Tragedy - Saga Of A Hoodlum (June 22, 1993)

This post is supposed to serve a double purpose. It's supposed to conclude my run in K-Def's discography, which I chose to tackle in reverse chronological order because fuck you, and start a new run into a bunch of discographies, all which I've categorized in my collection as the Queensbridge movement. And yes, there are many other movements. I must warn you, this run will be fairly long. And it will tackle a bunch of the most famous hip hop releases of all time, but I'm choosing to start with one of its most obscure.

Percival Coles the fourth (No, that's really his name) has a very interesting story in this hip hop game. See, he first gets with the legendary Juice Crew back when they were the fucking Juice Crew during which Marley Marl actually gave him the name MC Tragedy, with Trag inventing the word 'illmatic' on one of his two most famous songs of that era, The Rebel. The other is Live Motivator, and both of which can be found on Marley Marl's In Control Vol.1. However, in the midst of all that glory, he was locked up as a juvie, and at the same time, the Juice Crew fell from hip hop's eye. Like hard. During his term, Tragedy starts cramming about the 5% Nation and becomes very militant in his pro-black stance, coming out of jail and branded by his label as the Intelligent Hoodlum. That moniker fits Percival a lot better, in my honest opinion, as anybody who's listened to his music will attest that son is smart with his writing. His eponymous debut album, produced by Marl and an uncredited Large Professor, is cut from the cloth of the early 90s' best Afrocentric rap albums, a fact furthered by Percival's collaboration with Chuck D on America Eats The Young off Marley Marl's In Control Vol.2 album, even though Chuck sticks to ad-libbing on that particular song.

Yet, my post is intended to highlight an entirely different aspect of Trag's career: Whether anybody cares to admit it or not, Tragedy birthed the style that gave rise to fellow QB rap heavyweights like Nas, Prodigy, Cormega and the fairly obvious connection with Capone of CNN fame. Plus, he is solely responsible for the rise of Noreaga, who might not have been a rapper before meeting him. Don't know if I should thank Percival for that or smack him. Yes, there were rappers like MC Shan, Poet (now known as Blaq Poet) and Craig G, who's still very fucking nice with his pen. But nobody can argue with the fact that Tragedy was the first one who rhymed in a way those MCs related to in the aforementioned two songs. Anyways, there were many showcases in terms of the songs this guy's written, but never a full album that could be marked as the launching point for the QB sound that many classics were molded from. That is, until 1993 came along.

The Intelligent Hoodlum, despite receiving some critical acclaim for his debut, found that his brand was getting stagnant as most of the Afrocentric movements started dying down, unless you happened to be A Tribe Called Quest. Everyone was enamoured with the violent imagery coming from the West Coast scene and its domination of the airwaves back then, and the East Coast was just beginning to rebound using its own brand of grim street life with releases like 19 Naughty III & Bacdafucup. So, being that he actually rhymed about said street life when he first started, he thought that falling back to that setting would be truer to himself (read: keep him remotely relevant). But, he also considered the fact that he's still the Intelligent Hoodlum, so he has to throw in a message or two. Following that resolute resolution, he appeared as a contractual obligation for his label A&M Records on a soundtrack for a film that I'm sure no one saw, Mario Van Peebles' vanity project Posse, rapping impassionately about black cowboys, because they were relevant back in the early 90s. And even though the film failed as miserable a failure as you can picture, A&M still stuck by Mr. Hoodlum by green-lighting the budget to his album. So, now that Tragedy has all the elements lined up for him to make an album, he just needed to find a producer.

Enter K-Def.

Real name Kevin Hansford, K-Def was one of the few people who remained with Marley Marl when his Juice Crew venture went up in flames and vanished from the mainstream. He first gained exposure producing some joints along with Marley on the debut of then-underground darlings Lords Of The Underground, whom Kevin would maintain relations with throughout their respective careers. So, I'm guessing he and Mr. Coles hooked up through Marley. Add in a few other productions from various figures in the production game back then and you've got yourself an album, my friend.

Now quick note, the album's tracklist I'm reviewing today seems to match a Japanese rerelease in 2006, which featured a couple of tracks released alongside the 1993 original tracklisting. So, there's that.

Off we go.

1. SHALOM A LECK
No rap album intro to be found here! Awesome! K-Def sets shit off nicely with his sampling of Billy Joel's Piano Man, and I very much approve of Mr. Coles' effort to reintroduce himself with a quick verse backed with a proper beat, even though he veers heavily into shoutout mode after his verse. RZA would've been proud.

2. HOODLUM INTRO
Oh, here's the intro...

3. UNDERGROUND (FEATURING TRAG-LO)
Don't ask me what a Trag-Lo is. All I can think about at the moment is that the horns of Lou Donaldson's Pot Belly hit you in a way that would've made Pete Rock cry in appreciation. Tragedy sets shit off pretty nicely, with his by-now trademark depiction of violent imagery as vivid as ever while he brags about how he's tougher than you. Nice! His guest drops a single verse that's not that bad but is a significant step below Percival in quality. K-Def samples Run-DMC's Here We Go [Live at the Funhouse] effectively on the hook. Only quibble I have with the track is when Percival stops the entire track in the beginning of his second verse in a clear tribute to an old school hip hop act that I can't remember at the moment. The sentiment is sweet, but the execution was piss-poor. Other than that, this was pretty awesome.

4. FUNK MODE
K-Def showed mastery of the sampling art pretty early in his career, foreshadowing his works of art on The Turnaround. Meshing Lou Donaldson's It's Your Thing with the drums from Rufus Thomas' Do The Funky Penguin, Kevin puts the ball in Tragedy's court, and he takes advantage of the beat to deliver a punchline rap that's actually fairly decent. This Percival cat successfully proves he's pretty versatile. I have to say, I love the fact that there's no bullshit hooks, so far

5. GRAND GROOVE
This track is a bit confusing, as Tragedy dedicates this track to all his 'peoples who passed away', and trust me the amazing backdrop (in which K-Def samples DJ Hollywood's sample of Isaac Hayes' Ike's Mood I) fits the theme, yet he decides to drop a long one-verse wonder that has nothing to do with any type of tribute and doesn't fit the grim beat, even if it is really fucking good. So, yeah, I don't know what this was supposed to be. In my morbid sense of entertainment, though, I still liked it. Approach with caution.

6. AT LARGE
K-Def's take on using the Melvin Bliss Synthetic Substitution drum break, and he executes it beautifully. This is credited as a co-production with Marley Marl, but forgive me if I don't believe that for a second. You'll know why when you come across Marley's own beats on Saga Of A Hoodlum, and yes, he has a few. Tragedy uses this opportunity to direct three verses of politically charged venom at any government entity willing to listen, which I'm sure there's plenty. This sounds nothing like his material from the first album, as here he's letting loose a side of him that will stick to the present day. This shit was really good.

7. DEATH ROW
Another K-Def & 'alleged' Marley co-production. Tragedy's first bars grab you by the throat: "They got me hanging on death row, I should've squealed like a bitch" He then proceeds to delve into the final thoughts on said criminal on death row with haunting detail in one of Tragedy's best rhymes ever, no bullshit. Only criticism I have is the beat, which is technically pretty good. But yet again, it's so inappropriate for such rhymes. The beat sounds like something Biz Markie would use for one of his comedy raps. I'm currently doubting whether Tragedy, K-Def or Marley had anything to do with the mixing. Oh well.

8. SPEECH (CHECK THE TIME)
Skit.

9. MAD BROTHAS KNOW HIS NAME
See? I told you Marley had some beats on here. This track, like I said, is very clearly a Marley track, evidenced by the way his samples of Shades Of Difference by LaBelle and Veronica by Bad Boys are layered. Not to mention his, in this case, very effective use of keyboards. If you've listened to Marley's past work with any type of frequency, you'll know what I'm talking about. Percival takes full advantage of the opportunity presented to him by this track and gives us another smoldering two punchline verses. And this time, the beat and rhymes mesh together beautifully. This was awesome.

10. PASS THE TECK (FEATURING HAVOC OF MOBB DEEP)
Yes, that Havoc. Evidenced by the fact that I clearly wrote 'OF MOBB DEEP' above. Tragedy gives us his take on Das EFX' 'sewage style' flow, and he comes off as alright, if a bit gimmicky. I don't mind it because at least he's not spitting gibberish, unlike many Das EFX imitators back then. Havoc comes correct, his energy being the best thing about his verse, mirroring his contribution on Black Moon's classic U Da Man. K-Def's work behind the boards, with a Rapper's Delight sample & those damn sleigh bells, greatly amplifies the end product. The fucking knocking hook would've made Onyx proud. This shit bangs.

11. STREET LIFE
The Epitome Of Scratch gives you his lone contribution to the album. And it's one of the most depressing beats I've ever heard in hip hop to date. Somehow, that was intended to be a compliment. Tragedy usually flourishes on these tracks, and thankfully this one is no exception. Here, he continues to prove he's an effective storyteller with three stories about troubled ghetto people, each one more gut wrenching than the next. This was remixed into the third single, but the original is pretty good in itself.

12. PUMP THE FUNK
The second Marley beat, and if this wasn't a true Marley beat, I don't know what is. It's one of those beats where you're transported to a different time the moment you hear it & it bangs in all the right ways. I loved the MC Ren sample, as that motherfucker deserves all the shine he gets. Tragedy freaks another story, this time he describes how he's driving in his local 'hood with the sound system blasting out the car. Situations he comes across include some locals having a run-in with the police and street thugs & prostitutes scheming on him. I have to admire Percival's lyrical consistency, so far, and his patented imagery is ever present.

13. ROLE MODEL
Kool Tee & DJ Cory co-produce this song. Once again, Synthetic Substitution shows itself on the sample, but the beat is pretty fucking boring. This is the first beat on the album which I can confidently call a fuckup. It definitely doesn't affect lil ol' Percy, as he delivers the fucking goods with another trilogy of stories, ripping fake role models something proper. Too bad the beat is utter shit.

14. THE POSSE (SHOOT 'EM UP) (FEATURING BIG SCRAM)
The aforementioned single from that movie, produced by whatever the hell a Mr. Freaknasti is. This was promoted as the lead single for the album. First thing I have to say is that the drums sampled on this shit hit you in the goddamn chest and shatter both your ribs and your spine. The piano looped also adds an intense sense of energy, with both samples combining into a result which exemplifies the reason why I specifically gave this blog its name: Boom bap at its very finest. Now the rhymes, on the other hand, are one big, well-written history lesson about black outlaws in the Old West and how they're not as well portrayed in the media as white outlaws.

And therein lies my problem with the entire song. You see, I really don't get the glamorization of 19-century outlaws in the media, whether in past or present films. And I don't give a flying fuck what race they were. Were they really the exemplars of moral character that many, including Hollywood, made them out to be? Or is the whole phenomenon a romanticizing charade designed to arouse the petty and the simple-minded? And why are Tragedy and his guest that proud of the people they're rapping about? Was this pride simply out of association with these people's skin tone? Might I add that the hook sucks swine balls. And if that wasn't enough, Mr. Hoodlum starts shouting out his peoples in the absolute stupidest way possible. Oh, I don't have to describe it. You'll know it immediately.

Despite that last paragraph, I consider this a very sweet guilty pleasure. One with a wrecking beat and excellent rhymes, even if they're rhymes I don't really identify with.

15. GRAND GROOVE (BONUS MIX)
K-Def finally returns behind the boards for this brilliant song, after four tracks by as many producers. And he brings with him a song sampled & covered by a truckload of hip hop artists: Patrice Rushen's Remind Me. His take on it is truly befitting of the subject matter Tragedy brings to the table. For this time, Percival makes sure his rhymes are befitting of the intended tribute to his grandmother. He expertly sprinkles tributes to other people, though never named, and describes his struggles all in one. This is one song that is as gripping as any tribute in hip hop ever was. It's Dear Mama before Dear Mama was Dear Mama. (Objection? In the goddamn comments, please.) If you're reading this review and you haven't heard this shit, you need to hear it as soon as possible. Like now.

16. FUNK ROLL OUTRO
A dope instrumental, wasted as the outro.

The following two tracks might not be familiar to anyone who got this album back in 93:

17. FUNK MODE (REMIX) (FEATURING HAVOC OF MOBB DEEP)
Leave it to Large Professor to completely alter his sample to sound almost nothing like the original material, which in this case is Gwen McCrae's 90% Of Me Is You. Tragedy brings Havoc again in the studio, with LP referencing Mobb Deep and shouting out Prodigy in the end. Guessing by the fact that Havoc wrote SOME of P's rhymes early on in their career, it makes perfect sense why nobody had any faith in dude. But in retrospect, the rap geek in me wishes those two got down together in their respective primes on at least one record, since Prodigy is very similar to Tragedy. Hell, their names sound a little bit alike. Anyway, Trag and Hav do their thing on this remix and their chemistry continues. This was nice.

18. STREET LIFE (RETURN OF THE LIFE MIX)
The final song in this tracklist features a hook from Tragedy that wasn't present on the original. This hook is one of the best I've heard in hip hop, no lie. Not to mention his slightly altered lyrics and infinitely better delivery. The rest is left up to Kevin's fresh air of a beat, sneakily warping Minnie Riperton's singing at the end of her 1975 hit Inside My Love to sound like an instrument. The accompanying keys on the sample add that nostalgic feeling which greatly amplifies the end product, in my opinion. The video, shot in early 94, is dope as well. I love the videos where rappers use the shit to party at their old neighborhoods. This shit was correct in all the right ways.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
This is one review where I knew exactly what I was getting the minute I started writing it. Tragedy delivers his Intelligent Hoodlum swan song with as much focus as he can muster, and it really shows in his rhymes. There's really not one song with bad, or even mediocre writing by him on the whole album. I'm dead serious. And the beats by K-Def, Marley and co. are universally excellent, except for that weird-ass Role Model beat. However, if I was to point out a flaw in this album, it would be the mixing. The Death Row and Grand Groove (the original) beats' unsuitability to their respective rhymes shockingly detracts from the listening experience, and I highly doubt that a flaw this big would be lost on production generals like Marley and K-Def, especially when we know how meticulous the latter would get on The Turnaround. Despite my gripes, however, this is still a quality hip hop album that deserves as much recognition as possible, no thanks to A&M's bullshit promotion.

WORTH IT?
As a timepiece of the early 90s, you should own this shit. As a blueprint album for many Queensbridge classics, you should own this shit. As a rare piece of hip hop worthy of collecting, you should own this shit. As Tragedy's best album, bar none, you should definitely own this shit.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
PASS DA TEK (REMIX)
This track was actually released with the earlier Funk Mode remix as a standalone single, with Percival credited as simply Tragedy, before any of the Khadafi bullshit. As such, this cut was also produced by Large Professor, but Havoc is nowhere to be found. This works great, however, as Tragedy delivers one of his most focused punchline performances of his entire career, complete with the same awesome hook from the original version. For his part, LP proves to be just as competitive as K-Def with his beatmaking wizardry displayed in plain view by his sampling of The Loading Zone's Can I Dedicate and, of course, the enchanting drums from Melvin Bliss' Synthetic Substitution. A glorious end product awaits whoever collects this track. And we're done.

For more K-Def, click here, and for the rest of my reviews on Tragedy's catalog, click here.