Time Is Illmatic

We last left the Chris duo, known to the world as Kid N Play, riding high on the release of their sophomore effort Funhouse, which was strategically released the same week as their first starring movie role in House Party. The movie did pretty well and is considered by many to be a cult classic, while the album would go on to earn the duo their second consecutive gold plaque. I thought the album was garbage for the most part. You can read my review of Funhouse to get my full opinion.

1991 would be the year Kid N Play build on the moment they picked up the previous year as the sequel to House Party would  be released as well as their third album Face the Nation. The movie produced solid results but Face the Nation was considered both a critical and commercial failure as it marked the first time the duo failed to go gold. Face the Nation would also mark the end of the duo’s music career, although they would continue to make bad movies (and cartoons) for the next few years before their 15 minutes of fame would run out.

Random Thought: The inside of the liner notes posts a pick of Kid, Play, and Wiz in which Kid sporting a blue and red leather jacket which has the NBA logo but with Kid’s name next to. And if the jacket wasn’t corny enough, Kid’s also holding a basketball to add insult to injury.

It’s Alright Ya’ll – This one opens will a sound bite from JJ from Good Times (Grand Puba would later use the same clip to better results on “Prodigal Son” off his solo effort Reel To Reel) that introduces the dancing duo before Eric “Quicksilver” Johnson drops a mediocre instrumental for the Chris’ to drop mediocre verses over. If this opening song is any indication on what the rest of Face the Nation sounds like, this is going to be a long listen.

Back On Wax – The self-proclaimed “light-skinned dream” and the “dark sex machine” come off a little stronger on this Mark Eastmond & Andre Chamber’s produced instrumental. The instrumental has a roughness to it that you wouldn’t expect to hear on a Kid N Play record. The horns were a nice added touch.

Got A Good Thing Going On – Pardon me, I had some bad rap and R&B. This Dana Mozie Jr. produced track samples no less that a zillion different records and throws them in one big pot of gumbo that ends up tasting like shit. Kid normally writes he and Play’s rhymes but Play penned his own lines for this one, and you can tell the difference. Not that Kid was a great lyricist but you can hear the downgrade in quality on Play’s verses.

Next Question – The Chris’ set this one up as a brief Q&A as they field questions from fans, (or media members, or haters?). Play tackles question 1 which is some dude wondering why they don’t talk about the ladies they smashed on record. Kid takes question two which is an inquiry to why Vanilla Ice and Luke Skywalker dissed Kid N Play, to which Kid response with unimpressive jabs (wait did Kid just call Vanilla Ice soft? Kettle, meet pot). Play gets the final question from a female asking if there is any truth to the rumor that they only date light-skinned women, to which he completely dances around. Pete Rock provides a solid instrumental for the backdrop, complete with signature horns. This was decent.

Face The Nation – Our hosts intent on this title song was to inspire blacks to take responsibility for their actions and to do better. Unfortunately the message comes off preachy and kind of corny. Eric “Quicksilver” Johnson gets his second production credit of the evening for the mediocre instrumental. Noble intent fellas, but this wasn’t that good.

Foreplay – Play gets his first of two production credits of the evening for this one. The Chris’ use Play’s backdrop to discuss the beauty of the fusion of hip-hop and jazz. The problem is Play’s instrumental sounds like some light jazz mess that you would hear on Muzak while you’re sitting at the dentist office waiting to get a filling.

Slippin’ – Our hosts share a tale of the life and plight of a drug dealer named Gene (who also violates Biggie’s 4th Crack Commandment) and how his tendencies to live on the edge lead to his demise. Dana Mozie Jr. gets credit for writing and producing this one. Not a great song but definitely darker than what you’re accustom to hearing on a Kid & Play record.

Aint Gonna Hurt Nobody – The sole reason I bought Face the Nation out of the dollar bin at Cheapos. Most hardcore hip-hop fans won’t approve of this one, and I completely understand. I personally have a soft spot in my heart for this synthesized R&B flavored Quicksilver produced instrumental. The hook and the instrumental borrow from the old Brick record with the same title. The production and the song’s carefree message make for a fun summertime record.

Give It Here – Play gets his second production credit of the night, and this one is actually kind of nice. The fellas use Play’s mellow mid-tempo groove (with a sick trumpet sample that comes in during the hook) to seduce the ladies into giving it up, or here. Their deejay, Wiz even attempts to rhyme on the final verse. While all three turn in pedestrian performances Play’s instrumental reigns supreme on this one.

Bill’s At The Door – This might be the most humble hip-hop song of all time. Most rappers like to brag and boast about how much money they have, but not the Chris’. They use this Pete Rock produced backdrop to discuss the never ending (until death that is) cycle of paying bills. It was interesting to hear Kid confess the only reason he continues to act, rap and tour is to pay the bills. So much for passion. I’m not realty a fan of this PR instrumental.

Toe To Toe (Fat R&B Mix) – I loved the original version of this song which was on Funhouse. This remix is a complete waste of vinyl, wax, and cassette.

I’ll keep this brief: Face the Nation is a heavy dosage of a waste of time. From the cheesy amateurish delivered rhymes to the less than spectacular production, there is not a lot to enjoy here. This album should only be purchased under one of the following conditions: you’re a fan of Pete Rock and want to have all of his production work in your collection,  or you (like me) thought “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody” was a good vibe record and found it in the used cd bin for $1 and figured if all else fails their would at least be one song you liked, so you would still get your moneys worth.

-Deedub

Act Like You Know is MC Lyte’s third studio album. I came upon it a few years ago in the dollar bin at a Pawn America around my way, and picked it up on the strength of a few of the album’s singles that I liked (which we’ll discuss in more detail a little later). And because it’s a frickin’ MC Lyte album.

If you follow my blog with any regularity you already know how I felt about her first two efforts. If not, I’ll give you a short recap: Her big brothers (Audio Two) handled the majority of the production for both albums, which happened to miss more than hit. On Act Like You Know, Audio Two does gets a few chances on the production side but the majority of the album’s production is divided and handled by a handful of other producers (that will discuss a little later).

Upon it’s release Act Like You Know was met with mixed reviews by critics, and the streets felt it was too soft, which resulted in modest record sales, meaning it didn’t even go wood.
When In Love – I believe this was the lead single from Act Like You Know. On her first two releases Lyte seemed determined to fit in with the fellas and spit hard rhymes over hard beats. “When In Love” shows a softer side of Lyte as she discusses the crazy things people do when in love over a generic R&B tinged instrumental brought to you courtesy of the production duo of Richard Wolf & Bret Mazur (who go by the moniker of Wolf & Epic, because Epic gives them more street cred than Mazur?), with vocalist Vanessa Townsell singing the hook. Not what I’m accustom to hearing on a Lyte record.

Eyes Are The Soul – This is probably my favorite song in MC Lyte catalog and one of the singles that prompted me to buy Act Like You Know. Wolf & Epic return and provide a splendidly dark instrumental that Lyte uses to discuss a careless heroin user who contracts HIV, A crackhead turned murderer/stick up kid, and a pregnant teen contemplating an abortion. Heavy shit to hear on a Lyte record (pun intended). She does a pretty good job with it. Very underrated song. Classic in my opinion.

Search For The Lyte – Lyte lightens (no pun intended) up the mood with this nonsensical joint that serves as a lazy excuse to play off of her name in a song title (kind of like I did in the previous sentence). King Of Chill samples a portion of the JB’s “More Peas” record (the same record Cypress Hill used on “The Phuncky Feel One” and that Showbiz & AG would make famous on their underground hit “Soul Clap” a few years later) for the backdrop. Not terrible, but my least favorite out of the three songs mentioned above.

Act Like You Know – The Wolf & Epic produced title song is barely decent. Lyte sounds strong on the mic. Unfortunately the instrumental could have used a little fire underneath it.

Mickey Slipper (Interlude) – Short PSA to warn you about the dangers of leaving your drink unattended. You never know when Darren Sharper or Bill Cosby may show up. Nice instrumental brought to you courtesy of Wolf & Epic.

Poor Georgie – Correction: this is probably my favorite Lyte song of all time. Lyte spins a tale about her love affair with a known ladies man and how swiftly his life would take a turn for the worst. The Dee Jay Doc instrumental makes for the perfect backdrop for Lyte’s story line. Classic.

Take It Off – Lyte gets more sleazy sensual on this one than anything I can remember from her prior two albums. Our hostess spends three verses confusing love with one night stands as she repeatedly blurs the lines between booty calls and getting wifed. Pal Joey 2 gets the production credit on this one. Lyte’s contradicting lyrics made me leave this one feeling confused.

Beyond The Hype – Lyte sounds decent on this one, but the pretty exterior on this Wolf & Epic instrumental can’t mask the track’s missing heart.

All That – Lyte’s attempt to sound hard comes off as manufactured over this bargain bin Audio Two instrumental.

Big Bad Sister –  The 45 King gets his first production credit of the evening as he borrows the bass line from the Whatnauts “Help Is On The Way” record (first made popular on De La Soul’s classic “Ring, Ring, Ring”). Lyte’s on point as she coasts over the infectious bass line and sounds as if she could go toe to toe with any emcee, male or female. This was hot.

Like That Anna (Interlude) – Lyte’s older brothers get their second production credit of the evening, providing a mediocre instrumental for a short mediocre verse from our hostess, which leads into the next track…

Kamikaze – The song title would lead one to believe that the instrumental would be an up tempo hyped monster. Instead 45 King provides a lazy subdued backdrop for Lyte to spit over, which doesn’t match the intensity she’s bringing vocally.

Can You Dig It – No.

Like A Virgin – Our hostess shares her experience of losing her virginity as 15. Don’t get too excited, because it’s really not interesting. 45 King’s boring instrumental almost put me to sleep before she finished. Her verses, that is.

Lola From The Copa – Audio Two hook up a nice instrumental that Lyte uses to share her remixed version of Barry Manilow’s classic record “Copacabana”.  Like the original someone ends up dead, but no guns are involved in Lyte’s version.

2 Young 4 What – Lyte shares with the world her freaky fetish for young meat, preferably right around the age 17 (note to reader: Lyte was 21 when Act Like You Know was released). Thanks to gender double standards this song wasn’t met with much controversy, but if a male emcee were to share the same sentiments about the opposite sex, he would have been burned at the stake in the town square, similar to what they tried to do to Luke for being “too lewd”. But I digress. DJ Master Tee borrows a portion of the Isley Brothers’ “Groove With You” for the backdrop as Lyte sounds more perverse than I’ve ever heard her. And it’s kind of sexy, which kind of discredits my whole statement about double standards.

Absolutely Positively…Practical Jokes – If the title doesn’t tip you off to where this song is going the first few lines of the first verse will. Either way, the storyline wasn’t that interesting. Neither was 45 King’s instrumental.

Another Dope Intro (Interlude) – Wolf & Epic get their finally production credit of the evening which sounds nothing like any of the other instrumentals they hooked up on Act Like You Know. Their productions are usually layered, clean and sprinkled with a touch of r&b. This one was empty and generic. Lyte kicks one quick verse and then its over, hence the reason it’s referred to as an interlude.

K-Rock’s The Man (Bonus Track) – Instead of dedicating a song to her deejay or having him cut up a record, Lyte decides to hand over the mic to K-Rock so he can spit on his own song. It’s garbage, but you have to appreciate the sentiment.

The quality of MC Lyte’s voice is undeniable. So undeniable that 25 plus years since she broke on the hip-hop scene she’s still making dollars off of her cords, as she can often be heard on BET doing voiceover work or narrating awards shows and special events. The quality of her voice also shines through in her emceeing, and in all honesty while Lyte’s always been a decent lyricist (even though she hasn’t always written them on her own) her strongest attribute is the strength of her voice. The quality of her voice can be heard throughout Act Like You Know, but unfortunately the majority of the songs don’t work. A large part of the blame can be placed on the production duo Wolf & Epic who handle about a third of the production duties. With the exception of “Eyes Are The Soul” their production is too clean and leans too much on the r&b side. The remaining two-thirds of the production (with a few exceptions) is just weak, leaving Act Like You Know less than impressive and a little Lyte on the entertaining side.

-Deedub

(For those keeping track at home, insert this one after Step In The Arena)

While, thumbing through an old copy of The Source I stumbled on the “Record Report” which is the section that one of the staff writers would review and rate the latest hip-hop albums and singles. I came across a review of a single from a group called Downtown Science. Suddenly it hit me that I own this album and when I search my flawed spreadsheet for it, I noticed I missed it. Well, I didn’t completely miss it but it was added in under the wrong column.

Downtown Science was a New York duo consisting of deejay/producer Sam Sever (who played a key role on the production side of both of 3rd Bass’ albums) and Brooklyn native and lead emcee, Bosco Money. The ebony and ivory combo released their self-titled debut on Def Jam in 1991′ and the world hasn’t heard from them since. Or at least I haven’t. If you have, get at me in the comments.

This Is A Visit – Over a very serious mid-tempo instrumental Bosco Money spits three verses welcoming the listener into the world of Downtown Science. At least I think that’s what Bosco is metaphorically talking about. He pleads with the listener in an attempt to convince them that  “you have to visit”. Bosco sounds like a poor man’s Kool Keith on this one. The instrumental was decent, so this wasn’t all bad.

Catch The Wave – The duo hook up yet another serious mid tempo instrumental. But this one is fire. Unfortunately, Bosco’s spoken word flow doesn’t compliment it well, and I’m still trying to figure out wtf he’s talking about in his verses. Coded much.

Radioactive – This was the single I was reading about in The Source’s Record Report that reminded me that I owned Downtown Science. No, this is not the original version to the Imagine Dragon’s hit. Nor does the song discuss emission of ionizing radiation or particles. The song title is more a play on words that DS’s music is active or causes activity when played on the radio. I think. I don’t know how I feel about Bosco’s flow. It feels like he’s trying too hard to sound deep, combing complex words with complicate lines but fails to connect with the listener. The instrumental was decent, but I wasn’t really feeling this one.

Out There But In There – Bosco leaves the cryptic rhymes at home for this one as he clearly boast about he and his partner in crime Sam Sever. The instrumental sounds like a poor man’s version of Run DMC’s “Beats To The Rhymes”, but still kind of works. The biggest problem I had with this one was Bosco: even when he’s speaking plain english he’s just not that impressive.

Natural People – The duo lay down a smooth groove with a sick bass line (that samples the same record Nice & Smooth would use a few years later for their mild hit “Old To The New”) that is down right infectious. Bosco rides the beat rather nicely. The instrumental is so slick William Hung could have spit on it and sounded nice.

Somethin’ Spankin’ New – This one opens with a warm sax sample before a basic drum pattern drops and Bosco goes on to boast for two verses. He kind of sounds like Sam’s 3rd Bass buddy, MC Serch on this one. It was kind of amusing to hear him lose his flow and breath control at the end of his first verse. Not sure if the intent was to make it sound raw, but I would have done a second take on this one.

If I Was – Finds Bosco proclaiming what he would do if he was: (in verse 1) a politician or a cop, (verse 2) a millionaire or an astronaut. Who I think is Sam Sever, jumps on the mic for the final verse and declares what he would do if he were a pimp or a barber. The subject and content are a little cheesy but the instrumental work is solid.

Drums Through The Wall – Interlude.

Delta Sigma – This instrumental is fire! Bosco puts back on his poor man’s Kool Keith hat and does a decent impression of the real thing. The real star on this one is the instrumental, though.

The Topic Drift – Bosco Money gets a solo production credit and provides a sick instrumental (the bass guitar sample is bananas!). He also delivers his most effective rhymes of the album thus far. Well done.

Down To A Science – Get it? Downtown Science. “Down” to a “Science”.. Cute title aside, I wasn’t feeling this one too much.

Summertime – DS’ ode to summer. This was decent, but Fresh Prince & Jazzy Jeff still hold the crown for summertime anthems.

Saw You At The Party – An interlude that will leave you scratching your head and asking yourself wtf?

Room To Breathe – This was the sole reason I bought Downtown Science back in the day. I remember the instrumental being more buttery than three baskets full of Red Lobster biscuits. Delicious. Today, the instrumental is just Parkay. It doesn’t help matters that Bosco sounds like he’s aping The D.O.C.’s flow.

Winning – Maybe Charlie Sheen was a Downtown Science fan? Kudos to Bosco for using “worse” instead of  “worser” which probably would have rhymed better with “vice-versa”, but grammatical correctness won the internal battle within the soul of our host. At least temporarily.  Later in the same verse Bosco says: “Why I’m on the subject of Presidential thinking, clock lots of Jacksons because my thoughts is linkin’ (Lincoln)”, which is not only grammatically incorrect but may be the corniest line in the history of hip-hop. Wait. Spoke too soon:”I would have went to Yale but I didn’t get accepted…know why? Because I didn’t apply”. Definitely the corniest two rhymes-in-a-verse in the history of hip-hop.

Fat Shout – This was decent.

Keep It On – This closing instrumental is hot. I would like to hear this with a better mix on it. As is, Bosco sounds like his mic is too loud and the music behind him is too soft.

I’ll start with the positive: Overall, the production on Downtown Science was pretty solid. While the majority of the instrumentals are average, there are a few certified bangers, but no terrible backdrops on the entire album. Now the negative: Bosco Money does not have the charisma it takes to carry the load as the lone emcee for the course of 15 songs (I know their are 17 tracks listed but two of them are interludes). When you couple that deficiency with his cryptic rhyme scheme it’s easy to lose interest and walk away from Downtown Science. Give the instrumentals on Downtown Science to a more engaging emcee and I think you’d have a more entertaining album.

-Deedub

We last heard from Jeffrey Fortson two years prior releasing his debut album Just a Poet With Soul. The critics praised the album and some even went as far to hail it as a lost hip-hop classic (at least that’s what Wikipedia would lead you to believe). I personally found it quite underwhelming, but you know what they say about opinions.

Fast forward to 1991. Jeffrey would return with his sophomore effort, sticking with the soul theme, titling it Soul Food. Soul Food was packed with black consciousness themes and like it’s predecessor, self-produced by Jeffrey. Soul Food would go on to receive modest reviews and needless to say, it failed to move a ton of units. Soul Food would be Jeffrey’s final album as he would hang up his microphone and head to Hollywood (which wasn’t far since he already lived in L.A.) and go on to produce TV show theme songs (i.e. That’s So Raven and The Game).

It’s been a while since I listened to Soul Food from beginning to end. But from what I can remember, I’m not too excited about sitting through this.

Side note: The cover artwork portrays Jeffrey as Jesus at the last supper with his twelve Soul music disciples. I was able to pinpoint 9 of the 12 (Gil Scott Heron, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, James Brown, George Clinton and… Lionel Richie??) but can’t put my finger on who the guy on the far left is or the two faces in between James and Clinton are (any ideas, drop a comment). I’m baffled as to how Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson didn’t make it to this table. Even better question is how the hell did Jeffrey make it to the table? Talk about blasphemy. He wouldn’t even be Jesus at the Last Supper painting of Flava Unit emcees. Richie occupies the spot of Judas as the table, which can be interpreted as a shot at him for leaving the soulful Commodores to become a soulless pop superstar. This is one of my favorite cover artwork pieces of all time.

And without further adieu, let’s get a plate and dig in…

A Poet’s Prelude – Soul Food begins with a generic instrumental that barely registers and guest vocalist Kenyatta wailing over it as Jeffrey spits a spoken word piece that leads into the next song….

Get Up 4 The Get Down – Kenyatta returns to sing the same two phrases he sang on the previous interlude as the hook on this one. Over a decent instrumental Jeffrey is in conscious mode as he discusses politics, religion and the American system set up to trap black men. Kudos on the intent but the execution was done poorly.

Soul Provider – Based on the song title I was expecting way more from the instrumental. I don’t know, maybe something more soulful. Instead Jeffrey provides an empty backdrop about as interesting as faucet water. Coincidently, Jeffrey’s rhymes match his instrumental.

Here We Go Again – Now this is more like it, and truly the reason why I bought Soul Food in the first place. Over a sick jazz tinged instrumental (complete with live bass by Ray Felix and live sax by Scott Mayo) Jeffrey discusses a relationship that he knows is going nowhere, tries to leave, but somehow ends up right back in the toxic relationship. I’m sure most of you can relate. Easily the best song in all of Jeffery’s catalog.

Cali’s All That – Jef invites Tone Loc to the studio for this duet that the duo uses to express their love for California. Jeffrey actually sounds pretty decent (which may be credited to the fact he’s rhyming next to Loc) on this one, but as my 16-year-old niece would say, the instrumental sounds basic.

Brand New Heavy Freestyle – The instrumental version of this song was included on The Brand New Heavies debut titled “BNH”. I’ve always loved this smooth jazz groove and Jeffrey sound surprisingly nimble as he turns in one of his better performances on Soul Food.

Soul Is Back – And then Jeffery follows up with this mess and Soul Food loses all the momentum it built up on the previous song. The instrumental is hot garbage, yo!

Shadow Of Def – Jeffrey makes a feeble attempt at sounding gangsta on this one. His generic reggae tinged instrumental is atrocious, even with the live bass and guitar. Pappa Juggy provides a ragamuffin chant on the hook, but that can’t revive this train wreck of a song.

Fa Sho Shot – Jeffrey takes off his conscious hat for a bit to discuss the ladies. Jeffrey’s instrumental samples the LTD record that has been flipped a gazillion times over the past 25 years. I’ve never cared for this song in the past and hearing the overused sample today made the song sound even more underwhelming.

Don’t Sleep (Open Your Eyes) Theme For The 90’s – Listening to this almost put me to sleep.

Soul Food ( A Hip-Hop Duet With Boiwundah/Funkytown Pros) – Jeffrey lays down a nice instrumental and invites Boiwundah to the stu for this duet. Both emcees get two verses a piece and sound decent on the mic, but Jeffrey walks away with this one, on the strength of his first verse. Well done.

Voice Of A New Generation – Jeffrey’s content was pretty nice. Too bad everything else about the song sucked elephant balls.

God Complex – To close out Soul Food our host samples the instrumental from Gil-Scott Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not be Televised” for the backdrop.  Jeffrey goes for the neck of the powers that be in these United Snakes of Amerikkka. This was pretty powerful. Solid way to end the evening.

I can’t say Soul Food was a disappointment since I had pretty low expectations going into it. Based on his first album it’s exactly what I expected. Jeffrey is not a terrible rapper, and there are a few songs on Soul Food that he sounds sharp on. Jeffrey’s content is pretty solid throughout, but the majority of his messages are lost in his average monotone delivery, and when coupled with mostly underwhelming production, you get a below average album that is not very entertaining. But that album cover, though.

-Deedub

In 1989 Queen Latifah hit the scene with her debut album All Hail the Queen, which would move enough units to earn the female emcee a gold plaque and heaps of critical acclaim with her positive messages on women’s rights, black America, and Africa. Speaking of units, Latifah would spend the next few years building up her Flava Unit posse with producers, emcees, and ghost writers (more on that later), whom would all help in contributing to her sophomore effort Nature of a Sista.

Nature of a Sista did not move a ton of units, nor was it received well by the critics as most gave it an average rating (The Source gave it 3 mics and Rolling Stone gave it 3 stars) and accused the Queen of deliberately trying to sellout crossover.

Did the Queen abandon her throne in search of more gold? Or possibly platinum? Let’s give Nature of a Sista a listen and find out the truth about a sista.

Latifah’s Had It Up 2 Here – Nature of a Sista opens with arguably my favorite Queen Latifah song of all time. The song opens with smooth keys played by Dave Bellochio before the rest of the mid-tempo Kay-Gee produced groove comes in to pleasures your ears. It’s clear that Treach penned La’s rhymes (if you close your eyes and listen closely you can hear Treach’s cadence and wordplay in her flow), which have her sounding razor sharp. Even though I don’t condone ghostwriting, this song is still fire. Give it to em’ Queen!

Nuff’ Of The Ruff’ Stuff – Louis Vega (gets a nod for the 3rd consecutive post) provides a “ruff” instrumental for the Queen to spit on. Technically the song is sound, but it never really grabbed me.

One Mo’ Time – Naughty By Nature gets their second production credit of the evening. Kay-Gee provides another smooth mid tempo instrumental with keyboard credited to Dave Bellochio. And again, its evident that our hostess’ lines were written by Treach. This one sounds as good today as it did 20 plus years ago. Butter.

Give Me Your Love – Nature of a Sista marks the beginning of Latifah experimenting with singing, which she would continue to do the remainder of her music career. The Denmark production duo of  SoulShock and CutFather provide a danceable r&b instrumental for her to lick her chops on. Decent.

Love Again – SoulShock and CutFather provide another r&b tinged instrumental. Our hostess does sing the hook on this one but chooses to drop bars as she questions black on black crime/hate. I kind of dig the instrumental; it reminds me of the Living Single theme. This was cool.

Bad As A Mutha – Latifah is in battle mode as she boast about her lyrical prowess over this house tinged SoulShock and CutFather beat.  This was cool.

Fly Girl – I think this was the second single released from Nature of a Sista. Another mid tempo r&b instrumental courtesy of SoulShock and CutFather. La uses this one to discuss the dating scene, relationships and finding the right one. The song is tolerable, but the hook is both cheesy and annoying.

Sexy Fancy – Remember K-Cut? One of the two Large Professor sidekick deejays from Main Source that no one remembers? He gets a production credit for this dancehall flavored instrumental that reminds me a lot of Naughty’s “Wickedest Man Alive”. Latifah spits on the first verse and goes ragamuffin on the second verse, before reggae artist Scringer Ranks (I wonder if he’s kin to Shabba or Cutty) closes things out with a ragamuffin chant of his own (did he really say Queen Latifah’s body is healthy? Weird much.). This was decent.

Nature Of A Sista’ – Louis Vega gets his second production credit of the evening and turns in a banger. Over some rough drums Paul Shapiro provides live saxophone throughout that gives the song a smoothness that meshes beautifully with the aggressive instrumental. It sounds like Treach stuck his arm up Latifah’s ass again and made her his puppet as she rips the heart out of this beat (she even drops a rare f-bomb). This was fire.

That’s The Way We Flow – The Queen invites a few of her home girls, Swatch and Kica (which the liner notes credit as Safari Sister Swatch) to the studio for this cypher session. K-Cut get his second production credit of the evening, providing a mediocre instrumental for a very forgettable song.

If You Don’t Know – Ah. The funky guitar licks of James Brown’s “The Payback” never grow old in hip-hop, do they? Nevelle “The Heineken Man” samples that iconic record for the backdrop as the Queen lets her hair down and gets loose over this funky track. It was a little amusing to hear her claim she doesn’t curse because “her momma told me watch my mouth”, but then drops an f-bomb in the next bar (and we can’t forget the f-bomb dropped on “Nature Of A Sista”). In her defense, it sounds like Treach may have penned a portion of her rhymes on this one too, so technically she didn’t curse, right?

How Do I Love Thee – The final song of the Nature of a Sista was also the final single released from the album. The Queen borrows the title form 18th century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous poem and remixes it with her own take on the original that she delivers in spoken word form. Latifah’s vocal is slightly distorted as she takes on a tone that sounds both regal and sexy (especially when she invites the object of her affection to “come inside and play with me, spend the day with me, have your way with me”) at the same time. The instrumental, which is credited as produced and mixed by Latifah but conceived by Mark The 45 King (whatever that means), has a sophisticated feel, fit only for a queen. The uncredited saxophone solos were a nice added touch. Cool way to end the album.

Nature of a Sista find Dana Owen’s stretching her legs, maturing, and experimenting as she continues to find herself as an artist, and for the most part she succeeds. Latifah has always had a strong presence on the mic and she sounds stronger on Nature of a Sista than she did on All Hail the Queen. Through the course of 12 songs Latifah displays her hard side, smooth side, and tender side as she mixes her brand of hip-hop with reggae and r&b flavored joints. Not all of them work but there are enough solid songs to make Nature of a Sista a quality listen. Upon it’s release Nature of a Sista was dismissed by true heads for sounding too r&b. If it was released today I believe it would get more love then it got originally. Fine wine.

-Deedub

Today’s review serves as another reminder of the many holes I have in my hip-hop collection.

Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed is the second album from the New York duo Nice & Smooth. I’ve never heard their debut album (although I recently stumbled upon the cassette version of their self titled debut in a bin full of old cassettes while looking for something else in my garage. I must have borrowed it from a friend back in the day and forgot about it), but I do remember one of their singles “Funky For You”, which was pretty hot, so I may have to cop the cd version on Amazon pretty soon.

The duo’s self titled debut was released on Sleeping Bag Record, former home to EPMD. Like EPMD Nice & Smooth would also join the Columbia Records family where they would release their sophomore effort Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed. Like their debut, Nice & Smooth would handle the majority of the production on Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed, with a few assists that we’ll get to later in the review.  The album received favorable reviews but didn’t move a ton of units, which is pretty much the running theme with the albums reviewed on this blog.

Side note: Greg Nice’s jacket on the cover was pretty interesting. I remember suede jackets being cool in the nineties, but suede jackets with tassels? Are you for real?

Harmonize – Nice & Smooth begin the show by showing you how they harmonize, and just in case you weren’t clear on what they were doing they reinforce their intent on the corny hook. Nice and Smooth have always been Yin/Yang to me: G. Nice kicks lighthearted freestyle rhymes, while Smooth B usually has something insightful to say. Both do a decent job emceeing on this one. Unfortunately, the instrumental was generic and their singing buddies Pure Blend render an atrocious vocal contribution at the end of the song, which makes matters worse.

Can’t Have Your Cake And Eat It Too – This is ode to a woman (or women) trying to two-time the duo was also released as a single off of Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed . Smooth B licks his singing chops (Brian McKnight he’s not) on the first verse and the hook while Greg Nice drops two verses and for the first time I can remember, he actually sticks to the song’s subject. The instrumental sounds like a Casio keyboard version of Guy’s “Teddy’s Jam” but it still manages to work. I remember the video version featured Pure Blend singing the hook (and sounding terrible) over a slightly different instrumental. The album version sounds much better.

Down The Line – Our hosts invite a few members of their crew to take part in this cypher session. After Greg Nice spits a few bars, Preacher Earl (I immediately thought of DMX, but it’s not that Earl) kicks thing off with a mediocre verse, followed by Melo T who reciprocates Earl’s contribution. Something going by the name of Bass Blaster bats third and waste his entire verse spitting tongue twisters (yes, it sounds just as corny as it reads), followed by Asu who spits a verse that barely registers over the instrumental. Guru (of Gang Starr) then spits an average verse before Smooth B steps in and delivers the best verse of the song. The liner notes credit Gang Starr on this song, which is only right since Guru spits a verse and they borrowed a huge chunk of Premo’s “Manifest” beat. This was very forgettable.

Sometimes I Rhyme Slow – Arguably the most popular song in the duo’s entire catalog, and my favorite Nice & Smooth joint. The duo sample Traci Chapman’s “Fast Car” for the backdrop as G. Nice is all over the place with his verse (as usual) and Smooth B turns in a somber verse about a girlfriend battling a coke addiction. Each half spits one verse and this one is over just as you start to really enjoy it. Classic.

Paranoia – In case you may have forgotten or you were still a twinkling in your mother’s eye, almost every rapper was endorsing marijuana in the early nineties. A weed song was almost mandatory, like a club banger is required on most rap albums today. This is Nice & Smooth’s ode to the weed smoke. Louie Vega gets a mention for the second consecutive post as he gets a production credit for the decent instrumental. I’m a little perplexed as to why they titled it “Paranoia”.  Most weed smokers I know say it helps them relax and feel focused. Are we sure out hosts aren’t smoking ‘shrooms or angel dust?

Sex, Sex, Sex – If the title didn’t already give it a way, this song is about sex. Our hosts don’t tread any new water here. Like bad sex you’ll forget about this song as soon as it over.

“Billy-Gene” – Useless interlude that plays off of the MJ classic. Probably should have been place before “Sex, Sex, Sex”, but even placed there it would have been useless.

How To Flow – I believe this was the third single released from Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed. The duo open this one singing in the same melody of the Heatwave classic record “Decisions” before they get into their verses. G. Nice’s starts his first verse off discussing war and child abuse before quickly veering off course into just about everything: people catching vapors, making papes, someone knocking at his door, asking you to buy the album (and the “ca-single”, a blooper I’m surprised they didn’t catch in the final mix) before ending his first sixteen bragging how he has more rhymes than the mighty Thor. Huh? Living up to his moniker, Smooth B smoothly spills a cohesive verse over the track flawlessly, before they split the final verse (big props to Smooth B for using “converse” opposed to “conversate”). Unfortunately, Pure Blend reappears to ruin the hook with their out of tune harmony. Back in the day I wasn’t that fond of this song, but time must have won me over, or the amount of down right terrible hip-hop in today’s climate has made this one easier to digest. Either way, it was a decent listen.

Hip Hop Junkies – This was the first single released from the Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed. Like the previous song this one sounds better today than it did two decades ago. I still get a kick out of Smooth B’s last few bars of the song as he walks a fine line between corny and clever when he declares he’s not a begonia because he doesn’t beg. The instrumental (which sounds like it sampled some Beach Boys shit) used to be annoying as shit but today it sounds nerdy, innovative and kind of cool. Pure Blend’s singing on the hook still sounds god awful, though.

One, Two, And One More Makes Three – Another typical Nice & Smooth record: freestyle type rhymes with no real theme, complete with a party anthem refrain on the hook that loosely ties everything together. I like the instrumental on this one.

Pump It Up – Both emcees attempt to get scientific as Greg talks about electricity and high-octane, while Smooth B discusses protons, neutrons, cells, membranes, molecules as well as solids, liquids, and gases. The instrumental is decent but the break on the hook is really nice (complete with a Beastie Boy’s vocal sample from the “Hold It Now” record).

Step By Step – Our hosts rip the Sanford and Son theme song for the backdrop and sing a drunken hook about themselves in third person. G. Nice spits a nonsensical rhyme before Smooth B swoops in and delivers one quick verse, and this one is over quicker than you can say Nice & Smooth. And so is this the album.

Nice & Smooth are kind of like the odd couple of hip-hop:Greg Nice’s high-pitched nonsensical rhymes meets the laid back introspective lyrical approach of Smooth B (who in my opinion is extremely underrated). The genius of Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed is in the length of its songs: There are a few certified bangers on Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed  but the majority of the songs are decent at best. Since all the songs are fairly short the bangers leave the listener wanting more while the decent to below average ones end before they bore the listener into a coma. Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed is a decent album but in a year packed with heavy hitters it pales in comparison.

-Deedub

Many may remember today’s album as the debut for the native New Jersey trio Naughty By Nature. Technically, this is correct. Treach, Vin Rock, and Kay Gee originally went under the name New Style and had a brief stint on MCA where they released one album (Independent Leaders) before being dropped after the album flopped. As any of you that read this blog on a regular basis know, I’m a strong believer that record sales don’t define the quality of the record, but Independent Leaders truly did suck.

New Style decided to change their name to Naughty By Nature, hooked up with Queen Latifah’s Flava Unit and signed a deal with Tommy Boy Records where they would completely revamp their style and sound, releasing their self titled album at the end of the summer of 1991.

On the strength of their massive hit lead single (which we’ll get to in a bit) Naughty By Nature would go on to earn the trio their first platinum plaque as it also garnered heaps of critical acclaim in the process.  In 1998 The Source would rank Naughty By Nature one of the 100 greatest hip-hop albums of all time.

I remember wearing this cassette out back in the day. Let’s see if it hold’s up 20 plus years later.

Yoke The Joker – Treach comes out swinging with a hunger he lacked on Independent Leaders. Kay Gee crafts a dark synth instrumental with a bit of horror movie feel, that Treach devours with ease and sounds like he could murder seconds and thirds. This is one of the greatest opening tracks in hip-hop history. Yeah, I said it. Man, I miss 91′.

Wickedest Man Alive – The Jersey trio lighten the mood created on the previous track as they invite their Flava Unit General (or Queen) Latifah to sing the hook over this dancehall tinged instrumental. Treach picks up where he left off at on the previous track as he shreds this one with ease, leaving proof that he is one of the most underrated emcees to grip a mic.

O.P.P. – This is arguably Naughty’s biggest hit (the only other competitor would be 19 Naughty III‘s “Hip-Hop Hooray”) and the first single released from Naughty By Nature. O.P.P. is an acronym for Other People’s Property, or if you want to get specific: property can be substituted with penis or pussy (as Treach explains in code on the second verse). In laymen terms, the question posed is: are you down with cheating?. Kay Gee samples The Jackson 5’s “ABC” for the backdrop. This would go on to become a bona fide pop hit. I’ve never been crazy about this song but it’s not terrible.

Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (Ghetto Bastards) – This was the second single released from the album and easily my favorite song in the entire Naughty catalog. Kay Gee samples Boney M’s version of “No Women, No Cry” (the Bob Marley classic), the Staple Singers “I’ll Take You There”, and the Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s “Hihache” to create the emotional backdrop for Treach to pour out a heartfelt look back at his childhood growing up as a ghetto bastard. This might be the only time in Treach’s entire catalog that he gets this personal but he does a stellar job doing in the process. “If  you aint from the ghetto, don’t ever come to the ghetto, cause you wouldn’t understand the ghetto, so stay the fuck outta of the ghetto”.  Classic record.

Let The Ho’s Go – Kay Gee’s dark mid-tempo instrumental reminds me a little of “Yoke The Joker”, only not as sinister. Treach continues to shred any beat put in front him.

Every Day All Day – Our hosts slow things down a bit on this smoothed out jazz tinged instrumental as Treach continues is onslaught of Kay Gee’s production. There is also a Vin Rock sighting on this one as he says a few words at the beginning of the song. The live saxophone solos sprinkled through the song was nice touch. Well done.

Guard Your Grill – Kay Gee’s hard instrumental takes things back to the gutter and Treach approaches this one like double dutch ropes, waiting for the right time to jump in, stay in pocket and master the rhythm. I still chuckle at Treach’s line about having the “flyest ride out here, a 91′ bus card”. It was also nice to hear Treach shoutout Grand Puba Maxwell (of Brand Nubian) as I’ve always considered both emcees to be severely underrated.

Pin The Tail On The Donkey – Kay Gee uses the same sample Pete Rock used for his classic record “The Creator”, only minus the sick horns on the hook. Even though Pete’s interpretation of the sample is stronger, Kay Gee’s still works. On the flip side: Treach sounds a billion times better spitting over it than Pete did. Oh yeah, Vin Rock spits exactly 3 lines on this one.

1,2,3 – Treach invites fellow Flava unit alum Lakim Shabazz and Apache (RIP) to the studio for this cypher session. Both guest do a decent job but Treach bats last and quickly steals the show while taking a shot at fellow Jersey emcee YZ (to read more about how that beef developed click the link). I remember loving this song back in the day; and while it may not sound as good to me today, it still works. Damn, Vin Rock can’t even get a verse on a cypher joint on his own album? Wtf?

Strike A Nerve – 10 songs in and finally Vin Rock gets to spit his own verse. Even better, he and Treach both get two verses a piece. Vin sounds okay (I have a sneaking suspicion Treach penned his rhymes) but of course Treach owns this one (“my pants always sag cause I rap my ass off”). Kay Gee’s instrumental is best described as simple, bouncy and rough. Well done.

Rhyme’ll Shine On – Kay Gee slows thing way down as he samples The Isley Brothers, Earth Wind & Fire, and Funkadelic to concoct the smooth backdrop complete with a live piano solo during the bridge. Treach holds down mic duties as usual and our hosts invite vocalist Aphrodity to sing on the bridge and she turns in a serviceable rendition. This one is good for after hours listening.

Thankx For Sleepwalking – That has to be the most ridiculous way I’ve ever seen “Thanks” spelled; they could have at least left off the “k” and kept the “x”. Regardless of the song title’s spelling, Treach takes two verses to call out the ladies who slept on Naughty and caught the vapors once they blew. I like the live keyboard work on this one.

Uptown Anthem – This was a bonus track added to the CD version of Naughty By Nature, which was also included on the Juice Soundtrack, released later the same year. Kay Gee’s  instrumental starts off with dark synth piano notes before gradually maturing into triumphant organ cords. Treach sounds right at home over it as he firmly plants his flag in hip-hop’s surface as a contender for the imaginary crown. Vin turns in a serviceable performance as well. One of my favorite Naughty joints.

What a difference two years and a name change can make. When we last saw the Jersey Trio they were struggling to find their way as their production was inconsistent and Treach was still trying to find his footing as a viable emcee. Two years later Kay Gee found a sound that worked well, mixing synth heaving sounds with samples and live instrumentation, while Treach went from mild manner David Banner into full-blown Incredible Hulk. And Vin Rock went along for the ride. From beginning to end, every song on Naughty By Nature works. Kay Gee’s instrumentals are entertaining and Treach is a monster on pretty much every track.  I repeat: there in not one song on Naughty By Nature that should have been left on the cutting room floor, which is really impressive considering the album’s 13 track length. Many hip-hop historians consider 1991 the finest year in hip-hop, Naughty By Nature is one of the reasons why.

-Deedub

Over the years hip-hop has produced a lot of characters. Flava Flav. Kool Keith. Redman. Old Dirty Bastard (RIP). Many animated personalities have graced us with their presence, but not many have been as colorful and charismatic as The Diabolical Biz Markie.

Marcel Theo Hall bka Biz Markie, was born and raised in New Jersey. Biz started rhyming in the early eighties and would eventually link up and join Marley Marl’s legendary Juice Crew. Biz’ connection with Marley would lead to a deal on Marley’s Cold Chillin’ imprint where he would release his first four albums Goin’ Off,  The Biz Never Sleeps , I Need a Haircut, and All Samples Cleared!. Biz will forever be remembered for the “Just A Friend” record off of his second album The Biz Never Sleeps, as it has even been used in commercials in recent years. I’ve never heard any of Biz’ albums in their entirety, just the singles and joints they played on the radio back in the day.

I came across I Need a Haircut at a used CD store a few years ago. Anybody that digs in crates knows it’s rare to come across a used Biz Markie record, but on this lucky afternoon there sat a worried looking Biz Markie staring at me as Cool V prepared to cutoff his fake fro with a chainsaw on the album cover. Since the price was so reasonable, I couldn’t resist.

I Need a Haircut was a commercial failure, considering his previous album The Biz Never Sleeps was certified gold. But as I often say: poor album sales don’t always reflect the quality of the music.

To My Boys – The album open with Biz’ deejay (and cousin) Cool V shouting out all his peeps over a sick instrumental. Kind of an unusual way to kick things off, and even more strange considering this is not even Cool V’s album. They probably should have called it “To My Peeps” since he shoutsout both men and women.

Road Block – Biz kicks a story about a female he’s trying to bang out but her female friend keeps hanging around to purposely cock block. Vintage Biz Markie. Entertaining and I really dug his instrumental.

Let Go My Eggo – Biz’ instrumental leaves me visualizing a mad scientist in a lab somewhere cooking up some formula to destroy man kind. I like it. Biz is in boast mode as the song title is referring to his ego, even though he refers to the classic waffle brand during the hook. Speaking of the hook, it was pretty amusing to hear Biz censor his own curse words by mumbling over them. Solid joint.

What Comes Around Goes Around – Biz samples the same record from The Emotions that DJ Quik used earlier the same year for “I Got That Feelin”. Our host shares a story about a girl from high school that used to dis him but since he’s found fame and fortune she’s suddenly caught a bad case of the vapors. Well played.

Romeo & Juliet – Biz samples Bill Wither’s “Don’t You Want To Stay” turning it into a sick instrumental that he uses to give commentary on…Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Wtf? Biz’ rhymes are pretty elementary but the instrumental is so sick it will help you overlook our host’s generic rhymes. Temporarily. It would have been interesting to hear his buddy Grand Daddy I.U. spit over this beat. With a different subject, of course.

T.S.R. (Toilet Stool Rap) – I remember having this song on a homemade mixtape I made by recording the Saturday night rap show off the local radio station KMOJ on to a cassette tape (remember those?). I still remember the sequencing of that tape: this song would fade out and Ed O.G.’s “Be A Father To Your Child” would come in right after it. The good old days. Biz will never blow you away with stellar rhymes but his class clown swag will keep you entertained. Classic Biz Markie

Busy Doing Nuthin’ – This was a hot mess.

I Told You – This is the cliché “no one believed in me but I made it anyway” song. Unfortunately not even Biz’ charismatic personality could help sell this one.

Buck Wild – Biz takes off the clown nose and gets serious as he spins a tale about a young thug and his life in the fast lane. This was mediocre at best.

Kung Fu – This one kind of covers the same territory as “I Told You”. Biz reminisces on his struggle getting into the game and his perseverance despite all the hurdles and opposition he faced along the way. The song title is a reference to the old seventies TV series of the same name, as Biz even sends David Carradine a shoutout (too soon?). I like Biz’ awkward instrumental, though I could have done without his nonsensical out of tune singing of the hook on this one.

Take It From The Top – Biz invites his crew members (Backspin, Capital T, Diamond Shell, and Fel)  to spit verses for this posse joint and all parties involved fail miserably. Considering how dry the instrumental was they didn’t have much to draw inspiration from.

Alone Again – I imagine this is the song that Skee-Lo built his whole “woe is me” blueprint around. One of the great things about Biz Markie is he has always been comfortable enough to be vulnerable and humble in his songs. On “Alone Again” Biz copes with the bleak reality of being lonely, adding his comedic twist as he sings the hook in trademark Biz fashion. This song will forever mark the change in record sampling after Biz was sued for copyright infringement by Gilbert O’Sullivan for sampling his song “Alone Again (Naturally)” without permission. Biz lost the case and the song was actually removed from later pressing of I Need a Haircut. The instrumental is pretty nice, so at least the lawsuit was worth it (for the listener, at least).

On And On – Biz closes things out with a nonsensical but entertaining flow that ends with him going off the top of the dome. I love the free feel to this song. Biz throws all song formatting out the window (no formatted verses or hook) and raps until he has nothing left to say. You can tell that Biz is enjoying himself, and the feeling is infectious. This is the way hip-hop is supposed to feel. Great way to end the album.

Biz Markie will never be considered a great lyricist but his charisma, wit, comedic ability, and fun vibe makes listening to his rhymes enjoyable. On I Need a Haircut Biz couples his emcee talents with some solid production, (which is skill he’s often not given enough credit for) making the majority of I Need a Haircut an entertaining listen. Like most hip-hop albums I Need a Haircut has some songs that should have been left on the cutting room floor, but there is enough solid material on I Need a Haircut to make me want to go find and listen to the rest of Biz’ catalog.

-Deedub

As a kid Lawrence Muggerud moved from Queens, NY to Los Angeles to live with his mother. Although he was born and raised in the hip-hop Mecca, ironically it wasn’t until he moved out west that he got his first turntables and started deejaying. It wouldn’t be long before Lawrence would take on the moniker DJ Muggs, linked up with a couple of inspiring Latino rappers from his block (Louis “B-Real” Freese and  Senen “Sen Dog” Reyes) and formed Cypress Hill (named after the block they lived on Cypress Ave).

Led by Muggs’ dusty production and B-Real’s nasal vocal the hardcore-weed-smoking-gun-toting Latin trio inked a deal with Columbia/Ruffhouse and took the world by storm in 1991 with their mammoth hit “How I Can Just Kill A Man” (more on that later). Their self-title debut Cypress Hill received pounds of praise and would go on to move more than two million units. The Source would even go on to rank it as one of the 100 greatest hip-hip songs of all time.

If you read my blog with any regularity you know me and The Source don’t always agree. Let’s give her spin, shall we.

Random trivia fact: Sen Dog is the older brother to Latin emcee pioneer Mellow Man Ace. Remember him?

Pigs – Over a drunken Muggs’ instrumental B-Real sends a (not so) kind shoutout to all the crooked coppers out their (“How bout a ham sandwich?”).  Kind of a weird way to introduce yourself to the world, but it was enjoyable.

How I Could Just Kill A Man – This was originally a b side to “The Phuncky Feel One” single but it wound up being the biggest record on the album and arguably in the entire Cypress Hill catalog. Muggs’ dark and rough instrumental has an uncomfortable feel to it, making for the perfect backdrop for B-Real’s cold and precise rhymes. So many emcees have snagged sound bites from B-Real’s rhymes on this one its hard to remember them all. Classic record.

Hand On The Pump – This might be my favorite Cypress Hill song of all time. Muggs’ instrumental manages to sound serious, rough, dark and epic all at the same time as he slices up the classic Gene Chandler record “Duke of Earl”. The song has one of the sickest bass line I’ve ever heard. B-Real shares mic duties with Sen Dog and they’re both in straight gangsta mode. Back to back certified classics.

Hole In The Head – More murder raps from B-Real as Sen Dog cosigns with adlibs. Never been a big fan of this one, mostly because Mugg’s instrumental is barely decent compared to the stellarness of the first three records.

Ultraviolet Dreams – Short interlude about smoking…

Light Another – That leads into this B-Real ode to smoking weed. Mugg’s instrumental which borrows from Kool & The Gang’s “Good Times” record, gets thing back on track. This one works, but I would like to hear how this one sounds remastered as their are a lot of pieces that could be brought out with current technology.

The Phuncky Feel One – This was the first single released off of Cypress Hill. Muggs provides a sick dusty boom-bap instrumental for B-Real and Sen to “talk their shit” over. A solid record that was unfortunately overshadowed by the monster record “How I Can Just Kill A Man”.

Break It Up – Brief instrumental that serves as an intermission so you can take your potty break before the second half of the show starts.

Real Estate – This was the third and final single released from the album. Technically, the song is decent, but for some reason I’ve never really cared for this one. Maybe it’s because the instrumental sounds like it’s trying to ape “How I Could Just Kill A Man”.

Stoned Is The Way of The Walk – More weed talk from B-Real. Muggs’ borrows from the same Grant Green record that Tribe would use on their “Vibes and Stuff” joint later the same year. Muggs interpretation is cool but I’ll take Tribe’s mix any day. I’m bias, so I understand if you don’t agree.

Psycobetabuckdown – This one didn’t work for me at all.

Something For The Blunted – An interlude dedicated to their blunted brethren.

Latin Lingo – B-Real and Sen-Dog switch roles as Sen spits all three verses in spanglish and B-Real is assigned hook duties. According to a quote from B-Real, Sen was the main emcee in the group’s early days. Sen’s cool on the mic and Mugg’s instrumental is enjoyable enough, but this isn’t one of the strongest songs on Cypress Hill.

The Funky Cypress Hill Shit – Decent. Mugg’s instrumental sounds like it’s trying to ape “The Phuncky Feel One”, though.

Tres Equis – Over a blunted Mugg’s instrumental Sen spits one verse completely in Spanish before he vanishes into thin air with the song and his weed smoke.

Born To Get Busy – Sen Dog spits one quick verse over a Mugg’s instrumental that samples some funky guitar licks (BDP would later use the same sample on their “Sex & Violence” record). After a brief moment of silence the “Stoned Is The Way of The Walk” instrumental along with the hook comes on with what sounds like a PSA about the effects of marijuana, mixed with sound effects of someone inhaling. Weird way to end things, but its a wrap.

Cypress Hill reminds me of Kate Upton’s body: Top heavy and bangin’ then things get a little weird towards the middle and you lose interest by the time you get to the end. If Cypress would have shut things down after “The Phuncky Feel One” Cypress Hill would have made for a nearly flawless EP. As is, its monster singles are larger than the sum deceiving historians into believing that the album is as good as the legend.

-Deedub

P.M. Dawn is a Jersey City brother (as in same mamma) duo consisting of lead emcee Attrell “Prince Be” Cordes and deejay Jarrett “DJ Minutemix” Cordes.  PM Dawn was formed in 1988 and would eventually ink a deal with Gee Street (former label home to both the Jungle Brothers and The Gravediggaz) where they would release their first four albums, including their debut album and today’s subject Of The Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience. To safe space (and the strength in my hands) for the rest of this post I’ll refer to simply as The Utopian Experience.

The Utopian Experience would go on to earn the duo their first gold plaque and tons of critical acclaim as well. While the pop critics were showering The Utopian Experience with props the hip-hop world pretty much turned their back on P.M. Dawn and the album. A brief beef that erupted with hip-hop legend KRS-One in the early nineties didn’t help the duo earn any street cred either (“On and on to the P.M. Dawn, 2 buck shots and your squad is gone”).  Unlike Shan, P.M. Dawn was able to recover from the KRS-One beef and go on to have a fruitful career, though they never really earned true respect from the hip-hop community.

I’ve never listened to The Utopian Experience in it’s entirety before today, as I’m only familiar with their singles that were flooding the radio and video programs back in the day. Subconsciously, like most hip-hop heads I also wrote them off as corny.  I came across The Utopian Experience a few years ago in the dollar bin at one of the used book stores I frequent. Since I liked their song off the Boomerang soundtrack (“Die Without You”) and it was only a buck so…why not?

Intro – The album opens with Prince Be welcoming the listener to The Utopian Experience over a sick middle eastern tinged instrumental. I had to run this one back a few time to hear the sickness again. Ill.

Reality Used To Be A Friend of Mine – Over a pleasant instrumental Prince Be speaks in parables about a physical and spiritual awakening to what this world will sell opposed to what reality really is. Be delivers some food for thought on this one. The soulful vocal sample (which sounds like it could have been borrowed from Atlantic Starr’s “For Always”) was a nice added touch.

Paper Doll – This was the third single released from The Utopian Experience. Prince Be gives the listener a lot to chew on lyrically. P.M. Dawn’s production work on this one sounds like something that might play in current top 40 rotation, which coming from me usually would be considered an insult, but I actually kind of dig this one.

To Serenade A Rainbow – Beautiful. Over a laidback cool jazz instrumental Prince Be recites a poem to a rainbow which I interpreted as a metaphor for God. Prince Be is kind of nice on the mic, in his own right. This was really good.

Comatose – Prince Be step outside of his box and tries his hand at a more up-tempo instrumental and changes his delivery to a more aggressive tone. Be sounds a lot better in his melancholy-half-awake tone than this aggressive approach. The aggressive delivery exposes the flaws in his flow. The song is still decent, though.

A Watcher’s Point of View (Don’t ‘Cha Think) – This one was a little too psychedelic/hippyish for my liking. It didn’t help that Prince Be sounds like he’s chasing the instrumental struggling to keep pace.

Even After I Die – This kind of reminds me of one of King David’s Psalms: Prince Be goes in to deep conversation with God as he reflects on his life, faith, and fears. Specifically, his fear of what happens after death. It’s always admirable to hear an emcee show vulnerability, since most emcees won’t touch it with a 10 foot pole. I dug the instrumental but I don’t know if I quite like it behind Be’s content.

In The Presence of Mirrors – The first 7 seconds of this song open with one of the sickest samples I’ve never heard, before Prince Be interrupts it to acknowledge how “dope” said sample is. They then flip the sample into a decent version of the original sample and Prince Be discusses the difficult task of facing yourself in the mirror and learning to love yourself despite your flaws. Again, this isn’t your average macho hip-hop rhetoric but grown up shit that most men are to insecure to deal with. Fake ass hard rocks dare not enter this realm of realism.

Set Adrift On Memory Bliss – You’ve heard this one, as its probably the biggest hit in P.M. Dawn’s entire catalog. They ape Spandau Ballet’s eighties pop hit “True” for the backdrop. Decent.

Shake – This sound like nothing else on The Utopian Experience, but his is not a bad thing. This is definitely a song that could have been played at the club back in the day (and it probably would still work today), but even with it’s intentional party sound Prince Be doesn’t dumb down his lyrics. This still holds up well today. Love the bass line during the hook.

If I Wuz U – They can’t all be great.

On A Clear Day – Prince Be again choses to wet his singing chops on this one. Decent.

The Beautiful – Prince Be closes The Utopian Experience out with a spoken word piece with an assist from an uncredited female vocalist singing the hook.  The song’s vibe feels like what I imagine Prince’s music would have sounded like in the 00’s if he would have died in ninties and none of his catalog from the 2000’s existed. I guess what I’m trying to say is this song is alright, I guess.

Some heads may find The Utopian Experience too soft, but I actually enjoyed it. It’s an album that a youthful Deedub probably wouldn’t have been mature enough to appreciate. Prince Be is not the greatest emcee of all time but he delivers some meaty parables that will require you to listen to repeatedly to appreciate their depth. On the production end, the duo weave together cohesive backdrops that tend to have a folksy-pop feel but manage to maintain a small resemblance of hip-hop integrity. There are a few songs that probably should have been left on the cutting room floor but the majority of the album works. This experience may not have quite been Utopian but it comes damn near close to it.

-Deedub