Das EFX - Straight Up Sewaside (November 16, 1993)

In January of 1992, two snotty dreads who called themselves Das EFX blasted into the mainstream with their debut single, "They Want EFX". That song, along with its accompanying album, Dead Serious, introduced the world to a new style of rhyming that the duo dubbed "sewage" and landed the duo alongside the likes of Naughty By Nature and Onyx to build the foundation for the East Coast Renaissance, a period of time where New York could do no wrong in the eyes of music critics.

Amidst all the hoopla, Das EFX stood with their chests held high, side-by-side with their Hit Squad brethren EPMD, Redman & K-Solo. They were paid to cameo on Ice Cube's "Check Yourself", which only furthered their rise and cemented their “sewage” gimmick as one of the most original ideas in hip hop. Even though it was a fucking stupid name for a gimmick, it was one that would define Krazy Drayz and Skoob's entire career. Just not in the way they had hoped.

Everyone and their fucking dog started adding “-iggedy” to their rhymes, from Jay-Z to fucking Kris Kross (who had their rhymes written by Treach, of all people, even though producer Jermaine Dupri stole all the credit. I mean, talk about a scratch to the fucking belt), which resulted in the gimmick getting very old very fast. Unlike what some people may have believed, the first people who noticed this were Das EFX themselves. So, rather than stick with what worked for them in the past, they opted to reinvent themselves in order to remain on top of the game. So, they decided to throw their "sewage" style away for a short time, while the dust settled.

Which turned out to be the worst fucking business move they could've done at the time, as their second album, Straight Up Sewaside, sold absolutely zero copies (shouldn't it be called Straight Down Sewaside?). To top it all off, the infamous EPMD breakup further soured matters for Drayz and Skoob. Das EFX's commercial career never recovered from that one-two combo.

But what about the album itself? It was crafted by the very same people as their popular debut: the returning production team Solid Scheme handled all but two tracks on the album, which were left for Das EFX themselves and Charlie Marotta, a Long Island engineering OG who taught Parish Smith how to produce, sided with him after his ugly breakup with Erick Sermon and whom I will always respect for his work on that shelved Knuckleheadz album.

Straight Up Sewaside, boy/girl (pick one):

INTRO
Just as the title proclaims. Skip!

UNDERGROUND RAPPA
The first thing you'll notice about this song is that the "sewage" style, imitated by countless upstarts (please refer to the paragraphs above), is long gone. The rhymes are extremely clear now that they stopped flipping their tongues, and from the very first verse, Skoob demonstrates very clearly why he's the better punchline rapper of the two. Solid Scheme continue their amazing run from the first album by producing an absolute gem of a beat. Believe me, this will cause your expensive sound system to rattle the environment exactly the way you want it to.

GIMME DAT MICROPHONE
Marotta's lone contribution. The track continues Das EFX's weird obsession with Erick Sermon, sampling the iconic EPMD hit "So What Cha Sayin'." This tracks appears to have finally woken Drayz the fuck up, since he catches up to his partner this time round, and they proceed to demolish the track together. The wonder of friendship. The Pepsi reference was pretty dope, too. Putting it short, this shit was nice!

CHECK IT OUT
The spiritual sequel to "Mic Checka" from Dead Serious. The hook, once again, will be all you remember from this song. Lyrically, the duo carries the track, but without any truly memorable lines. Drazy's delivery is inspired, though. It's as though he ate some pretty banging rats down at those sewers they keep mentioning. The beat is the standard that Solid Scheme set for themselves, which pretty goddamn nice. Fuck it, I like this song.

INTERLUDE
...

FREAKIT
The lead single. This time around, this choice was a smart one, as the first single from most albums is typically chosen based on what represents your act the most, and if any one song encapsulated what this album sounded like, it's “Freakit”. Curiously, I found the beat sounding like "Klap Ya Handz" from their first album. Maybe they had a special connection during that time. Maybe they hold a special place in their heart for the producer of the first song. Maybe I'm drowsy as fuck at the time of this writing. Skoob sounds like he wasn't really trying on this song, so his partner gets the better of him in the punchline department.

RAPPAZ
Huh! And here I was thinking the "sewage" style was to make no resurgence whatsoever on this album. Das EFX immediately sound more comfortable by resorting back to their gimmick. The difference is, there is no “-iggedy” suffix to speak of. I'm left thinking, "Why in the fuck didn't they rhyme like this on their debut?" As, admittedly, the “-iggedy” suffix made them sound a little preschool-ish. Anyway, the beat is fucking awesome yet again, with another Solid Scheme slam dunk that samples Biz Markie.

INTERVIEW
Thankfully the last skit on the album. They talk about the “sewage” style and why they're not using it anymore, setting up the next track.

BAKNAFFEK
I definitely agree with Max on the issue of the intentional misspelling of song titles. This second single seemingly rubs salt in the wounds of people who loved their popular “sewage” gimmick by using it only in the first bar, then continuing to gallop ahead with the track. Krazy Drayz later mentions in the song that since so many people bit the gimmick, then they can have it while he moves on to greener pastures. The beat is the spiritual sequel to "They Want EFX", with the weird yodeling and an Erick Sermon sample to boot.

KAUGHT IN DA AK
The fellow miserable soul who read my review of the first album might recall that I added a b-side to track down by the name of "Hard Like A Criminal." You might also recall that I proclaimed it head and shoulders above anything they did on Dead Serious and that it was a damn shame that it wasn't included on said debut. Well, my dear friend, I'm very pleased to tell you that the two snots have learned their lesson and present to you its sequel, which was also the third single. And I'm also very pleased to tell you it's even better than its predecessor. The beat starts with a menacing bass line. Then, as the kicks and snares reveal themselves, Books In Reverse beckons Solid Scheme to "bring it in one time." Then, the beat in all its glory is finally revealed, with a fucking ingenious hook that samples Ad-Rock's famous proclamation from the Beastie Boys' classic joint "Paul Revere". This is the best beat on the album thus far. This is the lone storytelling rap on the entire record, but believe me, it'll fill your appetite, as the tale depicts Skoob as a higher-level street thug "doin' it big" and Drayz as a frustrated former criminal desperate for some of the loot. The former recruits the latter, who worked with him in the past, to kill an underling that stole from him. As they prepare for the hit, they come across some cops. And that's where the story is left open-ended. Brilliant! It's almost as if the duo wants you to focus on the circumstances surrounding this life rather than the narrative itself. I felt this very strongly after Drayz's verses as he, just as in the prequel, out-fucking-shines his partner. Hands down, the best song on the album and my favorite Das EFX song. Ever!

WONTU
I can't imagine anything that can follow up the previous track, but this song isn't really that much of a letdown. By now you'll be used to how Solid Scheme produce their beats. By my count, this is the third time they've sample Biz Markie in their career, so far. The rhymes are a much better showing in punchlines than what we were used to hearing on the album, save for a few exceptions. Overall, this dope track went as high as it can. Moving the fuck along...

KRAZY WIT DA BOOKS
The first thing that caught me about this beat is how Drayz's delivery scheme involves him shouting. The poor guy's vocal chords must be reduced to shit, these days, right? No? He's still performing? He recently dropped a friggin' solo album?! Fuuuuck. The lyrics are a continuation of the winning form of the previous track. Some of these lines, like the Popeye reference, are flat-out hilarious. The beat uses a very fitting DMC sample from one of my favourite Run-DMC songs, "Ooh, Whatcha Gonna Do".

IT'Z LIK DAT
Solid Scheme's final contribution is their only fuck-up on the album. The beat is so minimalistic you feel like you're being suffocated. It does, however, succeed in finally subduing Drayz's delivery, which results in his lyrics sounding more direct and confrontational. Not Skoob's delivery, though: that fucker’s pitch has been a lost ever since the start of Straight Up Sewaside. The “Kaught In Da Ak” single contains a remix by Solid Scheme that uses a much better beat, resulting in a much better product.

HOST WIT DA MOST (RAPPAZ REMIX)
Just as the title fucking reads. The remix provides us with the lone Das EFX production. They don't change the lyrics, though, just the delivery of said lyrics. But the beat is just too disjointed for me to recommend this track. And we're done.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The fact that Straight Up Sewaside didn't sell shit points to only one factor: Das EFX's decision to discard their “sewage” gimmick was a fucking bad move, especially when you release your album just one year after you made your debut in this game. Although maybe Parish lost his knack for executive production after his breakup with Erick. You might also note that the pop culture references were cut down to a bare minimum. In any case, the odds were stacked too high against this album succeeding, resulting in its commercial failure. However, that made Straight Up Sewaside a more precise listen, thereby adding more sting to the punchlines, which was a nice touch. Also, the inclusion of “Kaught In Da Ak” immediately made this album a better product, simply because of how awesome their storytelling is. So, in reality, this album was the proper step forward for Krazy Drayz and Skoob Effects, who needed to step the fuck out of their gimmick's shadow. Of course, they would fuck up the entire evolution process by returning and sticking to the “sewage” gimmick, starting with their very next album. But that's a story for a later time.

WORTH IT? This is where it gets confusing: If you were all about the “-iggedy” from the first album, you'd do well to shove "Rappaz" in your playlist and move the fuck along, because this is not the same group you blasted into your subconscious via your Walkman. However, if you're a fan of Das EFX's writing, then this is a much easier choice, since nothing has changed thematically. Their flows just got better, in my opinion. If you're new to Das EFX and wanted to start here, you wouldn't be missing much of what made them great. Except for "Looseys". That song was genius. Find this shit immediately if you're in the latter two categories. Just in case someone out there confuses all this talk, I'm advising fans of quality hip hop that this album is essential.

Cypress Hill - Black Sunday (July 16, 1993)

Half a year later...

If anything, I am one relentless motherfucker. I refuse to back down from a challenge. That's because trying to come up with shit to put in these writeups has begun to cause me actual physical pain again. Not because I stopped loving this material I'm writing about, far from it. But because the last review I wrote was before the infamous Soulja Boy Breakfast Club interview dropped. I hate even talking about that piece of shit but trust me, that interview served as a wakeup call: the mainstream hip hop scene has been flooded with trash music for over a decade now. Not knocking guys who really appreciate the craft like J. Cole or Big KRIT, but even they were forced to compromise with songs that really serve no purpose when it comes to elevating the art form.

Which begs the following questions: When the fuck was it OK for the limits of this art form to not be pushed? When the fuck was it OK for mainstream hip hop acts to settle with the mediocre? I'll let y'all hang with these shits for a moment.

Back to our syndicated program with another look at what many people in the industry call the "Golden Era". Now, pay attention to the fact that each and every attempt to pinpoint the exact timeframe of said era failed so far, simply because of the astronomical number of answers one would get for even asking such a thing. Nevertheless, a common understanding has taken shape in the ether implicating that such era may be traced back to 1986, a mere two years after Run-DMC & LL Cool J transformed the industry from a singles game into an albums game. It was then that the world of hip hop caught the first glimpse of its most influential generation to date. I'm not even gonna list the acts who released material during that time but trust me: You're gonna find that the vast majority of your favorite rappers were, in one way or another, influenced by these mufuccas. That's is exactly the case for one of mines: The legendary B-Real, lead MC and writer for the immortal Cypress Hill. B, along with comrades Sen Dog, hype-man and lowkey-leader of the group, and DJ Muggs, founder of the Soul Assassins and chief architect of its sound, hit the scene with one hell of a bang. Their eponymous debut, released in 1991, was a true testament to how much they were students of the aforementioned pioneers, showcasing distinct influences of Public Enemy and EPMD while retaining their identity and thereby creating a sound all their own. The critical hit was a commercial one, as well, quietly reaching five hundred thousand units sold in early 92. During that time, ol' Muggsy was busy cranking out hits for fellow Soul Assassins alumni House of Pain & Funkdoobiest, with the former's debut album actually achieving platinum status on the strength of the be-all-end-all party jam Jump Around, itself a chart-topping smash. As expected, this did wonders for Muggs' name, as people started researching the guy and found out he had released a full album with Cypress Hill prior. Hence the eponymous debut reaching platinum status in January of 93, as well.

So now that Muggs was done with masterminding the side projects, it was time for him to refocus on the main show. His grimy funk production being somewhat of a hot commodity, Muggs decided that he was going to continue pushing it for a while despite him recognizing that now was a suitable time to elevate his sound. Thus, the world was treated to the biggest Cypress Hill record to date: Insane In The Brain.

Storytime: Insane In The Brain was actually a diss aimed squarely at Chubb Rock and dear friend-turned-bitter enemy Kid Frost. Keyword: WAS. Kid Frost has long since reunited with the Hill and Chubb Rock is on pretty amicable terms with them. Anyways, the song blew up within the rock and metal markets simply because the Hill had an immense appeal with their pothead fanbases. It actually became such a hit that the original objective of the song was completely lost. Hell, even Cypress themselves barely recognize it as the diss it was meant to be. Nevertheless, Insane In The Brain remains the Hill's biggest single stateside, selling five hundred thousand units alone and is forever solidified within the Hill's live show sets. The fuckheads at Sony felt said success was enough groundwork for the accompanying album, Black Sunday, to be unleashed on the starving masses.

To date, Black Sunday is the most successful Soul Assassins project out, selling at least three million units in the US alone. Critics also flocked at hailing this record as gigantic triumph for the group. Time to check if they're onto something.

Boy/girl (pick one), this is Black Sunday

I WANNA GET HIGH
What kind of Cypress Hill album would this be if it didn't house a song or two professing their love for cannabis? Muggs sets the mood off right with some off-kilter horn bytes preceding a soothing funk instrumental looped to enhance the experience of getting baked out your shoes. B responds appropriately with a Rita Marley interpolation, followed by a one-verse ode to the sticky icky. I know y'all know by now that never have and never will come near the stuff, but as far as weed songs go, this one's par the standard our trio set for themselves.

I AIN'T GOIN' OUT LIKE THAT
Remember Todd Ray bka T-Ray from the previous post? I told y'all I was coming back to him, right? Well, his status as Soul Assassins beatsmith is very much intact here as he rises up to Muggs' lofty bar with one hell of a concoction for the third single: A mashup of saxophone excerpts and harmonica interludes set to a looped guitar riff with some bass menacingly dragging the instrumental's body by its cold dead limbs until the drum break resurrects the whole shit as it hits you and shatters your ribcage. This is one beat that will stay wormed into your brain as B and Sen, in his first appearance on the album providing the B-written middle stanza, brutalize T-Ray's production with yet another thuggery display that'll incite a riot at your local high school reunion if played. Naturally, this song's my shit!

INSANE IN THE BRAIN
There's the lead single! Fun fact: this song and the previous one were the set Cypress Hill played the night they got banned from SNL. Speaking of which, fuck Lorne Michaels. Now that I got that outta the way, holy hell did this song ever cross over! TBH, I never understood why metalheads took to this song in particular. I mean, I highly doubt that they understood the disses towards Chubb Rock & Kid Frost. Hell, I'm even positive that there are other songs on the album that were much more infused with metal influence than this one, yet here we are. This is still an iconic entry in their discography, though: Muggs utilized the same formula that made How I Could Just Kill A Man so big and dialed it up to eleven with even quirkier sample material, harder drums and better arrangement of verses for B and Sen. I notice that it's actually Sen who's dishing out all the subliminal insults on the song. Never let it be said that he was a punk who hid behind B, even when B wrote the actual verses themselves. All in all, this deserves its place as one of hip hop's true anthems

WHEN THE SHIT GOES DOWN
Time for B to prove to mufuccas that he's an MC again. Over a bouncy ass composition issued as the second single where Muggs speeds an out-of-left-field blues classic, B, by his lonesome, describes a tale where his home, spot, gate, whatever gets ambushed and he finally gets shot in the chest while intending to go out in a blaze of glory. While the beat is very addictive and melodic, I wouldn't have pegged it to be a perfect backdrop to a shootout song. Then again, that's why Muggs is the producer with legendary 3-decade career and I'm not. Let me be clear, though: I have always loved this song!

LICK A SHOT
Here's what's interesting: The bass sample Muggs utilizes here is actually slowed down. Nevertheless, this is one high-octane number, as B ingeniously switches up his delivery, sounding like an absolute madman as a result. What's curious is that this song sounds like a continuation of the events that transpired in the previous one. B is once again in storytelling mode, but this time the matchup between beat and lyrical performance is much more effective as B relays the desperate situation his character's in with surprisingly vivid detail. What's even doper is that he unveils a twist where the whole sequence was just a dream, upon which he wakes up right at the moment where he still gets ambushed, without his firearms this time, and another worse scenario immediately plays out. Nice display of continuity, Cypress Hill!

COCK THE HAMMER
Hands down, the darkest, grimiest and best song on the entire album. If you ever thought that DJ Muggs was a one-trick pony, here's where he first proved you wrong. Dude really knows how to pull shit from left field: This time a bass loop from Brazilian jazz fusion infused with a soulful drum break warped to result in the most soulless of backdrops he has ever come up with up to this point. This is where B-Real flexes his writing muscles, as he provides a verse for Sen that is so potent fools are still quoting it decades later! Sen’s delivery of said verse was so powerful it whipped B into a one-verse thuggery frenzy mixed with some buccaneering imagery. Appropriate, that, as B looked like a reincarnated Blackbeard back then. If you were still wondering, B stomped out the beat something feral with his offering. One of the greatest hip hop songs I've ever heard.

LOCK DOWN
A short instrumental break. I will say that these beats are where Muggs first started experimenting with sounds that don't really need lyrics to paint full pictures. This is one where he puts to use a legendary blues byte and effectively captures the feel of living that ever-so-excruciating prison life. The beat literally sounds like when the prison bars are closing down during nighttime. Brilliant. Still an interlude, though.

3 LIL' PUTOS
If any one song off this album replicates the cartoonish formula of the first album, this is it. A pseudo-sequel to Psycobetabuckdown, this time with Sen joining on the fun with yet another Spanglish display provided for him by his writing partner. People forget that he, not his younger brother Mellow Man Ace, was the first to utilize said concept, though. Anyways, the sound of B and Sen goofing off on an equally goofy blues loop cheffed up by Muggs is always welcome in my ride. So far, this album has no hitch!

LEGALIZE IT
Alas, I hastily spoke. Another interlude so soon, Muggs? Here, he slows down a funky guitar riff while sprinkling various bits of weed PSAs. Creative, but unnecessary.

HITS FROM THE BONG
Over Muggs' classic blues loop, B-Real launches into yet another two-verse ode to his recreational drug of choice. I gotta give props to him for coming up with new ways to express his adulation for this subject. moving on.

WHAT GO AROUND COME AROUND, KID
Another goofy blues-infused Muggs beat, another B-written cartoonish display of violence performed by B and Sen in what's essentially a retread of 3 Lil' Putos. Like I said in the prologue, Muggs clearly felt that such goofiness still had a crowd by the time they eased into different sonic domains, so I give him props for sticking to it. And it ain't like the song isn't entertaining, especially when B hilariously decides to act out his kung fu fantasies. Fun note: By sampling Hand On The Glock, which appears later on the album, this track presents another example of an annoying recurrence in hip hop albums: How hard is it to just bump the earlier-recorded songs up a few slots?!

A TO THE K
Prior to appearing on this album, this song showed up on the White Men Can't Jump OST, cheekily titled White Men Can't Rap. Funny, since fellow Soul Assassins alumni House Of Pain were one of the biggest hip hop, scratch that, musical acts of that particular summer with that infectious Jump Around classic. Anyway back to this, it's my resolute opinion that this album's sequencing is absolutely terrible. If it were up to me, I'd sequence that shit into medleys: the haunting medley, the weed medley, the cartoonish medley, etc. As such, people might be understandably turned off the album by this point. And even though the traditional formula is here and it kept me entertained, I completely get why.

HAND ON THE GLOCK
Second song to show up on the album outta context, as this is a remix to the Hill's intended debut single Hand On The Pump. Like I said, these should've opened the album along with the singles. Especially since there's no overarching narrative to speak of. Oh well, at least it's a good and faithful remix.

BREAK 'EM OFF SOME
Hey! The Hill decided to end Black Sunday with a bang! Muggs transforms a smooth jazz loop into a high-octane thumper tailor made for B-Real to kick three verses describing him escaping the pigs. And here's where his delivery and lyrical choices steal the show once again as they relay the tension such situations produce effectively. Told y'all he's brilliant! Shame that some people can't get past his nasalities to appreciate these details. Oh, well. Their loss.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The Hill's at it again! Black Sunday is most definitely a successful second helping of the winning formula used so brilliantly on its predecessor, while not without its moments of attempting to naturally evolve and expand their domain, which is inherently a tough thing to do without polarizing your core audience. To that end I also feel like they succeeded, as songs like Cock The Hammer and I Ain't Goin' Out Like That have since become Cypress Hill staples for a good goddamned reason. All thanks to Muggs' constant efforts behind the boards to push himself beyond his achievements. B-Real also stepped his pen game up, writing material for both him and Sen that enhanced their vocal chemistry together, with Sen really stepping up and sometimes even overshadowing B with his delivery and tone. All in all, these dudes have notched another classic in their catalog, despite some later inconsistencies.

WORTH IT?
Ayo, if you wanna stubbornly stick with the whole "oldhead" debates currently plaguing hip hop media, get the fuck off my shit and take your ass up the Old Town Road with Lil Nas X' deluded ass. If you wanna grow the fuck up and appreciate good music for what it is, have yourself a piece of this gem now.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
I LOVE YOU, MARY JANE
The first of two Cypress Hill metal collaborations off the Judgment Night OST which featured various other dope ass metal/hip hop collaborations, to be frank. In this case, the Hill collaborate with Sonic Youth in tribute to guess what? I will say that Muggs really succeeded in reigning in Sonic Youth to fit in their warped weed-hazed sound for these odes. As far as the lyrical front, B is on his own, which never posed a problem for him in such circumstances and continues not to.

REAL THING
The second metal collaboration off the abovementioned OST, and this one sounds much more metal-influenced. In this case, this is a good thing, because the MO here is another all-out war with the police. B-Real sounds appropriately demented, while providing Sen with more deliberate threats. Muggs adapts to the foreign environment, setting the stage for future forays into this medium. I love this song!

SCOOBY DOO
This track's interesting: It's been featured on every single released after the album dropped. That lets me know that the Hill really wanted people to hear this track. Here, B goes for delf with two verses that describe a story where he survives an ambush after getting shot, all over another warped concoction by Muggs. A foreshadowing of things to come. Definitely seek this one out. And we’re finally done with the hiatus

Need another hit of that Soul Assassins icky? Knock yourself out. If you want to just maintain with Cypress Hill, gahead.

Funkdoobiest - Which Doobie U B? (May 4, 1993)

And we're back with the Eminem thing. Trust me, I know I'm talking about him a lot but there's a time and a place for these pulls, and this is one of them.

So it's 2003, right? I'm just beginning to cool off my Eminem phase when I watch the music video for Guilty Conscience for the first time. I distinctly remember laughing my ass off at Em's antics in said video, which was probably the point. Anyway, even though I wasn't necessarily paying attention to lyrics back then, for some reason Em's reference to one of our three hosts today stuck for the longest...

Yes, people: Apparently Jason Vasquez aka the Tribal Funkster bka Son Doobie moonlighted as an actual pornstar just before the noughties hit. And thus I concluded the segment where I address the elephant in the room.

Because, believe it or not, I actually think there's more to the legacy of Son Doobie and his two cohorts Ralph Medrano bka DJ Ralph M & Tyrone Pacheco bka Tomahawk Funk than just porn. I'm actually pretty adamant that the trio, collectively known as Funkdoobiest, are fully capable of producing classic hip hop moments that bang with the best of them, due to Ralph M being yet another protege of the legendary DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. However, let this not be taken as our trio somehow being youngins back when they formed. Far from it, as Tomahawk Funk was an original member of Cypress Hill’s previous iteration by the name of DVX way back when, and Ralph M DJed for Kid Frost way before he met Muggs. These dudes had pedigree.

Nevertheless, the pieces were set in the early 90s, as Muggs was slowly but surely forming a new empire of sound that proved itself with hits like How I Could Just Kill A Man and the unfathomable Jump Around. All setting the bar for what to expect from a Soul Assassins record.

Another important note: It was around this time that Muggs became acquainted with a white dude from South Carolina named Todd Ray aka T-Ray who was heavily entrenched in the NY hip hop production scene. So much so that he became renowned as a 'beat king' of sorts. Afterwards, T-Ray got down with the Soul Assassins crew and was yet another asset to their sound. I tell you: The more I search into this guy's background, the more he becomes a mystery. But remember the name T-Ray, fellow lonely soul. He has quite the part to play later.

Back to our trio for a bit: Immediately after forming, they decided to throw their hat in Muggs' ring of hits. The result was a demo housing many of the joints that would end up on the album, including a street single called The Funkiest that had LA rocking, if Muggs is to be believed. When the sales pitch to Epic was made, the label once again opted not to go with the proposed single, instead choosing another song called Bow Wow Wow. That colossal mistake on Epic’s part is the first and major reason why Funkdoobiest never could reach the highs of their Soul Assassins brethren. Amid countless others, naturally. Nevertheless, there was still a ready-made album that our trio completed with Muggs, T-Ray, DJ Lethal from House of Pain and DJ Ralph M himself, making for the most complete sonic representation of the Soul Assassins collective to date, production-wise. And Epic took the bait.

This is Which Doobie U B?, boy/girl (pick one):

THE FUNKIEST
DJ Muggs helms the second single and it's painfully obvious why this had a towering street buzz: He KNOWS how to extract the most out of the mesh of samples to create a bombastic sound reminiscent of both the Hit Squad & the Bomb Squad. This, as is the case for the majority of the album, is a Son Doobie showcase, and you'll quickly find that he fits the B-Real archetype quite nicely: Even if he ain't necessarily as lyrical as B here, he has an abundance of personality that will sell you on the song. I love this shit.

BOW WOW WOW
The first single. I've already delved enough into the backstory behind this song so I'll just mention that this DJ Muggs production is a bit more fast-paced, even though it retains the same elements that made the previous beat so enjoyable: An emphasis on dusty drums and funky talkbox bits. Son Doobie here shows that he can liven up a party pretty well. 2 for 2.

FREAK MODE
DJ Ralph M debuts on his act's album with a clear example that he learned from Muggs pretty damn well: An earwormy mix of piano keys and brief guitar stabs will have your head nodding like crazy in no time. This also marks the first time Tomahawk Funk shows up on the record and I must say, his tag team with SD is the right amount of infectious. This might be one of the better party jams I've heard from the Soul Assassins collective, and that's definitely saying something.

I'M SHITTIN' ON 'EM
Ah yes, the advent of Todd Ray. T over here proves that he adapts to his environments well as he crafts a beat that slides comfortably into the album's overall turn-up mood. SD presents us with yet another enjoyable showing from him that houses a clear example of how to keep consistent with your subject matter without sounding boring. The 4th home run in a row!

WHO'S THE DOOBIEST
I must say: SD and T-Ray are creating quite the winning tandem here. And they brought TF along for the ride this time as both MCs wreck yet another infectious, claustrophobic and minimalist T-Ray dedication to the ways of rocking out. You'll love this album, so far!

DOOBIE TO THE HEAD
DJ Ralph M brings us his second beat for the evening along with an impressive low-key scratching display and it's a much-needed slow down from lit mode, with that jeep-rattling funk that perfect for cannabis sessions. Our duo rise to the occasion with yet another set of battle rhymes that may seem inconsequential at first, until you realize that the real achievement is the pair's flow: It matches the beats presented to them perfectly, thereby enhancing the overall product immensely. I also must note that Son Doobie has his partner clearly beat in this regard.

WHERE'S IT AT
The thing that immediately jumps out at you when you first hear this T-Ray concoction is the dominant voice of Pete Rock's sampled ad-lib, towering above the abyss of samples meshed together in a return to the album-length ode to having fun. And it's here that Mr. Tyrone chooses to unload an exhibition of flow that completely stumps Son Doobie and stops him from even attempting to compete with his elder fellow. Still some good shit from the Tribal Funkster.

WOPBABALUBOP (FEATURING B-REAL)
T-Ray now gets to produce a beat rendered raucous due to the prevalent sampled vocals for the lead MCs of Funkdoobiest and Cypress Hill to demolish. And oh dear God, do they ever: B-Real came cocked and loaded with a flurry of cartoonishly-delivered BNB that'll knock your head clean off, while the Doobies bat clean up. Oddly, T-Funk's closing sex raps fumble the ball for his end while Son Doobie stays the braggadocio course in the closing verse. Overall, another successful Soul Assassins posse cut.

THE PORNO KING
Here's the skit that officially solidified Son Doobie's reputation for being a porn-crazed pothead. Fuck this shit.

UH C'MON YEAH!
Contrary to what you may presume after the previous skit, this is yet another infectious display of party braggadocio for dolo by Son Doobie, effectively curated by DJ Ralph M with an organ-heavy thumper. Seriously, I cannot stress enough how the cohesiveness of these tracks ultimately lifts the quality of the overall package. Once again, this is a song you have to listen to in order to appreciate.

HERE I AM
Tyrone has apparently had enough of Son Doobie hogging all the spotlight, so he gives him and his significant other a powerful batch of weed and shoves both of them into the nearest closet, fulfilling his master plan of finally getting them to lose their virginity to each other, while he relishes in the opportunity to have a solo track all to himself. DJ Ralph M provides a funk-heavy instrumental, successfully relaying the sound one thinks of when hearing the name Tomahawk Funk for the first time. And I must say, TF doesn't squander the alley-oop at all. Good shit.

FUNK'S ON ME
And for the final track of the album, DJ Ralph M really earns his Funky Mexican moniker as he chefs up a grimy goofy beat that prompts SD (fresh from a breakup that breaks the heart of every sex-crazed teen I'm messing with using this corny ass analogy) to unleash his parting party BNBs for the evening. Here's where I tell you that this post has been absolute hell to write and boy am I glad to be done with it.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Funkdoobiest should've been the third home run for the Soul Assassins crew, since they effctively employ everything that made fellow SA alumni Cypress Hill & House of Pain so damn addictive. Alas, it wasn't meant to be, as the fuckwads at Epic made quite the crucial series of mistakes that stumped the Doobies' momentum dead in its tracks. Nevertheless, this debut of theirs sold strongly enough to warrant a sequel two years later. Which is a good thing, because Ralph, Jason & Tyrone can be quite the force when clicking, which they satisfyingly do for the most part: Son Doobie handles lead MC duties with the required confidence and consistency, while Tomahawk Funk is as competent in the backing MC role as Sen Dog, in my humble opinion. I am perfectly aware of the magnitude of that last statement. However, the most important and crucial member to the equation remains DJ Ralph M, who held the product altogether extremely well. You know, such is the forgotten role of the DJ/producer.

WORTH IT? Oh, don't you dare hesitate for a second. Especially if you are in the market for some chunky party boom bap. If you're here looking for me to talk about Soulja Boy's rants on the Breakfast Club, then who the fuck brought you here?

For more Soul Assassins goodness, git. Funkdoobiest cult-members are to come hither.

Knucklehedz - Stricktly Savage (shelved, released in Germany on May 11, 1993)

Today's post is the final entry in my current Hit Squad run. It is also the most depressing.


So if you've been following my blog in recent weeks, I guess you'd be quite familiar with the EPMD story: Two very talented and driven people who shared a genuine friendship that was ripped apart by their rapid artistic success. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Hit Squad breakup prevented what could've been one of the biggest movements in musical history. What transpired after only served to sour the mouths of everyone who ever got down with Erick Sermon, Parish Smith and underlings K-Solo, Redman and Das EFX. Thankfully, all parties involved were able to push through and build respectable careers for themselves in this hip hop game. Hell, even sidelined acts like Keith Murray and Craig Mack, who practically lost their door into the industry because of said breakup, were able to dust themselves off and find other gateways in. As I said, all parties involved were able to push through. All but one.

The Knucklehedz were one Tom Jimenez aka Tom J the Savage and one Steve Austin. (Yeah sure. As if Steve Austin the wrestler, blond, balding and famous for drinking beer and swearing Southern obscenities at his foes, was a chip-toothed gangly MC from Brentwood, Long Island with a head full of brown hair all this goddamn time.) These two are Brentwood, Long Island natives. Tom J got down with Erick Sermon way back in high school. He was introduced to Parish right after EPMD blew, and Parish liked him so much he invited him into the crew, to whom Tom stayed loyal to ever since. He’s even been famously shouted out on the EPMD classic Rap Is Outta Control. Now, Steve was Tom's younger childhood friend. By the time Tom got down with the Hit Squad, he was bringing Steve with him everywhere. Obviously, EPMD liked the other kid as well so he was added to the lineup. The two buddies, who were already making rap demos at this point, formed a group not long thereafter, got shouted out again on Nobody’s Safe Chump (another EPMD favorite) and hooked up with the Hit Squad’s secret weapon: Charles P. Marotta aka McGyver. Who is this man, you ask?

McGyver is the man responsible for EPMD's prowess behind the boards. Both of them. The main mixer for all the classics from the Hit Squad camp, McGyver has remained a constant within the crew to the extent that you even hear him on some of their legendary albums, most notably playing guitar or reciting rhymes Reggie Noble wrote for him on Watch Yo Nuggets. Bottom line, McGyver is the fucking man.

One thing about these two that I respect to infinity is that they never rode their more famous crewmates' coattails. As batshit crazy as that sounds, the Knucklehedz were trying to shop their demos on their own, until one day Parish heard the shit by accident. I guess he liked what he heard, since he signed them directly to Shuma Management, the record company that he ran by himself.

Shuma was the reason there were grumblings from street dudes in Erick's camp that the money wasn’t split down the middle. Said assholes thought they were being loyal when they robbed Parish's home and blamed Erick for the robbery when they were caught. Whomever you people are, fuck every single one of you and fuck what you know about life.

Now that I got that outta the way, our duo finally decided on a name for the album they were working on. Aside from building a platform for its two headliners, Stricktly Savage was supposed to introduce McGyver as another dope producer within the Hit Squad team. The plan was for him to handle half the album, while EPMD themselves handled the other. That half was split between Erick and Parish in what turned out to be an interesting opportunity to compare their respective approaches to production. Sadly, it was not meant to be.

Stricktly Savage was pulled by the fuckheads at EastWest Records because they didn't see the value in promoting an act related to a splintered movement. Especially when the actual leaders of the movement were now beefing with each other. Never mind the fact that the album was already done and its two lead singles already received the video treatment. Never mind all the hard work that Tom J and Steve Austin put in to have this one shot.

Proof that bullshit has always been around in this filthy game. Shame. I wish I’d have been one of the lucky few who actually saw the release of this album in Germany. Then again, I was just starting school back then. Oh well.

Out of respect for these dudes, I’m going to be giving this album the fully-released treatment. I’m going to talk about the songs presented as if they actually reached their target audience.

Boy/girl (pick one), this is Stricktly Savage:

HED RUSH

McGyver sets shit off here with an instrumental sampling various funk classics, including James Brown, that'll crack your spine, readjust it and crack it again. Seriously, these drums are hard as fuck. Props to the Slick Rick, Grand Puba and Books In Reverse samples as they contribute that much more in painting the song's true picture: A textbook braggadocious entry on which Steve lets loose a flurry of punchlines that truly reflect the Hit Squad school he's learned from. Read: He's dope as fuck. Tom J is up next and while his lyrics are very up to par, unfortunately his delivery is noticeably lacking the passion his partner has for this. Both have a fairly decent monotone delivery that serves them well, though. Overall, a terrific album opener.

STRICKTLY SAVAGE
The lead single. And I know exactly what it's called on the tracklisting. Watch me not give a fuck. McGyver gloriously one-ups his previous production, even though he's sampling many of the same samples as Hed Rush, with what may very well be the best beat on the album. I'm telling you, that bassline will cause you to lose your shit. Curiously, Steve is the one sounding unmotivated this time, while Tom J truly blacks the fuck out. Seriously, look out for the second verse on this joint. The duo end the single with a back-n-forth verse that comes off as a tribute to mentors EPMD. Such loyalty is very rare and kind of heartwarming. Which is good, because you'll be replaying this track for quite some time. My favorite song on the entire album. McGyver even goes a step beyond and remixes this banger with an equally banging masterpiece of a jeep rattling beat, so you best check that out if you're digging what you're listening to, so far.

WUNTZ UPON A TIME
A Steve Austin solo, where he tells a story of him getting into shenanigans, breaking and entering and trying to reach a party while baked out of his fucking mind. There's a dated-as-fuck bit where someone pages dude and he calls him back. Remember pagers?! Anyway, Steve pays good attention to detail and it shows. McGyver's beat features a snugly-fit Slick Rick sample setting up storytime. Overall, this had no chance of topping the previous song, but it was fairly good nonetheless.

PARTY WRECKA
Charlie recedes production duties to PMD, who winds the energy down with a straight up goofy beat punctuated by Rev Run and Milk D samples. Somehow, that was meant as a compliment. Our duo accommodates the instrumental accordingly, with them ruining a party then bouncing to another. Rinse & repeat. Overall, this was averagely OK.

UGLEE PICTURES
McGyver's back, and boy, does he ever return with a vengeance! Packing a walloping instrumental with excerpts from fellow Hit Squadians Krazy Drazy and Redman, he sets Tom and Steve off on yet another tale of humorous rampage, this time describing how they seem to mock the authorities' efforts to take photos of our duo as evidence of them committing various acts of petty crime. And it's this song where you realize just how far Steve straight up outclasses Tom lyrically. Therefore, it was very smart to allow him to bookend the song while Tom provides the cream filling. This was awesome.

GIRLIES KEEP SCREAMIN'
Which is not the word for this crap, but you already know that. This song begins the two-song misogyny medley that I'm frankly getting sick of coming across within every fucking hip hop album. These two dipshits even waste a  perfectly banging McGyver instrumental.

ALL SHE WANTED
This was bafflingly a single! With the video treatment and all! Aside from this being a light-hearted Erick Sermon beat, this is the exact same track as the previous one.

TROUBLE MAKAS
Thankfully, we're back to these two finding new ways to describe their tales of mischief. Charlie brings his final beat for the album before bowing out, and it's his tamest one yet. This shouldn't be considered as a knock against it at all. The Knucklehedz' fun is infectious and they do sound with every passing song like they're enjoying the hell outta themselves, which adds to the entertainment value.

5 HOODS IN A 4 DOOR
Ah yes. The 'criminals in cars' medley, which starts strong with a menacing tale of a group rolling in a titular 4-door who are out for chaos and destruction. These two utilize the back-n-forth style they dabbled with on the 'title track' to describe various instances where things went south fast for people who crossed them, and the attention to detail here is awesome. And the duo's monotone delivery here takes on a haunting effect, which sounds easy but is very hard to pull off. Of course, this is all to an addictive PMD Jeep-rattling instrumental with Redman sampled on the hook.

WHO CALLED DA COPS
Production duties switch back to Erick Sermon, who attempts to one-up Parish with his interpretation of a slow and threatening instrumental built around a familiar Kool & The Gang and Boobie Knight & the Universal Lady mesh, along with an Ice Cube sample for its hook. The Knucklehedz are obviously loving this as they turn in another winning storytelling performance, this time about them nervously escaping the law. The back-n-forth monotone triumphs yet again!

JOY RIDIN'
Parish accepts Erick's beat challenge and completely one-ups his contribution by bringing his best beat on the album, one which contains a very prominent LL Cool J sample. It's so good it almost dethrones Charlie's masterclass on the title track. Almost. The Knucklehedz continue their melancholy back-n-forth hot streak with a trio of car-jacking tales that, while not as ominous as 5 Hoods In A 4 Door, still accomplish their job effectively. No lie, I'm having difficulty finding flaws in these dudes' approach to album-crafting, so far.

MERLIN
Sampling Redman and B-Real on the same song can only mean one thing: Welcome to the stoner song! The high-octane instrumental is Erick Sermon's finest contribution to Stricktly Savage and best believe it does its job well. Time would tell if the Knucklehedz were true weed connoisseurs but they smartly kept the concept within their overall image of white trash troublemakers. Well, Steve's image as Tom J's most probably a Latino. Nevertheless, the final song on Stricktly Savage is one you will enjoy bumping in your car on a brisk, clear weather roadtrip with your dipshit friends getting your collective asses baked into the car seats. Guaranteed.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Oh boy. I may not be that old, but I am old enough to know that Stricktly Savage would've definitely been a smash under EPMD's Hit Squad umbrella. The Knucklehedz had some serious pedigree as far as background goes and their image damn well wasn't no popularity gimmick. Best way to describe them to a head is that they were the East Coast's answer to House Of Pain, another underrated hip hop group. Only our protagonists never embraced a foreigner's identity: These two wore their Woods troublemakers image proud. That dedication went a long way towards making their rhymes enjoyable and their lyrical efforts appreciated. It certainly didn't hurt that they had a kickass production crew, as McGyver and his two legendary proteges delivered some of their best beats to these two. Hell, there is zero doubt in my mind that McGyver would've been a star producer had this album been properly released. And for everyone who followed EPMD during their solo careers and somehow think that Erick was the lone production genius of the duo, this album proves otherwise as it show just how devastating a focused PMD can be behind the boards. Alas, we all had to return to reality sometime. I cannot stress this enough, though: Stricktly Savage surprised the fuck outta me after my first listen.

WORTH IT? How many times do I have to tell you? Knucklehedz = Good. 21 Savage = Bad. Now, git.

For the remainder of the Hit Squad war chest, check here.

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (November 9, 1993)

I hope you appreciate what I'm doing for you.

Because the problem with reviewing indisputable classic albums is everybody already said everything. These timeless pieces of audio art are ritualistically listened to by someone throughout every passing year all around our global village, and something new is being discovered relating to it each day. So, all that is left is for you to give your own opinion and hope that there's someone out there who shares it.

OK, I've already mentioned on this blog that video games played a big role in my introduction to boom bap. I've also talked a bit about the very first rap song I've ever heard, which is the Monstars Anthem, a song that I still absolutely love. My preteen self immediately recognized that the MCs present on that posse cut were of a special breed. LL Cool J, B-Real, Busta Rhymes and Coolio.

By proxy, this song was also my introduction to Cliffy Clifford Smith aka Shaquan from the DMD Crew aka Tical aka Iron Lung (my favorite), better known to the world as Method Man. His old-geezer voice stuck with me the longest after I first finished hearing the song, along with B-Real's nasal tone. His verse is also the first rap verse I've ever memorized. So, in reality, I owe my love to hip hop to B-Real and Method Man. A realization I only came to after writing this paragraph.

That love didn't last at first, because I sort of forgot about rap until my Eminem phase. When it blew over, I remember asking myself the same question asked by the millions who were introduced to hip hop through him: "Eminem can't be the only good rapper out there." But given that I lived on the Arabian Peninsula, I really had nowhere to properly look. All the music stores were stuffed to the fucking gills with Arabic love songs, the oversaturation of which made me mostly loathe romance in poetry period. And the only hip hop you were going to find was Eminem and Dr. Dre related! Which led me to alternate sources like the Anderzej Bartkowiak-Jet Li films, and more importantly, video games. Namely the GTA and Def Jam-AKI Corporation series. And through Liberty City Stories' hip hop station The Liberty Jam and the Fight For NY storyline to be specific, I was firmly reintroduced to Method Man. The Liberty Jam also introduced me to Corey Woods aka Raekwon The Chef from the DMD Crew for the very first time, by including his timeless Incarcerated Scarfaces joint. (which I shamefully admit to hating at first.) Furthermore, the Def Jam games introduced me to Dennis Coles aka Ghostface Killah aka Ironman, although they regretfully didn't include a single song of his on neither game. By then in my late teens, I went through the same confusions I did with my Onyx journey. Obviously meaning that I didn't have a clue that these three were part of the same group. Enter my ravenous Wikipedia appetite: After I did a backup check on Mef, I finally found out that all three were part of a larger collective: The Wu-Tang Clan.

Now, I have a very different history with the Wu brand itself. For the simple reason that I was exposed to it many years before I ever heard of Eminem, but only through a review Electronic Gaming Monthly ran of the Wu's Shaolin Style fighting game in 1999. I thought the premise sounded very interesting, and something about the different personalities described in the review clicked with my prepubescent self. Had I found the fucking game at the time, my hip hop journey would've been sped up immensely. But, alas. I made the discovery that they were, in fact, a hip hop group when I heard their debut single, Protect Ya Neck, on the True Crime: New York City radio. I must remind you of something I also already mentioned during my Onyx run: That my attention to lyrics was absolute horseshit at the time, or else I would've immediately made the connection between the gravelly voice I memorized from the Monstars Anthem along with the Fight For NY story on one hand, and the third verse on the damn song on the other! I mean, Mef clearly mentions his name at the beginning of his shit! How much more braindead can a guy get?! But, I digress.

I must mention that I took an instant liking to Protect Ya Neck's first MC: Jason Hunter from the DMD Crew aka the Rebel, more famously known as a locally-popular owner of a falafel stand called Inspectah Deck's. In short, Deck quickly rose to become my favorite member on the song, and would eventually become my favorite clan member period. Maybe it's because his verse was the first verse I could perform from the shit. Later on, I made the discovery that Lamont Hawkins aka Golden Arms (his most fitting nickname) aka Baby U from the DMD Crew aka Goldie aka Zilla only had 4 bars on Protect Ya Neck and was notoriously absent from the rest of the album except for one other song, due to him serving some prison time. This absence would affect everybody's view of him later in his career, especially Wu fans' views, due to his stupid solo career moves. C'mon people, he is just as good a team player as every other Clansman, and I will prove it.

Protect Ya Neck was a landmark record in hip hop history for many reasons: It brought back the traditional no-nonsense approach to hip hop songwriting, given the minimal amount of compromise on it. It displayed a new approach to the sampling methods pioneered by the Ced Gees and the Marley Marls. And most importantly to me, it finally perfected the posse cut: A unique type of song that throws in it as many MCs as possible, effectively keeping the song fresh and showcasing new talent with each passing verse. With the eight MCs all re-debuting at the same time, the "new talent" factor wasn't really highlighted but they surely grabbed people's attention for the entirety of the song, a feat rarely accomplished before. So good they've perfected this format on future Wu-related releases that they effectively became the leading example on how to make a proper posse cut: From the chemistry of those chosen to the subject matter of the song, making it without doubt the hardest type of song to master. And yet the Wu would make this format their second home, delving into many varied subjects with each passing posse cut. This synergy would never be possible had it not been for one man. One crazy scientist who ran the whole gig like a well-oiled machine.

I am, of course, talking about Robert Diggs fka All In Together Now's The Scientist aka Prince Rakeem. He was the second MC in his family to get a record deal, shortly after his cousin Gary Grice fka The Specialist aka The Genius. But while Gary got to work on a full-yet-slightly-flawed album under Cold Chillin', Bobby was shafted in every creative way by Tommy Boy. They gave the poor fuck a three-track EP, and only Deadly Venoms sounded like a song he really considered making. Thank God for that, though, as his growing frustration with the situation exploded into a beautiful creative idea that involved uniting the figures mentioned above to take the industry by storm while promising them the absolute top of said industry. If realized, this idea had the potential to change the hip hop game forever, so it needed a steady and firm hand to nurture it. 

Later dubbed the "five-year-plan", (during which Bobby effectively dictated each and every one of his collective's business movements from 1992 to 1997) the first fruits of that idea showed themselves in a heavily-bootlegged demo tape that had various solo songs of his on one half. Composing the other half were his experimentations with his late great cousin Russell Jones fka The Professor aka Ason Unique (who also got a solo song on said demo), the aforementioned DMD Crew members and his roommate Ghostface Killah. Add them with The Genius and you have the entire cast of Protect Ya Neck. The Wu lineup wasn't yet complete, however. I'll choose to reveal the final member when the time is right.

Speaking of teamwork: RZA had an equally important role to play besides hard-ass manager. Starting with the aforementioned demo tape, Bobby forced himself to become one of the greatest hip hop producers the game has ever seen. This album marks the first glimpse the world got into his method. A tried-and-true hip hop production staple, RZA produced the entire album with a minuscule amount of help from some of his fellow Clan members who practically lived with him during the entire five years. This approach capitalizes on the resulting human interaction in said situations and, in my opinion, is the reason many hip hop legends made the music that established them as such. The current format artists utilize today, of emailing music to each other, remains too lacking and no amount of Facetime nor social media could ever replace some old-fashioned brainstorming sessions. I have the Wu to thank for teaching me that. Plus, their output also helped me figure out how to categorize my own hip hop collection.

Now, after I've had my Ritalin, we can commence with the reviewing. Allow me to note that I'll be reviewing the tracklist of the international version. Spoiler alert: I'm recommending the fucking thing in the end, so this is a perfect opportunity to enjoy my genius writing for a change.

BRING DA RUCKUS

After a while, this particular kung-fu sample from Shaolin And Wu-Tang will wash over you like soothing water. The calm before the storm that is the rest of the song. Bobby, who now calls himself the RZA, marvelously weaves musical bytes also taken from the classic kung-fu flick, all intertwined with just enough of that Synthetic Substitution mixed with some CB#2 to get your mouth watering. Kudos to adding that loud snap to those impressive snares. Ghostface and Raekwon officially establish the RAGU (or Rae And Ghost United) movement right here with some street bravado for dat ass, only to be completely upended by Jason and Gary, who also changed his name to the GZA. Seriously, these two go off. Doesn't make RAGU any less awesome, but it had to be said. A timeless album opener all the fucking way.

SHAME ON A N****

Ladies and gents, may I present a true Russell Jones showcase. Unfortunately, in my humble opinion these are pretty few and far between during the Wu regime, as I've only felt this energy from him sparingly. Enjoy what you're getting, folks. On this song and the rest of this album, whenever Russ (who has now irreversibly changed into the famed Ol' Dirty Bastard) touches that microphone, each and every guy sharing the song with him is forced to step up his game. RZA once again delivers the sonic goods behind the boards with an exquisite mesh of Thelonious Monk & Syl Johnson samples, creating the backdrop for ODB, Rae & Mef to wail on the beat worse than a drunken Jackie Chan. Given such, a Wu fan would know who walked away with this song. And rightfully so, as Russ gave two blistering verses that will still endear him for generations to come and rank among his best work ever.

CLAN IN DA FRONT

The intro of this song firmly establishes RZA as the shoutout king, as he prattles on the many names of the Wu family. What follows is a so-short-you-might-miss-it kung fu sample, followed by a magnificently plodding RZA beat, this time meshing Synthetic Substitution with a swirl of Thelonious Monk, Honeybee & The Jacksons. All setting the stage for Gary Grice to return to his solo ways, with the second solo track out of the Wu camp following the Clan's second single and b-side to the lead single, the eponymous Method Man. Gary sets a truly shining example to the rest of his clansmen in how to properly handle his cousin's tracks. This punchline classic remains two of the most smoldering verses I've ever heard and can be placed up against any hip hop pioneer's best punchline work. The second solo Wu track is a smashing success.

WU-TANG: 7TH CHAMBER

Following the same kung-fu grunts as Shame On A N**** (which threw me off the first time), a bunch of the Wu enact a scene where their daily banter is interrupted by the death of one of their acquaintances. I've always loved how RZA tossed these interludes in a way that turns the album I'm listening to into a very musical audio novel. This was started here, and I love it. I also commend his smorgasbord of a beat: A blend of Charmels, Mickey & Sylvia and Otis Redding glazed with some sweet Dr. Lonnie Smith drums. This song is further proof that the Wu are the masters of the posse cut, as they made lightning strike twice after the glorious Protect Ya Neck with this baby, another hook-free treat. The entire Clan, sans Golden Arms and the surprise (not really) member, throw down lyrically in a legendary repeat of their debut single's success. I have to give it to Deck, though. He always shines on these tracks. These song structures would become a formula in later albums, where each one would have at least two grand posse cuts similar to this banger.

CAN IT BE ALL SO SIMPLE

Bobby sets the mood on the prelude to this magnificent song. Behind the boards is where his true genius in this song lies though, as he places a Gladys Knight intro to her own song then cuts the first bar she sings and loops it around the track giving it its name. I dug the way Raekwon repeated some of her words as if to psych himself up before he and GFK dive into the subject matter of two perspectives on how to escape ghetto life's troubles. Congrats on your first official RAGU duet, reader. This track was so loved that the camp released it as the fourth single. Corey would brilliantly start a career-long trend in his duets of portraying a negative stereotype with the party sharing the song with him, in this case a stellar GFK display, portraying the flipside to his perspective. RZA adds a bassline from Labbi Sifre that screams introspection. This was a smash on so many levels for me, and I'm delighted to tell you the Clan would only get better with these as their careers went on. Props to Rae's exclamation that shattered GFK's daydreams at the end of the second verse.

DA MYSTERY OF CHESSBOXIN'

RZA uses a lone scorching verse from Golden Arms to conclude the latter's extremely-short time on this album by setting off yet another Clan-wide posse cut minus GZA & RZA, and it's a bulldozer of a verse that most Wu fans consider his best. I highly disagree though, and I'll explain why in later posts. I have to say that Deck continues his impeccable batting average on this album so far. Kudos to Mef, who soldiered without a verse on hook duties. Kudos as well to ODB, who co-produced this crazy instrumental with cousin Bob, set to another deft Otis Redding sample. And now I unveil the final member to enter the Wu ranks: (humor me, will you?) Elgin Turner bka Masta Killa aka High Chief aka Jamal Irief, the only non-rapper at the time of this song's recording, truly earning his place among the other Clansmen. Legend has it (and by that I mean Masta Killa mentions this in an interview) that after rigorously training under GZA in the ways of MCing, Elgin would compete with a fellow East New Yorker and very close friend who calls himself Killah Priest, over the last spot in the 9 Wu Generals lineup. Fortunately for Mr. Irief, Priest fell asleep while he stayed up all night to write the song-stealing verse that we end up hearing, thereby earning his spot on the Wu roster. Awesome posse cut #2.

WU-TANG CLAN AIN'T NUTHING TA FUCK WIT

We ain't seeing much from RZA on the lyrical tip so far, so it's always refreshing when he shows up. And boy, did he bring the ruckus here: His opening verse set the beautifully raging tone that Deck and Mef follow up spectacularly, with Deck shining more as usual. Bobby also deserves praise for making a high octane beat out of the most mundane Underdog and Biz Markie samples, with a little Joe Tex drums thrown in for good measure. Most baffling of all to me is that Mef co-produced the fucking beat. Another smash that would get me unscathed out of a city-wide brawl.

C.R.E.A.M.

The third single, and the song that catapulted the Wu into the mainstream. It was the West Coast, of all coasts, that showed the Wu enough love to this single back then to help them sell five hundred thousand album copies. And deservedly so, as this song is yet another introspective victory. One even better than the glorious previous effort on this album. Except it's Jason in Dennis' place as the conscious voice in the equation of horrid ghetto life. Although it mystifies me how this song is associated with just the Chef, when Deck blows him out of the fucking universe with his gut-wrenching autobiographical verse. Merely starting a song is not enough, and even though Rae's contribution is not to be scoffed at, you have to earn your keep like Deck did with his. The wisdom he drops at the end of that verse is nothing short of prodigious. To think that he was only 23 when this came out. Then again, hip hop is full of such breathtaking imagery by similarly young MCs. His is hands down my favorite verse on the entire album. RZA uses a different sample from the same Charmels song used on 7th Chamber. This song is a fucking hip hop staple for a reason. And once again: It's not Raekwon. I will state though, for the final time, that he did do good.

METHOD MAN

This was truly a shrewd business move by RZA, where he devoted the single that came out three months before the full album hit the shelves to be a solo joint for Mef. Word has it (and by word I mean numerous Raekwon interviews) that RZA emulated the business moves of EPMD's Hit Squad during their creative peak, 1992. Aside from the acquisition of multiple solo deals from various labels in the industry in similar fashion, RZA assigned a face for the Wu much similar to the Hit Squad's punchline-spewing Redman. The similarities between Red and Mef were just too much by the time Mef perfected his rhymes. Come this instrumental, he had become a punchline monster in his own right. They even have similar sounding names. Can you believe the irony??!! In all seriousness though, the game played between Rae and Mef in the beginning is fucking hilarious. Then, various Wu members are heard participating in a game of craps in an overtly comical manner, following which GZA re-introduces the list of members up till that point, sans Masta Killa. Once the piano samples hit, it's the Iron Lung show all the way, as he gets the infectious hook outta the way and proceeds with two unforgettable verse. Dude just blacks out with the punchlines as if his life was at stake, and each and every one is an instant quotable. By the hundredth time you've listened to this shit, you will remember this song like the back of your hand. Trust me, you have no choice in the matter. Excellent second single. But, before it became popular enough to be that, it was the b-side to....

PROTECT YA NECK

Ah yes. the record that started it all. To the odd futures and the rich gangs of the world: This is how to properly debut a hip hop group. RZA molds a magnificent beat around a JBs sax sample, interwoven with some kung-fu samples that effectively establish the Wu-Tang sound that they would be synonymous with for decades to come. I just wish he'd added Golden Arms and Masta Killa's verses from Da Mystery Of Shadowboxin' here. Then we would have had a proper Wu-Tang posse cut of the original nine members with ODB still around. RIP to the legend. It would've even been better to leave off Goldie entirely instead of those 4 bars we got. C'mon, RZA. 4 bars? You could've come up with something better than that. I don't care if all the Wu should've ganged up on the fucker, he could've given you something equal to what we saw earlier. Anyways the remaining generals come correct. Especially GZA. The man puts the rest of his brethren/disciples to shame, schooling them in his unique beat-slaughtering ways. His entire contribution is one long verse of flesh-burning lyrical venom towards his former label and all labels in general. Awe-inspiring stuff, truly. However, I must note that there's a reason why RZA has an affinity to start most Wu posse cuts with an Inspectah Deck verse and it's this song here. 

TEARZ

I already mentioned that this track was on the previously-reviewed demo tape, and I postponed its review to this post here. Well, Bobby Diggs (that name's really starting to sound like a porn pseudonym) chose to add a short intro to the song with him blasting someone then suddenly screaming at the loss of another person right after. After which we hear Wendy Rene's haunting wails, followed by RZA's heartbreaking sampling of her song of the same name. He then performs a poignant duet with his best friend and roommate GFK. I just came to the realization that GFK has never called himself Dennis The Menace, or any variation of that nickname. It fits him perfectly. Just think about it. He could be Menacing Dennis Coles, World Wallabee Champ or some shit. I digress. So, Bobby and the Menace form a conscious storytelling duo that would be an instant hit. It's a formula they would even use twice on a future Wu album. All made possible because of this song here. They both tell tales of equal poignancy about the pitfalls of arrogant ignorance in the ghetto, and that God will punish one if one gets too cocky. Really, they've done a phenomenal job, with RZA inducting solemnness into his verse and GFK giving us some well-placed humor in his. This would've been the perfect ending to this magnificent debut. Alas...

WU-TANG: 7TH CHAMBER - PART II

This is in no way a part 2. This shit is just a remix that uses a an almost-exact drum sample of the original, until one finds out that they're some Make It Funky drums and not the Dr. Lonnie Smith drums. RZA tries his hands at some bass keyboards and while the result is admittedly interesting, the shit pales in comparison to the gargantuan sound of the original. Lyrically, the song is the exact same. Sorry, but it has to be said that this song served no fucking purpose on the official album release. This should've been included on one of the singles to make way for...

METHOD MAN (SKUNK MIX)

Now most Wu fans already associate this with Mef's debut in the following year, but trust me: This shit fits so much better here. That point can be up to debate. Seeing as this is my review though, you're getting my opinion whether you like it or not, motherfucker. Bobby continues to build his eclectic brand of sampling impressively with each song he produces and this one is no exception, as he makes some very unseen choices and compiles them on the famed Synthetic Substitution forming this perfect instrumental. All while focusing Mef's punchline attack squarely to the back of your mind, which is a prime reason why your face is currently looking like you sucked on a lemon when hearing this coveted display of battle raps. Not quite as great as the original but pretty awesome, nonetheless.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Do I even need to write after what you just read?! This album refined so many aspects of hip hop, from the business side to the production aspect to the lyrical approaches each MC took during its crafting process that I'm definitely sure I missed something. However I echo each and every fan of this album's enthusiasm when I say: This album changed the way I listen to hip hop. It also planted seeds for trees of thought that grew into ideas and beliefs that changed my entire outlook on art and business, in general. It's THAT type of album.

WORTH IT? What the fuck are you still doing reading this? If you haven't listened to this album yet, go do so now. If you have, do so again. Because you haven't yet heard this shit after reading what I had to say. That's a good little child.

For more Wu-ness, as a fellow blogger so eloquently put it, here.

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.