This post is especially painful.
The world lost a fucking legendary human being. Kind. Giving. Funny. Talented. Opinionated. Tough. Badass. Underrated. Underestimated. All these and so many more are barely enough to describe a man like Husayn Sayyid, known to world by his birth name Sean Price, also known by his many self-styled nicknames: Tawl Sean aka Ruckus Da Irrational aka Dutch aka Da Inflixta aka The Brokest Rapper You Know aka Kimbo Price aka Mic Tyson aka Gray Hulk (His final tag name on Twitter). All these are the tip of the iceberg, believe me. He was a genuine person who had his priorities sorted out right, evidenced by the way he turned his life around from a violent adolescence to a positive life as an adult. He always put his family and loved ones above all else. I have said before that I wish I could've grabbed a bite with him. Why? Because I'm not one to dehumanize someone by putting them on a fucking pedestal the way celebrity culture demands from various people, such as taking photos, autographs or the like. I believe that to be one of the most disrespectful things you can do to a person, simply for the fact that you'd be tremendously isolating said person when all he wants is some genuine human interaction. No, I wish I could've known this person. This gem of a human being. And sadly, he's no longer with us. I pray for him to be in a better place now. My sincere thoughts & condolences go out to Husayn's family & loved ones.
Of course, I can't talk about this man on a hip hop review site without mentioning his significant role in it. And nowhere is said role more apparent to me than in his body of work with longtime cohort Jamal Bush, who also assigned himself a slew of nicknames such as Da Rockness Monsta aka Da Flipsta aka Sparsky aka Grand Son of Sam aka Military Punisher aka Bummy Jab, as rap duo Heltah Skeltah of the Boot Camp Clik, in which Sean inexplicably singled his teammate out as the "better" rapper. Of course, as a person who studied these two meticulously and thereby came to the conclusion that choosing one of them over the other is impossible, I find that claim to be absolute nonsense. My opinion goes that Sean Price cannot go into my MC Hall Of Fame without Rock. Bottom line. I don't care if Sean has a better solo career. They're both essential inductees.
Anyway, in 1995 the Boot Camp Clik was firing on all cylinders following the relative success of Dah Shinin', co-founders Smif-N-Wessun's debut, and the Clik's subsequent credited debut on the song Headz Ain't Ready on the second New Jersey Drive OST. Now if you know the lineup of this merry band of men, you are surely familiar with the rest of the group: trio O.G.C. and our two hosts. What some might not have known was that a very interesting project almost came to fruition following Smif-N-Wessun's magnum opus. You see, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. briefly combined forces to form a supergroup within the BCC called the Fab 5. They even recorded a single as such. This single, Blah, was supposed to be newly-formed label Duck Down's trump card. But it was the b-side, Leflah, that blew the fuck up. Similar to what Cypress Hill went through with The Phuncky Feel One/How I Could Just Kill A Man. Matter of fact, it's exactly that. Only without all the mainstream success.
So now that Leflah became a relative critical hit, the way is paved for the following album, right? WRONG. Some airhead decided the album was a bad business move and the Fab 5 would be better off separate & in their original lineups. You say it was Dru-Ha? Well, he might not be an airhead but that was still a dumb decision. One Dru himself admitted as such recently saying that you just can't manufacture the type of buzz Leflah stirred up. No shit, sherlock! So everybody chugged along with that stupid-ass decision with a quick shift of plans, with Heltah Skeltah slated up next. Our duo benefitted from this move greatly, however, by having Leflah added to their debut. I'm sure O.G.C. were thrilled for their brethren, team players that they were. Just ask Diddy.
The addition of Leflah, now insipidly rebranded as Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka, really boosted the promotion for our duo's debut LP, Nocturnal. So Duck Down followed up with Nocturnal's true lead single, Operation Lock Down, which had one of the most visual hip hop music videos ever made. Trust me, it's something you need to see. Hell, the original video was an even more impressive accomplishment, given their obvious financial limitations at the time of its making. Operation Lock Down only added to the critical acclaim Leflah garnered while also helping to establish Heltah Skeltah as their own entity. More importantly, Operation Lock Down along with the earlier Blah were the very first singles from the BCC not to involve anyone from Da Beatminerz team and yet they still retained the dark Beatminerz sound which most BCC fans fell in love with. Indeed, there was a new production movement in motion to coincide with Duck Down's launch as they looked to expand their reach, which made for some interesting choices behind the boards.
Of course, none of this talk of production and sounds really matters if the MCs weren't dope. And as previously stated, both halves of Heltah Skeltah were ridiculously good. While they both focused on punchlines, the sheer difference in their lyrical approach allowed them to compliment each other very well. You see, the late Husayn Sayyid aka Ruck was effortlessly calculating with his punchlines. And you had to hear them in order to get them, not read them off a piece of paper or a Rap Genius page. On the other hand, Rock was clearly the outlandish half as he was the one who came with lines that instantly jumped out of the speakers at you, while his image being colorful enough to immediately create a lasting impression, and his voice forever being an enemy to monotone. Also, it should be noted that they both shared a distinction with Steele from Smif-N-Wessun and Black Moon's Buckshot in that they are able to generate incredible chemistry with whoever they step in the booth with.
Let's dig in to Nocturnal, shall we?
INTRO (HERE WE COME)
Heltah Skeltah reach out to the recently-infamous Lord Jamar, who's actually an accomplished producer, along with BCC bandmate Buckshot to immediately set the pace for this entry into BCC lore with a fittingly-dark instrumental. Needless to say, it almost veers into the useless-crap territory that is populated by oh so many rap album intros. But once OGC's Starang Wondah finishes his very essential rambling, Rock swoops in with a one-verse wonder that basically lists the albums tracks for you by borrowing an element from each song whether it be its name, its hook or so on. I dunno, I'm not feeling it but it could've been much worse.
LETHA BRAINZ BLO
Let's get something straight here folks: Mr. Walt and Evil D are barely on this album. Hell, Evil D has only one production on the entire LP. So, the original Beatminerz influence was already waning from Dah Shinin'. Instead, it's teammate Baby Paul who's picking up the pace with the most productions out of any producer on the album with five credits. His first here shows him to be a true student of the Dewgarde brothers as he takes the first few seconds from a Johnny Pate record and crafts a banging beat for Ruck and Rock to tear apart. And do they ever. This duo establishes itself as a tag team worthy of mention alongside legends such as EPMD, Method Man & Redman, Organized Konfusion and their own BCC family Smif-N-Wessun. This track is simply punchlines galore: Rock's "You're sweet as muffins, that mom dukes bake I break/Yeah my Timberlands make everything from your head to your North Lake ache" versus Ruck's "First of all, n****s don't know jack, my flow's fat/So fat, my gat splat at n****s who claim that my shit's wack" Take your goddamn pick. This shit was awesome.
UNDASTAND
To be honest, this song is the first song I gravitated to when I heard Nocturnal in its entirety for the first time. I know, I listened to the full album. Who does that nowadays, right? So, Baby Paul's kind of on a banging run here. This time, he brilliantly chooses Soledad De Murcia, a ripping jazz classic, and samples the first few seconds again. This guy must have a penchant for finding these types of samples. For their part, our duo switch to the '16-16-8-8' formula with each MC once again making it very hard to choose a favorite. A damn fine one-two combo from all parties involved.
WHO DAT?
Buckshot is daringly going for dolo behind the boards on this one. The beat's surprisingly mellow and allows Husayn and Jamal to rip shop with a short eight bars each. This was not bad in the least.
SEAN PRICE (FEATURING ILLA NOYZ)
I know Illa Noyz is Sean's brother and he spits crazy bars on this, but I still can't help but think of this song as a Sean Price solo. The man simply owns the track. He makes the track his personal property. He can sue you for everything you're worth if you trespass on this track or even think of insinuating such a thing. This song marks a first in BCC lore, where a member from an established duo creates an entire market for a solo career with one song, and he's not even alone on the damn thing. Props to Shaleek for one of the most inventive instrumentals of 1996, no exaggeration.
CLAN'S, POSSE'S, CREW'S & CLIK'S
A Beatminer produced this song? A real Beatminer?! I must say that I expected more out of Evil D's beat, but it does its job. Rock and Ruck bring more truckloads of punchlines like rapid fire. Seriously, check these out: Ruck: 'Some may wonder, the evil these two men do/Torment you, lyrical landlord, your fucking rent due' Rock: 'Suplexed your grandpops then like corn I pop shit/You can't flush, fucking with us you're smacked with hock spit'
THERAPY (FEATURING VINIA MOJICA)
I love punchlines. I really do. I mean, just look at the paragraphs above. But one thing about a punchline rapper that might cause him trouble is when he decides to be 'artsy'. Granted, some are more capable than others. For example, with all due respect to dudes like Akinyele. But they haven't shown signs of having an Uncommon Valor performance in them the way RA The Rugged Man (Another punchline hall-of-famer) did. Even if it did come out of fucking nowhere. This is where songs like Therapy come in. Heltah Skeltah have crafted an undeniable classic with a full-blown thesis of ghetto troubles for young males while still retaining their trademark punchlines. This interesting concept is backed with an awesome Baby Paul sampling of Milt Jackson and The Ray Brown Big Band. Two seconds. That's all it took for Baby Paul, in his third outing on the album, to create one of his best beats. I will say that Vinia Mojica's hook is technically proficient if a bit unnecessary. All in all, one of the best things Sean Price has ever done in this game, if not the best.
PLACE TO BE
And now it's back to business as usual. Quick note: Sean/Shawn J. Period impressed the hell out of me with his work on fellow Virginian Skillz' debut From Where??? Dude provided the best beats on that album, which is especially hard when you're up against the likes of Large Professor, J Dilla, Buckwild and the fucking Beatnuts. So anytime I find his name on something again, I immediately check it out. That's how I got into the Artifacts in the first place. Anyway, his work here is more of the same brilliance, providing the perfect backdrop for Husayn and Jamal to spit a 16 each. By now, their wittiness has become a standard that each of them is held at. To clarify, this was deliciously good.
SOLDIERS GONE PSYCO
Baby Paul's back at it once again with the sampling of a certain record's first few seconds. It's Wade Marcus' turn this time. Let me remind you that this is simply not possible if the producer doesn't have a background in DJing. It is what it is. The beat, of course, is fuel enough for Mr. Inflixta and Mr. Flipsta to come correct with yet another '16-16-8-8' punchline display. Good shit here,folks.
THE SQUARE (TRIPLE R) (FEATURING THE REPRESENTATIVZ)
Heltah Skeltah engage in a tag team match with the Representativz, one of which is Rock's younger brother Lidu Rock. (Horrible choice of nickname. Just horrible.) The lyrics by all involved are good, but the beat by the other Representativ Supreme is a steaming barrel of sewage. So much so that it threatens to make me regret ever listening to Nocturnal. It's that bad.
DA WIGGY
Mr. Walt debuts his first of two productions on Nocturnal by combining a menacing Meters bass loop with the famed Strange Games & Things' first three guitar notes. It's wizardry, really. Rock and Ruck cleverly split lyrical duties in a rare structure where first Ruck spits his 16 bars then Rock spits an 8 and they go to hook duties, following it up by Ruck spitting an 8 and Rock ending it with his 16. And the rhymes are fucking good. This is a definite highlight.
GETTIN ASS GETTIN ASS
That is almost ruined by this goddamn skit. I hate to speak less of the dead but Sean already showed us his Dr. Killpatient character on Therapy and it was funnier then. Hell, his motherfucking ad-libs on that song were funnier than this entire skit. That's all I have to say about this particular waste of space. How about we move on, eh?
LEFLAUR LEFLAH ESHKOSHKA (FEATURING O.G.C.)
Ah yes, the famed Fab 5 joint. Baby Paul signs off for the night by looping a Catalyst record. And, you guessed it: He loops the first few seconds. And I wouldn't have it any other way. The Fab 5 effectively remind you of the incredible chemistry between the entire BCC on posse cuts such as this one. Allow me to state that Starang's opening verse is one of the very best in hip hop history. But don't worry, though. The remaining 4 rip shit up just as hard. This might probably be the most famous BCC song, and it would be worthy of such a title. I'm a Headz Ain't Ready type of cat, myself. It's all good, though.
PROWL (FEATURING LOUIEVILLE SLUGGAH)
Mr. fucking Walt is back with a menacing page out of Baby Paul's book by sampling the first few seconds of a Lalo Schifrin record. Now since Starang Wondah and especially Top Dog got some shine on preceding joint Dah Shinin', it's only right that this album dedicates a slot to Barrett Powell bka Louieville Sluggah on their album. Even though it's an incredibly short slot. I'll credit Rock, though, for sounding genuinely thrilled when introducing Louie, who spits only 8 bars. Somehow, these 8 bars do the job and have you wanting to hear more from him. After which Ruck & Rock gallop ahead with the rest of the track, of course. When the dust settled, I ended up loving this song.
GRATE UNKNOWN
Shaleek's back. And I find it interesting that he's in charge of both rappers' solo showcases on the album. Of course, Illa Noyz' verse needs to erase its existence in order for that fact to be 100% accurate but, hey, nobody's complaining. What do you mean, it couldn't even if it wanted to?! Slapstick aside, Shaleek sprinkles a sample from an unknown cover of I Cover The Waterfront by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman to impressive effect on a magnificently weird beat for Rock to spit his solo game. And, just in case anyone had any doubts, he comes correct. It's a damn shame his solo career went nowhere, because he had that charisma that's impossible to fake about him, and he was good at flaunting it.
OPERATION LOCK DOWN
The lead single is the last track on the album? This is some Illmatic type of fuckery right here. So, E-Swift from Tha Alkaholiks is the producer of this song and, by God, was that an inspired choice. His George Benson loop is flawless, and it gives Ruck & Rock enough energy to deliver an equally-flawless tag team performance. The punchlines are a quote a second and the flow is just breathtaking. When you finish this song, you'll feel as if you just finished listening to a prog rock concert. I don't care if I'm pushing it, that is how I feel.
OUTRO
Looks like someone's not quite over that beat yet, as this outro is basically a skit over the Operation Lock Down instrumental. Which is absolutely lame as all fuck. Shame. This album deserved a better ending than this.
WORTH IT? You goddamn right it is. Go get yourself a slice of punchline wizardry. This remains the finest Sean Price material out there, in my humble opinion.
TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
BLAH (FAB 5 SONG)
The originally-planned hit which wasn't really a hit. Some dude called Tony Moore produced this gem, where he succeeded in capturing all five members' chemistry together in a brilliant whirlwind of threats, punchlines and thuggery. This is a worthy addition to your BCC collection.
“Keep it simple, and keep moving forward.”
ReplyDeleteBest advice in the entire article.