Time Is Illmatic

By the time 1990 rolled around PE was the highest profile hip-hop act on the scene (at least a hip-hop act that still had street cred).  After the massively successful (critically and commercially) It Takes a Nation of Millions, the controversy already surrounding the group and its militant stance continued to grow while troubles amongst the group members began to blossom as well.  Professor Griff would leave the group all together after he and the crew could no longer see things eye to eye, and beef between Chuck D and chief member of the Bombsquad, Hank Shocklee begin to simmer.

In spite of the cat fight between Chuck and Hank, the show would go on as both parties would put a side their differences and complete work on PE’s third release Fear of a Black Planet. 

All of the controversy would pay off as Fear of a Black Planet would go on to move a million units in its first week receiving heaps of critical acclaim (it’s included on The Source top 100 albums of all time as well as number 300 on The Rolling Stone 500 greatest albums list) and the Library Of Congress would even go on to have it added to the National Recording Registry recognizing it for its cultural and historical importance.   Yes it was that serious.

But how will it stand up today?

Contract On The World Love Jam – Intro which uses a bunch of vocal samples to address the state of PE in 1990,  as well as the climate of the African-American struggle.  I love the instrumental so this was very enjoyable.

Brothers Gonna Work It Out – This was released as a single.  The Bombsquad provides a hard instrumental for Chuck D to stand on his soapbox and spit in his booming baritone (oh yeah, Flavor does add a line and a ad-lib or two for S&G) about the brothers taking care of our business.  I’ve always loved how the Prince guitar sample’s chaotic sound meshes beautifully with the rest of the organised noise surrounding it.  Nice.

911 Is A Joke – This was also released as a single off the album.  Who can forget the hilarious video for this song as Flav criticizes the slow response time of Emergency personnel.  The instrumental is decent and Flavor Flav is engaging and entertaining , what more could you ask for?   

Incident at 66.6 FM – Interlude

Welcome To The Terrordome – Easily one of the greatest songs (top 5) ever created by PE, and my personal favorite.  The Bombsquad instrumental sounds like they threw together a bunch of different sounds that begin to wage war against each other and somehow in the mist of the battle found peace.  I guess it could best be defined as a beautiful mess, and I mean that as a compliment.  Chuck completes this Magnum Opus with razor-sharp rhymes delivered in a booming vocal that sounds like God gave him just to record this song.  This my friend is one of the reasons PE is revered as hip-hop royalty.  Very nice.

Meet The G That Killed Me – Ummmm…I think the G is Aids?  Your thoughts?

Pollywanacraka – Chuck addresses interracial dating as he narrates the reason a certain black woman and a certain black man choose to date outside their race, or more specifically what the title suggest, why they date caucasians.  The instrumental does nothing for me and Chuck’s delivery is not only beyond awkward but borders on annoying, making this very skippable.

Anti-Nigger Machine – After a minute and a half of only an instrumental which includes repetitive ad-libs from Flav, a hard instrumental interrupts are normally scheduled program and Chuck drops two quick verses before it segues into the next song.  If my memory serves me correct the video version for this song had an additional verses.  

Burn Hollywood Burn  – Chuck D invites guests Ice-Cube and Big Daddy Kane to the festivities as they all cover the under and misrepresentation of blacks in Hollywood.  Each emcee rips this miniscule Bombsquad production to smithereens.   

Power To The People – This instrumental reminds me too much of “Fight The Power”.  This is pretty much an interlude that Chuck uses to drop random spoken word pieces encouraging the masses to, fight the power!

Who Stole The Soul? – This was cool.  That’s all I got.

Fear Of A Black Planet – The title track flirts with the idea of interracial dating eventually causing the world to become black (I think). The chipmunked Chuck D vocal during the chorus was kind of weird to hear, especially in comparison with his usual bombastic delivery. The Bomb Squad has a knack for taking a handful of sounds that should hate each other and manages to blend them in perfect harmony, but when they don’t blend well you’re left with a bunch of noise that translates to a hot mess (i.e. this song).

Revolutionary Generation – PE defends all the soul sistas out there as Chuck addresses how black women have been mistreated in the past and how they should be treated in the present (Chuck even makes an interesting reference to his song “Sophisticated Bitch” from Yo Bum Rush the Show).   The instrumental was forgettable, but props for the overall message.  I love my momma.

Can’t Do Nuthin’ For Ya Man – Hands down my Favorite Flava Flav solo of all time.  The beats a definite banger (I’ve always loved the bridge break down) and always will be.  “You want six dollars for what?”  Hi-larious. 

Reggie Jax – Chuck spits one verse over a subdued reggae tinged Bombsquad instrumental that is quite enjoyable.  This was decent enough…it ends before it ever has a chance to get annoying.

Leave This Off Your Fu*kin Charts –  Terminator X takes center stage as he scratches the life out of this instrumental.  I’ve never been a huge fan of these types of joints (as you already know if you read on a regular basis):that said, this wasn’t terrible, just not my cup of tea.

B Side Wins Again – I never cared for this song in the past but today it actually sounds pretty decent.  Chuck D’s slighty distorted vocal over this rough Bomb Squad instrumental actually works.  Fine wine, baby.  

War At 33 1/3 – This actually sounds like the perfect companion piece to the previous song.  Maybe this was the “A” side that the previous song was battling, which comes immediately after the “B” side, symbolizing a bowing down in submission to the victor.  Maybe I’m reading to far into this.  It would be a nice battle to watch, though. 

Final Count Of The Collision Between Us And The Damned – Not sure how this instrumental correlates with the title.  On second thought, I’m not even sure what the title means.

Fight The Power – This is one of the best hip-hop song’s ever created (according to VH1 this is THE greatest hip-hop song of all time), which was first released on the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s classic movie “Do The Right Thing”.  If I recall correctly this song was way over exposed by the time Fear of a Black Planet dropped (it was released as a single off the “Do The Right Thing” soundtrack), but it was still nice of them to include it on a PE album for the many of us who didn’t buy the “Do The Right Thing” soundtrack.  Nice way to end the proceedings.

Fear of a Black Planet comes out the gates like a pit bull terrier chasing down a dude with a steak embedded necklace dangling from his neck, before turning into a lullaby at the midway point, then regaining momentum as it comes to a closure.  Overall Fear of a Black Planet is a solid effort and personally my favorite P.E. album.  In retrospect it’s kind of sad listen when you consider this would be their pinnacle before they begin the slow trek back down from the mountain top.

-Deedub

Tupac Shakur: Probably the most famous (an infamous) rapper ever to walk the face of the earth, which in part can be credited to his very public personal issues and ultimately his untimely and controversial death that somehow remains unsolved to this day (but that’s a story for another day).  Before Tupac became a household name the group in today’s review is responsible for giving him his big break into the game: Digital Underground.

Digital Underground is a west coast hip-hop collective that begin to sprout in the late eighties, led by Greg “Shock G” Jacobs with a supporting cast that changed its roster more often than a newborn baby’s diaper.  They will always be best known for their party vibe, frat party humor, and their big nosed caricature Humpty Hump (more on that later).  DU released their debut album Sex Packets in 1990, a concept album based loosely around a fictional pill for him or her to meet their sexual needs.  Sex Packets, which fused P-funk samples with live instrumentation, would go one to earn the group a platinum plaque and even earned a spot on a The Source’s top 100 hip-hop albums of all time in 1998.

20 years later let’s see if Sex Packets still stands up.  I’m talking about the album…get your minds out the gutter!

The Humpty Dance – If you had any type of pulse in the early nineties you’re already familiar with this song, which is easily the biggest hit in the DU catalog.  Shock G plays his big nosed alter ego Humpty Hump and proceeds to drop random boasts from his sexual prowess (I always thought it was funny that the video censored “funk” which apparently the powers that be mistaken for “fuck”) to how sick he is on a microphone,  then finally using the third verse to give instruction on how to do the “Humpty Dance”, which if done correctly you’ll look like “MC Hammer on crack”.  Shock’s funk instrumental acts as the perfect backdrop for Humpty’s hilariously random rhymes.  Nice way to start the show.

The Way We Swing – Over another funk driven instrumental (get use to that, folks) Shock G holds down microphone duties (like he will for the majority of the album, including his alter ego) explaining to America how DU gets down, musically speaking.   Shock G manages to sound pretty good, although is verses are repetitive.  It was slightly funny to hear him say “America we hope you like are sound, but if you don’t we really don’t give a fuck”.  The instrumental was very nice.  My only real issue with this song is its length as there is absolutely no reason this should have gone on for nearly 7 minutes.  All in all, still an enjoyable listen.

Rhymin’ On The  Funk – The title pretty much says it all.  Shock G and Money B tag team the mic on this one (which also happens to run over 6 minutes).  While Shock G sounds decent on the mic, Money B quickly displays why his mic time on Sex Packets is limited and why his name will never be found on any one’s top ten list (remember Raw Fusion? Stop laughing!) as he at want point proclaims himself as “the poop”.  Really? Who calls themselves “shit” unless they’re using the term “shit”?  DU used a popular Parliament sample which sounds decent enough.  While I gave “Way We  Swing”  a pass for its excessive length I won’t do the same for this one.  DU would later recycle this instrumental and use it on “Arguing On The Funk”, which was included on DU’s EP, amply titled This Is An EP (which is a play on acronyms but more on that at a later date).  That version pairs Shock against Humpty discussing funk pioneers and who is and who isn’t worthy of props.  That versions in fairly entertaining, plus no Money B.

The New Jazz (One) – Nothing more than a piano interlude.  Much to short to have a legitimate opinion on.

Underwater Rimes (Remix) – Sticking with the funk instrumental theme, “Underwater Rimes” pick up were we left off at prior to “The New Jazz”.  Shock G rides this smooth track with infinite references to water or objects found in water, and the results are liquid solid.  Shock adds yet another alter ego to his repertoire, introducing the listener to MC Blowfish, who picks up where Shock let off, closing the song on a funny note.  I’ve never heard the original, maybe I’ll spend some time looking for it on the World Wide Web.  This also marks the first real song on the album that runs under 6 minutes.

Gutfest ’89 – Shock G and Money B share mic duties again (well, kind of) for this misogynistic song ode to booty.  I found it mildly interesting that Shock referred to receiving head as “skull” or “brains”, which might make him the first in hip-hop to refer to oral sex as such.  This might be the first song on Sex Packets that falls in line with the album title, but it still does nothing for me.  Apparently the cassette release of Sex Packets
has an extended version, in which I will not personally waste any energy seeking out.  Next…

The Danger Zone – I don’t think any one’s ever bought a Digital Underground album looking for music with a message, but DU uses “The Danger Zone” to take a stab at it.  Shock G speaks on the drug (mainly crack) epidemic that was very much prevalent when Sex Packets was released.  Props for the attempt but DU should leave these types of song to PE or BDP, and stick to the humorous joints.

Freaks Of The Industry – Getting back to the album’s overall theme: Shock G and Money B spin tales of their sexapades while proving that they’re the biggest freaks in the biz over a smooth laid back groove accompanied by a funk guitar rift.  While I can’t recall any of Money B’s verse, Shock G saves the day providing a very entertaining verse while the Piano man takes us out over some jazzy keys. Overall this was pretty good.

Doowutchalike – The first single off of Sex Packets.  I still remember seeing this video for the first time and thinking “who the hell are these guys?”   Who’ll ever forget Humpty instructing the ladies to grab a guy they like “in the biscuits”?  Shock’s shout out to Vanessa Williams “just to hear her name in his rhyme” was pretty comical too.  Nice touch to leave a space at the 3:30 mark of the song for radio station to insert their station identification  and even provide a fade out, only to come back in for another 4 and a half minutes, which I can tolerate since this includes my favorite part of the song, as the Piano man (making his second contribution in as many songs) provides a dope medley on the keys.  If any one song could accurately depict DU’s personality, “Doowatchalike” is that song.  This still works over 20 years later.

Packet Prelude – The “Piano man” provides a pleasant piano piece that segues into…

Sex Packets – The title track.  Over a laid back Prince-esque (at least the synthesizer sound used over the refrain) groove, Shock G goes into crooner mode to describe a pill that, depending on your preference, will bring to life a man or woman to fulfil all your sexual needs when your significant other isn’t available or  just plain isn’t in the mood.  Or as Shock G so eloquently puts its: “biochemically compacted sexual affection” or “your favorite toss-up in a pill”.  This still sound nice, and props to DU for the original concept.

Street Scene – Interlude to set up the next song.

Packet Man – Somebody has to distribute the sex packets, right?  Shock G plays the dealer trying to solicit Humpty for a few packets, an attempt that ends successful.  Kudos to Shock G’s attention to detail as you can visual the interaction between himself and himself Humpty as he paints it.  The storyline and lyrics are dead on but I’ve never cared much for the instrumental used to back this one.  The instrumental used on the remix (included on the This Is An EP) works a lot better as the beat captures the essence of the scene Shock is trying to paint.

Packet Reprise – Instrumental version of “Sex Packets”.  And with that, Sex Packets
is a wrap.

The cassette version of Sex Packetshas three addition songs ( “Hip-hop Doll”, “Sound Of The Underground” and “A Tribute T0 The Early Days”) as well as an none of which I’ve heard, but might seek out after I finish this blog.

After listening to Sex Packets again after all these years, I’ve come to the conclusion that Shock G who, let’s face it, pretty much IS Digital Underground, is severely underrated.  No, Shock isn’t one of the greatest emcees of all time and Sex Packets is not one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever made either. Sex Packets is a solid debut and the majority of the credit should go to one of the most creative minds in hip-hop (yeah, I said it.  What??!)  While Sex Packets does have a few mishaps, over all it’s a comical- funky-enjoyable listen.  In a genre that often takes it self way too serious, albums like Sex Packetsare always a fun treat to revisit.

-Deedub

As I wrap up the eighties portion of my collection and press forward to the year 1990, fate would have it this weekend while on one of my many used cd shop visits, I would stumble across an out of print and very hard to find (unless you want to fork out $75 and buy it on Amazon, but who can afford to that in this economy?) cd from the California-based duo, Low Profile,  titled We’re in This Together.  Since it was released in January of 1990, it quickly moved up to the front of my review list.  Is this fate or chance?

You may or may not have heard of the group Low Profile (which is a sick name for an underground rap group), but you’ve probably heard of at least half of the parties in the duo.  Low Profile, was made up of DJ Aladdin (who worked alongside Ice-T’s long time production partner Afrika Islam) and the half you’re probably already familiar with, veteran west coast emcee W.C.  As a group, We’re in This Together would be the duo’s only release together hence adding huge amounts of irony to the album’s title.

Most of you are probably familiar with W.C. based on his collaborating with Ice Cube and Wac Mac 10 to form the not so super group, Westside Connection.  I first became familiar with W.C. on his work with W.C. & The Maad Circle (which also included former crackhead, Coolio as a member, before he went solo, blew up, and became a household name), post Low Profile, pre-Westside Connection era.  I remember thoroughly enjoying the Maad Circle debut album Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed (We’re in This Together was also released on the Priority label), and specifically, W.C. and Coolio’s chemistry on the mic as they spit over Sir Jinx and Crazy Tunes funked–out productions.  So even though I’ve never heard (or at least don’t recall) a Low Profile song, all of those fond memories of that Maad Circle cassette came rushing back and I had to buy We’re in This Together if only to see if W.C. would sound as good with Low Profile as I remembered him sounding with the Maad Circle.  That and the fact is was less than $3, so even if it blows it isn’t a huge investment lost.  Plus I can sell it on Ebay for 25 times what I paid for it and recoup my small investment.   You gotta love America, kids.

Funky Song – Over a simplistic but serviceable DJ Aladdin beat, W.C. goes right to work without wasting any time on an intro.  W.C.’s flow didn’t grab me like it would a year later on W.C. and the Maad Circles debut Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed. But sometimes nostalgia has a weird way of playing tricks on you.

That’s Y They Do It – W.C. used 4 plus minutes (and 4 verses) to explain to the listener why brothers in the hood slang, and does a pretty good job articulating his points.  Aladdin’s instrumental work is (again) simple but effective.  I’m sure the more I play this one the more I’ll like it.  My ear still has to adjust to W.C. subdued flow, though.

Pay Ya Dues – W.C. covers a topic most of the youngins from the current era are probably not familiar with. His line about a sucka emcee sounding like “KrChuckDKooMoeS-One” was kind of corny but funny at the same time.  I’m very curious to know who the “soft emcees” he referring to in the 3rd verse are (if you know hit me up in the comments).  DJ Aladdin provides a typical West Coast beat for that era.  Take that comment for what it’s worth.  Overall this was a pretty solid song.  

Easy Money – Over a lazy DJ Aladdin funk guitar loop W.C. gets as lyrical as we’ve heard him up to this point as he expresses his love and discipline for the art. Because, as he puts it : rapping is easy money compared to slaving at a 9 to 5 (amen to that, brother). Though I’m not sure exactly why Aladdin’s instrumental appeals to me, and W.C. sounds pretty good over it.  After a few more spins I’m sure I’ll really like this song.

Keep Em’ Flowin’ – Aladdin uses the same sample EPMD made famous on their song “Please Listen To My Demo”.  W.C. sounds like he was awaken out of a deep sleep, giving a script and held at gunpoint in the booth while forced to recite his lines.  To say he sounds subdued on this one would be a huge understatement.

Aladdin’s On A Rampage – This is W.C.’s ode to DJ Aladdin.  I love the chemistry these two display as Aladdin finishes W.C.’s lines with scratched in vocal samples.  I’ve never been a huge fan of the “ode to my deejay” song (though I respect the sentiment) but this was actually pretty decent.

How Ya Livin’ – W.C. takes on the issues of black on black violence and the crack epidemic (he also manages to throw in a random shout out to the 40 oz).  His line  “doing 10 to 20 [in prison] braiding another brother’s hair” paints a pretty hi-larious picture.  Overall W.C. does a good job (he actually sounds awake while performing his verses), and Aladdin’s instrumental is…presentable.

Comin’ Straight From The Heart – No, this isn’t a heart wrenching melodrama (thank God!).  It’s just W.C. talking random shit, but making some valid points along the way. The instrumental is not great but something about it is appealing, though I can’t quite put my finger on what that “something” is.  Unfortunately, W.C.’s energy level have plummeted to new lows, making his content mostlyforgettable.  

We’re In This Together – For the title track W.C. (for the first time on this album) sounds loose and as if he’s actually having fun during the recording process.  Aladdin provides a funky instrumental and adds a live saxophone over the hook which actually works well.  Like I always say: it’s always a good thing when the title song works.

Make Room For The Dub B.U. – Everything about this scream demo: Aladdin’s instrumental sound incomplete,  W.C.’s energy level changes on every verse as if he recorded all three verses on three different days. That said and the song still wasn’t that bad.

No Mercy – What better way to end an album then with a battle rap, huh?  Did I mention W.C. is probably not on anyone’s “top 10 dead or alive” list?  But he is serviceable, and Aladdin’s beat complements the C-Walkin emcee well.  And with that we’re done.

After one complete listen We’re in This Together isn’t life changing, nor does is cover any new ground that Low Profile’s contemporaries hadn’t already touched upon.  There are a few hiccups in the road: W.C.’s flow isn’t as potent as it would become in the years to follow, and Aladdin’s beats aren’t great by any stretch of the imagination.  Yet, We’re in This Together
still shapes up to be a decent listen.  One that I’m sure that will become more enjoyable with a few more listens.  Not bad for $2.95.

-Deedub

As the eighties rolled on and hip-hop became more and more commercially excepted we begin to see all types of hip-hop sub-genres popping up.  One such sub-genre was Christian hip-hop (sometimes referred to as gospel hip-hop, or holy hip-hop).  Due to the fact I was a pastor’s kid and pretty much born and raised in church, I was well versed on Jesus and the ultimate sacrifice he made for man kind.  During the late nineties I began my “spiritual journey”, which eventually led to me diving deeper into christianity (which also led to my temporary insanity, as I broke and threw away all of my “secular” cd’s…which a few years later I would buy all over, again), and finding “purer” forms of music.  Since I was a hip-hop fiend before I became a teen, one such sub-genre I began to take interest in was christian hip-hop.  I’ve always disliked the term “Christian”  hip-hop.  In the late eighties and early nineties Hip-hop was flooded with emcees who sprinkled their rhymes with Islamic, Nation of Islam, and 5% Nation teachings, but yet were never coined as “Islamic hip-hop”.  Maybe the labeling was brought on by the Christian Community to separate this sub-genre as holy and set apart from the secular world.  In my opinion, hip-hop music doesn’t need labeling as the lyrical content of a song will speak for it self, quit insulting the listener (can I get an amen?)!  I’m stepping away from my soapbox….now.

Being that I didn’t start listening/buying “Christian” hip-hop until the late nineties, SFC (which released their debut in 89′) is far from the first christian hip-hop album that I’ve purchased, but since we’re working in chronological order, this will be the first one of said “sub-genre” that I’ll cover.

SFC, an acronym for “Soldiers For Christ”, was formed by lead emcee Chris “Super C” Cooper (also refered to as Sup (pronounced as “Soup”) who later go by Sup the Chemist.  Along with Chris was DJ Dove (who would later get the Gospel Gangstaz (whom some of you may be familiar with) career started…yeah I know, it’s corny group name), emcees Brother G, and QP, all hailing from the sunny state of California.

SFC independently release their debut EP Fully Armed in 1987 before signing to the christian label, Broken Records, where they would release their official full length debut Listen Up (which includes a few of the songs used on the Fully Armed EP).

Man, that was a long intro. And now, the review…

Listen Up– SFC waste no time getting the album’s title track out of the way.  Unfortunately the Casio keyboard instrumental sucks, and Sup The Chemist’s flow sounds severely dated.  Even with the dated flow, Sup uses the final (in what feels like the 6th) verse of the song to share his testimony, including his “Damascus Road” experience. While it’s not technically efficient, you definitely hear his heart in it.

Drugs – Wow.  This sounds like something you would have heard on one of those late eighties ABC Afterschool Specials.  This is your dad’s hip-hop.   Over another Casio keyboard quality instrumental, Sup and who I suspect to be QP (the insert only gives Sup credit for writing the song but there is clearly another voice reciting the lines with Sup),  spit verses about the negative effect drugs have on the user’s life. The song sucks, but I would definitely put this on my 10-year-old’s Ipod…but it probably wouldn’t get much rotation there, either.

No Stoppin’ – Yes, SFC does sample the Gamble & Huff classic of the same name title, and like all other hip-hop songs which have used the same sample, it doesn’t quite work.  Being this is a Christian rap group, predictably their message is there’s no stopping them from serving God.  Sup would become a much more polished emcee on later SFC projects and his solo work, but at this point his flow left a lot to be desired.

Say Ya – Sup’s gets in reggae mode for this story rhyme.  By 1989 standards he sounds okay, I guess, but everything I mentioned about the instrumentals and rhymes on the previous songs can be applied here as well. There is absolutely no reason this song should have dragged on for 6 minutes.

Transformed – No, Sup isn’t a Autobot or Decepticon (although he does managed to sneak in a reference to the Gobots…there’s a blast from the past).  He uses this boring instrumental to share about his transformation (again) to Christianity.  Hey, I love Jesus, but these songs are starting to sound identical.

You Are Worthy – This is SFC’s version of a “praise and worship” song.  Even though it’s not that good, the concept should count for something, right?  Why, why, why is every songs 5 plus minutes long?  Geez.

Dope Dealer – Picking up where “Drugs” left off, SFC uses this one to spin a tale about the neighborhood drug dealer (yes, another afterschool special, folks).  By the way, if I don’t mention anything about the instrumental work on any of the remaining songs, just assumed that it sucked…starting here.

It’s Like That – Sup handles mic duties on verse one, and while he doesn’t sound great he manages to sound better than any of his previous output on Listen Up to this point. Brother G handles the second verse and quickly brings the song crashing down (i.e. 500 lb woman jumping from a 30 story building).  They actually sample the theme song from Happy Days, which manages to sound okay, surprisingly.

Mr. Brain – This is dedicated to the religious scholars who deal with God only on an intellectual level, leaving faith out of the equation all together. Sup sounds okay, but as expected the instrumental sucks. Oops…I wasn’t suppose to say that anymore.

This Is What He Went Thru – Over an instrumental that makes a blatant attempt to stir up emotion (but just ends up sounding cheesy), Sup shares a 7 minute spoken word poem about the preceding leading up to and the crucifixion.  This was a gruelling listen, and the off-key-uncredited singer on the hook only adds to the pain.  Even Jesus himself would have begged to be crucified rather than forced to be listen to this hot mess.

Plain And Simple – Brother G shares mic duties with Sup on this one, clearly displaying why Sup is the chief emcee of the crew. I’m still not sure exactly what the title and the lyrics have to do with each other (this is hip-hop and that’s definitely not the first time that has happened).  By the way… the breakdown near the end of the song is hi-larious!

Brothers & Sisters – Sup’s breaks out the reggae chant again, to share with the listener his perspective on racial issues in America. Man’s not responsible for the race issue in America, it’s all on Satan?  I think that’s what he’s getting at but he never quite confirms.  Either way, this was terrible.

Fully Armed – This was the title track on SFC’s independently released EP of the same name.  The song begins with what is apparently a conversation between Satan and one of is emps, who fails in his mission to bring back SFC. Over what is probably the most interesting instrumental of the entire album, Sup and Brother G shares verses about being fully equipped (or armed) to take on Satan and his devious plans. I didn’t love it but compared to the previous songs, this was gold.

I Don’t Know – Sup and Brother G put away the sermon notes and let loose to have a good time over this simple drum beat. I don’t know if it adds anything to the album…then again, I don’t know if this album should even exist.  And with that we’re done, folks.  Thank you, Jesus!

Props to SFC for going against the grain and standing firm on their conviction and passion.  Unfortunately, conviction and passion doesn’t necessarily translate to quality music, which definitely holds true on Listen Up.  While Sup would go on to vastly improve his microphone skills a few years later (on future SFC albums, and later his own solo projects), there isn’t a whole lot on Listen Up that makes you want to…listen up.  And if you’ve read the rest of this review there is no need for me to reiterate my opinion on the terrible instrumental work.  In 1989 this might not have sound as bad as it does in 2011, but I can’t imagine time would have had that big of an impression on this train wreck of an album.  Which raises the question: if fine wine grows better with time, what happens to the stuff that starts out bad?

-Deedub

If you’re even remotely familiar with early nineties hip-hop, you’ve heard of Naughty By Nature. I’m even willing to bet if you mention the name amongst a group of friends, somebody is sure to break into the hook from their biggest hit “O.P.P.” (with “Hip-hop Hooray” coming in a close second). But before the East Orange, NJ trio of  Treach, Vinnie, and Kay-Gee would become Grammy award-winning, bonafied rap stars, known by the world as Naughty By Nature, they were first the New Style. No. Seriously. That was the group’s name.

In 1989 The New Style secured a deal with MCA and dropped their debut album Independent Leaders, which would ultimately be the only album released under The New Style crew name, and the only album released on MCA before they were eventually dropped from the label.

Apparently they showed enough potential to impress Queen Latifah who put them down with her up and coming crew, the Flavor Unit…but I digress.  We’ll get to that later, for now let’s focus on Independent Leaders.

Scuffin’ Those Knees – Treach opens the song with a brief science lesson before he and Vin play catch with the mic for 3 verses.  The song title is a request for sucka emcees to either a:stop giving falatio or b:invest in kneepads to spare their knees when performing…I don’t remember any of either Treach or Vinnie’s rhymes, though.  This was a very mediocre way to start the proceedings.

Start Smokin’ – Most of you will immediately recognize the opening sample that LL would later use on his “Doin It” hit a few years later.  The track quickly transforms into The Jackson Five classic “Stayed Away To Long” sample,where surprisingly, Vinnie’s gets first dibs on the mic, as he and Treach (sorry, I can’t bring myself to call him Double T. Treachery…it sounds way too corny) pass the mic like a hot potato over 3 verses.  Again, lyrical neither emcees stands out (which is a surprise in Treach’s case, as  I’ve always considered him a pretty nice emcee.  Vinnie’s line about his “bank account being longer than constipated dog shit” pretty much confirms why he should ONLY touch the mic as Treach’s hypeman ), but Kay-Gee’s instrumental work is very melodic, at least making the instrumental enjoyable.

Picture Perfect – This is The New Style’s attempt at a “conscious” rap song. I said attempt because it fails miserable.  Largely do to Treach’s terrible (and corny) singing over the hook.  As this stage in his career Treach’s flow was still very unpolished, and he and Vinnie once again don’t contribute any hip-hop quotables, but sound…decent, I guess.  Kay-Gee’s instrumental work is decent but the atrocious hook squeezes every ounce of decency his instrumental provided out of the song.

Can’t Win For Losing – Treach and Vinnie are in battle mode, and Treach shows glimpses of the hunger he would come with on the first Naughty By Nature release (Vinnie even managed to not sound as bad as he normally does).  While Kay-Gee backdrop is minimal, it actually works well behind Treach’s quick tongue and witty lines.

Droppin’ The Bomb – The holes in Treach’s flow and breath control are fully exposed on this joint (especially on his first verse). I think Vinnie appeared on this song, but if I can’t remember then obviously it wasn’t that impressive (and honestly I’m not interested enough to go back and check).  Kay-Gee’s instrumental work (which samples portions of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Hearing) sounds boring and very dated.  They definitely dropped a bomb, but I’m sure it wasn’t the kind they were hoping for.

To The Extreme – Over a simple Kay-Gee instrumental Treach and Vinne spit what they call  “free-style” rhymes (although from the sound of it, I’m pretty sure they were written).  This wasn’t terrible, but far from great.

Independent Leader – What technically is the title song (minus a “s”) turns out to be The New Styles second “conscious” song of the evening.  Treach uses the term “parasitically selfish” (still not sure what that actually means), which is probably the only time you’ll hear that phrase on a rap record.  Kay-Gee’s subdued instrumental is forgettable while Treach’s singing on the hook (again) is unforgivable.  This should have been left on the cutting room floor, son!

New Vs. Style – The title sounds like this will be an explanation for the group name, but instead turns out to be a battle between Treach and Vinnie. According to the ringside announcer after the first verse Vinnie’s the defending champ and Treach is the challenger…the battle easily goes to Treach since I’m pretty sure he wrote Vinnie rhymes for the battle anyway.  They get points for the concept but the execution left a lot to be desired.

Smooth Mood – Some of you will recognize the instrumental sample which was later used on New Edition’s “Hit Me Off” (and a few “real heads” will remember it’s usage on Grand Daddy I.U.’s “Mass Destruction”).  Treach goes for dolo on this one, and other than one major misstep (he invents the word”wrongness” in an attempt to rhyme with “songless”) he rides the smooth instrumental like it was custom-built for his flow.  Nice.

Bring The Rock – John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Jack And Diane” meets hip-hop…yep.  It sounds just as bad to the ear as is does written on paper. Treach and Vinnie shoutout a bunch of hip-hop, pop, and rock artist in what sounds like a half-hearted attempt to cash in on the hip-rock cash cow that made Run DMC legendary.  Needless to say, they fail miserable, making this a very bad way to end the show.

How can I put this gently…Independent Leaders is a hot mess.  Treach shows signs of the much more polished emcee he would become a few years later on Naughty By Nature, but those moments are far and in between.  There are a few decent moments on the production side, but the majority of the instrumentals are weak to decent at best. And like the rest of the Naughty’s catalog Vinne’s contribution is pretty must useless on Independent Leaders. It’s a good thing Latifah saw enough potential in the trio to give them another chance on Tommy Boy. Based on the output from this album they could have easily faded into obscurity before their hip-hop careers ever took off.

-Deedub

In the late eighties groups like NWA, Ice-T, and Above The Law would lay the ground work in defining what would soon become the West Coast hip-hop blueprint.  Like the east, the west coast artists used raw beats, but with a heavily synthesized sound, and lyricism that painted a very cold and violent image of their environment (which for some artist was a legitimate painting, while others were simply playing their favorite gangster movie character behind the mic, aka studio gangstas).  But amongst the rags, bullets, hoes, and drugs, there grew a flower in the concrete: Jeffery “Def Jef” Fortson.  Yeah, that last sentence was a little over the top but it grabbed your attention, right?

Def Jef was actually born in Harlem, NY,  only to later move west where he would put himself on the hip-hop map.  While I won’t say Def Jef was the first emcee to shake free of the signature West Coast gangsta sound, he was definitely one of the earliest to break the shackles.  Def Jef’s production definitely had more of an east coast feel, while lyrically he would touch on everything from the ladies, to conscious rhymes, to straight emceeing.

Jeffery released his debut Just a Poet With a Soul (which I always felt would have been a cleaner album title had he dropped the “Just A”) on Delicious Vinyl in 1989.  It should come as a surprise to know one that Just a Poet With a Soul would go on to receive heaps of critical acclaim for Jef’s sociopolitical themes and  sell exactly 7 copies…  2 on cassette and 5 on cd.

Def Jef would later go on to release one more solo album (more on that one at a later date),  join the Flavor Unit where he would help with production for other crew member’s albums, before he would hit the road heading to Hollywood to produce tv theme songs, including the score for That’s So Raven and The Game. 

According to Wikipedia some critics have refered to Just a Poet With a Soul as a lost hip-hop classic.  But as we all know Wikipedia isn’t the most reliable source.

Droppin’ Rhymes On Drums – Jef kicks off the proceedings with a very humdrum, drum track, that does little to get you excited about tonight’s show (even the Etta James vocal sample does little to pull you in).  Even with the less than impressive instrumental, Jef sounds pretty nice on the mic…although I can’t remember anything he just said.

Give Em’ Rhythm – Well, the instrumental definitely sounds better than the previous track. Not great by any means, but a definite improvement.  Jef sound pretty solid but again don’t expect any hip-hop quotables or anything.  

On The Real Tip – Man, does that song title date this song.  I actually like Jef’s drowsy instrumental work, and the Cheryl Lynn sample from “Got To Be Real” is sprinkled perfectly over the refrain.  While the track is more enjoyable than the previous songs Jef’s flow sounds very dated compared to the other songs up to this point. 

Poet With Soul – I hate when title songs are meh…technically, in an unofficial way this is the title song, right?

Give It Here – The Dust Brothers of Beastie Boys fame assist with the instrumental on this one.  Jef doesn’t cover any new ground here as he spends over 4 minutes trying to get in some particular chick’s draws.  From the track to the subject, to the execution, this sucked.  

Do You Wanna Get Housed – Any of you who have followed this blog on a regular basis already know that a hip-house song was a prerequisite for a hip-hop album in the late eighties (kind of like a club banger is mandatory in this day an age).  But unlike most of his counterparts Jef chooses to rest his chops, letting his very forgettable instrumental do the talking.  

Black To The Future – Nice message Jef, but I couldn’t really feel this one.  Next…

Do It Baby – N’Dea Davenport (of Brand New Heavies fame) stops by to provide vocals on the hook, which honestly, doesn’t add or distract from the overall outcome of the song.  Jef is in rare form sounding more nimble on the mic than anything else on Just a Poet  up this point.  Unfortunately The Dust Brother’s simple and bouncy track doesn’t quite work.  Sorry, Jef.  

God Made Me Funky – That title can be interpreted a few different ways.  But in so many words what are host is saying is: he’s the shit.  I thought his reference to the over use of James Brown samples was pretty hi-larious (“it aint the same sounds, cause it aint James Brown”).  But like the song before, the Dust Brothers provide yet another generic instrumental. I’m starting to see a pattern here, folks.

Downtown – Jef gets serious on this one as he effectively articulates the discrepancies between the inner-city and the burbs, turning in his best lyrical performance of the evening to this point.  His instrumental work sounds more west coast than anything else on Just a Poet up to this point as well.  This was pretty solid.

Just A Poet – To end the show Jef calls on The Dust Brothers to help with the instrumental. Unlike the previous two Dust Brothers produced tracks, this one is really nice.  Jef uses this laid back groove to wax philosophical turning in his strongest bars of the evening.  Beautiful way to end the show, Jef.

Upon its release Just a Poet With a Soulwas praised by critics (allegedly, I’ve personally never read any of these reviews). Listening to it today, time hasn’t aged this album very well.  The last two songs are really nice, but unfortunately the first nine songs are so lackluster (and that’s putting it gently) even the quality of the final two songs can’t repair the damage previously done. Sorry Jef, I was rooting for you but this wasn’t a solid debut.

-Deedub

After releasing their debut album Straight Out The Jungle on an independent label (Warlock Records) which accumulated into lackluster records sales (but what more would you expect from an independently released hip-hop album? Especially from the late eighties), the Jungle Brothers struck a deal with Warner Brother Records where they would release their next two albums before getting dropped parting ways with the label that Prince built and fading into hip-hop obscurity (for the most part), but I digress.  Today we’ll be focusing on the JB’s sophomore effort, Done By The Forces Of Nature.

I think I might have mentioned this in the write-up of their first album, but I’ll say it again: I love the Native Tongue. They might just be the greatest hip-hop collective of all-time.  But I’ve never been crazy about the Jungle Brothers.  My purchase of their catalog is/was mostly out of love for fellow NT groups De La Soul, and firstly, A Tribe Called Quest…and with the exception of their debut, they were all purchased used for under three dollars. That’s not to say they’re terrible or don’t have any good songs.  Matter of fact, their debut was pretty decent.  The problem is they’re clearly out matched in talent when compared to their Native brethren.

Needless to say, based on that (and what I remember from this album) I’m not too excited about doing this write up, but I’ve reminded myself it’s not about the journey but the destination (yes, I remixed that slogan…whatever it takes to get through, man).

By The Way… has anybody seen recent pics of Baby Bam?  WTF?

Beyond This World – In true Jungle Brothers fashion, the JB’s kick off the show with abstract lyricism over a barely decent instrumental.  Not much to see (or hear) here folks.

Feelin’ Alright – Lets get one thing clear upfront: neither Mike Gee or Afrika are great lyricist, so don’t expect a bunch of hip-hop quotables from the duo. Over a simple but effective instrumental the duo spit random rhymes about what makes them feel good.  Afrika’s story about getting to work early only to be met with the pleasant surprise in the form of a raise and a 2 month vacation time was pretty amusing.  Fairytales aside, this would have been decent had they not added in the duo’s out of tune singing during the chorus.

Sunshine – The JB’s ode to the sunshine… (and no they didn’t sample Roy Ayers’ song of the same name), in it the physical form and metaphorically.  Mike Gee and Afrika come across as straightforward as they have up to this point, and this is a good thing.  The true star of this song is the laid back instrumental. I love the tribal chant sample used over the chorus.  Nice.

What “U” Waitin’ “4”? – Picking up where “House You” left off, the JB’s make another one for the dance floor.  Although it’s not as enjoyable as “House You” it turns out to be a solid hip-hop dance track (wow, it felt kind of weird saying that).  Mike Gee and Afrika don’t turn in any memorable lines, but the instrumental mix of funk and jazz is a nearly perfect mix.

“U” Make Me Sweat – The title might make you believe this is going to be another dance track.  Instead it turns out to be a dedication to the ladies of their lives, that sweat them.  The funk instrumental sounds like a generic EPMD rip off, qualifying this as skippable.

Acknowledge Your Own History – The JB’s use this one as a call for the black man to “do the knowledge” (i.e. learn your history), while also exposing some of the lies blacks are fed from “his story”.  Mike Gee and Afrika provide some of their best lyrics up to this point, but unfortunately the instrumental did nothing to help their rhymes stand out.  Random fact to note: Vinia Mojica makes her first (of many to come) vocal appearance on a Native Tongue crew song.

Belly Dancin’ Dina – Mike Gee and Afrika paint a tale about, well, a belly dancer named Dina.  This was cool, the most interesting part of the song is the bass line sample used during the hook (which MC Breed would later make popular on his “Future In Ya Frontin” hit).  That’s all I got.

Good Newz Comin’ – Interlude…which at nearly 5 minutes is way too long for anyone’s good.

Done By The Forces Of Nature – Mike Gee and Afrika sound pretty good over this subdued jazzy instrumental, which also happens to be the title track.  And you know how I feel when the title song of an album is solid.

Beeds On A String – Wow.  Nothing to see here, folks.  Moving on.

Tribe Vibes – This one did nothing for me.  But KRS-One does make a brief cameo towards the end, so that should count for something, right?

J-Beez Comin’ Through – This JB’s instrumental starts off with a playful piano sample (that sounds like something De La Soul would have used), only to disappear for the bulk of the song and reemerge as the song fades to black. I happened to love the piano sample so the song loses it’s luster when the sample disappears.

Black Woman – Caron Wheeler of Soul II Soul fame gives an assist with a vocal contribution over the hook for this JB’s ode to the black women.  I’ve always liked this song and it still sounds good today.  I love you momma!

In Dayz “2” Come – The JB’s are in apocalyptic mode as they spit rhymes about the end times.  I actually like this song as it doesn’t come off too preachy.  It also helps that I love the instrumental, including the soothing flutes. Nice.

Doin’ Our Own Dang – The JB’s invite fellow Native Tongue members De La Soul, Q-Tip, Monie Love, and Latifah into the studio for this posse cut.  Other than Posdnous no one else turns in memorable verses, but it was nice to hear from some of the other members of the NTs (or maybe I just needed a break from Mike Gee and Afrika).  Overall this was decent.

Kool Accordin’ “2” A Jungle Brother – Afrika reminds me of MC Serch on “Flippin’ Off The Wall Like Lucy Ball” as he’s in full clown mode over this laid back jazz/bluesy track.  Afrika’s not as funny as Serch, but it was cool.

Done By The Forces Of Nature solidifies why the JB’s in my book always will be at the bottom of the Native Tongue totem pole.  With the exception of maybe 5 songs, Done By The Forces is underwhelming and makes for a tedious listen (take that as a warning all those with short attention spans).  Neither Mike Gee or Afrika’s voices or lyrical contributions will hold your attention for too long, which would have been kind of nice since the beats don’t either.   If this is what I have to look forward to for the rest of the JB catalog the future looks pretty bleak.  Oh, well… I guess I do owe the JB’s a thank you for opening the door for ATCQ and De La. There is always a bright side, even if you sometimes have to search for it with a microscope.

-Deedub

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been over a month since my last post.  I’ve been consumed with a move an a bunch of other personal matters, but I promise to have a new post up in the next week or so, and to start posting at least once a week going forward.  For those who care, thank you for your patience.  Hip-hop forever!

-Deedub

Some of you younger readers may find it hard to believe that before Queen Latifah was known as an actress/singer/covergirl, Dana “Queen Latifah” Owens’ initial claim to fame was actually as a rapper. 

Following the path paved by other pioneering female acts like Salt N Pepa, Roxanne Shante, and MC Lyte, Dana decided to pursue the microphone.  She started off beatboxing for an all female rap group know as Ladies Fresh, before she would eventually connect with DJ Mark the 45 King and become one of the original members of the Flavor Unit emcees.  45 King would produce Dana’s first demo, which found its way into the hands of Yo!MTV Raps, Fav Five Freddy, which Tommy Boy Records would eventually hear and enjoy so much they offered Dana a deal, and as they say in the business, the rest is history.

Queen Latifah released All Hail The Queen in November of 89′, with the majority of the production handled by Mark 45 King, with a few production credits from a few hip-hop legends as well (more on that later).  All Hail would eventually earn Latifah a gold plaque as well as heaps of critical acclaim.   

On a personal note I’ve never listened to All Hail The Queen from beginning to end.  I’ve really only heard the singles and radio joints from the album.  The Nature Of A Sista album was my first introduction to the Queen.  I stumbled upon All Hail at a used cd shop for a few bucks and figured I’d give it a shot.  Even if it sucks, its only a few bucks lost.  Right?

Dance For Me –  Latifah uses this 45 King produced track to command the listener to dance for her.  Sorry Dana, I didn’t dance.  This was okay at best, nothing you need to listen to more than once.   Dana does warn you in her first verse that this isn’t going to be life changing lyricism, or even the best you’ve heard from a female.  She was absolutely correct with that assessment.  I appreciate the modesty, Dana.  

Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children – Latifah invites her label mates De La Soul to join her on this posse cut, which shouldn’t be a surprise since Prince Paul produced it.  In true Prince Paul fashion he brings his signature zaniness to the party.  From the movie soundbite at the intro, to the constant changing of the samples, to a chipmunk voice shouting out his peeps, Paul leaves his fingerprints all over the track.  Latifah plays the mother and De La Soul are the sons she birthed.  But not a physical birth…as piritual one.  Yeah, the concept was kind of corny, but the song overall was decent. 

Come Into My House – What would a late eighties hip-hop album be without a house track?  Dana and 45 King provide the backdrop for Dana to personally invite the listener into her house, while repeatedly requesting you give her body (what ever the hell that means…I’m not even sure I want to know)?  I belief this was the second single off the album. Dana’s not in anyone’s top 10 lyricist list (unless we’re talking about female emcees, I guess), but her voice has a certain quality, and when coupled with her solid delivery she turns in a decent performance.  I actually like house music, so this was, and still is, pretty enjoyable for me.

Latifah’s Law – Louis “Louie Louie” Vega (yeah, I’ve never heard of him either) provides a very nice instrumental for the Queen to laid down her law.  Dana sound good enough on the mic, dropping a few clever lines and reppin’ for the motherland.  But the true star on this one is Mr. Vega’s courtesy of his instrumental. I love the cinematic feel the horns bring to the song.

Wrath Of My Madness – Latifah sounds really nice over this funky 45 King produced track,  as she comes of more nimble than anything else on the album up to this point. She rides this mid tempo instrumental beautifully, spilling rhymes all over the track, adding a little reggae chant over the chorus.  Nicely done, Dana.

The Pros – Not to be out done by his former Stetsasonic band mate Prince Paul, Daddy-O contributes this reggae tinged instrumental.  Daddy-O and Dana tag team doing their best to prove to the listener that they are top-notch emcees but don’t quite provide enough evidence. Neither party ever seems to find a comfort zone over this beat.  Daddy-O sounds way too amped up for his first few verses, which must have exerted all his energy, as he sounds worn out by the time he delivers his final lines.  This just…was.

Ladies First – This is probably the most popular song from All Hail The Queen.  Dana invites Monie Love to share the mic, as they take turns repping for the female population of the world.  They both sound pretty good and I love the 45 King’s horn sample over his instrumental.  I think the video version had someone singing the song title over the hook.  But either way it still sounds good.

A King And Queen Creation – 45 King not only provides this horny instrumental, but he also steps out from behind the boards to share mic duties with Dana.  The King and Queen use this decent instrumental to talk a little junk.  Dana sound cool, and while Mark doesn’t sound terrible on the mic, he definitely shouldn’t quit his day job. 

Queen Of Royal Badness – Latifah switches to battle mode firing verbal darts at all competitors.  45 King’s instrumentals plays as the perfect backdrop (of course he brings the horns out, again) for Latifah’s wrath.  This was hot.

Evil That Men Do – KRS-One provides the backdrop for this one, as he borrows a portion of Gil Scott Heron’s “The Revolution Won’t Be Televised” over an extremely generic drum beat that actually works (especially on the hook).  I’m pretty sure Kris wrote Dana’s rhymes as well, as it sounds like he vomited his lines into her mouth, and she in turn regurgitated them back up (he even contributes a few line on the second verse).  This was Latifah’s “message” song, but unfortunately it wasn’t that convincing.  

Princess Of The Posse -This was the demo that Tommy Boy records heard that led to Latifah’s initial deal.  She mixes slick lyrics with reggae chants and sounds solid in the process.  45 King actually leaves the horns out in exchange for a bouncy-bass heavy instrumental that works in an economical kind of way.

Inside Out – This Mark 45 instrumental uses the same sample as Ghostface’s joint “Guest House” (circa Ghostdini:), and the same horn sample Main Source would later use for “Peace Is Not the Word To Play”.  While I love both elements separately, I’m not sure if the two work well when combined.  Like the majority of the album Latifah sounds decent on the mic but doesn’t say anything that will have you hitting the rewind button.   

Dance For Me (Ultimatum Remix) – 45 King’s instrumental sucks all the dancibilty out of the original track, voiding the song’s concept and making this a complete waste of time.  The track’s dullness exposes some weakness in Latifah’s flow that I missed on the original mix.

Wrath Of My Madness (Soulshock Remix) – 45 King adds a bell here and a whistle there, and a few scratches for good measure, but not enough to warrant a remix.  Dude, this was useless.

Princess Of The Posse (DJ The Mark 45 King Remix) – Wow, 45 King borrows a portion of the “Night Court” theme song?  Really?  The bass line works… the problem is the rest of the instrumental doesn’t.  This album could have ended 4 songs ago.

All Hail The Queen represents a time when female emcees required skills and were more than verbal porn stars. Dana uses her debut as a platform to prove that ladies can emcee, and for the most part backs her argument pretty well.  No, she’s not a great lyricist, but you can’t front on her dope voice and solid delivery.  The 45 King’s (which I might add is way too long for an alias) jazzy production works for the most part, and even the guest producers turn in decent to solid instrumentals.   Even though the three remixes tacked on at the end were completely useless, overall All Hail The Queen is a solid effort.  Not spectacular or great, but solid. 

-Deedub

I was a pre-teen  in 1989, and I can remember my mom would take my twin sister and I to Target with her for frequent household need runs, because in a house of 7 someone was always using the last bit of toilet paper without letting her know they used the last roll.  Around the same time I begin receiving my first dosages of hip-hop in the form of music videos.  Each Target visit for me consisted of a stop by the electronic section to check out the new music releases.  On this particular visit I stumbled across 3rd Bass’ The Cactus Album (the compact disc was labeled The Cactus Ceedee, but it 89′ only a select few owned cds. It was all about the cassette tape, son).  Their first single “Steppin’ To The AM”, was in heavy rotation on the video shows, so I proceeded to cohoarse my mom into buying it for me (even though they didn’t condone secular music in the house…I’m a PK), making The Cactus Album my first ever musical purchase (followed by K-Solo’s Times Up and BDP’s Edutaiment a few months later)…or my mama’s first ever musical purchase for me.

For those who don’t know (or can’t tell by the cover art posted above) the emcees of 3rd Bass, M.C. Serch and Prime Minister Pete Nice, are caucasian.  Unlike the Beastie Boys, 3rd Bass weren’t former rockers turned clowns on the mic (although legend has it that Serch attempted to join up with the Beastie after signing to Def Jam), and unlike Mr. Van Winkle they weren’t posers pretending to be something they were not.  Peter “Nice” Nash and Micheal “Serch” Berrin (whose personalities were completely opposite), who were born and bred in Brooklyn and Queens respectively, were two kids who took to the happenings of their environment, which happen to included hip-hop.  Back in 87′ Sam Sever (who would be responsible for the bulk of the production on The Cactus Album) convinced then Columbia University english major Pete Nice (who also hosted a hip-hop radio show at the University) to start rhyming with M.C. Serch, who at this time was already performing solo on the NY club scene.  Add DJ Richie Rich to the mix and 3rd Bass was born.

The trio inked a deal with Def Jam (ironically, right around the same time The Beasties defected to Capitol…coincedence, I think not. Sounds like Russell was looking for another hot white act to cash in on, now that his money cow was gone… but hey, white label Execs do it all the time to black groups, so now were even…well not quite even)  released The Cactus Album in October of 89′ and eventually it would quietly reach gold status, thanks to a few mild hits, with “Gas Face” probably being there biggest.  The duo (I mean trio, sorry Rich) would go one to release one more album together (more on that at a later date) before they disbanded, tried solo careers, then faded into the hip-op obscurity, forever.  Serch actually reemerged in the mid 2000’s, trying the reality tv path (i.e., The White Rapper Show), only to fall deeper into the black hole with added taint on his reputation.

Nostalgia has a funny way of playing tricks on our memory.  Lets see what 20 years has done to The Cactus Album.

Stymie’s Theme – Short instrumental from the Little Rascal…

Sons Of 3rd Bass – I’ve always loved this Sam Sever/Pete Nice concocted production.  It serves as the perfect instrumental to kick off the album as Serch and Nice trade verses over the stellar instrumental.  Pete Nice’s minute plus rambling of someone who apparently pissed him off in that past, is hilarious, but Sam Sever’s movie sample at the very end (“he is stupid, but he knows that he is stupid, and that almost makes him smart”) is hi-larious! Great way to start the show, fellas.

Russell Rush – Russell Simmons rambling about the group name…

The Gas Face – Hip-hop classic and probably 3rd Bass biggest hit to date.  Prince Paul provides the backdrop for 3rd Bass and their invited guest Zev Love X (better known today as the masked one MF Doom) to give sucka emcees (including Hammer, and anybody else they don’t like) the gas face (another way of giving someone the finger). You’re probably familiar with this but if not, get yourself acquainted.  This is essential hip-hip music.

Monte Hall – The Sever-Nice connection unite for the second production credit of the evening, providing a laidback-jazzy instrumental (someone else has used this sample before but I can’t quite put my finger on the song right now) for Serch and Nice to talk about ladies they’ve met at dance halls (which must be an inside joke as even in the late eighties they called them clubs).  This was decent..far from great, but decent enough to listen to without hitting the skip button.

Oval Office – After meeting the ladies at the Monte Hall, natural progression would have the duo taking their feminine acquaintances home to explore their, oval offices (props to Search and Pete for the clever song title). Even more interesting is that the Bomb Squad provides the instrumental (and a few hi-larious vocal samples) for Serch and Pete to, take office over, and they actually sound pretty comfortable over the Bomb Squad production.

Hoods – Interlude…

Soul In The Hole – Serch and Pete use this Sam Sever beat as a simile comparing rapping to basketball, and do a pretty effective job in the process (I love the “you got your socks up to your knee like Michael Cooper” line).  Sever’s instrumental makes for the perfect laid back backdrop for the duo to shoot over.  Who said white boys can’t jump?

Triple Stage Darkness – Serch and Pete Nice provide some interesting rhymes, touching on a bunch of racial issues and misconceptions, with Pete even acknowledging that white privilege does indeed exist.  Sever’s instrumental work matches the duo’s serious substance, perfectly. This was nice.

M.C. Disagree – Useless interlude…

Wordz Of Wizdom – The title doesn’t really fit the content of the song, as Serch and Pete’s rhymes jump all over the place, but Sever’s instrumental work, once again sounds very nice. That’s all I got, kids.

Products Of The Environment – I believe this was the third single off the album. Serch and Pete use this Sam Sever beat to let the listening public know they’re not just two white dudes from the burbs posing as hip-hop heads, but kids that actually grew up in the hood and took to the happenings of their environment. Overall this was a pretty enjoyable listen.

Desert Boots – Interlude setting up…

The Cactus – First there was the Jimmy, then the Bozak, and now…the cactus (which makes me think of Ice Cube’s line:black dude’s jimmies and white boy’s cactus…I know that was random but I had to throw it sonehow).  The duo provide pretty entertaining lines, but the true star of this song is Sam Sever’s drum heavy instrumental.  Wonder what Sam’s up to these days…

Jim Backus – …

Flippin’ Off The Wall Like Lucy Ball – Serch does his best Louie Armstrong impersonation over a jazzy Sam Sever sample.  Twenty years later and this is still hi-larious!

Brooklyn-Queens – Okay, this might have been the third single and ” Product Of The Environment” the fourth?  I can’t quite remember, but I know there are videos for both songs.  Anyway, Sever samples The Emotion’s “Best Of My Love” for the meat of his instrumental that Serch and Pete dedicate to the gold diggers ladies of  Brooklyn and Queens.  I remember this being a lot more enjoyable back in the day than it sounds today. That said

Steppin’ To The A.M. – I’m positive this was the first single off of The Cactus Album.  I still remember Serch bustin’ a move in the video while Pete posted up with his cooler than cool poise.  One thing I did overlook all these years is that The Bomb Squad is responsible for the production on this (which listening to it today I should have been able to tell).  I can’t remember anything Serch or Pete said, but the instrumental was pretty entertaining.

Episode #3 – …

Who’s On Third – Sam Sever and Pete Nice cut up portions of the famous Abbott and Costello skit with random sound bites thrown in for good measure.  Not great, but it’s short which makes it tolerable.

Wordz Of Wizdom (II) – Same lyrics as the original mix with a different instrumental.  Sever’s instrumental this time around sounds empty, rendering the original mix the stronger of the two.

The Cactus Album is one of those hip-hop releases from the late eighties that is often overlooked or just plain forgotten about.  This is understandable when you consider the monster hip-hip releases from the late eighties, if not 88′ alone.  Sam Sever’s production is consistently solid (and at times brilliant) throughout, and while neither M.C. Serch or Pete Nice are great emcees, they both turn in serviceable performances, keeping pace with Sam Sever’s heat.  Like most hip-hop albums there are a few missteps (and way too many skits), but overall The Cactus Album is a solid listen from beginning to end.

-Deedub