Time Is Illmatic

1988 is considered by many to be the finest year in hip-hop, largely due to two important albums by two totally different groups, who ultimately covered the same ground (political and societal ills) from two different perspectives: The first, Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, and a few months later, the second, N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton.

Back in the mid eighties, drug dealer entrepeneur, Eric “Eazy” Wright brought fledgling producer Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, inspiring rappers O’Shea “Ice-Cube” Jackson, Lorenzo “M.C. Ren” Patterson, and DJ Yella (government name, Antoine Carraby) together to form “Niggaz With Attitude”, better known as N.W.A.  They released their debut album N.W.A. & The Posse in 1987 on Macola Records (which was actually a collection of old material from N.W.A. group members as well as a few songs from some of their homies from around the way crew).  Eazy and business partner/manager Jerry Heller would join forces a year later to form Ruthless Records, where N.W.A would release their infamous album Straight Outta Compton.  

Straight Outta Compton was not only met with commercial (it sold over 3 million copies) and critical (it received 5 mics from The Source) acclaim, but it also stirred up a lot of controversy for it violent content.  The FBI even sent Ruthless Records a nastygram due to the lyrical content on “Fuck The Police”. 

But behind all the acclaim and controversy, there was the music. Let’s give her a listen.

Straight Outta Compton – The fellas don’t waste anytime with an intro but instead bust you right in the mouth with this hardcore in your face title song.  I have to admit: it’s funny hearing a “gangsta” Ice-Cube again, after his conversion to the movie director who makes family movies.  Cube and Ren sound convincing, and Eazy turns in a verse too.  This is a bona fide classic, gangsta rap at it’s finest.

Fuck The Police – Yep, N.W.A.’s  infamous love song dedicated to the boys in blue.  Ice Cube sounds sharp and Ren turns in a solid verse over Dre’s minimal production.  This song will always be remembered as the song that got the boys a letter from the FBI, informing the label they weren’t happy with the song’s content.  That has to be a first in hip-hop. 

Gangsta Gangsta -What appears to be an Ice Cube solo joint, throws in a unecessary guest appearance from Eazy E at the very end (which I’m sure was penned by O’Shea so it might as well be an Ice-Cube solo). Ice-Cube gets his “gangsta on” over this Dre produced track with the help of a funky guitar sample. Nice work, O’Shea.

If It Ain’t Ruff – Ren turns in the first true solo joint on Straight Outta Compton: but unfortunately he walks away sounding like an amateur.  Through out the song he does this thing where he said a line and then repeats the same line in reverse (a la Smooth Da Hustla), which sounds cheesy and makes you want to stab yourself in the neck with a pen, similar to what Joe Pesci did to homeboy in GoodFellas.  The empty (and boring) instrumental does nothing to help the song either.  Maybe this a foreshadow to how Ren’s solo career would turn out.  

Parental Discretion Iz Advised – This Posse cut was apparently the last song to be recorded for Straight Outta Compton based on the comment the D.O.C. makes at the intro. I love the live instrumentation, which D.O.C. sounds great over on his opening verse (love the plug for his forthcoming: nice self promotion). Dre bats second and sounds really good knocking it out the box (I’m sure D.O.C. or Cube penned his verse, so I shouldn’t be too generous with my praise).  Cube sounds sharp as usual, and Ren sounds like a completely different emcee than what we heard on the previous song (giving credibility to my previous comment on Ren’s solo career).  Oh yeah, Eazy gets a verse too.  Next to “Straight Outta Compton” this is the second strongest song on the album up to this point. Very nice.  

8 Ball (Remix) – Eazy’s solo joint: which is an ode to his choice of drink. Ice-Cube penned this one for E (as E proudly proclaims in the last verse), which makes sense when you hear him stumbles over three verses full of juvenile tales about his adventures while under the influence.  This was pretty weak.

Something Like That – Ren and Dre tag team the mic over this drowsy Dre/Yella production, which also makes Ren and Dre sound tired, and ultimately put me to sleep while listening (*wiping drool from my chin*).  Dre and Ren discuss song title ideas for this song, at the end, cementing my theory that this was probably a demo they decided to add to the album in the 12th hour. Should of left this one on the cutting room floor.  

Express Yourself – Dre handles microphone duties (though O’Shea wrote the verses) as well as the production on this song that samples Charles Wright’s classic of the same name.  Yes, this is the song that Dre denounces smoking “weed or sess” even though, a few years later smoking chronic would become his favorite pastime and be the substance that his legacy and best musical work would be bases on.  Probably their most commercially successful single and it still sounds pretty good.

Compton’s N The House (Remix) – We get our second collaboration of the night, from Lorenzo and Dre, and unfortunately the result are the same as their first attempt.  The beat is decent but both Ren and Dre’s lyrics sound dated (“wacky wack “?  Really, Dre?), and if the lyrics weren’t bad enough they rap most of the lines in unison (which has always been annoying as hell to me). This is the remix and I’ve never heard the original.  I wonder if the original version sounds any better?  

I Ain’t Tha 1 – O’Shea get his “misogyny on”, on this solo joint: and while his flow sounds choppy at times, he gives us a taste of the strong storytelling skill he would perfect once he went solo.  Dre provides a funky instrumental with a bangin’ bass line and dedicates this one to all the big booty golddigging women out there.  I would love to hear a remix, a duet with Willie D. Though it sounds a bit juvenile today, it’s still entertaining.   

Dopeman (Remix) – O’Shea scores two consecutive solo joints (I guess it not technically a solo since Eazy make a brief appearance on the last verse – but since Cube wrote his lines anyway, well roll with it).  This a remix of the same song originally released on N.W.A. & The Posse (I’ve never heard the original so I’m not sure if it just a different beat or lyrics as well – if  you have the skinny, hit me up in the comments). Cube uses this one to paint a tell about a drug dealer and the lives his occupation effects.  Cube’s blunt delivery of said subject manner, bounces back and forth between sad and funny.  The beat was decent and this turned out to be a pretty solid effort from O’Shea.

Quiet On Tha Set – Ren gets another solo joint (the instrumental sounds like the same track from his first solo “If It Aint Ruff”, just at a difference pace. I don’t remember anything Ren said on this one, other than his promise to come back over a funkier track next time, almost admitting himself that this track sucked, and it did.

Something 2 Dance 2 – This song was wrong in every way imaginable, very bad idea.  Why didn’t anyone tell these fools gangstas don’t dance?

My copy of Straight Outta Compton contains the following bonus songs:

Express Yourself (Extended Mix) – Plays as it reads, but O’Shea makes a brief appearance (hell, it’s only right being he wrote the song) as well as a short cameo from the D.O.C.  But if you never hear this version you’re not missing anything.

Bonus Beats – Skeleton instrumental for Express Yourself.  Not sure why beat is plural in the song title.

Straight Outta Compton (Extended Mix) – Other than a few extra soundbites, lyrical adjustments here and there, and a few unnecessary pauses, this plays like the original.

A Bitch Iz A Bitch – This was included on the 1989 rerelease of N.W.A. & The Posse.  Over a funky Dre beat, O’Shea get is “misogyny on” (again), on this solo joint.  I was waiting for Willie D to pop up for a verse: he would have been hilarious, considering the subject matter (listen to “I’m Not A Gentlemen” from the Geto Boys’ We Can’t Be Stopped album). Even without Willie’s assistance O’Shea’s verses are still entertaining. And with that we’re done.

Straight Outta Compton is clearly a case of image over substance.  N.W.A. grabs your attention (and even scares you) with the title song and “Fuck The Police” (which scared law enforcement); both songs helped validate their hardcore/rebellious image, which sparked the controversy that led to the commercial success of the album.   The problem is after you get passed the three opening tracks, the rest of the album doesn’t carry much weight.  “Parental Discretion Iz Advised”, “Express Yourself”, “Dopeman (Remix)”, and the comical “I Aint Tha 1”, are all solid song, but the other half is nothing but filler material : 2 which were previously released and a few that sound like unfinished demos.

Did The Source Get It Right? If you shave the album in half, then yes, you have a 5 mic album. But they didn’t, so you don’t.  I understand the influence N.W.A. had on gangsta rap and hip-hop in general, but image doesn’t define a quality album.  Regardless of how strong the singles were, there is absolutely no way you can give an album that is only effective half of the time a 5 mic ratings. Let the debating begin.

-Deedub

In 1985 Salt N Pepa, under the tutelage of producer Hurby Luvbug, made a name for themselves off the Get Fresh Crew dis record “Showstopper” (which is pretty weak: props to Dougie and Slick Rick for not responding to that mess).  The song created a buzz on the east coast and received some radio play as well, and was actually released as a single on a small independent label.

Based on the success of “Showstopper”, Salt N Pepa changed their name (they used to go by Super Nature), and their deejay (read the review on Hot, Cool & Vicious-I wonder how salty the original Spinderella is about losing that gig), and signed to then fledgling label Next Plateau.  In 1986 they released their debut album Hot, Cool & Vicious which contained the mega hit that would thrust them into the mainstream, “Push It”, which helped “push it” to platinum status.

Riding high off the commercial success of their debut album the ladies came back in 88′ with their sophomore effort A Salt With A Deadly Pepa (yes, I know that’s a corny title, but it is what it is). Produced entirely by Hurby LuvBug (and The Untouchables: must have been Hurb’s unemployed cousins or something, I’m still not sure what they actually contributed to the album), the ladies looked to build on the same formula as their debut.

Since I didn’t care much for the debut album things couldn’t get much worse the second time around, or could they?  Let’s give her a listen.

Intro Jam – The ladies start the show off with a brief mic check…keep your mind out the gutter!

A Salt With A Deadly Pepa – Over a pretty solid instrumental (that uses the same horn sample from PE’s “Night Of The Living Basshead”) that plays so long before the first verse it fools you in to believing that’s all it will be.  Salt and Pepa join the preceding late and share the mic over two solid verses.  The ladies sound aggressive on the mic and actually turn in serviceable lines (which I’m sure we can credit Hurby Luv Bug for writing). Decent start to the show.

I Like It Like That – The ladies make an obvious attempt to recapture the success of their massive pop hit “Push It”, which fails miserably (although this song actually has structured verses as opposed to repetitive chants of it’s predecessor). This was messy from the jump, no need to listen to this again.  By the way Salt, you don’t “drink” caviar.

Solo Power (Let’s Get Paid) – Since Pep had to step, Salt get’s a solo joint (hence the title of the song), which ironically she spends the majority of her rhymes talking about Pepa. The beat sounds sloppy at times (especially during the breakdowns) but Salt (whom I’ve always had a not so secret crush on, (especially during her Black Magic” days)), who isn’t quite ready for battle, sounds decent on the mic.

Shake Your Thang – E.U. joins the party on this collaboration that samples the Isley Brother’s classic “It’s Your Thing”.  Instead of instructing the listen to push it, the ladies now invite you to shake your thang: this sounds very similar to EU’s “Doing Da Butt”, which pretty much had the same theme.  Salt manages to maintain her flirtatious and sexy delivery, but not appealing enough to save this from being nothing more than pop fluff.  Yuck.

I Gotcha – Hurby (and the Untouchables) uses guitar licks over a drum track as the backdrop for Cheryl and Sandy’s version of a hip-rock song (I’m sure Run-DMC’s success influenced the ladies to try this one).  The guitar sample succeeds in giving the song an edgy feel but sounds super sloppy at times.  Salt and Pepa sound like they’re battling the track as they shout verses about a man who left his old chick to get with them, and…I’m not really sure what the rest of the storyline is on this one and don’t care enough to go back and dissect it.  Thanks to a semi interesting track, this song is barely bearable. I guess it’s safe to say the track won the battle.

Let The Rhythm Run (Remix) – Apparently this was originally in the movie “Colors” (according to the liner notes), which I don’t recall, although, its been years since I’ve actually watched the movie.  The ladies sound decent as they tag team the mic over a pretty solid Hurby Luv Bug production.

Get Up Everybody (Get Up) – I’ve always loved the piano sample sprinkled throughout this song (fellow female emcee Boss (remember her?) would use the same sample years later on her song “Born Gangsta”).  By late eighties standards the production sounds pretty polished.  Sandy and Cheryl sound fresh and rejuvenated as well (though they’re still not ready to battle or anything), easily making this the strongest song on A Salt With A Deadly Pepa up to this point.

Spinderella’s Not A Fella (But A Girl D.J.) – Sandy and Cheryl dedicate this one to their deejay Spinderella, version 2.0.  While it’s a very kind gesture, I’ve never been a huge fan of an emcee ode to their deejay, and this is no exception.  While it’s not terrible it’s far from spectacular.

Solo Power (Syncopated Soul) – Since Cheryl got her’s, its only right that Sandy gets a shot at her own solo joint.  I’ve always thought Salt was the stronger rapper of the two, but that theory’s out the window as Pepa’s lyrics are much stronger then those of her partner in crime on her solo effort.  When you factor in the hot drum rolls and jazzy horn samples, this is the second strongest song on A Salt With A Deadly Pepa.  Nice job, Sandy.

Twist And Shout – Yes, this is a remake of the Beatles classic of the same song title (unfortunately).  This is more of the same pop piffle that would define the ladies career and help them sell a zillion albums.  But don’t get it twisted, this is still terrible.

Hyped On The Mic – The ladies sound decent over this solid Hurby Luv Bug beat.  Salt’s (or was it Pepa, it’s hard to tell whose saying what since they switch microphone duties every other line) threat to pull out her uzi, was pretty laughable.  All in all, this was a decent ending to a very uneven evening.

In my opinion, Hurby Luvbug is a marketing genius: he snatched up two attractive ladies (well at least one, sorry Pep) with solid rap voices, fed them lines to recite over hip-pop (yes, I meant pop) beats with gimmicky subject manner, and occasionally, had them flaunt their sex appeal to ensure the movement of units. The results: two gold and three platinum plaques (the fourth album, Very Necessary, has sold over five mill to date, but I’ll cover that at a later date). Unfortunately, marketing genius doesn’t always add up to quality music. A Salt With A Deadly Pepa does have a few gems (largely due to pretty solid production work from Hurby), but the majority falls flat do to average rhyme skills and formulated (and sometimes corny) subject matter. Stay tuned, we’ll see how Sandy, Cheryl, and Dee Dee’s junior effort Black Magic holds up.

-Deedub

Riding high off the commercial and critical success of their debut Paid In Full,  Eric and William returned in 1988 to release their follow-up effort Follow The Leader.  The success of Paid In Full can largely be credited to Rakim, who redefined the art of emceeing with his strictly business demeanor, intricate rhyme patterns, and potent lyricism. Eric B’s funky samples and stripped down production worked well enough underneath Ra’s rhymes to cultivate a classic.  While Follow The Leader would go on to reach gold status (which has nothing to do with quality) is it good enough to help the duo overcome the dreaded sophomore jinx?

Let’s find out.

Follow The Leader – Over an epic Eric B beat, Rakim schools all followers, literally. Ra goes from wrecking comp, to dropping science (he literally gives lessons on the stars and galaxies), to history lessons, back to finishing off competitors.  Rumor has it Ra and Kane had beef at some point in the late eighties, and took shuttle shots at each other: I wonder if he’s referring to Kane in his last verse (“word to daddy indeed”…”couldn’t follow long enough so I drug em”). Now that’s a battle I’d cut off my right hand to see, if anybody has the inside scoop on that beef hit me up in the comments.  This song might have to go in my top 25 of all time, Rakim’s flow is flawless over this killer Eric B joint.  Nice start to the show.  

Microphone Fiend – These are the type of songs that make me yearn for the golden era.  Rakim kills it over this simple but very raw Eric B instrumental.  You’ll recognize several hip-hop quotables on this. While most recognize Ra as the greatest emcee of all time (a title he’s more than deserving of) one attribute that confirms that for me is his ability to spit top-notch lyrics articulately, and still come across with a hardcore edge, all without using the crutch of curse words. This is a classic joint!

Lyrics Of Fury – A furtified freestyle.  Rakim completely goes bananas over this raw rock tinged track, even adopting a raspy texture to his voice to match the track, which is a nice touch since the R normally comes off pretty composed. This song is sick through and through.  If you call yourself a head, you must become familiar with Eric B & Rakim’s catalog. 

Eric B Never Scared – Eric get his first solo joint, which turns out to be an average instrumental with a few scratches and cuts of Rakim and Bob Marley vocals thrown in for good measure.  This was okay but nowhere near as strong as the first three songs. 

Just A Beat – The distorted vocal that opens this song reminds me of  Ghostface Killah’s reoccurring crackhead character Clyde Smith.  This plays exactly as it reads: for the second song in a row, an Eric B instrumental.  While it isn’t terrible it’s a step down from the previous instrumental, and continues the downward spiral Follow The Leader has suddenly taken. 

Put Your Hands Together – The Casio keyboard intro sound like the kiddy song London Bridge, thank God it’s only the intro. Although the actual beat for the song is an improvement from the intro, it’s not great by any stretch of the imagination.  Rakim sounds pretty good, but not as engaging as he does on the earlier portion of Follow The Leader.  This turns out to be the first song on Follow The Leader that includes Rakim vocals, to qualify as only average.

To The Listeners – It’s amazing how Eric B’s beats went from great to barely bearable in the short period of 6 songs.  This beat has a borderline cheesy Inspector Gadget feel that somehow manages to work when Ra’s slick rhymes lick the track.  This was decent.

No Competition – Ra gets back to living up to the rep that the majority of the hip-hop world donned him with. The track though bare and stripped down,  sets the perfect stage for Ra to spit over.  This was nice.

The R – Many criticized Ra for hooking up with Dr. Dre a few years ago  to work on the now probably forever locked in the vaults Oh My God! project (which I believe would have been much more entertaining than the very average The Seventh Seal project he would release instead).  This proves that years before that venture Ra appreciated the west coast sound, as this definitely hints at the sonic west coast sound that Dre would perfect a few years later.  Ra actually sounds pretty nice over this Eric B production, even though his lyrics aren’t as meaty as most of his other output.

Musical Massacre – Eric B’s track sound very similar to the beat used for EPMD’s “I’m Housin”.  Ra sound great over this hot instrumental.  This still sounds very nice. 

Beats For The Listeners – This is an instrumental of version of “To The Listeners”…and with that we’re done.

Follow The Leader finds Rakim displaying the same lyrical wizardry he first demonstrated on Paid In Full over Eric B’s stripped down and mostly effective production.  Follow The Leader starts off very strong, fizzles in the middle, and starts to build back up its momentum before the show comes to an end.  Rakim’s lyrics are strong throughout the album (if you don’t have him in your top 10 you’re either A) 21 and under or B) Special Ed material), it’s Eric B’s production that contributes to Follow The Leader’s fizzle.  Follow The Leader is definitely not the duo’s best effort but it still sounds better than most of the material from their contemporaries.

-Deedub

Many consider 1988 to be the finest year for hip-hop album releases,  due largely to Public Enemy’s critically acclaimed It Takes a Nation, BDP’s By All Means Necessary, and debut album’s from Big Daddy Kane and a young duo from Brentwood, NY EPMD.

After paying their dues (a term current rap acts aren’t familiar with) on the chitlin circuit Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith signed to Sleeping Bag Records and begin making dollars (the MD in the acroynm EPMD has a different meaning depending on the day of the week you ask: Making Dollars, Mic Doctors, Millennium Ducats, etc.) after the release of their 1988 debut album Strictly Business.  On the strength of their poker faced lyricism and funk beats the duo would go on to earn a gold plague for Strictly Business.  The album would go on to receive much critical acclaim and was also included on The Source‘s revised list of 5 mic albums released in 2002.

Strictly Business – Erick & Parrish set the tone for the evening sampling Eric Clapton’s version of Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff” which makes for a funky and entertaining opening.  Erick sets thing off and introduces the world to his heavily lisp monotone flow, while Parrish’s smooth flow compliments the green-eyed bandit’s sleepy flow nicely.  This song is packed with hip-hop quotables that have been sampled by several artist.  This still sounds great 20 plus years later. 

I’m Housin – The duo sample Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady”, which sounds like an attempt at a dance/commercial record, but still manages to maintain it’s integrity.  P & E sound fresh, and I love this beat.

Let The Funk Flow – The duo manage to make their flow fit this “drunken” beat.  I don’t know if anybody else could rap over this beat and pull it off (even Nas who I put it my top 10, couldn’t do justice to the same beat which he used for  “Nastradamus”).  Even though E’s lyrics are a few step from amateur, this song is a decent listen.

You Got’s To Chill – Certified banger!  The duo sample Zapp’s “More Bounce” for the backbone for this track.  The mic doctors tag team the mic and dissect this beat like pros.  This is classic hip-hop, son!

It’s My Thing – The mic docs spit over a soon to be recycled sample (Jay-Z & Foxy Brown’s “Aint No Nigga”)  with pleasant results.  Erick sounds pretty good but this is clearly Parrish’s show as he rips this beat to shreds. This was a very entertaining 6 minutes of EPMD funk. 

You’re A Customer – The duo serve all competitors over a bouncy bass line.  Although the beat sounds a bit empty this still manages to work, mostly do to the infectious bass line.

The Steve Martin – And then we’re hit with this mess of a song.  EPMD attempt to create a new dance craze named after the actor, best known for his stellar performance in Bringing Down The House, Steve Martin.  I got nothing good to say about this one, this was terrible. By the way, the comment about Bringing Down The House was a joke people.

Get Off The Bandwagon – After a major misstep Erick and Parrish get – back to business.  This song uses the same template as “Customer”: pretty empty beat, with an infectiously bouncy bass line that carriers the song.  This still sounds pretty dope.

D.J. K La Boss – La Boss gets what would be his only solo joint on a EPMD album, as he would be replaced by DJ Scratch after Strictly Business (if anybody knows the story behind his departure, hit me up in the comments, I would love to know).  This was decent, for a deejay joint.

Jane – Ah, the first edition of the infamous Jane series: Jane is a “skeezoid” (I love that term but man does it sound dated) that Erick got with back in the day, and the stories would get more weird with each chapter (there is a Jane song on each of EPMD’s 7 albums). In this particular case, Erick waste 3 minutes on an uninspired verse on a pointless tale of his sexual shortcomings.  This was a terrible way to end a nearly flawless album.

If you’re looking for a socially conscious hip-hop album, Strictly Business isn’t the place for you.  But if you’re looking for quality lighthearted-braggadocio hip-hop you’ve come to the right party.  Strictly Business strives off of the duo’s funk and bass heavy production and witty lyricism, helping E & P live up to the album’s title.  Strictly Business is a solid effort and a great debut for the legendary duo.

Did The Source Get It Right? Strictly Business comes close but no cigar.  While “Jane” is definitely weak, it’s bearable, and I’d be willing to over look it.  But there is absolutely no forgiving the train wreck that was “The Steve Martin”.  You shave off those two tracks and we have a 5 micer, but since those two tracks exist we have a 4.5 er.  Holla.

-Deedub

Antonio Hardy, who does business under the alias of Big Daddy Kane, first came on the hip-hop scene under the umbrella of Marley Marl and his legendary Juice Crew back in 1986.  After ghostwriting for Biz Markie, Biz introduced Kane To Marley, and Antonio would release his debut album Long Live The Kane, in which Marley would handle all the production duties. 

On the strength of Antonio’s lyrical output, Long Live The Kane would go on to earn the praise of  hip-hop purists, and would be considered by many a hip-hop masterpiece (even The Source crowned it with 5 mics…14 years after it’s release).  That was then and this is now.  Let’s see if Long Live The Kane can stand the test of time.

Long Live The Kane – Antonio comes right out the gates rippin’ ish over this vintage Marley Marl produced instrumental.  This is Kane at his rawest, years before he would become the polished and smooth ladies man.  In other words, this is Kane at his best.  Nice way to start the evening, Antonio.

Raw (Remix) – Well said: Over a raw instrumental, Antonio spits some of his rawest lyrics.  This song serves as a sample on why most consider Kane top 10 of all time.  If you listen carefully after the last verse, Marley gets a little sloppy with the final mix, as there is a thud that sounds like it was missed during the final mix (or maybe that was left in to make the song live up to its title).  This still sounds nice.

Set It Off – For the third consecutive track Marley samples a James Brown record (which was pretty much standard protocol for late eighties hip-hip albums).  The beat is simple and raw, which sounds perfect underneath Kane’s lyrics.  Kane sounds like he was on a mission for microphone supremacy, dude’s a beast!  I’m not dick riding, but you got to put Kane in your top 10.  Marley must feel good to know he played a part in jump starting the career’s of two of the greatest emcees of all time(Rakim being the other).

The Day You’re Mind – And this is where Long Live The Kane‘s run at perfection crumbles.  Antonio does his best LL impression, making his attempt at a rap ballad, and needless to say he fails miserably.  Who in the hell is Andre Boothe?  Better question, why did Antonio let him sing – or should I say squeal – over the hook?  From the beat, to the singing, even Antonio’s content, this song was terrible, dude.

On The Bugged Tip – Kane and his back-up dancer Scoob Lover trade verses over Marley’s track, which samples Debarge’s “I Like It” (nice job of dicing that one up, Marley).  While Antonio’s the real star of this show, Scoob managing to hold your attention on the mic (it was funny to hear his Atari reference).  This was a fun song, but still very solid.

Ain’t No Half Steppin – I have one word:classic.  I believe this was the first single off of Long Live The Kane, and over 20 years later this sounds fresher than ever.  From the voice, delivery, vocabulary, and wit, Antonio proves he’s the real deal (I’m riding again, aren’t I? Sorry).  I’ve always loved the second verse, where he continues to build on each previous line, before he hit’s you with an “ahh shit”, nice.  Superior emceeing mixed with a superb beat equals a masterpiece.

I’ll Take You There – I guess you can call this Kane’s “socially conscious” song, or just his interpretation of Martin Luther King “I Have A Dream” speech (or John Lennon’s “Imagine”).  Antonio dreams of a world free of violence and where African’s can eat all the Red Lobster they want, free of charge (I’m serious, listen for yourself).  He even mentions watching movies on his VCR, and for the second time on the album we get an Atari reference, once again dating this song. Marley jacks The Staples Singers’ beat (of the same title) wholesale, bringing nothing new to it, which makes the track sound lazy.

Just Rhymin’ With The Biz – Biz says it best at the very beginning of this song: funky.  Marley uses James Brown’s “The Payback” for the basis of this freestyle session.  Biz warms things up for his former puppet master, on the opening verse (where he mentions watching his beta, hi-arious!), and from there Antonio rips ish to shreds.  He even uses a portion of his closing verse from “On The Bugged Tip”, but it still works as he build around it. I repeat, you must include Kane in your top 10.

Mister Cee’s Master Plan – This is Kane’s ode to his deejay, Mister Cee.  I love the line about “killer cuts, leaving bodies on record labels”, nice.  It was also pretty amusing to hear Mister Cee cut Kane off at the end of the song so he could get in his shout outs.  Far from the best material on Long Live The Kane, but still decent.

Word To The Mother (Land) –   Antonio shows his black consciousness side over Marley’s beat, which borrows liberally from James Brown’s “Funky President”.  This was far from spectacular, but it was a decent listen, and a decent way to end the show. 

Most debut albums from hip-hop artist from the mid to late eighties, presented emcees who showed potential but were still wet behind the ears and at times sound a bit amateurish.  Big Daddy Kane’s Long Live The Kane does not fall into that category.  From the jump Kane comes out on fire as he displays the technique and wit of a wily vet,  while Marley Marl’s stripped down but more than sufficient production, compliments Antonio’s flow beautifully.  Again, Kane should be in everyone’s top 10.

Did The Source get it right? I can overlook the inclusion of “I’ll Take You There”, but the mishap that was “The Day You’re Mine” knocks Long Live The Kane out of the running for perfection.  Maybe next time, Antonio.

After the tragic death of deejay Scott LaRock in 1987 (he was murdered just months after the release of Criminal Minded), Krs-One would come back and release his sophomore effort By By All Means Necessary in 1988.  Many remember By All Means Necessaryfor the infamous cover art (which is a re-enactment of  the famous Malcolm X gazing out the window with gun in hand pic), but more importantly it’s the album where Kris’s teacher persona would begin to bloom.   Without his partner in crime (no pun intended) Kris would not only be responsible for microphone duties, but would also take care of all the production on By All Means Necessary (rumor has it that BDP begin working on By All Means Necessary before Scott’s death, so I’m not sure how much input Scott had on the production side of things).  By By All Means Necessary was added to the Source’s 5 mic list and is considered by most heads, a classic.  Let’s see if the teacher’s creation stands up over 20 years later.

My Philosophy – Kris’ flow has improved 100 fold since his rookie album Criminal Minded, and he does a nice job of balancing intellect and bustin’ emcees asses on this opening track.  You’ll probably recognize a few sound bites borrowed from Kris and used on other artists songs (Black Moon’s “How Many Emcees” immediately comes to mind, but I know there are several others).  Kris also did a pretty good job on the production side.  Nice way to start the evening, Kris.

Ya Slippin’ – What in the hell is the mumble mouth mush Kris’ boy is talking about at the song’s intro?  Although, the comment about dude’s yellow coat was kind of funny.  Kris is in full battle mode as he rips shit over the rough guitar licks laid over the simple drum beat.  This was nice, so far so good.

Stop The Violence – Over this reggae influenced track, Kris encourages us all to stop the violence in hip-hop, and mostly manages to stay on topic (aside from the first verse, which he spends most his time advocating rewriting the Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation, and consumed with where President Regan spends his vacation time, only loosely relating the verse to violence: and the violence he does refer to, really has nothing to do with hip-hop).  Even though the first verse veers off course, it still manages to sound pretty good.  Kind of funny to hear Kris shout out his – at the time wife – Ms. Melody during his song ending freestyle (*shiver*).  I can’t help but wonder what forged that union… or maybe even more interesting, what caused their marriage to fold.  If anybody knows, feel free to share in the comments.  Back to the song, it was a decent listen.

Illegal Business – Kris goes into full-fledge teacher mode and brings up the controversial issue of the drug trade, and the government’s involvement in the whole ordeal.  Kris’ track matches his subject manner perfectly: and even if you don’t believe that there are crooked cops cashing in on the drug trade, or that the government polices drug distribution, it’s definitely food for thought.  This is a really good song.

Nervous – Kris spends over 4 minutes shouting out his peeps and talk random gibberish (and in case you can’t or don’t read the liner notes, he reinforces who is exactly responsible for, writing, producing, and directing By All Means Necessary.  The track is all over the place, which grows annoying after a while: but this is the middle of the album, so if you view it as an intermission for the maestro, it doesn’t sound as bad, I guess.

I’m Still #1 – And now back to our normally scheduled program.  Kris completely rips his two verses to shreds over this minimal track (I’ve always loved the horns that begin each verse and lead into the hook).  It was interesting to hear Kris claim there was no old school yet, since at the time hip-hop wasn’t even 20 years old, and only after it was 50 years old could we start labeling artist old-school.  Since Kris probably has his AARP card now, I’d say it’s safe to call him an old school artist.  This was by far the best track on By All Means Necessary up to this point.

Part Time Suckers – This was kind of weird, especially the parts where he acts as a human dictionary.  The combination of a bland beat and random lyrics, make for a pretty weak song.

Jimmy – This is nothing more than a public service announcement, to wear your jimmy hats..put a sock on your pickle…I guess I have to spell it out for you people: PUT A CONDOM ON YOUR DICK!  THERE ARE DISEASES WAITING TO KILL YOU PEOPLE!  With the subject manner and DJ Red Alert’s ad-libs throughout the song, make this sound too similar to the Jungle Brothers’ “Jimbrowski”.  At least he shots the JB’s out for the terminology.

T’cha – T’cha – Kris encourages the listener to come to the “t’cha”, which is probably not a good idea if you’re looking for spelling lessons, being he doesn’t seem to know how to spell his own occupation correctly.  Ebonics aside, Kris’ beat (which managed to teeter between really generic and rough and raw) mostly works, and his vocal work compliment the track nicely.

Necessary – This is pretty much a spoken word outro to end the night’s proceedings (a portion of it can also be found inside the liner notes with some pretty glaring typos, which I only discovered after reading along while listening during this write-up.  I also discovered Ms Melody was the wardrobe consultant for the artwork, which kind of explains the leather coats and matching leather pants on the back panel of the insert).  I guess this was an okay ending.  Although, it might have worked better without the annoying background noise (seriously, you can’t call that crap a beat), which only draws your attention away from Kris’ fairly interesting lyrics.

By All Means Necessary finds a young KRS-One making a strong impression as he finds his artistic footing and improves on his output from his debut Criminal Minded.  Not only is Kris’ lyrical output more polished on By By All Means Necessary but the production is also brought up a notch higher than it’s predecessor.  Kris’s teacher persona comes in to full bloom on By By All Means Necessary, and finds Kris balancing lessons, battle raps, and humor.

Did The Source Get It Right?  I’ve always been a firm believer in less is more (especially when talking about hip-hop albums), which By All Means Necessary benefits from greatly.  There are a handful of bona fide classics here (“My Philosophy”, “Ya Slippin”, “Illegal Business”, and “Still #1”), and a few solid songs (“Stop The Violence” and “T’cha – T’cha”) to okay songs (“Jimmy” and “Necessary”). The inclusion of “Part Time Sucker” and “Nervous” (which is only passable if viewed in the context which I discussed up top) take By All Means Necessary from a 5 mic to a 4.5.

-Deedub

After releasing their debut album Yo! Bumrush The Show in 1987, Public Enemy came back in 88′ with their sophomore effort It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (which is a mouthful to say or spell, so I’ll refer to it as It Takes A Nation for the remainder of this write-up).  While Yo! at times showed pieces of the political/conscious stance PE is known for, It Takes A Nation is where these same stances would fully blossom and flourish.  With the same cast of characters from the debut,  Chuck D, Flava Flav, Terminator X, Professor Griff, The SW1’s, and the Bombsquad, would pick up where they left off at on Yo!  Most critics consider It Takes A Nation not only PE’s finest moment, but one of (if not the) best hip-hop albums ever created…while some will take it a step further and argue it’s the greatest album of any genre ever made.  Needless to say,  it was also included on The Source’s 5 mic list (as well as #48 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 greatest albums of all time list).

How does it stack up 20 plus years later?  Let’s find out.

Count Down To Armageddon – PE uses a piece of live footage taken from a concert in London, England…not much to see here folks, just a rap album intro.

Bring The Noise – I never was a huge fan of this song.  Chuck sounds pretty good, and the beat was okay.  You’ll also be able to pick out a handful of popular sound bites used in other artist songs.  I guess it’s an okay song.

Don’t Believe The Hype – This serves as It Takes A Nation’s first certified banger.  The Bombsquad, whose beats tend to become too busy for my taste, provide a simple yet funky track for Chuck D to spit over.  If you’re a Roots fan you may recognize part of the second verse as source material for Game Theory’s “False Media”.  I’ve always loved the inclusion of the media assassin, Harry Allen’s bit part and the end.  And for the second consecutive song, Flav takes us out with his nonsensical gibberish.  This song is still dope (yeah, I said dope, what?!).

Cold Lampin With Flavor – Flav’s solo.  Remember what I said about Flav’s gibberish on the two previous songs?  This time he gets an entire song to spit nonsense on, which the majority of the time sound completely sloppy.  The track was pretty boring, which compliments Flav’s lyrics perfectly.  On a side note: they have the lyrics printed in the liner notes, but Flav fails to spit the final line which he rambles on about “fandangoes” and damangoes”…thanks for sparing us the pain, Flav.  The only reason I can guess this song even exist is because Chuck needed an intermission?

Terminator X To The Edge of Panic – I love Terminator’s scratches (especially the intro scratches) on this one.  Chuck spits solid verses (as Flavor Flav only gets a few bars here and there, which probably better qualify as ad-lib) over this Terminator X produced track.  This is still pretty enjoyable.

Mind Terrorist  – This is pretty much an instrumental interlude which includes a Flavor Flav sound bite that’s looped and played over and over again.  The beat is okay, and it ends just before the Flavor Flav sample becomes annoying.

Louder Than A Bomb – Carlton’s paranoia reaches new levels as he mentions at least a billion times in three verses, that his phone is tapped by the government.  Other than his panic attacks, Carlton sounds pretty good, but unfortunately I can’t say the same for this empty Bombsquad produced track (this time it’s simplicity isn’t effective like it was on “Don’t Believe The Hype”)

Caught, Can We Get A Witness? – Carlton tackles the controversial issue of record sampling, which started to become a huge deal in the late eighties and early nineties.  Carlton spits razor-sharp lines (with a few ad-libs from his buddy Flavor Flav) over this decent Bombsquad track.   I love the last verse were he calls out “spineless” singers who confuse “sex for profit” with legitimate love songs, which I assume he uses as an excuse to jack their beats without permission.  Nice.

Show Em’ Whatcha Got –  If this is your first time hearing this song you’ll immediately recognize the horn sample which was later used on Wrecks N Effect’s “Rump Shaker”, and if you’re really young you’ll only remember it being used by Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got”.  Either way, this is simply an instrumental interlude…with sound bites from yours truly, Flavor Flav.

She Watch Channel Zero?! – Carlton’s back on his soapbox on this ode to women who watch mindless tv shows.  The Bombsquad provide their typical overly busy track, which works well this time, with the help of the rock tinged guitar licks.  It was kind of funny to hear Flavor continuously tell his girl to turn off the “soaps” so he can watch the basketball game or the SuperBall (because sports are really food for thought, right?).  Little did we know 20 years later Flav would be making the same garbage Channel Zero tv shows he warns us about.  Hypocrite.

Night Of The Living Baseheads – Carlton’s back with another Public Enemy Service announcement: this time and ode to the basehead, or as the kids call them these days, crackheads.  I still remember the extended video for this song, which is easily accessible on the World Wide Web and pretty entertaining.  Chuck’s lyrics are sharp over this chaotic and sick Bombsquad track.  I wonder if the emcee turned crackhead, Chuck mentions during the last verse is somebody we may know (hmm…).  This actually sounds better today than it did 20 years ago, fine wine, baby.

Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos – Carlton plays the role of a military draftee who refuses to go to war for a racist country (i.e. The United States), and in return gets thrown in the state pen.  The Bombsquad provide one of their best beats (the Isaac Hayes sample has been used on several other songs since, but never again would it be used this well and sound this good) for Carlton’s booming vocal to paint a very vivid storyline over, making this a bona fide masterpiece.

Security Of The First World – Instrumental Interlude…

Rebel Without A Pause – The sample on this song sounds a lot like the one used on “Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic”, with a different tempo.  It still works well enough for Carlton to spit rare braggadocio rhymes (it was kind of strange to hear him boast about his love of wrangler jeans, WTF? Can’t you just see Chuck and Brett playing catch in the next Wrangler commercial, rocking their favorite jeans?) with a few jewels thrown in for good measure.  This was nice.

Prophets Of Rage – Chucky sounds great, but this song simply falters do to the under mixed track. I’m listening to this with my ear buds on my laptop: you can barely hear what the sample is doing, and if each element was moved to its own track and recorded, the effect would have been killer, but unfortunately it’s not.  It is was it is (try listening to this with quality headphones and see if you catch what I’m talking about).

Party For Your Right To Fight – A play off of the title of the Beastie’s party anthem, “Fight For Your Right”, (they even sample a sound bite from said song for a portion of the hook), with a theme similar to PE’s arguably biggest hit “Fight The Power”.  While this was a decent way to end a conscious/politically charged album, I didn’t really care for it. And with that we’re done.

It Takes a Nation effectively builds on the foundation that was laid by Yo! Bumrush The Show!  Chuck D completely comes into his own, spitting verses full of purpose, while managing not to come across too preachy, and throwing in an occasional boast for good measure.  While Chuck proves to be a more than capable emcee, my frustration lies within the production, and while they do have some certified bangers (“Don’t Believe The Hype”, “Channel Zero”, “Living Baseheads”, and “Black Steel”), the overall production on It Takes A Nation tends to be a bit uneven.

Did The Source Get It Right?  While I might get accused of blasphemy and stoned for this next statement: No, they didn’t.  The singles off of It Takes A Nation (which were all pretty strong) are what carry this album and make many consider it one of the greatest albums of all time.  The importance of PE’s image and message is immeasurable,  as they came at the perfect time and reshaped hip-hop.  Unfortunately due to the lackluster production and Flavor Flav’s antics (i.e. “Cold Lampin With Flavor”), pound for pound (or song for song) It Takes A Nation doesn’t quite stack up.  Sorry, go ahead and speak your peace in the comments.

-Deedub