Time Is Illmatic

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

(For those keeping track at home you can coincidently file this one before Salt N Pepa’s Black Magic)

Hurby Luv Bug might be the most successful puppeteer in the history of hip-hop. From the mid eighties until the mid nineties he found commercial success sticking his hand up the asses of  his female protegés Salt (can you blame him) N Pepa, penning most of their rhymes as well as producing the majority of their tracks which resulted in some pretty heavy hits along the way (i.e. “Push It” and “Let’s Talk About Sex”).  Since Salt N Pepa were so successful it was only a matter of time before Hurby would find and bring their male counterparts to the forefront. Insert Kid N Play.

The New York duo of Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin first met in high school and formed the group under the name of Fresh Force Crew before eventually settling on the name Kid N Play (which was probably more Hurby’s idea than the Chris’; but it might have been the smartest marketing move the duo ever made). With the help of their manager and producer Hurby Luv Bug the duo would go on to release 3 albums on the Select label: their debut 2 Hype (which I’ve never heard in it’s entirety), today’s subject Funhouse, and Face the Nation, which will discuss in a few weeks…or maybe a few months. Back to Funhouse…

Funhouse was release the Tuesday after the Friday the movie House Party (as well as the soundtrack, which the duo also had a couple of songs on, including the title track from Funhouse) was released. For those who may not know, House Party was the acting debut from Kid N’ Play that was pretty successful, leading to two more movies in the House Party franchise (and a 4th that Kid N’ Play wisely had nothing to with but instead let Immature desecrate their already questionable image in), a short lived cartoon on NBC (back when the major networks still aired cartoons on Saturday mornings), and one more terrible movie (Class Act) which marked the 15th minute on the duo’s Hollywood clock. Funhouse would go on to earn the duo their second consecutive gold plaque.

Rumor has it that the House Party script was originally written for Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (which makes sense to those who’ve seen the movie) but they turned it down. I’m sure it’s a decision Jazz and Will don’t lose sleep over, considering their both still getting checks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 20 years after it wrapped and Will can still demand 20 mil for any movie he chooses to grace with his presence.

Energy – The duo start things off with an up-tempo Hurby Luv Bug instrumental that uses the same Earth, Wind & Fire sample Marley used for LL’s “Murdergram”.  The computerized female voice saying “energy” (which could be Siri’s momma) and the DOC vocal sample were nice added touches to the hook. Kid and Play both stay in pocket on the rhymes. Nice start.

Y U Jellin’ Me – “Jellin” apparently is slang for jealous, which I either forgot about in my old age or the phrase never really caught on. I’m leaning towards the latter. This was decent.

Back To Basics – I’ve never really felt this one. A little too much cheesy R&B for my liking.

Toe To Toe – The main reason I re-purchased the album. Hurby provides a laid back smooth instrumental for Kid and Play to boast, mostly about their dancing prowess, challenging any would be competitors out for their crowns. Poll question: who would win in a dance battle back in the day: Hammer or Kid N’ Play? Feel free to hit me in the comments. Easily my favorite Kid N’ Play song of all time.

Show ‘Em How It’s Done – Kid (who pretty much wrote all the rhymes throughout the duo’s career anyway) goes solo on this one as he gives it all he’s got over the course of 4 verses. Serviceable.

I Don’t Know – The duo invite their female counterparts, Salt N Pepa into the studio (along with Spinderella) for this one. Kid N Play play the shady player and the girls counter their smooth lines with suspicion and doubt that have them questioning if they should continue pursuing potential relationship with the fellas. Decent.

Do Whatcha Want 2 – Based on the spelling of the title you might assume this is a sequel, but the “2” should be interpreted as “to” which becomes clear once you hear the hook. Speaking of to, I think I just spent too much time writing about this hot garbage of a song. Those into the go-go sound may appreciate this one a little bit.

Strokin’ – This one opens with some dialogue between the duo that in today’s climate would have gotten them crucified, which goes to show how soft and overly sensitive our society has gotten over the past 25 years which says a lot, considering Kid N Play were definitely one the softer/cleaner acts in hip-hop. But I digress. This one is strictly for the dance floor, or as Kid puts it “the groove is meant to cause movement”. I didn’t care much for this one.

Can’t Get Enuff – Wait. Is Play really bragging about riding around in a new Amigo? Were those ever hot? That statement alone should tell you how well this one went.

Decisions – This is my second favorite song on the album. Hurby samples the classic Heatwave record “Mind Blowing Decisions” for the backdrop as Kid N Play share three interesting stories that leave you stunned or questioning what you would do in each scenario. Beautifully executed.

Funhouse – The lead single and title song was also included on the House Party soundtrack. Never cared much for this song and I’m sticking to my story.

Since I used 4 paragraphs for the intro, I’ll keep the wrap up brief: Funhouse is a mediocre album from two great dancers who happen to be mediocre emcees. “Energy”,”Toe To Toe” and  “Decisions” are solid joints but the rest of the album is forgettable.

-Deedub

I ran across today’s subject at one of my favorite used music shops a few years ago (what up Cheapos?). When I saw the dollar price coupled with the name Professor Griff, it was an easy decision to pick it up. It’s not that I’m a huge Professor Griff fan. Matter of fact, I don’t recall ever hearing him spit one verse. My interest was more so sparked by his affiliation with the legendary Public Enemy in which he served as the  “minister of information” and leader of PE’s security/dancers (or steppers?) the S1Ws.

Griff was the source of some controversial comments which would eventually lead to PE dismissing him from the group during their prime years (you know you’ve gone to far If PE cuts you off for making controversial comments). After getting the boot from PE Griff decided to spark his solo career, and ironically the black militant inked a deal with hip-hop’s Hugh Hefner, Luke Skywalker’s vanity label Luke on Atlantic, releasing his debut album Pawns in the Game in 1990. Pawns in the Game didn’t move a ton of units but it gave Luke enough faith in Griff to release two more albums on his imprint included the sophomore effort and today topic Kaos II Wiz 7 Dome.

I’ve never listened to a song off of Kaos II Wiz 7 Dome. I don’t even recall hearing one of his singles back in the day. But anyone linked to PE has to be legit, right?

Assassination Attempt – The album opens with an interlude that has Griff at a public event signing autographs when shots suddenly ring out that were apparently intended for him. If somebody did take Griff out it wouldn’t be considered an assassination. As Chris Rock once said: “MLK was assassinated. Malcolm X was assassinated. Rappers get shot.”

Kao’s II Wiz*7*Dome – Griff gets the title song out of the way early on. Too bad its hot garbage.

Mental Genocide – Griff’s instrumental, content, and song title would have made for the perfect duet with Paris (the militant west coast rapper). The hook is terrible but the song overall is horrendous.

Joey Hate Rap Calls The Cops – What was this? Something going by the name of “Joey Hate Raps” spits a short speech/spoken word about what, I’m not quite sure of. I just heard “interracial” and “surviving the black holocaust” mixed in with a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Basically, Joey aint saying shit.

Fugitive – Griff explains why his skin color and theology make him a fugitive. Being a black man myself, I can relate to some of his theories but the song still needs to be executed well in order to grab the listener’s attention. This wasn’t.

Jail Sale – Clever play on words for the song title and some interesting lyrics to go along with it as Griff shares his theory that America is targeting black males to shuffle in to the prison system.  Griff’s delivery is more effective over slower tempo songs like this. This was decent.

Crucified (Prologue) – Nonsensical interlude to set up the next song…

Crucified – Griff calls out Christianity and it’s often overly Eurocentric view in North America (i.e. its blue-eyed blonde haired messiah). Interesting lyrics. Too bad the instrumental sucked.

Rev 2:26 – Reads: To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations. Not sure how that ties into this song as Griff uses this one to share his pride of the black nation while sending shoutouts to different blacks for being originators and innovators in several different areas of civilization. Love the intent but the song is boring and poorly executed.

Attention Please (Prologue) Verbal Intercourse – To make sure he gains your attention Griff opens this one up with a pretty cleverly intro.  Then he starts back up with more black militant rhetoric.

My Ideology – Griff  invites a couple of his Soul Society crew members (Tone Control and Society) to the party as they each spit a verse on this posse joint. That’s all I got.

The Late Great Black Man – Over a laid back instrumental and drum Griff  shares a spoken word piece which is an ode to the black man. I actually found this mildly entertaining. Griff is a much more effective spoken word artist than rapper.

In-Cog-Negrow – Griff’s version of Ice Cube’s “True To The Game”. Only 100 times less entertaining.

Grandma Vanilla Don’t Like Loud Rap Music – Interlude.

Bro-Kemit Splitting Atom’s In The Corporate War Zone – That title was mouthful; and I’m still not sure what it means, exactly. Griff invites a few more of his Soul Society crew members to the booth for this cypher session. Society introduces the song and drops the first verse, Queen Nefertiti (who did have a brief solo career in the nineties before moving into acting (i.e. Panther)) bats second, followed by BU Shabazz, Queen IAsia, Brother Kemit, and finally Professor Griff. I’m not sure why Brother Kemit’s name got put in the title and the rest of the participants were not mentioned. Doesn’t matter. The song is mediocre at best.

Blax Thanx Pt II – Griff closes the album by taking a few minutes to give thanks to all the brothers and sisters who helped in the struggle to gain freedom, justice, and equality for the black man universally.

On the Gang Starr song “The Voice” Guru contest that an emcee’s voice is his most important attribute, and went on to suggested if your voice isn’t dope then you need to chill, meaning call it quits. Griff should heed to Guru’s sage advice. It may not be Griff’s voice that is terrible but more so the ineffectiveness of his delivery. Some of his lyrics are actually decent but they get lost in the music, his forgettable delivery, and at times his sloppy flow. Speaking of the music, the production on Kaos II Wiz 7 Dome is not easy on the ears either. There are a few decent instrumentals but they are the exception. I think I’ve heard enough from Griff on Kaos II Wiz 7 Dome to know I wouldn’t be interested in hearing the rest of his catalog.

-Deedub

After selling over 3 million copies of He’s the DJ I’m the Rapper, it’s no wonder that DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s follow up album And In This Corner…was considered a flop, even though it earned the duo a gold plaque. Not only did it appear that the duo’s commercial success had come to an end, but Will Smith also ran into financial woes as the IRS ordered him to pay almost 3 million dollars in underpaid taxes. Around the same time, NBC execs approached Will about the idea of a sitcom based loosely about his life as a trouble kid from Philly, shipped away to live with his rich aunt and uncle in Bel Air. Will was onboard and the rest is history.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air premiered in September of 1990 and was a success which helped reignite Will Smith’ career (and indirectly, Jeff’s), as they prepared to release their 4th album on Jive in 1991, Homebase. Homebase would go on to bring the duo their second platinum plate, restoring their relevance in this genre known as hip-hop.

Jeff and Will would go on to release one more album together (Code Red) before Will decided to go solo, releasing 4 consecutive albums that sold gold or better, including his solo debut Big Willie Style, which sold over 9 million copies. He was also on his way to becoming one of the highest grossing Hollywood actors of all time.

I wonder if Jeff ever feels a bit salty over all of Will’s success.

I’m All That – Over a Jazzy Jeff house beat instrumental that borders on corny Will talks his shit in his standard comical format. Decent start to the show.

Summertime – Easily, the best song the duo ever created. Production team Hula & Fingers hook up Kool & The Gang’s “Summer Madness” as Will paints the picture of the perfect summer day, complete with women, cars, family, and food over a laid back backdrop that will leave you feeling the warmth from the summer sun. Questlove wrote in an article that when The Roots lead emcee Black Thought first heard “Summertime” he called Quest and said: “It’s like he (Will) lost the animated happy flow and did Rakim’s “Paid In Full” flow…but better than Rakim!”. Now that’s praise.

The Things That U Do – Hip-hop love song marinated in r&b is the best way to describe this one. If you hate this song I completely understand. I’m fully aware or this song’s corniness but I still kind of like it.

This Boy Is Smooth – Jeff lays down a smooth instrumental for Will to get his Casanova on. Nice.

Ring My Bell – I’ve always hated this song and I think time has made me despise it even more. Jeff reworks Anita Ward’s classic of the same name and fails miserably. Will’s corny lines don’t help matters either.

A Dog Is A Dog – Hula & Fingers get their second production credit of the evening. Unfortunately its hot garbage.

Caught In The Middle (Love & Life) – I completely forgot about this one. Will’s in a rare (at least at this point in his career) serious mood as he discusses the frustrations of life getting in the way when you think you’ve found your true love. This was pretty nice. The piano solo during the bridge was a nice touch.

Trapped On The Dance Floor – Jeff lays down a solid instrumental that he even steps from behind the boards to spit a rare verse on along side Will, and their buddy El-Sid. Decent.

Who Stole The D.J. – This is more of the norm of what Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince fans were accustom to. Jeff hooks up an instrumental that incorporates a touch of the Get Smart theme song as Will plays detective looking to solve the mystery posed in the song’s title, which also happens to be a question posed without a question mark. Hip-hop could use more fun songs like this that don’t take themselves so serious.

You Saw My Blinker – Speaking of fun. This might be the funniest and simultaneously the hardest song in Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s catalog. In a deadpan voice Will repaints the day he got rear ended by a ninety year old lady. Hi-larious!

Dumb Dancin’ – The first 3 minutes of this song is corny mucher. The last 2 minutes is a wonderful ride on a sick instrumental.

Summertime (Reprise) – Plays as it reads.

The Ring My Bell (Mr. Lee’s Radio Mix) – This is a hidden track on the cd format. Same lyrics as the original, different instrumental. Still not feeling it.

The cassette version had a bonus song titled “Let’s Party”. I’ve never heard it, so if you have feel free to leave your thoughts on it in the comments sections.

For the most part, Homebase uses the same formula that Jeff & Will used throughout their career to this point: Lighthearted comical hip-hop with a pop appeal. Will does show some maturation on Homebase as he balances the comical pieces with a few serious joints, and even adds a little bass to his rapping voice. On the production side Jeff provides a few decent instrumentals (remember, he’s not responsible for “Summertime”), but in his attempt to adapt to the current trends, sonically, Homebase suffers a bit. There are some decent songs on Homebase, but it will always be remembered as the “Summertime” album.

-Deedub

When the discussion of greatest hip-hip producers of all time comes up names like Dr. Dre, Premo, Pete Rock, and Kanye West are commonly mentioned. Rarely do you hear Large Professor mentioned in the conversation, but it’s definitely a name that could legitimately be in the argument.

Large Professor, also known as Extra P first came on the scene in the late eighties laying down heat for the likes of Rakim, Kool G. Rap, and Tragedy (the Intelligent Hoodlum) to name a few. In 1989 he would link up with two Toronto deejays, Sir Scratch and K-Cut, forming the group Main Source. Main Source would eventually ink a deal with Wild Pitch and released their debut album Breaking Atoms in 1991.  Breaking Atoms received tons of critical acclaim and would later play a large (no pun intended) part in sparking the career of arguably QB’s greatest lyricist Nas, and Extra P would later be responsible for producing a third of Nas’ classic debut album Illmatic. Large Professor would leave Main Source after Breaking Atoms and go on to produce for a ton of other artist as well as pursue his own solo rap career.

Upon it’s release The Source gave Breaking Atoms a 4.5 mic rating, but in 2002 they revised the review and gave it 5 mics.

So, which review got it right?

Snake Eyes – In the game of craps, snake eyes is a term used when the roller rolls a one on both dice, which is the worst roll you can have. Over an up-tempo bass heavy instrumental Extra P uses the term as an analogy to explain certain individuals current lot in life. Nice start to the evening.

Just Hangin Out – Over his own smooth instrumental Extra P describes he and his crew’s daily deeds and he also manages to break off a few emcees in the process. The instrumental has a bit of a cinematic feel which makes the song sound even more intriguing.

Looking At The Front Door – This is the first single released from Breaking Atoms and easily my favorite Main Source song of all time, and in my opinion one of the top 10 hip-hop songs of all time (yeah, I said it). Over a dark futuristic spacey instrumental Extra P discusses he and his lady’s relationship and why he’s considering leaving her. From beginning to end this song is executed with perfection. Hip-hop classic.

Large Professor – Over yet another slick instrumental (wait…did he sample a wind chime for the break portion of the instrumental?) Extra P talks his shit with the intent of leaving his name imprinted on your brain, thus the song title.

Just A Friendly Game of Baseball – Even though this song was recorded over 20 years ago its message couldn’t be more relevant considering the recent Mike Brown and Eric Garner tragedies. Some of Extra P’s lines will move you to laugh and cry at the same time. Well done, Professor.

Scratch & Kut – The other two deejays that make up Main Source, K-Cut and Sir Scratch work the ones and twos over a sick Extra P production.

Peace Is Not the Word To Play – Extra P examines the misuse of the word “peace”. Another monster Extra P instrumental. I love the horn sample over the hook and the frantic pace of the drums.

Vamos A Rapiar – Over a triumphant piano sample Large Pro talks his shit, once again proven that he is the best producer on the mic. This is fire.

He Got So Much Cool (He Don’t Need No Music) – Decent.

Live At The Barbeque – This song is legendary as it is the first song that the lyrical god Nas first breathed life on as he spit a verse that left everybody wondering who he was and thirsting for more. Extra P and Nas are joined by two other Queens rookies Joe Fatal and Akineyle, who were never quite able to establish themselves in the heartless rap game. I believe Ak was able to make a little noise with his porn movies after his rap career was over.

Watch Roger Do His Thang – Decent.

Just A Friendly Game of Baseball (Remix) – Same as the original with a more aggressive instrumental than the original, which actually works better with the song’s content.

The 2006 pressing that I bought on CD had the following bonus tracks:

Fakin’ The Funk – This was originally released on the White Men Can’t Jump EP.  Extra P and Neek the Exotic (which has to be in the running for corniest rap moniker of all time) share microphone duties on this one. Extra P’s instrumental is sick on an Ebola type level. Easily one of my top 3 Main Source songs of all time.

Bonafied Funk – This was included on the Brand New Heavies’ Heavy Rhyme Experience 1, which was a compilation album with the band playing behind prominent emcees of the early nineties (an album that I’ll get to at some point in the near future). This song was decent at best.

Atom – The instrumental on this one is bananas! I love the horn sample that kicks in during the hook. This one definitely should have made the proper album, which would makes even more sense considering the album title.

Think -This sounds like an incomplete basement demo. It has potential but this version should have been left on the scrap heap.

Looking At The Front Door (Uncut) – Same as the original with a few minor tweaks to the lyrics on the final verse.

Time – Decent.

Large Professor is easily the best producer to ever pick up a mic, which is even scarier when coupled with the fact he is one of the sickest hip-hop producers of all time. Considering these facts it should be a surprise to no one that Breaking Atoms lives up to it’s name and is as close to perfection as an album can be (notwithstanding the bonus joints). From beginning to end, Extra P sounds at home dropping fresh lines over production that sonically covers traditional New York boom-bap to extraterrestrial sounds. If you consider yourself a fan of golden era hip-hip and you haven’t experienced Breaking Atoms there is a huge void in your soul that needs to be filled.

Did The Source Get It Right? Without question.

-Deedub

After the release of It’s a Compton Thang the Chill MC was sentenced to prison, leaving his partner in rhyme MC Eiht to carrier on the CMW torch by himself.  Well, not really by himself. He still had his DJ Mike T and the severely underrated production team of DJ Slip and The Unknown DJ. CMW followed up their debut in 1991 with their sophomore effort Straight Checkn’Em.

Like their previous record Straight Checkn’Em didn’t move a ton of units but it did garner quite a bit of critical acclaim and helped CMW developed a bigger core following, largely based on their biggest hit, that will discuss a little later in this post. CMW would go on to release one more album together before Eiht would drop the CMW title and go solo, though he would continue to work closely with DJ Slip and Mike-T.

Intro – Straight Checkn’Em opens with a medley of songs from It’s a Compton Thang…

They Still Gafflin – This could also be referred to as “One Time Gaffled ‘Em Up 2”. Not terrible but not very impressive, either.

Growin’ Up In The Hood – This is without question CMW’s biggest hit. This single was also included on the Boyz N The Hood Soundtrack, receiving heavy rotation during the summer of 91′. Eiht and what sounds like the Chill MC (making his only appearance on Straight Checkn’Em, which is useless as it’s clear he’s just reciting rhymes that Eiht wrote for him) each spit 2 verses about a young man coming of age in the hood and the obstacles the environment presents. The Slip & Unknown’s instrumental is dark and disturbing which complements the verses perfectly. This is a certified classic.

Wanted – Slip and Unknown sample a little Barry White, James Brown, and Funkadelic for the backdrop as Eiht weaves back and forth between gangsta posing and bragging about his microphone prowess. Nice.

Straight Checkn ‘Em – Eiht’s in straight emcee mode on this title track as he goes hard over this hard instrumental.

I Don’t Dance – And just like that, Straight Checkn’Em looses its momentum. The instrumental sounds like an attempt at a funk joint but ends up sounding like a bunch of noise. Eiht doesn’t even sound like he believes in this one.

Raised In Compton – Slip and Unknown chop up Young-Holt Unlimited’s take on the “People Make The World Go Round” record for this one as Eiht gives detailed verses of life coming up in Compton. Though it’s not as potent as Quik’s “Born And Raised In Compton”, it still works.

Driveby Miss Daisy – The title doesn’t quite fit Eiht’s verses, as neither of his murder tales would qualify as a drive-by shootings. Further more, neither of the shooting victims are women, which makes the song title even more ludicrous (and I aint talking about Christopher Bridges). Slip and Unknown sample Lou Donaldson’s “Pop Belly” record (which Main Source would use later the same year on “Just A Friendly Game of Baseball”) for the instrumental which gives the record a bleak feel that matches Eiht’s dark rhymes to perfection. I love the drunken piano stabs mixed with the gunshot sound bites scattered throughout the hook.

Def Wish – CMW carriers over the dark momentum from the previous song as Eiht sends relentless threats to all adversaries within earshot (I love his line “I’ll haunt your studio become your ghost lyricist”).  Premier used the same Blackbyrds sample for the Gang Starr record “Say Your Prayers” earlier the same year (this wouldn’t be the last time Slip and Unknown would borrow the same sample as Premier for a record). I actually prefer Slip and Unknown’s interpretation over Premier’s.

Compton’s Lynchin – Slip and Unknown pretty much rip off Johnny “Guitar” Watson “Superman Lover” wholesale as Eiht continues his assault on all competition. This was decent.

Mike T’s Funky Scratch – I found nothing funky about this scratch.

Can I Kill It? – Eiht poses this question to a couple of chicks concerning their twat. The Slip and Unknown instrumental samples Teddy Pendergrass’ “Love T.K.O.” (before Ahmad made it into a summertime anthem a few years later with “Back In The Day”) on the first verse and the Isley Brother’s “Footsteps in the Dark” (before Ice Cube used it for his hit record “It Was A Good Day”) for the second verse, with a touch of Shalamar’s “This Is For The Lover In You” on the hook.  This song is essential for midnight marauding. Or theme music while driving to a late night booty call. Which could also be one and the same.

Gangsta Shot Out – Slip and Unknown provide some sick dark piano stabs as the backdrop for Eiht to spit one quick verse before he gives his shoutouts and Straight Checkn’Em fades to black.

Straight Checkn’Em has a much darker feel than It’s a Compton Thang. With the absence of Chill, Eiht impressively steps up his emcee game as he holds down the entire album without any guest appearances (with the exception of “Growin’ Up In the Hood” which features Chill spitting a verse that was clearly written by Eiht), a feat rarely seen in the current era of hip-hop. Slip and Unknown create a cohesive dark mood throughout that Eiht sounds right at home spilling his verses over. In a year packed with monster albums, Straight Checkn’Em is one that gets severely overlooked.

-Deedub