Black Moon - Enta Da Stage (October 19, 1993)

I dedicate this next run to the memory of the late great Sean Price.

The first time I've ever come across anything remotely concerning any act in the Boot Camp Clik's vast history was me confusing Buckshot, real name Kenyatta Blake, with Buckshot LeFonque, a collaboration between DJ Premier and saxophone genius Branford Marsalis. Quick Wikipedia check later, I find Buckshot's claim to prominence: His lifelong membership into legendary hip hop group Black Moon consisting of Kaseem Reid, nicknamed 5ft The Accelerator (truly inspired, good sir) and Ewart Dewgarde, nicknamed DJ Evil D. Of course, I didn't know if these guys were legendary or not.

There are quite a few reasons why I say legendary, mostly related to this very album here. We'll see if that branding is justified later in the review, but for now, let's admire the iconic album cover above, achieving such status via simplicity alone. The wonders a forgotten stain on Evil D's jacket can do.  So, these three hook up with Nervous Records through Chuck Chillout and proceed to sign one of the absolute worst contracts in the history of this rap game: They sign over the rights to their own fucking name. Which might explain why there has not been another Black Moon album for the longest. Nervous, apparently happy with the robbery, gives them the green light to make a lead single, resulting in Who Got Da Props. Obviously, it created enough buzz for them to commission the group for a full album.

During that time, Buckshot struck up a relationship with one of the few dudes from Nervous who actually cared about the musicians and put their best interests at heart. AND he was a Jewish snotty-nosed whiteboy, go figure. That person turned out to be Andrew Friedman, affectionately nicknamed Dru-Ha by the group, who is currently Buckshot's partner at the Duck Down empire. Dru-Ha's relationship with Buck would become so deep that he would appear on a song from the actual album and would be referenced in multiple BCC hits later on. Thick & thin 'n all.

When it came to album time, all the chips were set but one: Evil D was the real-life younger brother of a then-Music Factory employee named Mr. Walt. Apparently, Walt was so famous that Ed Lover bigged him up heavy when Black Moon did one of their Yo MTV Raps appearances. Walt & Evil D formed their famed production team Da Beatminerz just around that time. Da Beatminerz would form their very own sound that would continue for multiple albums starting with their very first credited production: The second single, How Many MCs. What was that sound, you asked? I'll talk about it in the review, duh.

Before that, though, let me highlight a certain aspect some might find off-putting: The entire BCC has a certain fetish for misspelling words in their artistic output. Be it their songs, albums and even their names. First example? I dunno, Enta Da Stage? I can only imagine what a collaboration between them, Onyx & the Def Squad would look like. They'd probably name it 'Def Bal Clik Prezens: Conekshun - Da Album' or some shit. This misspelling thing? You'll be seeing a lot more of that. Truss.

Speaking of BCC, Buckshot would also round up quite the bunch of his homies, who would form the members of the group, starting with Tekomin Williams, nicknamed Tek (another inspired nickname) and his partner Darrell Yates, nicknamed Steele. Both called themselves Smif-N-Wessun, which was a very stupid choice as I'll explain later on. I will explain, I promise. Now go suck on some yoghurt (Important note: Apparently Steele by himself was the crew's rhyming mentor, yet Buckshot got signed first. Don't believe me? Check the VladTV video where Sean P (RIP) mentions his favorite rappers.) Moving along with crewmembers Dashawn Yates, Steele's lil' bro aka Top Dog aka Top Dog Big Kahuna, (I know, right?) Barrett Powell aka Louieville Sluggah, Jack McNair aka Starang Wondah, Jamal Bush aka Rock & the aforementioned Sean Price aka Ruck. These 5 called themselves the Fab 5 and were due a debut album called Without The Freddy (clever) but Dru-Ha, in his infinite wisdom, decided against releasing it and split them into their original two groups: Ruck & Rock were Heltah Skeltah & the rest were OGC. Oh, you want to know what OGC stands for, huh? OK. It's, brace yourself, Originoo Gunn Clappaz. I am not bullshitting. I've gone into the Boot Camp Clik long enough. Back to the review:

POWAFUL IMPAK!
In retrospect, Buck's opening statement was an unspoken slogan for the entire BCC mission in rap. And, believe me, he earns his keep. For Kenyatta raps for delf on ten of the fourteen songs on this album. The moment the beat kicks in, you hear a Thriller U sample that was mixed so well you believe it was made for the damn song. Props to Da Beatminerz for making a killer loop from that Jean-Jacques Perrey joint. As mentioned, Buck gives us his mission statement for the album: I am superior to you in every way and I will fuck you up. It's one thing to include violent content mindlessly. But when you include punchlines that are this good, that shit's elevated to an art form. A true showcase of a proper marriage between beats and rhymes with one goal: feeling the 'impak' in your chest. Props for not including the obligatory rap album intro.

N***Z TALK SHIT
It's the small things that make a song work. This song might not be as extravagant as the previous one, but fuck me if that Miles Davis looped baseline wasn't an awesome touch. Buck gets right down to business, opening up another page of his punchline book. Although, I will state that the misogyny gets very old very fast. A nice followup.

WHO GOT DA PROPS?
Ah yes. The one that started it all. I honestly feel pissed off about these albums' structuring, because it's not like they were intricately thought-out concept records. So why in the fuck aren't Who Got Da Props & How Many MCs the first two joints on here? No disrespect to both previous songs, but my proposition just makes sense to me. What do you mean, I show signs of OCD?! In all seriousness, the rhymes here show us just how much raw talent Buckshot had as an MC: he says in an interview that his flow is very amateurish here and says so as if it was a bad thing. I disagree, though, Buck. I think the status of these rhymes is elevated more and more through every passing year because they were easy to follow. Now, it's hard for me to read about all the legendary 20-year rap groups and their accomplishments and not associate Black Moon with them, and the rhymes on this song are the genesis of why that is. By the way, Evil D, in his third solo production of the evening, (Why does it have to be an evening? Why can't it be a 'morning'? Or afternoon? Or, hell, why can't it be noon itself?) hooks us up with that Ronnie Laws loop. Simple yet genius. This earned the lead single status and is a bonafide classic that you need to hear immediately if you haven't yet done so.

ACK LIKE U WANT IT
I find it fitting that the very first Beatminerz production we hear after How Many MCs would be a duet between both MCs in the group. By now, you've already been accustomed to Buckshot's voice, but no matter how many songs you hear dude on nor how many times you hear said songs, you will never, and I mean never, get used to 5ft's brash-yet-squeaky voice. It always detracts from his rhymes, which are admittedly impressive. Anyway, here both MCs show enough chemistry to overlook that particular slight. For their part, Da Beatminerz craft a bass loop from Lee Michaels that's very fine work indeed, with a Tyrone Washington saxophone loop layed perfectly on it when the hook comes in. Speaking of the hooks on this album, the whole shouting crowd hook phenomenon? Dates way back since 1987. And it was popularized by Naughty By Nature and driven to unfathomable heights by Onyx. So, I don't get the whole "Black Moon started the shouting hook" thing. Unless I'm missing something, then leave a comment below and tell me what it is.

BUCK EM DOWN
A Donald Byrd sample, turned absolutely haunting by Evil D, acts as the calm to the hook's storm. One of the best hooks ever written by Black Moon, to be honest, and yet this version always sounded like they were shouting 'Bucktown!' instead. Anyway, Buckshot seems to be trying extra hard to come off as a thug here, as his subject matter here is essentially the various aspects of the 'I will fuck you up' life. If that makes any sense. Oh well, I enjoyed his flow and passionate delivery here, so this gets a pass from me. There's a remix out there with slightly altered lyrics to fit radio airplay. I would like to commend the entire BCC for finding a way to still convey their ruggedness in their clean versions, thereby silencing the fuckheads at Nervous. Bravo, fellas.

BLACK SMIF-N-WESSUN (FEATURING SMIF-N-WESSUN)
Evil D finds an exquisite Ahmad Jamal loop and turns it on its head with the patois sample at the beginning, where you know you're in for some shit. As you can read above, this is the official debut of rap duo Smif-N-Wessun, where Tek sets shit off with a rhyme that Steele may or may not have written for him. In any case, it sounds really good. Buckshot then sweeps in with a punchline rap filled with violence and sexual imagery, which left a bad taste in my mouth and almost ruined the track for me. That is until Steele closes the song with a definite contender for the best verse on the album. I will stop hiding the fact that Steele is my favorite MC outta the BCC right about...

SON GET WREC
Evil D, oh Evil D. Why did you have to slip up on this track? The Brother Jack McDuff and Season Of The Witch samples don't really mesh, even though they're technically crafted well. And there's that nagging issue of 5ft's fucking voice. It's like one of those weasels from Who Framed Roger Rabbit suddenly decided he wanted to make an East Coast rap record and in a misguided attempt to sound slimier than usual, he made the inspired decision to drink a ton of root beer just before the recording session. Alright, OK, rant over. Can't fault the rhymes nor the hook for at least trying. Next!

MAKE MUNNE
A prevalent KRS-One sample immediately grabs your ears even before your digest the rest of the beat. This is meant as a compliment to Mr. Walt's ear, in his very first production role by himself. His choice of an Alyson Williams R&B record for a sample was a stroke of genius, as the note heard in the beginning of the loop somehow validates the rest of the beat. Buckshot recognizes this, of course, as he delivers an impassioned performance about making money. Very nice.

SLAVE
This is one of the most ambitious songs on this here album, by far. Buckshot delivers an almost-song-length metaphor about an MC's role in the industry. If you only knew what was gonna happen to you later on, Buck, you'd have so much more ammo. Evil D is out for redemption, trying to one-up his older brother with a retooling of a 9th Creation sample that fits the theme like a glove. This was pretty awesome.

I GOT CHA OPIN
This cut received a fair amount of new publicity almost two years ago when a certain megastar, who almost signed to Duck Down in the late 90's, released a cover version of it. Everybody suddenly started to appreciate Black Moon's genius, and I ask: Where the fuck were all these dick-riders before Eminem released Don't Front?! I will say that Eminem wasn't the first one to cover the damn song, as Busta's Flipmode Squad released a pseudo-sequel called We Got U Opin (Part 2) with a slightly-tweaked beat that also featured Buckshot on the hook and contributing a verse. Anyways, the original here by Mr. Walt features a masterful combining of a Ten Wheel Drive loop with soundbites from Odwalla and Jimbrowski sprinkled all over the track. Buck delivers a performance that mirrors the earlier Slave in opening one of the clearest windows into the rapper's world as an MC, but this time, he's showing gratitude to his success while flipping off the naysayers, turning this into a winning number. Black Moon would release a 'remix' only a year later. Honestly, it wasn't a remix as it was a full-blown re-imagining that featured an entirely different beat and brand new rhymes, the beat this time featuring a very prominent Barry White record, which was flipped by both Beatminerz. For his part, Buck delivers very different lyrics about the exact same subject matter, which might sound easy on paper but when you actually hear it, you'll recognize Buck's effort, no question. Both this song and its remix are absolute hip hop staples.

SHIT IZ REAL
Here Evil D goes again, trying to compete with his brother, both delivering some of the best work in their respective careers, so far. Here, D opens up with a John Klemmer sax solo followed by that Faze-O sample. Which was unrecognizable, because D shortened his loop just enough for the sample to go unrecognized. Excellent work, D! Midway through the song, you hear a certain surprising guest ad-libbing for Black Moon and I'm interested in how they hooked up with, of all people, Havoc from Mobb Deep. Back to Buckshot's lyrics: Here, he takes the chance to flex his braggadocio muscles again, and the lyrics, while very technical, don't hit home and connect with the beat because of the subject matter. These lyrics deserved a hard-ass beat and Evil D made a mistake pairing up his masterful beat with these particular lyrics. I call it like I see it.

ENTA DA STAGE
Encircled by the excellent Alice Coltrane loop, Fredro Starr's voice is another surprise on this album. All of Black Moon would consider this as one of the signature songs of this album, and I am inclined to agree. Lyrically, Buckshot basically mentions all of his team's 'hit' records amidst more of his regular shit-talking, so whether that's a good thing or not is entirely up to you.

HOW MANY MCS...
This Grover Washington sample is an automatic rush for me, and this song is to blame. Buckshot delivers another braggadocio performance but what's different this time is his imagery. Dude takes a page from monotone greats like Guru and Rakim, thereby elevating this song into a downright classic. And again I ask: Why in the seven blue fucks isn't this the second song of the album, seeing as this was the second single and was released months prior?

U DA MAN (FEATURING DRU-HA, HAVOC & SMIF-N-WESSUN)
True story: Sean Price (RIP) once told a fan that Dru-Ha had a solo album in the works. But the really funny and hilarious fact is how Dru got away with saying the N word, being Jewish n'all. (My honest opinion is that this word should never be used again. By any race. However, I'm also very aware that I live on Earth, not shoe-in land.) Anyways, Havoc from Mobb Deep finally makes good on his appearance earlier, with a verse that could've fit snugly on Juvenile Hell. And I mean that as very high praise indeed. Smif-N-Wessun follow through with a blistering contribution, especially from Steele. But, I'll have to admit, Buckshot's toasting stole the song for me. On a final note, I must say that this song's awesome drums aren't enough to cover its incompatibility with the Keni Burke sample. The remix, however, suffers from no such problem, as Evil D's loop is a fucking classic.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This album was overlooked in its heyday, and in many ways, it still is. No matter how much success Duck Down experiences, this album can always get more shine, if only on the strength of how sonically groundbreaking it was. Seriously, Da Beatminerz are the true stars of the show most of the time, elevating Buckshot with their wizardry behind the boards to new lyrical heights, even if he might be painfully lacking in subject matter to some. Not taking anything away from Buck as an MC but this rarely swings the other way around. Apologies to 5ft, but I've never understood why he hasn't made more appearances on his own group's debut album. I mean, it could be worse. He could've been the Masta Killa of a three-man group, but this is basically a Buckshot album fully produced by Da Beatminerz, as is the case with the two follow-up albums.  But yeah, this album is very much a fucking classic.

WORTH IT? Um. You kinda need this in your collection if you ever want to look good in front of those fucking hipsters who are simply fans of only the obscurest of pretentious bullshit that passes for rap music these days. Or, you can pretend you've lost all sense of reason and go listen to Fetty Wap. Your choice, really.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN
REALITY (KILLING EVERY...)
In a rare twist, Evil D and Mr. Walt surrender production duties to a William Rosario, whose production sounds like he did the best Beatminerz imitation of all time, with a Quincy Jones loop meshing beautifully with the Roy Ayers sample, resulting in a beat so atmospheric you'll have no choice but absorb every rhyme that comes out of Buckshot's mouth as he launches into yet another nut-grabbing performance. I get it. Not everybody's a fan. But, weirdly enough, Buckshot's material from this period is getting even more popular right now than it was before.

MURDER MC'S
As the Donald Byrd sample subsides, Buckshot takes the rare route (for him) and injects the bookending verses with imagery that has to be heard to be fully appreciated, while pretty much going through the motions in the middle verse. Awfully nice of him, as the Evil D beat is a meticulously-chosen Lee Michaels loop that shows how focused him and his brother were at the time. Why I say at the time? Because Da Beatminerz, like every legendary production act, were never bulletproof. They have their fair share of stinker beats. Fin.

Head towards some more BCC now.