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“Rik’s Joint”-The Beatnuts

Taken From: “Street Level”-The Beatnuts (1994, Relativity)

Is there any doubt that the Beatnuts “Street Level” is one of the best produced albums in Hip Hop?  I mean, c’mon…I dare you to point out one “less-than-stellar” track on this CLASSIC.  Not only is this one of the best produced albums ever, but the first full-length outing (being that 93′s “Intoxicated Demons” was an EP release) from Psycho Les, JuJu & Fashion also served as the most cohesive piece of work from this Corona, Queens trio.  True, the Beatnuts scored their biggest smash on 1997′s “Stone Crazy” with the Big Pun/Cuban Link (shit, where is that dude these days?) featured “Off Books”, but there’s no doubt that “Street Level”, when all is said and done will go down as the album the Beatnuts are most revered for.

Sampling Hugo Montenegro’s “Again”, the Beatnuts touched new grounds with the last joint on side A of “Street Level”, the Miss Jones-assisted, “Rik’s Joint”.  Although, I’m not quite sure where the title to this smooth-ass track originates, the Beatnuts definitely went “outside their comfort zone” with this self-produced jam for astounding results.  Yes, once again we have yet another track that features “buttery vocals” on the hook courtesy of the now-infamous radio personality, while the Beatnuts stick to their guys, sh*t talkin’ with the best of ‘em!  The track reeks of the ‘Nuts signature sounds: bass that rattles your ribcage, swift drums and clever sample utilization.  Damn, after listening to this track once more, does anyone else yearn for another Beatnuts album featuring all three original members?

“Jiggable Pie”-AMG

Taken From: “Bitch Betta’ Have My Money”-AMG (1992, Select)

Believe it or not, AMG’s overlooked gem, “Jiggable Pie” was the first time I experienced the usage of the Emotions “Blind Alley”.  Don’t get it twisted, “Jiggable..” isn’t just all about the music either.  AMG’s “Bitch Betta..” was a pretty hefty serving of sex, misogyny, blatant sample jerking and clever one-liners, pretty much everything I looked for in a record at the age of 16, HaHa!  With the A-side of the cassette labeled as “On Top”, and the B-Side “On Bottom”, you could pretty much get the gist of the album’s subject matter just by glancing at the album’s insert.  A fairly decent debut (although, 1995′s “Ballin’ Outta’ Control” contained much less filler), “Bitch..” will not only be remembered for the album’s title cut, but also tracks like the Boss-featured “Mai Sista Izza Bitch”, the Funky Worm-laced “Vertical Joyride”.

“Jiggable Pie” was also self-produced by AMG, who blessed the cut with classic lines such as:  “I try to get a head when I get behind”, “Fe Fi Fo Fum I spread the jam for the ho-hums” and “would you let me smack it up, flip it an rub it down to the bone/Call me when your Moms ain’t home”..not the most mind-blowing lyricism on paper, but the true genius of the record lies within the content (if that makes any sense at all?).  Sort of a more-lyrically advanced Too Short, AMG’s “Jiggable Pie” was one of the funkiest, most neck-snapping odes to sex to ever hit airwaves.

“Brother, Brother”-Big Daddy Kane f. Little Daddy Shane

Taken From: “Prince Of Darkness”-Big Daddy Kane (1991, Cold Chillin’)

The title of this selection could have just as well been “Best Song from an album that sucked”, being that “Prince Of Darkness” didn’t really improve on an album that started the decline of Big Daddy Kane’s career (“Taste Of Chocolate”).  Even though the album may have featured tracks such as the Q-Tip & Busta Rhymes featured “Come On Down” and a pretty dope title cut, it’s a pretty fair judgment to think that “Prince Of Darkness” is an album that the man who’s responsible for “Ain’t No Half-Steppin” would like to forget.  To solidify my previous statement, just take on listen to “I’m Not Ashamed” from the album and get back at me.

However, “Prince Of Darkness” wasn’t a complete bomb…just really, really close to it.  The standout cut from the album was without a doubt, “Brother, Brother”, a fitting title since the track also featured Big Daddy’s little brother, Little Daddy Shane (C’mon, you gotta’ be more original that that!).  Borrowing from Barry White’s “I’m Gonna’ Love You Just A Little More, Babe” and Lee Dorsey’s infamous drums from”Get Out Of My Life, Woman”, “Brother, Brother” is a pass the mic, freestyle fest a la Erick and Parrish, without the lisp, of course.  It’s hard not to nod your head to a sample selection(s) that always seems to work, thrown in classic Kane lines like: “I keep a fleet of women, probably one of them’s your moms” and you have a dose of vintage Big Daddy.

“Check It Out”-Das Efx

Taken From: “Straight Up Sewaside”-Das Efx (1993, East/West)

Now, some would argue that after many years Das Efx’ sophomore album, the sans-iggedy, diggedy “Straight Up Sewaside” may very well be a more solid effort than the duo’s CLASSIC debut, “They Want Efx”.  Truthfully, I’m not really seein’ it…if anything, I’d place “Straight Up..” as Das’ 3rd best release, behind 95′s “Hold It Down” (and if they would’ve trimmed a few tracks off of “Hold It..”, it would have been something REALLY special!).  I can recall being extremely let down after purchasing this album the same day as Queen Latifah’s “Black Reign” (which I consider to be the best female release EVER), “They Want Efx” was original, mind-blowing and charismatic….this was just “blah” to me as Das where truly victims of their own style being jocked to death.

However, “Check It Out” will always hold a special place in my heart (awwww, how nice).  Yep, this along with Queen La’s “4 The DJs”, Redman’s “Time 4 Sum Aksion” (obligatory) and Pete & CL’s “Mecca & The Soul Brother” (single) served as “warm-up music” for my High School B-Ball games.  You shoulda’ tried pause-taping the cusses outta’ those joints, that was a task in itself!  Underrated as well, the duo of Solid Scheme unleash the most prominent example of groggy funk this side of EPMD, a perfect extension of the wizardry found on Das’ debut.  Drayz and Scoob may have been overly comedic on “They Want If Efx”, but they make it plain and simple on “Check It Out” that they’re not out to play games on what may be the hardest track they ever blessed.

“Keep It Moving”-Hi Tek f. Kurupt, Q-Tip & Dion

Taken From: “Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip” (2006, BabyGrande)

Keeping up with more recent times, I have decided to shed light on one of my most favorite cuts over the last few years, Hi-Tek’s “Keep It Moving”, from an album that received a less than favorable response when compared to it’s predeccesor (“Hi-Teknology”). Hi-Tek’s sophomore album did have it’s fair share of highlights (see: the J-Dilla ode “Music For Life”, “Let It Go” and “Where It All Started At”), but also had more than a handful of flops (specifically “The Chip” & “Baby We Can Do It”).  However, this average LP was less then expected from an above average producer.

Now, the good:  featuring a somewhat…um, odd (?) pairing of Q-Tip & Kurupt, on paper “Keep It Moving” has “failure” written all over it.  Much to my surprise, this track worked beautifully!  The unforeseen highlight of this track was the vocal performance from crooner, Dion (see Game’s “Runnin” from “The Documentary”), who also lent his lungs for two additional cuts on the “Hi-Teknology 2″ (“Where It All Started” and “Let It Go”) to mixed results.  I don’t know if dude ever plans on dropping a solo joint, if he does I’m buyin’!!  An “uplifting” track to say the least, Hi-Tek’s production on this joint is a mixture of sparse drums and a haunting sample that nearly gives you goosebumps.  A sure-fire recipe for a memorable track, no doubt.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!SHAMELESS PLUG!!!!!!!!!!!

For the fellow SneakerHeads like myself out there, I just posted a listing of my kicks up for grabs at EBAY (CLICK to view)…any questions, feel free to gimme a shout!!

“Self Titled”-Intelligent Hoodlum (1990, A & M)

Purchase “Intelligent Hoodlum” via Amazon

Marley Marl is a mastermind, a brilliant wizard, a virtuoso by all means!  Let’s just say the man changed the face of Hip Hop Music emphatically. He introduced various heavyweights like the Big Daddy Kanes, the Craig Gs, the Master Aces, the MC Shans and the Kool G Raps and dropped a compilation album in 1988 on the renown Cold Chillin’-Label called “In Control Volume 1″ (with the ultimate anthem “The Symphony”) to officially present his X-Men-Click the “Juice Crew” to our defunct universe. And then there were two tracks, “The Rebel” and “Live Motivator”, starring a boyish sounding kid called Percy / Tragedy… Now I am indeed very familiar with all the stories that have been told about the man before he became Khadafi: How a 13 year old Percy Chapman had to sleep on Marley’s stoop before the legend gave him a shot and actually started recording with him; how my man had to do 20 months on Rikers Island right after his debut on “In Control Volume 1″, an experience pushing him to his adolescent limits and forcing him to realize how he had to change his ways and what he successfully managed to emphasize on his debut album. But I will tell you a little different story: Back in 1993 when the hype about Nas releasing an album reached uncalled heights and the title of that album “Illmatic” was circulating our airwaves, I told everybody Mr. Jones is a biter!

Yes Sir, your icon of now majestic realm, the Nasty Nas turned Escobar turned God’s Son, had taken the title of his debut-masterpiece off a rhyme Tragedy had delivered back in ‘88 from a song called “The Rebel”: “The rap automatical, the rhymatical / Forget ill, I get illmatical / Biceps pulsating in my lungs / Queensbridge Projects is where I’m from” (later on, Nas told the world that Tragedy’s been one of his idols). It wasn’t really the “illmatical” phrase that’s been buried in my mind for years. It was the graphic line “Biceps pulsating in my lungs” (take a minute to think about the line, it’s stupid folks) that had me going berserk and therefore, I knew right away where Nas had found his “inspiration”. See, both of the songs Tragedy dropped back on “In Control” were overshadowing every house-hold name featured on that album. “The Motivator” used unseen vocabulary and excelled in every branch. But that didn’t seem to help him cause any fanfare when his debut “Intelligent Hoodlum” was released in 1990. For once, his label A&M Records chose to call him Intelligent Hoodlum too and not Tragedy (don’t ask me why!). Then, my man didn’t come out on Cold Chillin’ like everybody else from the “Juice Crew” (and what every fan would have had expected) and the whole project was left nearly unnoticed by the die-hard addicts. Still, the album was everything of a treasure if you ask me.

Starting from the incredibly simple artwork (maybe I should drop a top ten list of best album-covers of all time!?), the mostly dark and gloomy production of Marley Marl that touched a realm of mysticism (and certainly something the man was not known for) and up to the impeccable lyrics delivered, this adventure felt unusual but very “right”. The first song (it was called Intelligent Hoodlum too and somebody from A&M should have felt a little weird) was magic (”I’m the Intelligent Hoodlum – reactor, I cause fear / Writing like Mark Twain, recite like Shakespeare”), “Back To Reality” ingenious, “Black and Proud” bold and “Microphone Check” playful! But the stand-out track had to be “Arrest the President” where he said: “Someone yelled out: Get the hell out / Evil fell out, but I’m no sell-out / Black’s the mineral, white subliminal / Arrest the President, he’s the criminal”. I could go on for days quoting lines form this album but I have to admit, I slept on this initially only to go back and listen to it again right after “In Control Volume 2″ came out in 1991. Still, this is a classic…-Rasul

“Black And Proud”

“Ruff, Rugged & Raw”-Double XX Posse aka Double X (1995, Atlantic)

Purchase “Ruff, Rugged & Raw” via Amazon

Ooooh, it’s about that time folks!! The days of “30 Albums To Get You Thru November” are almost numbered. Believe me, it’s getting hard to meet that quota as well for numerous reasons (not wanting to “double up” on uploads, and never actually taking the time to “sit down” and rank each release numerically). On with today’s last posts! In regards to Double X’s (formerly Double XX Posse) “Ruff, Rugged & Raw, I actually had a real difficult time trying to pick between their 1995 release and “Put Ya Boots On” which featured classic cuts like “Not Gonna Be Able To Do It” and tales of police brutality on “The Headcracker” (no pun intended, ha ha). Lo & behold, I have to go with the more cohesive and better production featured on “Ruff, Rugged & Raw.

With 95% of the production duties handled by Double X themselves (why am I thinking that T-Ray had a heavy involvement in the production as well?) , the album is loaded with East Coast flava‘ from beginning to end. Reliant on echoed horn loops, murky drums and rolling basslines “Ruff….” is one of the golden era’s most slept-on and overlooked gems to ever come outta’ New York. I can remember digging for this one for quite some time in PA, I don’t know if Big Beat distributed very few copies of the album or what, but I had a hard to getting my hands on a copy for the longest. The highlight of this album for me, comes at the expense of the Lord Finesse masterpiece “Money Talks”, which is in my opinion Finesse’s greatest piece of work on the boards…EVER!! You’ll see “Money Talks” pop up on my “Top 25 Beats Of All Time”. On the mic, Sugar Ray is easily distinguishable and carries most of the workload on this one, with BK providing back up from time to time. Sugar Ray was always a dope emcee in my eyes, his lyrics where never “top notch” but his delivery and presence more than compromised his lyrical downside. If you love that “ol New York rap” here’s anotha‘ gem for you…..but why in the hell did I always think that Double X hailed from Jersey. There’s very little info floating around the net’ in regards to Double X Posse, so if I’m incorrect someone give me a shout.

“Money Talks”

“2000″-Grand Puba (1995, Elektra)

Purchase “2000″ via Amazon

Yet another difficult selection for me…believe it or not, I placed Grand Puba’s 1995 release “2000″ ahead of his solo debut “Reel To Reel” on my “Top 100″. The reasoning behind this is fairly simple, the growth that Puba displayed between “Reel To Reel” and “2000” was quite evident. I mean, we all loved “Reel To Reel” but face it….the production was far from polished, but the dusty samples and sparse drum kicks were all part of the attraction. With “2000″ is was clear that Puba packed a few rounds in his holster attempting to crack the urban charts. The most radio friendly track on “Reel To Reel” was more than likely “360 (What Goes Around)”..on “2000″ there are several recognizable instances. For example, let’s take the summer anthem “I Like It” armed with a nice, lighthearted, uptempo beat courtesy of Mark Sparks and a breezy, soulful chorus this track should have actually received more play and received more attention than it actually did. Another notable track would have to be the opener “Very Special” which is yet another Mark Sparks head-nodder..why didn’t this one hit the urban radio charts?…I don’t know.

Overall, the album is much better as a whole than Puba’s previous release. Remember when Treach of Naughty By Nature stated that Puba was “one of the fiercest emcees” on Naughty’s self titled debut? Well, that fierceness is toned down a bit on “2000″ for the listener who’s first exposure to Puba is this sophomore effort. I can remember this album dropped around the time Ace’s “Sittin‘ On Chrome” hit and that was almost anything you heard bumpin‘ out of Jeep Wranglers and Pathfinders during those warm summer months of 1995. The highlight of “2000″ for me is the Minnesota blessed “Amazing”, utilizing the same sample O.C.’s jerked for “Far From Yours” and most recently underground up & comer Danny! supplied it for “Fly” on his third album “Charm”, this track will damn near have you in a neckbrace till’ it’s all said and done. I know it’s gotta’ be difficult for the die hard Puba, Brand Nubian fan to admit “2000″ was a far better album than “Reel To Reel” but face it…..the lyrics were still there and the beats where leaps and bounds ahead of those heard on “Reel…”. Just let it go man!!!!….-Eric

“A Little Of This”

“Soul In The Hole” O.S.T.-Various Artists (1997, Loud)

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Released in 1997, on the label that was responsible for comprising 3/4 of the disc’s roster (Loud Records), “Soul In The Hole” proved to be one of the most impressive compilations ever dropped in Hip Hop. Although, I’ve watched the documentary which entails inner city basketball and the struggles to make it out of the hood and into something good….I don’t think that any song included on the soundtrack actually appeared in the movie for whatever reason. At my old age, my memory tends to fail me at times..if I’m wrong on this this one give a shout. Nevertheless, this is a very solid soundtrack which plays more as a showcase for Loud’s “stacked” roster than as a musical backing for the movie. Without a doubt, I can honestly say that every track on “Soul In The Hole” is solid….no track less being at least a 3 out of a 5.

The album starts off with the uplifting “The Game Of Life (Score)” brought to you by none other than the revolutionary…but gangsta Dead Prez. Kind of a corny story that goes along with “The Game Of Life” (now, keep in mind this was 1997!), I was carrying three jobs at the time (U.P.S., Junior High Basketball coach & part-time DJ) and three nights a week (usually Friday & Saturday nite) I spun the wheels of steel at a local hole in the wall that after it was all said and done turned out to be a pretty good gig. This soundtrack dropped around the Puffy-era where there really wasn’t much quality in Hip Hop, I can remember trying to break “The Game Of Life” almost weekly, simply because I liked it so much. I remember that I always blended it in with get this….Mariah Carey’s “The Roof” (the remix with Mobb Deep, she basically ganked the “Shook Ones Pt.II” instrumental for “The Roof”) and cats never caught on, but I’ll be damned if “The Roof” didn’t get people outta’ there seats!! (makes no sense to me either)….Damn, I loved that record though. Still, plenty of goodness on “Soul In The Hole” for everyone. From the Primo signature sound of Sauce Money’s (an emcee that fell short of his peers expectations) “Against The Grain” to the subtle but poignant No I.D. production found on Common’s “High Expectations”. “High Expectations” remains…in my opinion, one of the best songs Common ever recorded, too bad Common doesn’t put No I.D. back on speed dial for another album….Shit, I even still doubt that would help his lackadaisical performance on “Finding Forever”. From M.O.P. to Xzibit to Big Pun to Smif N Wessun (Cocoa Brovaz) you can find a little something for everybody on “Soul In The Hole”…one of the best soundtracks to ever drop.

“Soul In The Hole”-Wu All-Stars

“Jazzmatazz Vol. I”-Guru of GangStarr (1993, Chrysalis)

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Being one of the first emcees to combine both elements of Hip Hop & Jazz, Guru’s “Jazzmatazz Vol.I” remains one of my favorites when paired against the likes of releases from Buckshot LeFonque, Justice System and Ghetto Phillharmonic to name a few. With an extremely impressive lineup (Roy Ayers, Brandford Marsalis, N’Dea Davenport(Brand New Heavies),etc.)”Jazzmatazz Vol.I” was released in the summer of 1993 influencing numerous acts to try to emulate Guru’s winning formula….”Buhloone Mind State” or “Blowout Comb” anyone?? Of course, Guru has always been heavily Jazz influenced to begin with…for Christ sakes he had Primo on the boards!…plus he was just coming off the heels of “Daily Operation” which was one of the most blunted, dustiest, jazziest Hip Hop albums ever released as far as I’m concerned. I believe that “Trust Me” which also featured the soothing vocal stylings of the Brand New Heavies’ N’Dea Davenport (surprisingly, she co-produced “Trust Me” as well). Man, I remember hearing that (Trust Me) on the box while workin‘ a hot-ass Saturday afternoon at Sunoco on the Pennsylvania Turnpike during the summer of my Junior year in High School, I almost fell outta’ my chair!

Overall “Jazzmatazz Vol. I” seemed to keep me in tune a whole lot more than it’s follow up “Vol.2″ (that album could’ve stood to lose just a few tracks), clocking in 12 tracks deep there is not much wastage, but the album (”Vol.I”) is long on quality cuts. I also loved “Transit Ride” which is capped off by a wonderful sax solo by Brandford Marsalis and “Sights In The City”…which for some odd reason has been getting quite a few plays from me as of late. Don’t get it twisted, Guru has never been the dopest on the mic but by his on admission “It’s Mostly Tha‘ Voice” and until some of his more recent solo efforts he had always been one of my favs. Listening to “Jazmatazz Vol.I” yesterday made me wish that Hip Hop would go back to the days off jazz rap when the Digable Planets, GangStarr, and “Buhloone Mind State” where holding down the East Coast instead of seeing the Ying Yang Twins, Dipset & Mims plastered all over the tube’ and polluting every “urban” radio station. Guru’s “Jazzmatazz Vol.I” is far from classic, but it will succeed in providing you & your’s with a dope soundtrack to a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon….especially in the summertime.

“Trust Me”

“Gravity”-Da Bush Babees (1996, Warner Brothers)

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Whether “Gravity” was the only thing that “put the letters together” in their rhymes or the force that constructed their beats, it was clear after one good listen to their sophomore album that “Da” Bush Babees made it a goal to deliver a solid record. “Gravity” extended itself to a mood that appealed to a mass audience of listeners, it seemed to be radio-friendly yet hard. Equipped with mostly introspective lyrics and addictive, inviting beats the album aimed to rescue people that may have been caught in rap’s monotony providing beautiful, harmonizing, ragga flows of compassion with references to the Nubian nation. More or less, they found a great way to reach out to everyone. For instance, on the song “Gravity” you found the Flatbush natives communicating a sort of agony, letting us know that there ain’t “no deceivin’/Illuminati got that ass thinkin’/Yo, should I even rap…? The posing of the question “should I even rap?” is usually no question, although today, as pointed out by the Babees “you can’t even smile in your video” the song may have been an unintentional forecast for the future of Hip Hop. Also, “God Complex” was a song that I rewound several times attempting to decipher the lyrics-in what? Arabic. I also found it interesting to hear the Bush Babees incorporating references to Elohim and the Holy Tabernacle Ministries. The album’s first single “The Love Song” (produced by De La’s Posdonous) had a simple plan: Give love, get love, and everybody “groove to the music”, a message of unity making it refreshing even during it’s “pop-esque” moments. With the exception of……maybe…..”Wax”, the rest of the songs don’t detract from the album’s wholeness and body. With a helping hand from Q-Tip and Ali on the dope “3 MC’s” and energetic interludes, there was little room for disappointment on “Gravitiy”. While, the album showed a maturity in the Bush Babees, far surpassing their debut “Ambushed” in terms of lyrical growth and production, the album was lacking that one true “knockout” punch that would allow it to crack into my “Top 100″. Still, a dope listen from an animated trio whose rap careers all ended way too abruptly….

“The Love Song” f. Mos Def

“School Of Hard Knocks”-Hard Knocks (1992, Wild Pitch)

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Another pick from Wild Pitch Records! All through the years, I’ve come across a chosen few of true music-lovers who knew about “School Of Hard Knocks” and surprisingly, we shared the same appreciation for this masterpiece. Those who haven’t heard about them were bound to hear my praise forever and ever. I’ve been passionate about every single aspect of this joint: The full twelve songs (touching street narratives with socially conscious rhymes), the lyrical artillery (my man was somewhere between Rakim and Kane, but he was way more “street”), the beats (perfect balance) and the appropriate artwork that showcased a certain honesty, humility and maybe even integrity. The only problem was that nobody besides me at that time seemed to really care about that album and I LOVED IT! I somehow created a romantic bond to this chef-d’oeuvre and now that I think about it, this should have made my list of all-time classics.

In a more than confused time (1991 ’till 1992 when the album dropped) where everybody was openly dooming the usage of the “N-Word” (who am I to judge anyway?), Hard Knock’s first single “Nigga For Hire” seemed bold and challenging, criticizing the social system designed in the United States to keep minorities in check. The song “Thoughts Of A Negro” gave a more detailed explanation of my man’s state of mind as it opens with the soundbite: “problem with ‘negro’ was not the word itself/ It was that a stereotype had been attached to that word ‘negro’ and that people were forced to live in accords to that stereotype”. My favorite cut on the album “Ghetto Love” was a benign gesture of affection for your friends. Now I know how we’ve been force-fed with mediocre attempts to romanticize the rapper’s willingness to “always ride” for his homies, but I have never heard a “real” love-song to underline that besides “Ghetto Love”. I will not quote anything from this song (you really have to listen to the whole song) or I will kindly ask everyone to hit up ohhla.com and read the lyrics to this joint to understand what I’m trying to say. Regardless, this is my ish people because it was and still is a perfect album…-Rasul

“Opposite Side”

“Greatest Hits”-The Wascals (Delicious Vinyl) PW: www.rhhb.blogspot.com (Thank You)

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The Wascals chose the wrong name. The funky four-Buc Whead,, A.L.Phie, St. Imey and Spit-anky-plus one, producer J Swift could have just as easily beat the Lost Boyz to the punch, sharing a moniker that seems more applicable to the shelved release of The Wascals “Greatest Hits” LP. In a career that was held back more than once, these L.A. youngsters, at one time, appeared to be destined for greatness. Buckwhead shined twice on The Pharcyde’s “Bizzare Ride 2 The Pharcyde” debut, kickin’ memorable verses on “On The DL”, and after their “delay of game”, the fellas even dropped their own single, “Dips”, a few years thereafter. But then, unfortunately, The Wascals also dropped…..off the face of Hip Hop. However, this year, like loose change in the cushions of your couch came the aptly titled “The Wascals Greatest Hits”. Rather than an introspection about coming up in the rap game, this tardy album is simply the joint that should have come out years ago but didn’t. This all seems painfully ironic when considering that The Pharcyde’s other buddy, TV actor Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills 90210) released his own full-length in 1996. The majority of the material found on “..Greatest Hits” sounds outdated judging by references to “Liquid TV” and “Jeffry Dahmer”. Notables such as “Big Booty Rap” sampled Fat Lip’s “I dig dips who got hips that are gigantic” line from “Soul Power” and deals with the subject of nice round derrieres. “Doggy Style” utilizes the Isley’s “Between The Sheets” and features J Swift on the mic and also deals with the aforementioned subject of…..what else…..phat assess. Musically and content-wise there’s not much variety either. Risky winning moves such as Swift’s integration of big band sounds on “Hard Rhymes” are few and far between. And minus the intro, a remix and a reprise, the album really isn’t that long. Ultimately, “…Greatest Hits” plays like an album that may have had a chance to shine had it been released on it’s actual “release” date. Still, a great collector’s item to possess for the avid underground Hip Hop listener.

“The Dips”

“Fadanuf Fa Erybody”-Odd Squad (1994, Rap-A-Lot)

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From Ego Trip’s “Book Of Rap Lists”: “The only hip hop group to showcase a blind emcee (Rob Quest), Houston’s Odd Squad also featured foul-mouthed emcee/crooner, Devin. Scarface has called “Fadanuf…” the best album ever released on Rap-A-L0. A-ight, then.”

From Eric: Scarface said the best album ever released on Rap-A-Lot….Damn!! You don’t know how relieved I am to finally put in my two cents regarding an album that I actually like today. I initially posted this album when I first started up W.T.R., but you lucky suckas‘ get the remastered version which I picked up last week! I can remember purchasing this album along with Kurious‘ “A Constipated Monkey” (which also, oddly enough is being re-released) during the winter of my Senior Year in High School and let me tell ya’ it was hard to put those two albums down for about a month. Rap-A-Lot’s reign in Hip Hop was similar to the firm hold that Death Row had on the industry (minus all the violence) shortly thereafter. To hear an album like “Fadanuf…” coming from the South’s most notorious record label actually caught me a bit off guard at first. On the Odd Squad’s debut, it’s puzzling to hear East Coast, sample laden rhythms, basslines and “shout outs” to DJ Premier and Showbiz on “Jazz Rendition”. It’s also a “welcome” surprise to hear the echoing horns that back the album’s highlight “Can’t See It”, which finds blind emcee Rob Quest
offering his take on what it’s like bein‘ “the blind emcee”. Plus, you can’t go wrong with Devin…..plain and simple, you just can’t! With sing songy hooks such as “smokin‘ that weed, feelin‘ fine, got me a forty and a phat ass dime” this album is just one big party. Quite frankly, the album’s title couldn’t be more appropriate….for the Odd Squad’s debut is truly “Fadanuf Fa Erybody” (and you cats or lucky enough to get the re-mastered version..must be nice!)

“Can’t See It”

“Ism & Blues”-Hard 2 Obtain (1994, Atlantic)

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By now, I’m sure that the majority of you devout Hip-Hop fanatics have either heard the first single released from “Ism and Blues”, “L.I. Groove” or can at least remember the video from back in the nine-quad. I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t extremely impressed with the debut track from the album, especially when you considered that the trio of Taste, DL and Six Seven all hailed from Strong Island, which at the time was home to the likes of De La Soul, Leaders Of The New School and Public Enemy,to name a few. So any crew that emerged from Long Island had to be on some ol’ next iddish. Sadly, Hard 2 Obtain were well above average lyricists, but not exactly “ground-breakers” by any means.

However, at least they had good taste in production-the Stimulated Dummies or “SD50’s) were eminently on “some ol’ next sh*t” for sure! Unfortunately, the majority of the album’s cuts all sounded distinctly similar, due to the repetitive choruses, production and gravel-voiced flows. Yet, throughout the LP, there are a few tracks that are sure to reach out and pull you in, namely “Heels Without Souls” which was an eloquent diss aimed at the proverbial “bad seed”, the dude who always acted out of place until he was locked up or killed. Be sure to peep the Monk Higgin’s “Black Fox” loop on the track as well. The DJ Nastee produced banger, “Ghetto Diamond” was another sure-fire standout cut about all the dips who inhabited the “12 Block” (H20’s dwelling). Bouncing lyrics back and forth, the emcees even stole a page from the Minnie Ripperton classic, “Lovin You”. Plus, the strictly freestyle joint, “Babble On”, added a much needed sugary dessert to your ears. But, in the end, the album just contained a bit much “filler”.

It seemed historically unusual that talented lyricists, who sold their souls to a major label, would deliver an LP with mediocre tracks that outweighed the “good stuff”, even when representing the Strong Isle. I guess it’s like Rakim stated best, “It ain’t where you’re from/it’s where you’re at”.

“L.I. Groove”

“Miss U (For The Lost Loved Ones)”

“The Waiting Room” (Main Theme)

“Tick Tock Hustle”

Purchase “The Golden Hour” via Asideworldwide.com

Purchase “The Golden Hour” via Itunes

Let’s not beat around the bush, everyone knows I’m a beat fanatic. Make no bones about it though, for an “instrumental” album to even be considered as my “Album Of The Year” is a tough feat to accomplish. However, if there’s any production team (and label, ASIDEWORLDWIDE) that’s been absolutely murdering the underground this year it’s gotta’ be Ann Arbor’s LabTechs. Comprised of Haircut, Vaughan T, Forekast and last but certainly not least….14KT, this production team has quite possibly had a hand in..well….three of the best albums to grace the underground this year: Buff 1′s “There’s Only One”, Now On’s “Tomorrow Already” and KT’s instrumental opus “The Golden Hour”. Think I’m kiddin’? I dare you to bump the three aforementioned albums in succession and tell me you’re not absolutely blown away by the extra crisp production that fuels each respective release! I’m big on clarity, the simple things please me like being able to bump an album in the ride and it plays just as it did in the club. The bass knocks are crisp and each album, sonically, is heads and tails above everything that I’ve heard over the last few years…aside of Ill Poetic’s “The World Is Ours” and possibly Blue Scholars “Bayani”.

It is really a difficult task to differentiate a clear cut favorite amongst the three, but if you twisted my arm (not too much though) I’m gonna’ have to go with 14KT’s “The Golden Hour”. “Blown Away” is an understatement, when describing the feeling I get with each passing listen to KT’s phenomenal solo effort. What’s funny is that fellow LabTechs member Vaughan T is listed as one of my friends on MySpace, underneath Vaughan T’s “tag” it reads: “Now On & KT got classics”…a very accurate statement, I’d have to agree. First Buff punched us in the guts with “There’s Only One”, secondly it was Now On delivering an uppercut with “Tomorrow Already” and finally KT has delivered the final knock-out blow. And after diving deep into “…Only One” and “Tomorrow..”, I’d have to say that my anticipation meter for the release of KT’s album was at an all-time high. Matter of fact, amongst all the releases the goodness that has dropped over the last few months, I was looking forward to getting my hands “The Golden Hour” more so than any other album that has leaked this year.

Funny Story: When I was contacting the 30 or so respective artists for their “OK” to appear on the forthcoming “Preservation” mixtape, no one was more cordial or helpful then 14KT. I actually contacted KT stating that the biggest problem that I’d run into was deciding whether to include “The Inside” or “Miss U” (For Lost Loved Ones) on the compilation. Much to my pleasure, KT hit me back with “That’s easy…use em’ both!”. And while previewing the track listing for the mixtape, DJ Ragz (Jazz Addixx) was also “wowed” by KT’s production. After hearing both “Miss U” (For Lost Loved Ones) and “The Inside”, Ragz was emphatic: “Who is this KT cat, and WHY have I never heard of him….dude’s beats are AMAZING!!”. After serving as the “Soundtrack” to my anniversary vacation in Negril with my Wife, “The Golden Hour” is already “CLASSIC” status to me, with the Buff 1 and Now On albums both quickly approaching that same plateau…not trailing too far behind. From start to finish, the album plays as KT put it: “the soundtrack to his life”, and it’s easy to see why it has also served the same purpose in my life as well.

What I love most about “The Golden Hour” is that KT made “songs”, he didn’t just take the easy way out and compile a bunch of throwaway tracks that the Athletic Mic League may have shyed away from earlier, just for the sake of putting a solo album out. From the get-go, KT takes you on an emotional roller-coaster starting with the spacey, futuristic “The Waiting Room” (The Main Theme), which also happens to be my current “flavor of the week” from the album. Near the tracks ending the question is posed by a certain female: “In time..will I..survive or die?”, I don’t know but if this question is in reference to KT’s tenure as a thriving producer in Hip Hop the answer is simple…a resounding YES!! What’s crazy is that I’ve had this album since the day prior to it’s release (thanks KT!) but I haven’t really had ample to truly sit down and give this album it’s due propers, so when Beads of Kevin Nottingham.com beat me to his punch with his analysis of “The Golden Hour” I wanted to kick myself in the ass! Especially when Beads stated that “The Waiting Room”, “sounds like it was made specifically for Andre 3000″….damn! I share those same sentiments each time I listen to the track, and you can actually hear the Organized Noize influence in many of KT’s productions. Yet, don’t get it twisted KT’s beats truly have their own unique identity.

Of course, there’s also “Tick Tock Hustle” with it’s escalating bassline and sharp string plucks which supply the track with a bouncy, somewhat light-hearted, care free feel, but still remains hard and funky enough to make the hardest of the hardrock’s neck snap.  Shortly thereafter KT dims the lights with “Trust Issues”, which clocking in at over 5 minutes is also the lengthiest track that appears on “The Golden Hour”.  An emotional and heartfelt cut, “Trust Issues” truly showcases KT’s talent as a producer, proving that not everything he blesses has to be sonically infused and bass-laden to get the point across.  The highlight of “The Golden Hour” is delivered in the form of the previously mentioned “Miss U”, this track is….for lack of better wording, CRAZY!  Emotional and funky (yeah, you don’t see those two words together quite often, ehh?), “Miss U” has garnered more spins on my Ipod over the last two months than any other track has the whole YEAR!  Finally, “Illustrious”, which could have just as easily been titled “Planet Rock 2K9″ due to it’s high BPMs and pulsing bass, serves as a pleasant departure from an extremely smooth flight.  I mean, really I could sit here all day and rave about the greatness that is “The Golden Hour” but the turkey and sweet potato pie is callin’ me….Damn Tara!!(being it is Thanksgiving and all)

So in closing, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!  In these turbulent times there still is soo much to be thankful for in this life.  I mean, I’ve got my health, a beautiful wife, two amazing little girls…oh, and thank you 14KT or the genius that is “The Golden Hour”, Dilla would be proud!!

14 KT’s MySpace

“Deja Vu, It’s 82″-Crusaders For Real Hip Hip (1992, Profile)

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Earning his stripes by producing hits for the likes of diverse groups such as the Poor Righteous Teachers, Kwest The Madd Lad, YZ and King Sun, Tony D aka Don Nots, aka Grand Poobah, aka Harvey Wallbanger is widely considered as the funkiest white boy to ever lay a finger on the SP 1200. Not to mention a solo album of his own, “Droppin’ Funky Verses” under his belt, Tony D was no “new jack” when his collaborative effort with Rahzi Hightower (you may remember him from P.R.T.’s “Selah”) and Be-Fyne aka The Crusaders For Real Hip Hop hit tapedecks nationwide. If Tony D ever had a crowning moment it had to be his contributions to P.R.T.’s debut classic “Holy Intellect”. However, maybe Tony’s most controversial moment came thanks to the popularity of Naughty By Nature’s “O.P.P.”.

It is believed that Tony D’s “Adam’s Nightmare” (from Tony’s independently released breakbeat LP, “Music Makes You Move”) was the source for the backdrop to Naughty’s biggest selling hit to date. Plain and simple, Tony believes that Kay Gee “stole his sh*t”. In a February ‘92 issue of “The Source” (the Geto Boys “Mind Playin’ Tricks On Ya” cover) Tony D had this to say about the so-called “jack”:

“They sampled my loop! I ain’t gonna’ beef about it ’cause I’ll use anybody’s beat. I just want people to be aware of who actually hooked it up first. Any record store in New York who had my breakbeat album (”Music Makes You Move”), they’re like “Yo, what about O.P.P. using your stuff?, everywhere I go. Having a big beef over it and to do something radical or dumb is not the case. I just want people to be aware that I hooked the sh*t up first!”

Of course, Kaygee, the producer behind the Naughty smash maintained his innocence: ” I never heard his record…”O.P.P.” has flavor, our album has flavor. Tony D just put out an album that was garbage” (editor’s note: I’m assuming that Kay is referring to Tony’s debut on 4th & Broadway, “Droppin’ Funky Verses”). Finally, Kay Gee summed it up like this: “Yo Tone, get off our jocks!”. By the way, is it just me or is some of the writing in the older Source magazines absolutely atrocious?

Anyway, let’s get back to Tony’s follow up, “Deja Vu, It’s 82″. I have to say I’d never even heard this record until this past year, after having passed it over countless times throughout my “tape shopping” days. Needless to say, I’m impressed, not so much lyrically…but on the boards Tony is definitely nice with his! The first track that really caught my ear was “Funky Uptown”, on which many of you will recognize the sample used for this track from Group Home’s “Serious Rap Shit”, which I believe was the only track on “Livin’ Proof” that Guru produced. Even the hook on “Funky…” is catchy as hell: “Grab a Funky Uptown/And I’ll show you a brother/Tappin’ it HARD on the SP”, and Rahzi Hightower sings/chants a verse with his Reggae flavor that also made P.R.T.’s “Selah” one of my favorite tracks from P.R.T.’s “Black Business”. Also, the two other tracks that really stood out were “Ultimate Reality” and “May I Continue”. The aforementioned “Ultimate Reality” has one of the funkiest yet simplest hooks I’ve ever heard, the vocal sample “Ultimate Reality” is speed up, repeated again and again over the infamous “Substitution” break (although I think this sample is actually from Ultramagnetic, not 100% sure though). There’s even a bit of “beat-boxing” thrown in for good measure, and “May I Continue” has that rugged “93-94″ flavor, heavy drums and dope horn sample which really became a “standard” for East Coast Hip Hop during that time-frame.

Ultimately, “Deja Vu, It’s ‘82″ still sounds fly, nearly 16 years later. I’m pretty sure that most of you’ll will enjoy this album and it’s a fairly decent representation of the quality that emerged from New Jersey during the early 90’s. However, it’s quite clear that Tony D saved some of his best production for much of Poor Righteous Teachers’ work.

“Manic Depression”-Strugglin Souls (1992, Crazy Vibe)

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Thanks to Jaz of “Cold Rock Da’ Spot” and his infamous “Fat Tapes” segment for puttin’ me on to this record. Little is known, or can be found on the ‘net regarding this 1992 release from the Cleveland trio better known as Strugglin’ Souls. Matter of fact, if I’m not mistaken, this was actually a “cassette only” release (however, I did see that it’s now available on Amazon.Com for prettty cheap)….similar to Shazzy’s long-lost follow-up, “Ghettosburg Address”. “Manic Depression” was distributed by an under the radar label, “Crazy Vibe”, which was also a subsidiary to the home of artists such as MC Breed and Insane Poetry, “Ichiban Records”. Whereas, Cleveland’s Bone Thugs N Harmony’s style was more “West Coast than East Coast”, it definitely made Ohio more than just a blip on the Hip Hop radar. However, Strugglin’ Souls album comes off more “East Coast” based. So much in fact, that it’s hard not to mistake this trio as another New York group that’s heavily reliant on that ol’ boom-bap flavor. “Manic Depression” evokes shades of E.S.P.’s “Valoompadoom Pink”, which I reviewed earlier in the year. Even though this was the trio’s only album, it was dope enough to at least warrant a follow-up EP or maybe even a few 12″ singles. Sadly, “Manic Depression” feel into the rut that similar early 90’s crews such as Capital Tax, Brokin English Klick and the Hoodratz fell victim to. In a nutshell, dope East Coast flavor, yet it lacked “punch” and never really stood out. Hell, amidst my many “shoppin’ for tapes” visits, I really don’t even remember seeing this album on shelves.

While Strugglin’ Souls do choose to concentrate on social “ills” within their music, they don’t come across overly “hardcore”, choosing rather to let the lyrics speak for themselves over East Coast tinged production courtesy of Lay-Low. The majority of the beats on the album are funky enough to keep you dialed in throughout “Manic Depression”. The obvious highlight of the album for me was the bouncy production of “Betta Dayz”, an uplifting yet extremely funky track. If you had been sleeping on this crew just as I did….wake up, it’s overall a fairly decent effort that sports a heavy East-Coast flavor.

“Betta Dayz”

“Blah, Blah, Blah”-Blahzay Blahzay (1996, Mercury)

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The Brooklyn duo comprised of DJ/Producer PF Cuttin and rapper Outloud first formed their alliance in 1985. Choosing a patient, indirect path rather than the fast track, the duo worked behind the scenes for 10 years producing tracks for artists such as Masta Ace and Craig G. Their big breakthrough came in late 1995 with “Danger”, a song that unexpectedly turned into a volcanic crossover hit that tore dancefloors up for months and proudly waved the East Coast flag at the time when coastal beefs were blowing their hardest. “Blah Blah Blah”, the album “Danger” eventually found itself washed up on, was one of the most underrated classics of Hip Hop’s golden age (be sure to peep “Long Winded” and “Don’t Let This Rap Sh*t Fool You” for definitive, mid-nineties, east coast hip hop), but “Danger” is the heart of every B-Boy.

Cutting up Jeru, Q-Tip and the Beastie Boys, Blahzay Blahzay instantly created a classic and set out their stalls as New York’s new, underground, Hip Hop phoenoms. What truly set “Danger” apart was the ruffness of the beat (dirty snares, dirty bass, dirty cymbals, all undusted and unblunted from whatever vaults they were dug up from) and the way that PF Cuttin’s turntable skills actually in involved real, itchy, mind-blowing scratching in an era where Dre was busy airbrushing needle-abuse out of Hip Hop Lexicon. While it was quite evident that Blahzay Blahzay took a page from Jeru’s book with their debut single, the same could also be said for the majority of tracks on the album. The gritty texture of PF Cuttin’s beats and the relentless lyrical assault by Outloud, not to mention their shared locale of East New York, the Blah’s definitely had something to offer to the Hip Hop world. If anything, Blahzay along with the likes of MOP, Smoothe Da Hustler, OC, Jeru and Primo all helped to further solidify and carve out their piece of the gritty Bucktown sound.

Some of the bright moments on the album were the aforementioned “Danger” and the remix, “Danger Pt. II” which also featured Smoothe and his brother/his ace, Trigga The Gambler. Plus, the album’s second second, “Pain I Feel” was nothing to sneeze at either. The focus of “Blah, Blah, Blah” seemed to have built upon the structure of the album’s first two (and only, if my guess is correct) single releases. “Pain…” was a top-notch track that was almost a fitting third entry in the trilogy that began with Jeru’s “Come Clean” and OC’s “Time’s Up”. Much like the two aforementioned CLASSICS, “Pain..” also was aimed to expose wack emcees, while at the same time relaying the message to “refine your lyrics”. Also of note, “Don’t Let This Rap Shit Fool You” and “Posse Jumpa” were verbal jabs aimed at Hip-Hop’s posers and pretenders, and it also served as a reminder to those crews in the industry who didn’t know their history. “Long Winded” incorporated the time-proven tactic of looping one’s own words while “Jackpot” and the title cut served as the declaration of PF Cuttin and Outloud’s signature, unique sound.

“Blah, Blah, Blah” was quite a refreshing, no bullsh*t type product that delivered exactly what it promised: beats and lyrics void of catchy, sing-songy hooks, posse cuts or tracks crafted for the “shock value”. I still play this in the ride every so often and it still knocks like in did when the album was released in 96′. If you don’t have this one already be sure to cop it!!

“Pain I Feel”

“Tell The World My Name”-K-Solo (1990, Atlantic)

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In what may very well be one of the most under appreciated efforts….nah….f*ck that…artist!, during the “all too brief” Hit Squad era (EPMD, Das, Redman & K-Solo..oh, don’t forget about the Knuckleheadz either, Tom, T-T-Tom J in tha house!), K-S-O-L-O came correct (oooh, more 90’s terminology!!) with his 1990 debut “Tell The World My Name”. I’ve always loved K-Solo from the get-go and even his most recent appearance on Psycho Les’ overlooked solo album had me fiendin‘ to hear more from the “Spellbound MC”.  Although K’s voice has albeit deteriorated (dude’s voice gets any more hoarse, (he’ll be soundin‘ like the D.O.C. On his “comeback” “Helter Skelter“!), you can still feel his passion for Hip Hop within his LL, Big Daddy Kane-esque flow patterns. K-Solo gained most of his notoriety by spelling out what seemed at the time of this album….most of his lyrics. “When I S-P-E-L-L, very W-E-L-L”….and you get the picture. Although, later DMX appeared in The Source’s “Unsigned Hype” crying wolf, claiming that “K -Stole It”…and that he, not Solo was the sole originator of the “I can spell” rhyming stylee. Whatever X, I’m rollin‘ with K Solo on this one! While, “Tell The World….”wasn’t quite up to par with K’s more polished sophomore effort “Time’s Up” it did posses it’s share of highlights.

I think that I was introduced to “Tell The World….” through the video for the lead single and my favorite track “Spellbound” but I’m not quite sure, with it’s thick, rolling bassline and that damn “wa, wa, wa, wa, sound” I was hooked like pure uncut. “Your Mom’s In My Business” almost immediately capitalized on the impact left by “Spellbound” being released as a second single. K Solo’s story-telling abilities went largely unnoticed as such vivid and twisted tales like “Tales From The Crackside” and even “Sneak Tip” (I don’t know why not a single “sneaker chain” hasn’t picked up on this for a commercial yet) from “Time’s Up” are seldom mentioned amongst some of the greatest Hip-Hop tales ever. By the way, just why isn’t “Times Up” even mentioned in anyone’s Top 100? One last thought, wouldn’t it be nice to see entire Hit Squad reassemble for just one more album á la Boot Camp Click’s “For The People”? At any rate a very solid debut from K-Solo that is criminally overlooked when discussing important albums in the early nineties. Oh, and I almost forgot word is that K-Solo signed to Death Row Records around 1996 and actually completed an album. Does anyone have any info on this? Or possibly a few leaked tracks from the unknown album? Now that would be a good find my friend!!! K-S-O-L-O……SPELLBOUND!!!!

“Spellbound”

“Trendz”-Trendz Of Culture (1993, Motown)

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Tell me that this doesn’t make for an odd equation, Motown Records + Hip Hop = A quality album? Wow! In a valiant attempt to stake their claim in Hip Hop, Motown Records (”Trendz” was actually released on “Mad Sounds”, a subsidiary of the parent label,Motown) jumped back into the rap game with an impressive debut from a Harlem trio that were all equal parts of style, substance and skill. Members M.O.L., Grapevine and Nastee were a pleasing combination of Old School delivery, jazzy loops and hardcore drums, but just like many of their peers feel short in the end due to lack of originality.

While Trendz Of Culture may have caused a little stir with their debut single, the “Blind Alley”-sampled “Off & On” (which also sounded VERY similar to the “Scenario” remix), it was their second release “Valley Of The Skinz” that really established this trio in the Hip Hop underground. Nothing short of “breezy”, “Skinz..” had the potential to be one of ’93’s true summer, jeep anthems. Dedicated to everyone’s favorite pastime….sex, the emcees proved that raunchy lyrics could be delivered with class, skill and distinction. With solid drums, soft piano keys and a weird synth effect “Skinz” was a winner just as a “strictly” instrumental joint. The album itself is “self-produced” and the end result was very impressive. Again, following in the ‘93 spirit the majority of the loops are jazzy and the drums are knockin’. However, as an added “bonus” the Lord Finesse remixes of the two aforementioned singles (”Valley Of The Skinz” & “Off & On”) were tweaked to include Finesse’s trademark booming bass and distorted horns.

Overall, “Trendz…” was a really, really good album that anyone who professes to be an educated “golden age” listener should have within arm’s length (or at least own). Surprisingly, the album has withstood the test of time, even though it doesn’t light a match to say….”Enta Da Stage” or “93 Til’ Infinity”. However, part of me wishes that this trio could have dropped another album which would have truly proved if Trendz Of Culture had “what it takes” to have fruitful careers in Hip Hop. Sadly, “Trendz” would fall victim to whatever knocked so many East Coast artists off the map between ‘93-’95. Damn, who was signing all these cats like “hotcakes” anyway?

“Valley Of The Skinz”

“Goodfellas”-Show & AG (1995, Payday)

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Near the Patterson projects in the south Bronx in the Bethlehem of Hip Hop. Grand Wizard Theodore, Cold Crush and BDP all used to jam there, and it’s that same fertile sacred ground that gave us Showbiz & AG. Dedicating themselves to “showing that the Bronx is where it all started”, they released the hugely successful, self-produced, self-pressed “Soul Clap/Party Groove” EP, gaining themselves a deal with Payday in the process and releasing the “Runaway Slave” LP shortly after. Both releases gave them their underground hero status, but by the time their follow-up LP, “Goodfellas” came out it was clear that some kind of unholy darkness had seeped into Show & AG’s world in the intervening years.

I gotta’ keep it real with you for a minute. After rocking Show & A.G.’s “Soul Clap” EP & their classic “Runaway Slave” till “the tape popped”, I have to admit I wasn’t really too keen on the duo’s sophomore effort “Goodfellas” upon the first few listens to the album. Hell….more like the first few years to be quite honest. From it’s release on Payday records in 1995 to mmmm….I’d say about 2002, I may have listened to this album a grand total of 10 times and that’s being generous! I mean, this album dropped in the summer of 95′ and if my memory serves me correct this was around the same time that Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx”, Mobb Deep’s “The Infamous” & The Pharcyde’s “Labcabincalifornia” dropped…so, I think you can see where I’m going with this.

Strangely enough, in 2002 came along this white rapper with the infamous bleach blonde do’, armed with a sharp tongue and lyrical wit for days and his little flick entitled “8 Mile”. You may have heard of the movie? Anyway, near the movie’s end this “white rapper” can be found freestyling over beats such as O.C.’s “Time’s Up”, “Last Dayz” from Onyx (you can’t tell me you don’t get goosebumps when Em murdered dude over the eerie Onyx production), Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Pt. II” and lastly a DJ Premier remix of Showbiz & A.G.’s “Next Level” that had appeared on this long lost “Goodfellas” cassette that was buried amongst the other tapes that I’d stacked in an old Wal-Mart plastic clothing bin. After hearing the track blare throughout the movie theater speakers while catching a glimpse of “8 Mile” with my then girlfriend-now Wife, I immediately turned to her and said “oh shit, I forgot about that joint!”. Needless to say, I copped the CD online that same night. To hell with that every night booty you get when you first start dating! I had to get my hands on Show & A.G.’s “Goodfellas” and see just what I’d missed out on during the first few listens of the album. Nowadays, “Goodfellas” stays in frequent rotation, it’s almost as if every six months or so I find a new “gem” that captivates my ear until I frequent it almost to the point of boredom. First it was the Nyte Time mix of “Next Level” produced by Primo. Then, I sort of drifted towards the original Showbiz produced version of “Next Level”. About two months ago, thanks to Dan Love of “From Da Bricks” and his “Top 25 Beats” I was reintroduced to “You Want It” (damn, those horns are serious!) now I’ve been bumpin’ that to death.

While A.G. is solid on the mic, I’ve never been a big fan of his flow or delivery but he’s still well above average…however, Showbiz’ production is just SICK! The production from one of D.I.T.C.’s finest on “Runaway Slave” and “Goodfellas” may be some of the best displayed on back to back efforts in the 90′s….or hell, EVER! Show produced such a stunning plethora of doom sound-clashes that mixed deep dub with the harsh yet blunted beats being cooked up elsewhere from the likes of Pete Rock and Primo. Don’t sleep like I did, for an overdose of slick production and an undeniable chemistry between a beatsmith and an emcee peep “Goodfellas” for unmatched results.

“Next Level” (Nyte Time Remix)

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Damn it sho‘ feels good!! You know the feeling you get when you first hear an album or song that has the ability to completely alter the course of your feelings and emotions for days ahead. Remember the first time you heard Pete & C.L.’s “T.R.O.Y” or Tribe’s “Electric Relaxation”…or even better yet De La’s “Stakes Is High”? Or what about the time you played that particular song or album for that entire day/week/month? Good music has the capability to brighten up your day or even give you that extra “bop” in your step to see you through that vigorous “9 to 5″…..Jazz Addixx’ “Oxygen Refreshed” is that kinda’ album. Ever since…yeah, I’ll admit it…downloading “Oxygen Refreshed” early last year (ahem, I did eventually purchase the album) I can’t keep it away from my ears. With a clever and witty emcee (Mudd) who also doubles up to produce 95% of “Oxygen Refreshed”  (don’t sleep on Unknown’s contribution, either) and a highly skilled DJ and up & coming beat maker in tow (DJ Ragz), there is truly no glass ceiling to this dynamic duo’s potential.

If your a late twenties/early-thirties head like myself it feels as if Jazz Addixx has aimed to please just us, crafting an album that brings to mind shades of early Pete & CL work. The similarities are there….One emcee, one DJ…very little if any cursing on either album (”Mecca & The Soul Brother” or “The Main Ingredient” along with “Oxygen Refreshed”) and very potent horn loops with filtered samples and bottom heavy basslines…ring a bell anyone??  I’ll go on record to say that Mudd’s the best emcee to emerge outta’ VA since Mad Skillz!! Lyrically, Mudd’s vocal tones will immediately evoke heavy comparisons to Problemz of the Big City, Beatnuts fame….but don’t get it twisted, he’s just as strong if not stronger than Problemz on the mic. On the wheelz of steel, DJ Ragz is a force to be reckoned with….remember those “Bomb Hip Hop” DJ Compilations you scooped up a few years ago? Check your history. You’ll love how Ragz implements your favorite Golden Era vocal samples (Common Sense, Da Bush Babees, Puba, etc.) sliced on the chorus of most of the tracks on the album much like DJ Premier.  And the ultimate co-sign?  Ragz is in the process of polishing up the When They Reminisce/Sneaker Politics “Preservation” mixtape that’s set to drop within the next month.  Trust me on this one, Ragz’ cuts and overall presence on the wheelz of steel is sickening…plus, he’s a good, open-minded, likeable dude which makes it hella’ easy to overcome “bumping heads” for a dope complilation.

I’m high on “Oxygen Refreshed” for two reasons: The first, being that it truly captures the essence of the shit that we grew up on…the Pete & CL’s, The Tribe’s & De La’s of the recording industry, all the while injecting their own unmistakable sound into your eardrums. Call this if you will….for lack of better wording “Grown Folks Music”…awww, sh*t is just pure uncut, dope!!. The beats are indeed mature and very polished and thankfully these cats had a good engineer!!! The lyrics are consistent while at the same time impressive as it’s easy to see that Mudd is in “cruise control” on the mic….you can hear his confidence comin‘ thru your speakers. Now, I’m big on a good voice (just ask Guru)…alot of times I run into a decent underground joint with solid beats, but vocally the emcee is just plain irritating….not the case with Mudd. The album clocks in 20 tracks deep, which is like livin‘ on the edge in terms of cohesiveness for a hip hop album..but folks, there’s not a whole lotta‘ filler on here…if any at all.

I’m not real crazy about the album’s start though, after you pass up the mandatory intro (which is actually listenable) I wasn’t too impressed with the….ahhh, I hate to say it but Salsa influenced “Say Jazzy” but as soon as the follow up “H.I.P. H.O.P.” hit the headphones Jazz Addixx immediately pulled me back in. “H.I.P. H.O.P” is easily one of the top three tracks on “Oxygen Refreshed”. Wait until you hear this one folks!!! I may be crazy but “H.I.P. H.O.P” really reminds me of Marco & Ace’s “Nostalgia” in terms of song structure and quality….if the chorus on this cut doesn’t win you over…..your seriously lackin‘ a soul!! Another highlight on the album comes in the form of “Far From The Average” (lovin‘ the Puba sample!!), with it’s filtered sample and mid 90’s drum kick and a pinch of Pete Rock’s horns it’s sure to be a favorite of yours as well….but the real shining moment on this track comes at about the 3 minute mark as another drum kick and bassline are inserted to inject even more life into “Far From….”Genius!!.  Don’t forget “Don’t Judge” either, a bass heavy track that lyrically stresses the importance of being yourself over knockin’ drum kicks.  Lyrically, Mudd is as consistent as they come, never changing his flow all that much on the album yet still proving to be extremely effective and witty.  However, the true highlight of this track comes near the 2 minute 14 second mark when DJ Ragz slices the track to pieces and catapults it to a whole ‘notha level. The production on this track reminds me soo much of Pete Rock’s production on “Main Ingredient”, maybe it’s the “wah wah’s” that evoke the instant comparisons.

Oh, I guess I never got around to the second reason: It’s plain and simple folks….THE BEATS!!! Some of the best beats that I’ve heard in recent memory were on Ill Poetic’s “The World Is Ours” and Blu & Exile’s “Below The Heavens” (at least half of the album), Mudd’s beats on “Oxygen Refreshed” are right up there with the aforementioned artists. The only REAL beef I have with the album is with the intro and outro beat to “Stress”….they should have let that beat ride out, you know how I hate a wasted instrumental!  Simply put, “Oxygen Refreshed” is an instant CLASSIC delivered from some of the “Good Guys”in Hip Hop’s underground doin’ it RIGHT!!!

“Mr. Hood”-KMD (1991, Elektra)

Purchase “Mr. Hood” via Amazon

For many, by the time it’d dropped, “Mr Hood” was simply an interesting adjunct to the Daisy Age, a fairly original mixture of beats from contemporary producers like 3rd Bass’ Pete Nice and Dante Ross, a fairly successful but at times, amateurish concept LP. I’m not sure that “Mr Hood” represented the highpoint of early nineties Hip Hop production, but it is recognized as one of the most humanly representations of the golden age. KMD made records that always seemed to need catching up to: on first hearing, you couldn’t quite get all the mad detail that they seemed to capture on wax. It’s only after a little “growing up” that I’ve realized what hooked me to the album wasn’t merely the sound of “Mr Hood”, it was the heart, the living breathing reality of the record that transmitted other lives, other thoughts and other realities directly to you uncut, unsimplified and pure. And the clarity of that communication didn’t succumb to the rose tints of retrospect. Rather, the clarity of the album created it’s own lineage and put KMD out on their own in any Hip Hop fan’s imagination.

MC Serch of 3rd Bass discovered MC Zevlove X, DJ Subroc and Onyx the Birthstone Kid and made them a key element in 3rd Bass’ production roster. From the low-key, brilliant sleeve to the music on the record, “Mr Hood” was a detonation of stereotypes from the off. Letting their wit and sense of wonder push through political correctness and conservative revisionism, KMD shone a bright light of cynicism and idealism through the burning issues of 1991, none of which would’ve made “Mr. Hood” such a potent piece of work if the music wasn’t so dazzling. Primed by De La and Tribe, many of us discovered that “Mr. Hood” had taken Prince Paul’s cartoon lunacy into whole new areas. Here was a vision of pop culture and conceptual art that simmered with a street-level honesty no one else had ever attained. For a record so crammed to bursting with sounds from all over the place, everything was soo carefully carved around the messages KMD were trying to transmit. So the concept of the happenings around a barbershop and KMD’s humorous encounters with a straight-talking, English-language-course-speaking Mr. Hood, attained the feel of a growing revelation rather than a steadily thinning metaphor.

From the openings of “Crackpot”, the first real non-skit track on the album, you feel a rumble in your guts, knowing that the feast is about to begin. Or maybe it’s the butterflies of sadness knowing that though the beginnings of the KMD story were so hopeful, things would end up so badly. Their follow up LP, “Black Bastards” was destroyed by Elektra over the cover art that featured a “sambo” cartoon being hung by a noose. With Time Warner buzzing on the heightened paranoia created by Ice-T and Body Count’s “Cop Killer” controversy, KMD were dropped wholesale by the label, even though the band were willing to discuss changes to the cover, even though DJ Subroc, Zevlove X’s (aka MF Doom) brother, was killed in a car crash shortly after the album’s completion. It’s a shady business, and the treatment of KMD is an eternal shame. Peep “Mr Hood” and find out why.

“Peachfuzz”

“The Skills Dat Pay The Bills”-Positive K (1992, 4th & Broadway)

Purchase “The Skills Dat Pay The Bills” via Amazon

Even though Pos K’s ‘92 release “The Skills….” was considered to be his official debut, he was the furthest thing from a “rookie” in Hip Hop. Pos had moderate success via his collabo with MC Lyte, “A Good Combination”, and also his offering that appeared on the First Priority compilation “Basement Flavor” (”I’m Not Havin’ It”). More notable, was Pos’ unforgettable appearance on Brand Nubian’s classic debut “One For All” with the reggae-tinged jam, “Who Can Get Busy Like This Man”. So, after nearly three years in waiting Pos’ K starting kickin’ ass and takin’ names in Hip-Hop with his HUGE smash “I Got A Man”. And when I say HUGE, we’re talkin’ an appearance on the largely forgotten “MTV Party To Go” compilation album HUGE (I hope you sense the hint of sarcasm thrown in there). Sadly, that would be Positive’s lone crown jewel in Hip Hop, and believe it or not, I think in the long run that it may have actually hindered his sales, due to the fact that many of the hardrocks were expecting more of the “fluff-stuff” flavor that was indeed “I Got A Man”.

In my opinion, “The Skills” is an extremely good album, for ‘92 standards that is. A collective of jazzy grooves and heavy bass thumps, “The Skills” had just enough good stuff to cater to nearly every fan-base. Positive liked to call himself “Mr. Clean Cut and Daper”, and that’s exactly the way that his rhyme style and delivery came off, kinda’ “tongue in cheek”, if you catch my drift. Of course, you had the commercial success of the aforementioned “I Got A Man”, yet you also had the more hardcore “How The Fu*ck Would You Know” (many of you will identify the sample from Public Enemy’s debut, Yo! Bumrush The Show”) and “One 2 The Head”. You also had the tracks aimed as the fly skimmies, “Minnie The Moocher (f. Grand Daddy I.U.) and “CarHoppers”. Finally, you had the good ole’ funky sh*t that you couldn’t help but move along with such as the irresistible “Shakin” (my favorite joint from the album) and “Nightshift” (yet another track amongst the thousands that used the “Substitution” break). Like I mentioned before, there’s something for everyone on “The Skills That Pay The Bills”.

Sitting here listening to the album while I type this, I can honestly say that even today “The Skills..” plays just as it did in ‘92. Hell, I may love the album even more now than I did back during my Freshman year of High School. Boy, it’s albums like this that truly take you back to the days when your only worries were makin’ sure you had enough gas in the tank to get from point A to point B, and sliding into to Home Room before the opening bell rang. Man, what a dope album!