the story doesn’t have a happy ending. His production team samples a classic Isaac Hayes record for the instrumental under his verses and revamps the classic Bill Wither’s record “No Sunshine” on the intro, hooks, and outro, which works perfectly with Pac’s emotional tale. Well done.

I Don’t Give A Fuck – Pac lightens up the mood a bit after the darkness brought on by the last track. Over a smoothed out instrumental our host invites Money B (from Digital Underground and later, Raw Fusion) to join him as they give the middle finger to the police and any other racist piece of shit hating on brothers because of their color. Pac affectionately closes the song with: “They can kiss my ass, and suck my dick, and lick my Uncle Tommy’s balls.” Hi-larious.

Violent – The tension is brought back up to a fever pitch with this one. Pac’s production team hooks up a dark reggae tinged instrumental, complete with a bass line that if played in a booming system is bound to make spectators mistake the rattling noise for an incoming tremor. Pac uses the first verse to discuss the hypocrisies of America. He questions why they make young black men out as the violent ones when America was founded and built on violence and murder. Pause. The second and third verses cover a story of a shootout between Pac and his homie with a few crooked cops attempting to frame them. Back in the day I remember reading a story about a guy who killed a cop after being pulled over and said this song was the reason for his actions, and it became propaganda for the “ban rap” movement when authorities discovered a copy of 2Pacalypse Now in his tape deck at the time of the shooting. How ridiculous is that? Regardless, this one is a certified banger.

Words Of Wisdom – Over the course of three verses Pac discussed the injustices in America, encourages black America to unite and fight for change and also coins one of the most ridiculous unique acronyms for nigga that I’ve ever heard (never ignorant getting goals accomplished). I’ve always loved this instrumental. It has an up-tempo pace but still manages to maintain a mellow feel with a breezy flute sample (I think?) sprinkled throughout for good measure.  Solid.

Something Wicked – I never cared much for this one in the past, but today it doesn’t sound as bad as it did in ’91. Pac resurrects the frantic flow he used on “Young Black Male” but he doesn’t sound as rushed and the lyrics are delivered in a cleaner manner. The funk instrumental is decent, and the song is only one verse, so it’s not too much of a burden to listen to.

Crooked Ass Nigga – The bass line underneath this funky instrumental (which if you’ve listened to enough hip-hop you’ve heard it used before) is infectious. Pac invites his homie Stretch to the session as they discuss what the title suggest. Be aware: crooked ass niggas come in all shapes and sizes, they were disguises, back stabs is what they specialize in”. In hindsight, it’s kind of depressing to think that both emcees would be gunned down within 5 years of this songs release.

If My Homie Calls – I believe this was the second single released from 2Pacalypse Now. Over a moody mid-tempo groove Pac proclaims his loyalty to his real partners. I’ve always loved this song and it still sounds nice 20 plus years later.

Brenda’s Got A Baby – This was the third and final single from 2Pacalypse Now, and probably the most popular song on the album. Over a somber r&b instrumental, Pac tells the story of a young pregnant teen named Brenda and the events that lead up to her getting pregnant and the decisions that would ultimately lead to her own demise. Dave Hollister (who the liner notes simply credits as “Dave”), who sounds like a poor man’s K-Ci from Jodeci (who I always assumed was singing on the outro of this song until today), and Roniece sing the hook and final minutes of the song. Props on the intent but this one always sounded a bit cheesy to me and still does today.

Tha Lunatic – Our host seeks to prove he can lyrically throw those thangs with the best of them on this one and does a decent job over the frantic instrumental.

Rebel Of The Underground – This is the closest thing resembling a DU record on 2Pacalypse Now, and I  don’t only say that because Shock G drops by to do some chanting during the chorus. Over a deep bass line and a laid back funk groove Pac tells the world why he’s the rebel. Of the underground that is.  Not the strongest song on the album, but I’ve always enjoyed its understated feel.

Part Time Mutha – Pac choses to close 2Pacalypse Now in a somber mood as he and guest Angelique, split the first two verses and come from the perspectives of two different kids being neglect and mistreated by their drug abusing mothers. Be prepared to tear up a bit after listening to Angelique’s verse. Pac’s final verse is from the perspective of a dude who thought he was pulling off a successful one night stand but winds up getting the chick pregnant and now has to take care of his responsibility. This verse should have been left on the cutting room floor as a wanna-be-player-turned-daddy-on-accident doesn’t compare to a kid neglected by his crackhead momma. The instrumental is an emotional remake of Stevie Wonder’s “Part-Time Lover”, which fits the depressing subject matter perfectly.

2Pacalypse Now is definitely Pac’s most conscious album as he would gradually become more and more gangsta with each of his next 4 releases. Pac spends the majority of 2Pacalypse Now tackling the injustices in America and addressing the social ills that ail the black community. Pac’s flow was definitely still a work in progress as it sounds sloppy and underdeveloped for a large portion of the album, but he still manages to maintain the listener’s attention. His production team hooks up a pretty decent batch of backdrops, with a few excellent joints and some forgettable ones mixed in along the way. 2Pacalypse Now is a solid debut from the hip-hop legend. Unfortunately, it came out in a year filled with classic releases, so it pales in comparison.

-Deedub

BDK will always be on my top 10 dead or alive list, and if he’s not on yours I strongly suggest you re-evaluate it immediately. We last left the suave wordsmith in 1990 with his third release Taste Of Chocolate. The album didn’t sell well and compared to his first two releases, it was a step down in quality. But in my opinion, it was still a decent effort.

Fast forward (or rewind?) to 1991. Kane would release his 4th album Prince of Darkness,which would be the first Kane album in which he would not only handle mic responsibilities but the majority of the production duties as well. It’s also considered Kane’s “sellout” album, as many of the true heads complained that too many of the songs catered to his heel wearing fan base.

Unsurprisingly, Prince of Darkness didn’t move a ton of units and the critics didn’t think highly of it either. Is it possible that the true fans, critics and Soundscan all got it wrong?

Probably not.

Prince Of Darkness – Kane starts things off with a smooth laid back groove built around a sample of Zapp’s “Be Alright” and a vocal sample from Tevin Campbell that complements the instrumental perfectly. Right from the jump Kane goes in to his Blackanova persona as he spits rhymes to boast about his sexual prowess in his signature baritone. Nice start to the show.

The Lover In You – This was the first single off of Prince of Darkness and I never cared much for it. Kane loops up a portion of Prince’s “Pop-Life” for the backdrop as he lends advise to men on how to please their ladies in the first verse then uses the rest of the song to talk as many ladies out of their panties that he can. Kane’s rhymes are pretty entertaining but the instrumental has too much of an intentional commercial sound. Side note: Al B. Sure stops by to help sing the hook. The Mr. Cee produced remix, which samples the Loose Ends “Hangin’ On Strings” record, sounds a lot better than this mix.

Git Bizzy – Kane slows the pace down a bit and still catches wreck like Kanye West at 3am driving on the streets of Los Angeles. Solid.

Ooh, Aah, Nah-Nah-Nah – Kane proved on the previous song that he could still destroy a mellow track, and on this one he bumps the BPM’s up a few and shows he can still handle an up-tempo beat as well, corny title aside. He comically takes a quick jab at Hammer on the final verse, only to say “no disrespect to my Oaktown friend” in the very next bar. Kane self-produced instrumental was okay, even though the synth style keys played during the hook were kind of cheese.

Brother, Brother (featuring Little Daddy Shane) – Kane loops up a smooth Barry White sample for the backdrop and invites his little bro to the studio for this family affair. Of course Kane walks away with this one, as I’m sure Shane was just honored to be spitting alongside his legendary brother. I wonder what Shane is doing these days.

Groove With It – Apparently, this was the second single released from Prince of Darkness, although I don’t remember seeing a video for this back in the day. Regardless, it’s terrible. The instrumental sounds like a really really bad remix of “I Get The Job Done”.

I’m Not Ashamed (Alyson Williams) – You should be for making this shit. Remember “All Of Me” from Taste Of Chocolate? This is worst. You have to listen to it at least once though, so you can laugh at Kane’s cheesy spoken word, and even more at his attempt to sing on the hook with Alyson Williams.

Troubled Man – This one opens with Larry Williams singing over a faint synth instrumental, giving off the impression that this is going to be another bad rap and r&b combo. Then everything changes when a funky Meters sample driven instrumental drops and Kane shares the trials and tribulations of being an entertainer. Not that I feel sorry for the guy but he does share a unique perspective. This was nice.

T.L.C.-  This was bad.

Float – Kane maintains the mellow vibe as he floats like a life jacket on the waters of the Atlantic over this smooth instrumental. I love his line “(they) declared my lyrics illegal weapons in every state, so I can get 5 to 10 for carrying a papermate”. Top 10, alive, dead, or in the pen.

Come On Down – Kane invites Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes to the studio for this cipher cut as each participant gets a verse over the decent Kane produced instrumental. Q-Tip sounds overwhelmed by the instrumental and Busta Rhymes sounds like he’s forcing things in a feeble attempt to rekindle the energy he brought on “The Scenario”, but falls flat on his face in the process. So, by default Kane walks away with this one, easily.

Death Sentence – This may be the strongest song on Prince of Darkness, and unfortunately it only last for one verse. Over his self-produced stripped down instrumental, Kane spits a verse that will remind true heads that in spite of all the r&b-tinged-lover-man crap he bombarded you with on Prince Of Darkness, he’s still one of the best to ever do it.

Get Down – This was pretty weak.

Raw 91′ – Kane reuses the instrumentals and some of the verses from “Raw”, “Set It Off”, and “Wrath Of Kane”. with a few tweaks here and there. This was solid.

D.J.s Get No Credit (featuring Mister Cee) – The final song of the album is left in the hand’s of Kane’s Deejay, Mister Cee. Over his self-produced instrumental, Cee spits a verse at Kane, explaining how difficult it is being the deejay, and takes a couple of shots at Kane in the process (“ya burnt raisin”).  Cool way to end things, and nice to see Kane doesn’t take himself too serious.

Prince of Darkness was a huge disappointment. From the jump (and even the album cover) it’s clear that Kane was more concerned with impressing and growing his female fan base than sticking with the formula that helped build his supreme emcee legacy. In the end he fails both the heads and the females. It’s not like Kane hadn’t made questionable songs on his previous albums, but Prince of Darkness takes things to the extreme, and Kane’s lackluster production doesn’t help matters, either. Kane was aware of the chinks Prince of Darkness left in his armor, which would propel him to bring it back to the streets on his next release.

-Deedub

The east coast produced several legendary groups and emcees in the nineties. Many of whom are still recording and releasing music independently today, and even more that are able to tour all over the world performing their classics from back in the day. One group from the east that came up in that era but is often overlooked and forgotten (and many would argue underappreciated) is Organized Konfusion.

Hailing from the Southside of Queens, New York, Troy “Pharoahe Monch” Jamerson and Lawrence “Prince Poetry” Baskerville, were childhood friends who begin rhyming together in the mid eighties. Originally, Prince Po was the emcee and Monch beatboxed for him, until one day they noticed Monch had undeniable rhyming skills (even better than Po) and should be rhyming next two his partner. The duo continued to grow and would eventually record and shop their demo with the help of the now late Paul C. Originally, the duo went by the name Simply II Positive MC’s, but thanks to Russell Simmons, who was looking at signing them to Def Jam, convinced the duo that the name was wack and they should change it, to which they conceded, and Organized Konfusion was born. Thank you, Russell Simmons.

Organized Konfusion would eventually sign with Hollywood Basics and released their self titled debut in the fall of 1991. Organized Konfusion received positive reviews, even though it failed to produce any charting singles or move a ton of units.

I bought Organized Konfusion years after it was released and only remember listening to it in full once before today, and honestly I don’t remember much about it. Which might be a premonition of this listen.

Fudge Funk – Organized Konfusion opens with a brief, but pleasant instrumental to start things off.

Fudge Pudge – This was the second single released from the album but my first introduction to the duo. I first heard this song on a local Saturday night hip-hop radio show around my way back in the day, as it made it on to one of my radio recorded mixtapes. Adam Ant Anton plays live piano that gives the song a mellow feel that makes for suitable midnight marauding music when placed over the sneaky and infectious bass line. Monch and Prince Po sound decent, but definitely don’t bring their best verses to the party. It’s probably worth noting that O.C. makes a cameo appearance on this song, which is his official introduction to the world. Wait, did he really say “badder than”?

Walk Into The Sun – Monch and Po use this one to discuss pretty much any and everything under the sun (pun intended). Or as Monch puts it “there’s no specific topic of speech in this rhyme”, so don’t hurt your brain looking for a deeper meaning in the song title. Our hosts invite a female vocalist, simply credited as Vicky, to sing the hook over an instrumental that spews good summertime vibes.

Releasing Hypnotical Gases – The title could also describes what I did after eating Taco Bell the other night. Our hosts dive into conspiracy theories and apocalyptic events as they discuss chemical warfare brought on by our own government, terrorist attacks, and God himself. Props for venturing outside of the normal subject matter. I mean, how often do you hear rappers discuss chemical warfare? Too bad the instrumental was boring as shit.

Audience Pleasers – Over a solid mid tempo groove Monch and Po talk their shit, and even make reference to their original group name during the hook (Simply II Positive MC’s). This was cool.

Jiminez Criqueta – I hate when rappers put interludes on their albums that are inside jokes, so all of us outsiders feel left out. Meanie faces.

Prisoners Of War – Monch and Po unleash a verbal assault on anyone within earshot, and they will take prisoners. Both emcees sound nimble on this track. Unfortunately, the instrumental is as bland as faucet water.

The Rough Side Of Town – I had this on one of my mixtapes back in the day as well. Our hosts paint pictures of their childhood habitat, South Queens, New York. The instrumental has a rugged feel that matches their content, with a well placed xylophone sample sprinkled strategically throughout the track.

Organized Konfusion – On the title track Monch and Po continue to prove they are more than capable emcees. The instrumental sounds a lot like the one used on “Prisoners Of War,” so there was that problem.

P.S. 48 – Interlude…

Roosevelt Franklin – Monch and Po loop up a portion of the Weather Reports “125th Street Congress” record as they paint the picture of the dualities in the life of a fictional character (I think?) named Roosevelt Franklin. Po takes the first verse describing the nerd like tendencies and the demons that haunt his buddy Roosevelt. Monch then takes on the role of Roosevelt, which gives a deeper perspective into what causes the conflicts that rage inside the smart but troubled kid. It sounds more interesting on paper than it does on wax.

Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken? (Remix) – In an attempt to live up to the group name, our hosts place the remix of this song before the original in the sequencing. Monch and Po use this one to reminisce about their childhood, with the centerpiece of their memories built around their momma’s cooking chicken. This was so-so.

Open Your Eyes – Organized takes it to church as they advise the listener to wake up and see what is going on through the spiritual lense. They even invite the Merrick Park Baptist Gospel Choir to sing the hook. I like this one.

Intro – Weird place to put an intro, right? Then again, they don’t call them Organized Konfusion for nothing. Over a funky mash up, Monch and Po introduce themselves in entertaining fashion as they tag team the mic on some WWE shit, playing off of each other nicely.

Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken? – The original mix (which was also the lead off single) not only has a different instrumental but Monch and Po spit completely different lyrics as well. Unfortunately, like the remix, the results are only average.

Organized Konfusion is a mediocre effort from two pretty talented emcees. There is no denying their lyrical ability (especially Pharoahe Monch’s), but at times during the album they can come off overly abstract or spit shit that sound like its beneath emcees of their caliber. The biggest problem I had with Organized Konfusion was the inconsistent production. There are a handful of dope backdrops but the majority of the instrumentals hang out in the average to bland district. Thank goodness they would harness their potential and fair much better the second time around (future spoiler alert).

-Deedub

As I mentioned in the last post, I completely missed Ice Cube’s EP Kill At Will when initially sorting through my crates for this stunt blog. But like they say, there is no better time than the present. For those keeping track at home, file this one after Intelligent Hoodlum’s Intelligent Hoodlum album.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Cube was the hottest rapper in the game after leaving N.W.A. and releasing his platinum selling debut Amerikkka’s Most Wanted in the spring of 1990. In an effort to capitalize on Ice Cube’s hotness (oxymoron, much) Priority decided to release an EP titled Kill At Will just a few months after AMW was released. The 7 song EP was completely produced by Cube’s right hand production man Sir Jinx and would garner 2 of the biggest hits in Ice Cube’s lengthy catalog. More on that later.

Kill At Will receive decent reviews and would become the first hip-hop EP to earn a platinum plaque. So, it’s safe to say Priority’s greed gamble paid off. But was it quality, though?

Endangered Species(Tales From The Darkside) (Featuring Chuck D) (Remix) I didn’t care for the original mix and this remix doesn’t fair any better. The remix opens with a sound bite from Tom Brokaw reporting from Los Angeles as he declares the city the murder capital, thanks in large part to the escalated gang violence at the time. The Sir Jinx instrumental is slightly more interesting than the mess the Bomb Squad brought on the original.

Jackin’ For Beats – This was the lead single on Kill At Will, and one of the two biggest songs in Cube’s catalog that I spoke of at the beginning of this review. Chilly Chill and Sir Jinx jack the instrumentals from D-Nice’s “Call Me D-Nice”, EPMD’s “Wat cha Saying”, PE’s “Welcome To The Terrordome”, DU’s “Humpty Dance”, LL’s “Big Ole Butt”, and X-Clan’s “Heed The Word Of The Brother”, weave them together beautifully, just so Cube can rip them a part. This is one still bangs 25 years later.

Get Off My Dick And Tell Yo Bitch To Come Here (Remix) – The original mix was just one quick verse from Cube, and end scene. The remix features two additional verses from Cube that are slightly entertaining. Unfortunately, Sir Jinx’s instrumental adds nothing to the original, which kind of nullifies Cube’s bonus verses.

The Product – Over a solid Sir Jinx instrumental Cube speaks from the perspective of a young black male, covering the events of his life from conception to incarceration. Deep shit.

Dead Homiez – This is my favorite song on Kill At Will, and the second of the two biggest songs I spoke of in the intro. Over a mellow grove (equipped with a touching trumpet sample during the hook), Cube takes a little time to reminisce over his dead homies. Or, homiez. Classic.

JD’s Gafflin’ (Part 2) – Short interlude from Lench Mob member JD. The original was amusing, but this one didn’t even make me chuckle.

I Gotta Say What Up!!!! – Sir Jinx loops up Isaac Hayes’ classic “Hyperbolics” (you know the rest) record that Cube wastes uses to shoutout his peeps. The song ends with someone calling Cube to ask what’s up with his former N.W.A. bretheren, to which Cube responds by letting him talk to tone. Dial tone. And just like that, Kill At Will is done.

Kill At Will should not exist. Allow me to explain. The three original songs on the EP are hot, but the rest of the EP is a waste of time. The 2 remixes and the JD interlude don’t bring any value, and while the Isaac Hayes sample on “I Gotta Say What Up!!!!” is undeniably funky, the fact that Cube uses it to give shoutouts instead of actually spit bars over, renders it useless. Priority got a way with robbery selling Kill At Will to Cube’s fans. They did get it right in 2003 when they remastered Amerikkka’s Most Wanted and added the remastered version of Kill At Will as a bonus disc.

-Deedub

In 1990 Ice Cube established himself as arguably the top rapper in hip-hop, thanks to the release of his debut solo album Amerikka Most Wanted (which just made me realize that I completely forgot to review Kill At Will, which was his EP sandwiched in between AMW and today subject. Stay tuned), which was both a commercial and critical success, as Cube would combine his already well established gangster sensibilities with his new-found black awareness, all over the Bomb Squad’s production. Cube’s would continue to grow in knowledge of self after playing Doughboy in the movie Boyz N The Hood, which would lead to our frowned face friend cutting off his very tired jerry curl in place of a low-cut ceaser and start to show interest in the teaching of Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.

Cube would return in 1991 with his sophomore effort, Death Certificate. As outlined in the liner notes and reiterated on the intro, the album is comprised of two sides (which would make more sense if your listening to Death Certificate on cassette or vinyl): “The Death side”, which is a mirrored image of where we (the black community) are today. And the “Life side”, a vision of where we (the black community) needs to go. Cube titled it Death Certificate as a message to the black man that he must first go through a mental death so he can then be reborn mentally and live righteous. Maybe the title has a dual meaning because the album cover artwork shows Cube holding a gun in hand while hovering over a toe-tagged Uncle Sam.

Like it’s predecessor, Death Certificate would also go on to receive heaps of critical acclaim and sell over two million copies, cementing Cube as the man. The Source initial gave Death Certificate a 4.5 mic rating but would revisit that rating years later and change it a 5 mic rating, so we have that to discuss at the end of this review.

The Funeral – Short interlude that sets up the first actual song…

The Wrong Nigga To Fuck Wit – Over a hard Sir Jinx instrumental Cube picks up where he left off at on AMW. He’s still angry and ready to kill any horny little devil or uncle Tom insight. This song still knocks.

My Summer Vacation – Cube plays the role of a drug dealer who’s relocated from South Central L.A. to St. Louis to set up shot and slang. This song is not terrible but it’s probably my least favorite song on Death Certificate.

Steady Mobbin’ – This was the first single released from Death Certificate. Cube uses this one to talk about the day in the life of he and his Lench Mob brethren, which is filled with boomin’ systems, brews, and bitches. It was kind of funny to hear him tells his guys to stop drinking Olde English and get with St. Ides, as he had an endorsement deal with them at the time (remember those “crooked I” commercials? I think Kane did a few as well). Solid.

Robin Lench – Is the ghetto version of the Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous host, Robin Leach. During this interlude he takes you on a brief tour of the hood.

Givin’ Up The Nappy Dug Out – This one is pretty funny. It starts off with Cube ringing the doorbell of the house of a girl named Cheryl. Cheryl’s father answers the door and after Cube introduces himself and tells him he’s there to take his daughter out on a date the father protests. Cube responds by spends the next three verses degrading her and revealing all of her dirty deeds to her father. The Boogie Men hook up a quality instrumental for the backdrop. This one ends with a short PSA brought to you courtesy of a talking condom (who sounds like Alvin Seville) which sets up the next song…

Look Who’s Burnin’ – On this one our host stops by the local clinic, so he claims, to get 20 free jimmy hats, which for someone claiming to be making all the dough, is pretty cheapskate of him. He then spends the next few verses talking about a few of the promiscuous hood rats he bumps into while at the clinic. The Sir Jinx instrumental kind of sounds like a fire alarm, which fits in nicely with the song title and content.

A Bird In The Hand – The Boogie Men lay down a sick instrumental that Cube uses to tell a story from the perspective of a black teenage father and the life choices that lead up to him feeling forced to slang dope to feed his family. In one short verse Cube covers a lot of ground and does it with phenomenal detail. This was brilliant.

Man’s Best Friend – Cube spits his thesis to why his gun is more reliable than a dog for protection. This one line sums of Cube argument perfectly: “If you shot your gun and my dog tries to fetch ya, me and the dog is going out on a stretcher”. Fittingly, the Boogie Men mesh in the classic funk record “Atomic Dog” to the backdrop. Pretty clever concept.

Alive On Arrival – Cube spins a tell about himself hanging out in the dope spot with the homies when a car rolls up and starts spraying shots (also known as a drive by), and Cube gets hit. He uses the rest of the song to address all the snafu’s and poor treatment from law enforcement and hospitals for urban patients who are victims of violent crimes. The Boogie Men’s’ instrumental was cool, although I don’t know if it was the best fit for the song’s content.

Death – Short spoken word piece from Dr. Khallid Muhammad, who was Louis Farrakhan’s National assistant at the time. This poem marks the end of the “Death side” of Death Certificate.

The Birth – Another spoken word piece from Dr. Khallid Muhammad which marks the beginning of the “Life Side” of Death Certificate.

I Wanna Kill Sam – According to Cube, the first step black America needs to take in order to get to where we need to be is to kill off Uncle Sam. Not literally, doodoo brain. What Cube is saying is blacks need to realize that Uncle Sam, aka the US government, does not have black America’s best interest at heart and hasn’t since the African slave trade (Cube actually makes an ill analogy between being kidnapped by uncle Sam and the African slave trade…deep). Sir Jinx hooks up a funked out instrumental that make for a solid backdrop for Cube’s meaty rhymes.

Horny Lil’ Devil  – After we’ve killed off Uncle Sam, the next step is to torture the horny lil’ devil, aka the white man. And no white man is exempt, as even the fellas from Color Me Badd get called out on this one. The Boogie Men’s instrumental samples Lou Donaldson’s “Pot Belly” record and James Brown’s “Funky President”, and even though it sounds more like something you would here an east coast emcee rhyming over, Cube handles it well. “Swing, swing, swing, and chop, chop, chop”.

Black Korea – Okay. Now that he’s killed off Uncle Sam and emasculated the horny lil’ devil, now it time to give out a warning to the Asian immigrants who set up businesses in the hood to take the black dollar but don’t respect the blacks spending the dollar at their establishments. Over a hectic paced Sir Jinx instrumental Cube declares that if they don’t start respecting black people they’ll start boycotting their businesses, or worst, burn them down to the ground.  Jinx cleverly adds in a sound bite of a conversation between a Korean store owner and Radio Raheem from Do The Right Thing. Dope.

True To The Game – Our host has already fired shots at the government, white America, and Asian immigrants. Now its time to point the finger at the brothers. Sir Jinx hooks up a smooth instrumental built around a sample of the Gap Band’s record “Outstanding” that Cube uses to call out the “Oreo cookie”, who “makes it” and forgets about the black community. This was the second single released from the album. Classic record.

Color Blind – This may be my favorite song on Death Certificate. Cube invites Deadly Threat, Kam, W.C, Coolio, King Tee, and J Dee (from the Lench Mob) to join him for this cypher session as they discuss surviving the gang invested street of Los Angeles. The Boogie Men hook up a sick sample from The Meters and drown it under a muffled bass line that makes for a monster instrumental. Every party involved brings their A game to match the track’s energy. This is one of the sickest (and often overlooked) cypher joints in hip-hop history.

Doing Dumb Shit – Cube relives the days of his youth skipping school, stealing candy from the corner store, losing his virginity at 13, etc. The Boogie Men build the instrumental around a zany Parliament sample that reminds me of The Wiz for some reason. Solid.

Us – Sir Jinx’s hooks up a raw mid-tempo instrumental that Cube uses to stand on his soapbox and list off several issues that ail the black community and keep us from progressing. Sadly, many of the reason he mentions still apply today. Good song, though.

No Vaseline – Cube saves the last record of the evening to drop one of the greatest dis record in hip-hop history. Sir Jinx pretty much rips Brick’s “Dazz” record at wholesale for the backdrop, as Cube goes for the necks of Dre, Easy, Ren, Yella and Jerry Heller, and manages to body all five of them in the process. This was the cherry on top of an incredible milk shake. Or a chocolate sundae.

Many considered Amerikkka’s Most Wanted to be Ice Cube’s shinning moment, but I disagree. While AMW was a solid solo debut, it was a bit inconsistent at times. Death Certificate is the pinnacle of Ice Cube’s music career as he would never make another album as conscious, entertaining and relevant. From beginning to end Death Certificate holds the listener’s attention hostage. Cube perfects his mixture of gangster swag with the conscious rhymes that made him one of the best to ever do it. Sir Jinx and the Boogie Men lay down consistently quality production, and the movie director in Cube was present even back then, as the song sequencing it almost flawless.

Did The Source Get It Right? Not the first time. Good thing they went back to review it years later and got it right. Death Certificate is brilliant and definitely deserving of a 5 mic rating.

-Deedub

My last post was for Black Sheep’s debut album A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, I mentioned that one of the reasons they named the group Black Sheep was because they felt like the awkward outcasts of the Native Tongues. Consequentially, today’s subject can be considered the black sheep of his team as well.

Hailing from Oakland, California, Del tha Funkee Homosapien is the younger cousin of O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson, who by 1991 was arguably the king of west coast hip-hop. It might be hard to believe that the guy who makes family movies was once considered the hardest gangsta rappers in the game. After Cube dropped 4 niggas and started making all the dough in his solo career, he was kind enough to come back and put his little cousin on. Del signed a deal with Elektra and in the fall of 1991 released his debut album I Wish My Brother George Was Here, which was an homage to the Godfather of P-Funk, George Clinton, who would also have a big influence on how the album sounded sonically as well.

When it comes to style, Del is the ying to Ice Cube yang. Where Cube is brash, mad and violent, Del is subdue, humble, and peaceful. He’s kind of like a hip-hop hippy. Or, the black sheep in his hardcore crew.

I Wish My Brother George Was Here didn’t move a ton of units (shocker) but it did receive solid reviews, laying the ground work for what would become a solid career for Del, and allow him to introduce his Hieroglyphics crew to the world a few years later.

What Is A Booty – After several listens to this song I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Del’s wish to have George Clinton participate on the album grows to desperate measures on this opening track as he recruits a bootleg impersonator who spills gobs of nonsense in the form of a poem before Del comes in and spits one forgettable verse. The song closes with a bunch of chanting before fading to black. Okay, now it’s suddenly becoming clear. I don’t like this song.

Mistadobalina – This was the second single from I Wish My Brother George Was Here. This song was extremely annoying back in the day and I’m sticking with my feelings today. This song is dedicated to all the snakes, fakes, and backstabbers. No new ground is covered here, just an unusual song title. The instrumental sounds like a bunch of noise, which is so annoying it distracts you from really paying attention to Del’s rhymes.

The Wacky World Of Rapid Transit – These are the kind of hip-hop songs that I miss in hip-hop’s current climate. With humility, Del relives the trials and tribulations of riding the public transit bus. It was kind of funny to hear one of Del’s bus hecklers call him a “De La Soul such and such”. Del samples a Donald Byrd record that translates into a strong instrumental that complements Del’s rhymes well.

Pissin’ On Your Steps – Del takes a jab at a little bit of everybody on this one. He whips it out and gives golden showers to Hammer and Vanilla Ice (two common victims of verbal abuse in the early nineties), then pulls it out again to yellow the shoes of De La Soul (“I’m rather mellow, some call it lazy, me and myself and I aint with the daisies…I’m no goddamn flower…”), which I find ironic since his style sounds like he could be the president of the Native Tongue west coast chapter. I wonder what his beef was with De La. Regardless, as my west coast brethren would say, the instrumental is hella funky and the song is pretty entertaining.

Dark Skin Girls – Del is an avid believer in the saying “the darker the berry the sweeter the juice” as he praises the dark skin sisters on this one. Actually, its more of a dis to light skin sisters as he spends the majority of his verses dissing red bones who must have dissed him several 100 times in the past, as he comes off  sounding bitter.  The instrumental is decent, so is the song overall.

Money For Sex – Del uses this one to declare he will never ever give up his money to get a piece from gold-diggers or hookers (which can also be one in the same). I love the Donald Byrd trumpet sample on the hook. This was solid.

Ahonetwo Ahonetwo – Del sounds right at home on this one as he spills sharp bars over an instrumental that somehow manages to sound funky and smooth at the same time. Well done.

Prelude – Or “Interlude”.

Dr. Bombay – I believe this was the third and final single released from I Wish My Brother George Was Here. I didn’t care for this one back in the day, either. 20 plus years later, its semi tolerable.

Sunny Meadowz – This might be my favorite song on the entire album. Del’s in a casual battle mode and again takes a jab at Hammer. Del sounds decent enough but the slightly drunken mid-tempo instrumental with an understated horn sample is the true star of this track.

Sleepin’ On My Couch – This was the first single released from I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Del hi-lariously vents at all his buddies that take advantage of him by over staying their welcome at his house. This was decent, easily the strongest of the three singles released from I Wish My Brother George Was Here.

Hoodz Come In Dozens – Del warns the listener to keep an eye out for those hoods looking to snatch your goods, and if you do get got he humbly instructs you to give up the goods because life is worth more than your material possessions. This funky instrumental sounds like something Sir Jinx would have hooked up for Cube back in the day.

Same Ol’ Thing – Del and his nameless guests use this one to address the biting emcees that keep recycling the same ideas. He also manages to sneak in another jab at Vanilla Ice. This song couldn’t be more relevant today. Too bad the instrumental is boring as hell.

Ya Lil’ Crumbsnatchers – This one starts out with Cube having a conversation with his boy in which he confirms that Del is his cousin, then proceeds to dis him. A decent instrumental then drops (its worth noting this is the third song on the album that samples the Donald Byrd record “Street Lady”, and all three songs manage to have their own identity) and Del delivers a decent verse. And just like that, I Wish My Brother George Was Here comes to an end.

Del’s humble-everyday-Joe approach on I Wish My Brother George Was Here is a refreshing change of pace from a west coast emcee. It’s worth noting, I don’t think he caught a single body on the entire album. Instead he spends most of the album discussing very normal experiences and dissing Hammer and Vanilla Ice (and occasionally De La Soul). There are a handful of songs that work well on I Wish My Brother George Was Here, but the majority of the album suffers from forgettable production, and even worse, that horrible “Mistadobalina” song. Not a great album, but it showed the potential that Del would eventually grow into.

-Deebub

By 1991 the Native Tongue collective had firmly planted their feet in hip-hop’s cement. The Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Leaders of the New School, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love had all established themselves as relevant figures in hip-hop. While none of them ever wore the proverbial crown they were definitely respected by their peers and hip-hop heads abroad. In the fall of 91′ the newest members of the collective would emerge. Enter the Black Sheep.

Black Sheep consisted of Andres “Dres” Titus  and the deejay, William “Mista Lawnge” (pronounced “Long”) McLean. As the story goes, both were born in New York. Lawnge would move to North Carolina as a baby and Dres would later move their as a teen after his mother remarried. Dres and Lawnge met while still in high school in North Carolina where they would get together after school with a few others to hone their mic skills and deejay techniques. After graduating from high school Dres moved back to New York where he would begin hustling, which would lead to him serving a short stent on Riker’s Island. Once release he bumped into his North Carolina friend Lawnge in New York, who by that time was already running with legendary DJ Red Alert and the Jungle Brothers. That relationship would eventually lead to the two becoming a group and the newest members of the Native Tongue collective. According to Dres, they settled on the name Black Sheep because they saw themselves a little different from the rest of their Native Tongue brethren. The other groups in the collective had more of a conscious/Afrocentric sound. Black Sheep was down with that but they would also tend to get more raunchy than the others.

Black Sheep signed a deal with Mercury and released their debut album A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing in the fall of 1991. AWISC would eventually earn the duo a gold plaque, go on to be hailed as a hip-hop classic, and rendered one of the biggest hit’s in hip-hop history (which I also just heard in the movie Dope this past weekend). If you don’t know what song I’m talking about, you’re not a true hip-hop head, but I will learn you a lesson on it shortly.

Intro – Prince Paul provides a brief poem introducing the “low lives” of the Native Tongue posse to the world.

U Mean I’m Not – This may be the funniest intentionally funny hip-hop song of all time. After a short intro from Mista Lawnge, Dres goes on killing spree as he makes a mockery of all the hardcore gangsta raps,that as The Fresh Prince said had “started to get a little bit out of control”. At the end of the song Dres wakes up to realize the whole thing was just a dream. Hi-larious and brilliant.

Butt In The Meantime – Over a nice mid-tempo groove Dres presents his rep in his distinctly smooth delivery. Nice.

Have U.N.E. Pull – The pre ex-con and pre-puberty version of Chi-Ali opens up this one sharing his dreams to be like some of his childhood idols (ironically, Mike Tyson is one of the heroes he list, so at least he can now say they have time served in prison in common) before Dres comes in and continues to talk about this and that. Dres sounds pretty nice over the understated but quality instrumental.

Strobelite Honey – This was the third single released from AWISC, and as Dres has said in an interview, it was originally intended to be an interlude, but the fine folks at Mercury liked it so much they pushed the duo to turn it into a full song, and eventually a single. Dres spends two verses trying to get away from a sista he meets at the club who appears to be a dime at first glance, but once she comes from underneath the strobe light it’s a completely different story. Dres shoots excuse after excuse (including giving her a fake number with an area code of 1-900) trying to get a way from this extremely unattractive miss. Lawnge samples The S.O.S. Band’s classic record “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”, with pleasant results. This song is still hi-larious and stands up well 20 plus years later, proving sometimes the label knows best.

Are You Mad? – This interlude opens with a mob of brothers questioning Dres and Mista Lawnge on why they don’t do more conscious hip-hop, setting up the next song which kind of serves as their rebuttal to this interlude.

The Choice Is Yours – This is the original mix of the biggest hit in Black Sheep’s catalog. Until today I forgot that Dres’ third first is slightly different from what he spits on the remix This mix is decent, but it doesn’t even come close to touching the monster that the remix was.

To Whom It May Concern – I forgot how cohesive the production work was on  AWISC. That cohesiveness continues on this one as Mista Lawnge and Dres each take a verse to send some verbal darts at all those sucka emcees. This was solid.

Similak Child – This was the fourth and final single released from  AWISC. Over a brilliant instrumental (that samples Jefferson Airplane’s “Today” record) Dres attempts to woo the object of his lust affection who apparently has two midgets stuffed in her blouse and coconuts in her pants back pockets. The single/video version (also known as the Homogenized mix) of this song uses a different instrumental, which sucked. So, if you’re only familiar with the video version I advise you to check out the album mix.

Try Counting Sheep – Now that I think of it, the element linking the production scheme together so wonderfully is the strong bass lines that resonate from song to song; and the trend continues with this one. Even though it’s not a great song, it fits in with the overall feel of the album.

Flavor Of The Month – This was the first single released from  AWISC. The instrumental has a dark feel with a bouncy bass line and a semi-triumphant trumpet sample that comes in during the hook. Dres uses this one to acknowledge his arrival but is also fully aware that his stay in the house of hip-hop is limited to 15 minutes. This is an underrated classic. Side note: At the beginning of the song Mista Lawnge starts things off by asking himself what kind of flavor he wants: “Do I want vanilla? Or do I want a taste of chocolate?” Then goes on to say “Nah, I want something different, I want something slammin”. Legend has it that the legendary rapper Big Daddy Kane, who just so happen to have released an album titled Taste Of Chocolate heard the song and thought this was a shot aimed at him. Black Sheep swore it was simply a coincidence and in no way aimed at Kane, so the impending beef was quickly squashed. Hmm… Dres vs Kane? Dres was nice on the mic but he couldn’t hold the used condom Kane wore to bang out Madonna. Good thing they straighten that misunderstanding out before things got out of hand and Kane ended their career before it even got started.

La Menage – Dres and Lawnge invite their Native Tongue brethren Q-Tip to take part in a ménage with some random jump off that they pass around like a blunt. The mellow instrumental matches the devious intent of the three emcees, perfectly. The content is juvenile but the song is entertaining and will make you grin at least once (more than likely during Dres’ verse).

L.A.S.M – This interlude has the duo doing an interview with a woman from the faux organization L.A.S.M. (Ladies Against Sexes Mothafuckas). Not life changing but you may find it a bit amusing.

Gimme The Finga – Over a decent instrumental Dres brags, boast and begs haters to give him the middle finger. Decent.

Hoes We Knows – More misogyny from Dres. The instrumental was dope but there is only so much juvenile misogyny one can take.

Go To Hail – Interlude that has Dres trying to get a cab ride to the Bronx, to which the cabby gives him lame excuses to why he can’t take him. This is supposed to set up the next song…

Black With N.V. (No Vision) – This is easily the meatiest song on  AWISC, and probably the meatiest song in Black Sheep’s brief catalog. Over an instrumental carried by a throbbing bass line Dres discusses the plight of the black man in America, addressing injustices and encouraging brothers to go get theirs. Well done.

Pass The 40 – Dres and Lawnge invite Chi-Ali, something going by Diggety Dog, hip-hop executive Chris Lighty (RIP), and A&R man Dave Gossett to the studio for this cipher joint that Dres easily bodies the rest of the participants on. The instrumental was cool and overall the song was decent enough.

Blunted 10 – Over a sick beat box Dres kicks one quick verse, mixing in gems amongst his random rhymes. This was sick.

For Doz That Slept – Mista Lawnge hooks up a clever mix, giving the middle finger to all the haters. This one still makes me chuckle after all these years. Great way to end the proper album.

The following songs are listed as bonus tracks on the cd version of  AWISC:

The Choice Is Your (Revisted) – Good thing Dres and Mista Lawnge decided to revisit this one as it would go on to become the biggest hit in their short catalog. A few years ago the song was used in a commercial campaign for the Kia Soul, introducing Black Sheep to a whole new generation of listeners. Like I stated earlier, this mix blows the original completely out of the water with its bouncy bass line and mega energy. Classic record.

Yes – Our hosts revisit the instrumental used for “Have U.N.E. Pull”, make a few tweaks and have this backdrop sounding 110 percent times better than the original. Lawnge and Dres each spit a verse and turn in solid efforts, making this a great way to close out  AWISC.

A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing is a solid debut effort from Black Sheep. Dres proves to be a more than formidable emcee as he sounds right at home, elegantly rhyming over he and Mista Lawnge’s cohesive and quality production. Each track blends with the next like patches sown together on a quilt. Now that I’m a grown ass man, some of the content on  AWISC tends to sound a bit immature (with all the talk of hoes and Mista Lawnge’s obsession with his dick size) but not enough to ruin the entire listen. To those new to  AWISC it may take a few listens for you get into it, but give it a while and your head will slowly begin to bob. With De La Soul Is Dead and The Low End Theory under their belt, 1991 was already a great year for the Native Tongue crew. A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothingcompleted the trifecta to certify that the year truly belonged to the Native Tongues.

-Deedub

Though most of you may have forgotten (or were not yet born), by 1991 Digital Underground was one of the hottest up and coming groups in hip-hop. Led by the cool laid back ringleader Shock G and his alter-ego court jester Humpty Hump, DU was able to penetrate the earth’s surface and obtain a bit of commercial success with their formula of unthreatening lighthearted party rhymes over funk beats. Their 1990 debut album Sex Packets was critically acclaimed as DU would Humpty dance their way to a platinum plaque. In the summer of 1991 DU returned to drop an EP, properly titled This Is an E.P. Release, as an appetizer to keep their fans temporarily satisfied and build anticipation for the full length follow-up. Even though the reviews for This Is an E.P. Release were mixed it would go on to earn DU a gold plaque.

DU would return in the fall of 1991 with their second full length effort. Since Digital Underground was largely influenced by the P-Funk sound and as a way to pay homage to their funk forefathers they titled the album Sons of the P. Sons of the P received favorable reviews and would earn DU their second consecutive gold plaque.

DU continued to record albums throughout the nineties (and even released a few projects independently in the 00’s), but Sons of the P is really the last DU effort to garner any significant airplay or commercial success. Almost overnight Shock and company went from hip-hop relevancy to qualifying for the next artist featured on TV-One’s UnSung. Time is truly illmatic.

The DFLO Shuttle – As explained on the back of the cd jacket, the DFLO (short for Dolio-Flow) Shuttle is a small make-believe metro rail system that runs between the underground recording labs and the earth’s surface. It is the only link between the underground and the real world. Shock and some of the extended DU family spend 5 minutes or so talking about the DFLO Shuttle, including a verse from 2pac. The concept is kind of silly and the instrumental was pretty boring.

Heartbeat Props – This was a pretty clever title and unique concept. Shock and company flip Funkadelic’s “Freak Of The Week” for the backdrop as Shock, Shock Humpty, Money B, and Big Money Otis give props to the black leaders who are still breathing. Or at least were still breathing in 1991. It was kind if interesting to hear them shout out Bill Cosby and Beverly Johnson in the same song. This was decent, although at 7 and a half minutes it runs a bit too long.

No Nose Job – Over a sick stripped down instrumental Humpty rolls solo as he playfully refuses to get a nose job.  At the surface this comes off as your typical light-hearted Humpty Hump song, but if you listen closely to Humpty’s lyrics you’ll hear him raise some good points about being comfortable and loving yourself (which is pretty relevant considering some of the stories in the news lately).  This still holds up well today.

Sons Of The P – Shock and friends slow the pace down a bit to pay homage to the Fathers of P-Funk, with an assist from the most recognized forefather of the P-Funk movement, George Clinton. There is more chanting, spoken word, and singing than actual rapping on this one. It grows on you the more you listen to it, but they could have cut this one at the 4 and a half-minute mark instead of letting it roll on for over 9 minutes.

Flowin’ On The D-Line  – Over a rough instrumental Shock G spits one verse as he revisits the events he experienced while riding the train (which may or may not be another name for the DFLO shuttle) one random evening. Shock’s rhymes were pretty entertaining and the beat knocks.

Kiss You Back – This was the first single and easily the biggest hit on Sons of the P. DU loops up a piece of  Funkadelic’s “(Knot Just) Knee Deep” for the backdrop as Shock expresses his affection for his lady (even though at one point in the song he kindly reminds her that “if you hit me then I’ll hit you back“). Shock’s verses are more spoken word than raps, but this song is catchy as hell.

Tales Of The Funky – DU uses this one to reminisce and pay homage to Parliament and Funkadelic. Nice sentiment, but I wasn’t feeling this one.

The Higher Heights Of Spirituality –  Over a smooth reprise of the instrumental used on “Sons Of The P”, an uncredited poet shares a brief spoken word piece. Decent.

Family Of The Underground – This is my favorite song on Sons of the P. It opens with Treach (from Naughty By Nature) and Pac discussing the size of their respective crews (the Flava Unit and DU), to which Treach suggests that the entire DU family should come together to do a record, and ironically Pac doesn’t even spit a verse on the song. Fittingly they loop up a portion of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Family Affair” for the backdrop. None of the emcees involved contribute great verses but you can feel the love and the instrumental is dripping with good vibes and suitable to play at your summertime cookout.

The D-Flowstrumental – Instrumental version of “The DFLO Shuttle”.

Good Thing We’re Rappin’ – This one opens with Pac warning parents to put the kids to bed because the “G” part of the Sons of the P is over. The hard instrumental drops and Humpty spends the next two verses reliving his pimping days (Shock has stated in interviews that he actually was a pimp before he got into the rap game). The usually playful funnyman comes off semi-sinister, scolding hookers for being disobedient and checking players for being disrespectful. This is easily the most gangster record in DU’s catalog and it’s hi-larious.

Sons of the P has a more serious and slightly militant tone than any of DU’s prior projects. Hell, even Humpty takes off his clown nose (figuratively speaking) to get slightly serious on a few songs. Sonically, Sons of the P lives up to its name as the P-Funk influence is present throughout. Unfortunately there are a few songs that don’t work and most of the album’s songs over stay their welcome with extended run times. Sons of the P isn’t DU’s best work, but its a decent listen and an honest homage to P-Funk and it’s forefathers.

-Deedub

Carlos “Hass G” Evans and “Kool Kim” Sharpton met while working at the Statue of Liberty in New York city, along with future Wu-Tang Clan members U-God, Method Man, and Inspectah Deck. All 5 parties would hone their skills spitting together and before long, Hass G and Kool Kim would break off from the rest as the two would form the Universal MC’s, better known to the world as The  U.M.C.’s. Even though the U.M.C.’s came up with a lot of the Wu members, their sound was completely different then what their Staten Island brethren would come with a few years down the line. While Wu had a grimy sound the U.M.C.’s were more polished and wholesome. Some have even compared them to Kid N Play and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince because of their PG content.

The U.M.C.’s would eventually ink a deal with Wild Pitch and released their debut album Fruits Of Nature in 1991. Hass G and RNS (who is often credited as the man who taught the Rza how to make beats) handle all of the album’s production duties. Fruits Of Nature would go on to receive fairly solid reviews and their album cover will forever be immortalized as a poster on Martin Payne’s living room wall on the popular sitcom Martin. It must be stated that Hass and Kim were the first hip-hoppers from Staten Island to refer to their home as Shaolin and rep the Wu-Tang style on wax, a few years prior to the Wu-Tang Clan takeover (more on that later).

The U.M.C.’s would release one more album on Wild Pitch (which will get to in a bit (or a few years)) before disbanding. Hass would go on to produce hit records for the likes of Ghostface Killah, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, and Lil’ Kim, under the aliases of Hassan and later Carlos “Phantom on the Beat” Evans. Kool Kim would reinvent himself as semi-thug-semi-conscious rapper NY Oil, sounding or resembling nothing like his former self. There was talk of a U.M.C’s reunion a few years ago as a song was even floating around the cyber world. Nothing has come of said reunion yet, but it’s not like any one is really checking for a new U.M.C.’s album in 2015 any way.

One To Grow On – This was the second single from Fruits Of Nature, and its an undeniable banger. Hass G and RNS sample Blue Mitchell’s “Good Humor Man” record for the backdrop, throw in a zany break from Bill Cosby’s “Ursalena” and a well placed horn sample as the cherry on top. Lyrically Hass and Kim stay in the pocket and don’t do anything to mess things up as they spit insightful rhymes of encouragement. These are the moments that I cherish most about the nineties. This is a severely underrated and forgotten gem.

Kraftworks – Over a dark jazzy instrumental Kim & Haas talk their brand of intricate shit. I love this beat. RNS and Hass were nice on the boards even way back then.

Morals – Just what hip-hop could use nowadays, and ironically one of the main reasons heads weren’t really checking for the U.M.C.’s back in the day.  Kim and Hass use this somber instrumental to discuss the importance of having and living up to your morals as well as what happens to those without them. The Bill Wither’s vocal sample at the end of the song was a nice added touch.

Blue Cheese – This was the lead off single from Fruits Of Nature. Until recently I never really understood what they meant by the title, which is kind of another way to call someone a wack emcee. Hass and Kim’s rhymes come off so polite you’d think they’re complimenting the rapper the dis is aimed at. Hass & RNS hook up a mid-tempo groove that’s so sweet you could put a wrapper on it and call it skittles. This sounds better today than it did 2o plus years ago. Fine wine, baby.

Swing It To The Area –  Fruits Of Nature takes a slight step back with this one. Kim and Hass sound okay as they spit decent battle rhymes, with a twist thrown in on the instrumental at the end. But this one is forgettable.

Never Never Land – Our host along with an assist from the Berkeley Carroll Summer Choir spend approximately 4 minutes talking about Peter Pan’s stomping ground. I know, the title makes it sound cheesy, but it’s not that bad. And the instrumental is sick.

You Got My Back – Over a decent instrumental Kim and Hass take the time to shout out each other on this ode to faithful friends. Nice and positive.

Jive Talk – The U.M.C.’s discuss the reasons brothers lie and what the end results of those lies can bring. I love the instrumental work on this one. I’m starting to sound like a broken record.

Feelings – This one can be categorized as emo, as Hass and Kim are, as the kids say, all up in their feelings, as they tenderly express how they feel about a couple of prospective mates. The instrumental works well with the duo’s content and guests vocalists Tonya Wilcox and Alton Sharpton provide a warm vocal assist on the hook. Some heads may find this one too soft, but I find it mature and honest.

Any Way The Wind Blows – This is probably the hardest records on Fruits Of Nature as the duo come off like they both have chips on their shoulders. In the first verse Hass makes reference to being a master Wu-tang blower. Note: Fruits Of Nature was released two years prior to Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Hmm. The instrumental combines an Al Green vocal sample and a Syl Johnson loop with nice results.

Pass It On – Hass and Kim invite a few of their buddies to the studio, Kwazi and Prophet, for this cipher joint. The instrumental was way too bland, lacking energy and all 4 emcees reciprocate the feeling. It was mildly interesting to hear Haas and Kim both make references to their Wu-Tang flow, but this song is garbage.

Woman Be Out – Hass and Kim temporarily take off their Mr. nice guy hats so they can tell a couple of conniving chicks to kick rocks. The instrumental is decent with a perfectly placed Wilson Pickett vocal sample on hook.

Hey Here We Go – I completely forgot about this song, and it’s a banger. The chips that were on Hass and Kim’s shoulders on “Any Way The Wind Blows” have returned as the duo throw verbal darts at all haters and doubters over a fire instrumental. During his first verse Kim says ” I hear my old adversaries, their singing my song” then begins to sing what resembled the hook of King Just’s (remember him?) mega catchy record “Warrior’s Drum” (“hey ya, hey ya, hey ya, ho!”), then goes on to talk about leaving said adversaries dead on the shores of Staten and what not . Since this song was released a few years before “Warrior’s Drum” started to buzz, maybe Just’s joint was popular locally before it was ever recorded and released to the masses. Or maybe Kim is not only a emcees but a physic and new that Just would create a buzz around the stolen song idea 4 years later. Or it could be possible I’m way off on my assessment and reading way to into Kim’s verse.  It had to be aimed at somebody, though.

It’s Gonna Last – Hass and RNS slow the pace down a few bpm’s for this smooth laid back instrumental. Hass and Kim may spit their best verses of the evening as they declare their relevance and proclaim they will be remembered when they hang up their microphones and walk away from the game. I said it sounded good, I never said it was true.

Fruits Of Nature is the most underappreciated album of 1991 and possibly the most underappreciated album in hip-hop history. Neither Hass or Kim are excellent emcees but they are both proficient behind the mic, and sound right at home over Hass and RNS’ consistently quality production. In a year stacked with classic releases, Fruits Of Nature is a forgotten gem.

-Deedub