Das EFX - Generation EFX (March 24, 1998)

It's very interesting when you're on top for only a moment, isn't it?

Many bands tried to reach the top of the hip-hop food chain by themselves, but very few actually succeed in doing so.

When you picture acts like Jay-Z, Biggie, 2Pac & Nas,  you find that they've all established themselves as businesses, one way or another from the very get-go.

While other acts, such as Onyx, Naughty By Nature & Das EFX, they've reached the top with only their primary team behind them.

Das EFX, to be particular, relied on their in-house production crew, Solid Scheme, of which the late Chris Charity, a.k.a. C-Dog, ran the entire operation in a close knit group.  These types of teams are molded strictly for underground audiences & rarely make an impact in the mainstream industry, let alone shoot straight to the top of it.  But, shoot to the top they did.

It didn't happen overnight, though. In '91, Brooklyn-born Teaneck-raised Andre Weston bka Krazy Drazy and Brooklyn-born-&-raised William Hines bka Books In Reverse (Skoob for the challenged) were buddying it up in Virgina State masquerading as students along with their two producers when a small hip hop contest was advertised. The winner would get 100 dollars. Only top dollar for the top talents. The crucial details to this otherwise-boring-ass origin story is that the judges of said competition were none other than one Erick Sermon and one Parish Smith, or for the uninitiated, EPMD. Our duo, prior to even calling themselves by their now-household moniker, performed a routine that would later be known as Klap Ya Handz. Needless to say, both E&P were blown the hell away. So naturally, they rigged the competition so that our two protagonists wouldn't win. Parish then came up to the duo and issued the following: "You want a hundred bucks or a record deal?" Which was literally the one thing P could've said to stop Drazy, Books, Solid Scheme member Derek Lynch & ringleader C-Dog from shooting up the place.

As a result, Dead Serious, the duo's debut, executive-produced by EPMD (an obvious step), was the pure definition of a sleeper hit in 1992, gaining vast critical & commercial success, resulting in it rightly gaining classic status in later years.  Stuff of fairytales. Really.

However, things began to spiral out of control once the big EPMD fiasco hit that very same year.  To top it all off, the two snots actually ditched what made them so popular in the first place, "the iggedy" or the "sewage" gimmick.  As a result, it didn't really matter if their sophomore effort, the very underrated Straight Up Sewaside, was a better album in all aspects. The critical & commercial success ship has long sailed.

So, they did the only thing they could do at that point & tried the underground route.  Their 3rd opus, Hold It Down, was a sort of calling in favours from fans within the industry, resulting in a 20-track album with very different musical backdrops, most of which were pretty damn good.  Yet, critics & sales still slumped.

So we come to the year 1998.  The new millennium's on the horizon, boom bap is thought to be long dead and our protagonists are out of favours in the industry.  They had only one option remaining.

Parish Smith, whom the duo sided with after his temporary breakup with Erick Sermon, released his 2nd album in 1996 that somehow gave his camp an identity. "Business Is Business" was basically a PMD Squad album (I refuse to call that clique the Hit Squad. To me, that moniker is reserved for the reunited camps of Erick and Parish respectively), with productions from Solid Scheme, Charlie Marotta, DJ Scratch and the excellent Agallah, or 8-Off the Assassin as he was known at the time, along with rap appearances by M.O.P., Nocturnal, Prodigy from Mobb Deep & our headliners today, who appeared on 4 songs on the album.  They later collaborated with EPMD on the reunion album, "Back In Business" on the awesome track, "Intrigued".

So, in-house was the way to go.  This time around, PMD felt like he had to have more of a hand in the sound of the album, given that he was once an extraordinary producer himself.  So, he geared up with his production affiliates from his sophomore LP, along with a few additions, and set off making the final Das EFX album in many people's eyes.

Anyone bringing up How We Do would be wasting his goddamn time.

Here's Generation EFX:

INTRO

.

RAW BREED

The second single & the first song of the album is a collaboration between Agallah & Solid Scheme, crafting a 50-themed classical music beat that is very easy on the ears.  A very contrasting style to what we're accustomed to from Solid Scheme, but that's merely due to Agallah's input.  The lyrics, however, are a different story.  The duo has seemingly lost all sense of fun in recording by themselves, resulting in a very paint-by-the-numbers lyrical display.  This aspect was very disappointing.  I dunno, I still enjoy this because of the beat.

SHINE

It was bound to happen.  The fucking sewer rats are now attempting a track for the fucking radio.  It's not even a fucking single.  Was this what the streets wanted to hear from the guys who made Hard Like A Criminal and Kaught In Da Ak??!!  On here, these two sound like they were the inspiration for the Beavis & Butthead cartoons.  They hear fucking Comby on the radio, they whimper to themselves: "Hey!!  We can have a good time, too!!  We can look good in a fucking club, too!!!"  Some sewage (pun motherfucking intended) that calls itself Tony L produced this horseshit, by the way.  Important note: Drazy's delivery has become even more annoying than usual this time round.

SOMEBODY TOLD ME (FEATURING 8-OFF & NOCTURNAL)

8-Off returns behind the boards by himself this time & crafts a beat that successfully washes the remnants of the previous song outta my ear. However, his verse is the only somewhat decent verse on this whole song, with the worst offender being Nocturnal, who sounds like a fucking mafioso-rap reject. Lord Almighty, this album's off to a bad start. By the way, who in the FUCK played Sega Genesis back in 98? (I’m assuming they’re not talking about the Saturn or the Dreamcast. Ah, the Dreamcast.) Talk about some false advertising.  Overall, the beat saved this.

SET IT OFF

By far, the worst song on the album.  Rashad Smith & Armando Colon are with us to bring us this pig shit.  Believe me, my fellow lonely soul, it's much worse than the crap that was "Shine".  I mean, it reeks, reeks of sounding like something Mase aka Pastor Betha would’ve left on the cutting room floor when he was making the abysmal Harlem World. For their part, Das EFX have now officially transformed into the poor man's M.O.P.  Scratch that, actually.  They're the de-fucking-prived-of-every-fucking-privilege-known-to-fucking-humankind man's M.O.P.

NO DOUBT (FEATURING M.O.P. & TEFLON)

Speak of the devils.  Solid Scheme return with the very original M.O.P. with their kinfolk, Teflon, to show our hosts how they're supposed to sound if they're gonna make an M.O.P. song. First, you need a beat worth demolishing, and Solid Scheme provide just that. Then, you need some competent MC's, and M.O.P. succeed in bringing our hosts into that special Onyx/M.O.P. vibe of furniture & limb tornados. This was a much-needed breather from all the shit we've been swimming through.

RAP SCHOLAR (FEATURING REDMAN)

The lead single & yep. You read this right. Redman's here. And he's fitting to wreck some shop. Armando & Rashad handle a sample of Brick's "Dazz" that was very famously sampled in Ice Cube’s scathing demolishment of his former NWA brethren, "No Vaseline". This song is originally produced by Parish Smith, with the original popping up later on the album. And, somehow, he thought his version wasn't good enough to be the lead single, so he brought us the dynamic duo of pop at the time. One that isn't called The Trackmasters nor the Neptunes.  Anyway the fuckers were brought in to spice things up a little.  Well, I'm very pleased to tell you that, while their take is clearly the inferior one, they still provided a competent enough spin to justify making this the lead single. Redman naturally steals the track from our hosts by sticking them up with a lollipop. Well, actually Books put up some kind of a fight. Drazy went off rambling absolute gibberish. But don't hold it against him. Too much stress from shitting out all those chimichangas from yesterday apparently fried his wires. We'll get someone to fix him later.

GENERATION EFX (FEATURING EPMD)

It should be notable this is the sole completed EPMD guest appearance released on record, shouldn't it? Well, thank God this song fucking knocks, then.  Parish & Agallah collaborate on this track to produce a brilliant take on "Eye Of The Tiger", which is then demolished by both duos with infectious energy. The sound of Erick & Parish back together on another record just can't be denied. Plus, any song where BOTH members of Das EFX are awake & carrying each other's backs is a big step in the right direction. The hook sucks walrus balls, though. Courtesy of Books In Reverse who's drunk off his ass. Why did you piss him off so, Drazy?

RITE NOW

Some dude named Mike Lowe provides us with East Coast beat #2458842, which does nothing for our hosts, as Drazy's drunk again. Leaving Books as the only sober dude in the booth.  I'm telling you that through his delivery, you can hear him getting angrier at Drazy for being such a fucking bum so far on this album.

WHUT GOES AROUND (FEATURING MISS JONES)

The Sugar Hill songstress is here, and lil Jonesy is so much the wrong companion for a group like our kings of sewage.  Nevertheless, she & PMD, who's on his own behind the boards, do enough with what they can.  This might attract some listeners, but it's merely meh for me.  The beat sounds like it came straight from an 80s pop song. Not bad, I guess?

MAKE NOIZE

The very final Solid Scheme production EVER. Chris Charity aka C-Dog, who was the leader of the whole Das EFX movement, would pass away 2 years later, effectively ending any sort of real Solid Scheme comeback. RIP. Kinda wish the beat was more fitting. It's not bad, per se, but if you're a fan of the group's earlier work, you kinda feel wanting a little bit more than a Nightmare Before Christmas-type of beat. Oh well, the rhymes were somewhat good, at least. I'm almost sad it had to end for them this way. Almost.

NEW STUFF

PMD & Agallah return to give us a more uptempo beat than the previous one, but with very similar lyrical results. Also, Books shows his first signs of lyrical fatigue, as he's slowly but surely become the workhorse of the duo. Meanwhile, in between takes at the time of this song's recording, Drazy's slurping on his third fudgesicle while watching Mulan for the umpteenth time. He sure does love Eddie Murphy's family phase. Don't ask me why.

TAKE IT BACK (FEATURING PMD)

Parish is again left to his own devices behind the boards, which results in a beat that’s the most reminiscent of the Jeep-rattling EPMD sound I've heard in a long while. He appears on the song as well, raising the chemistry of every rapper involved to an enjoyable level. That's all I got.

CHANGE

So, you two fucks. You give us an entire album of mediocre rhymes before bringing us something that resembles interesting writing?  Anyway, Agallah's behind the boards for dolo again.  And this time, he freaks a friggin' somber sample of Queen's "Sail Away Sweet Sister" that sets the mood for the duo to spit. Luckily, they turn in their best lyrical display on the album, As Drazy is speaking to a girl he loves, and Skoob's speaking to a mentor of sorts in a parenting tone. Of course, both of these subjects are metaphors for hip-hop. Ah, well. Count me entertained. They do as well as they can in this point of their career, with Books finally catching up to Drazy in the storytelling department, yet still not passing him. This shit was nice!

RAP SCHOLAR (ORIGINAL VERSION) (FEATURING REDMAN)

I told you that the original version would pop up later on the album, but nooooooo: You had to insist on listening to all this shit first. Suit yourself, my fellow knucklehead.  Anyway, Parish wasted his motherfucking time by commissioning Ringo & Armando to remix this shit earlier, as this version is by far the superior one. Reggie’s lyrics are the exact same while our duo’s pen game is different enough than the single version, but PMD's take elevates this song to very entertaining, as his use of the very same Dazz sample is much better than how those two laced it earlier.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Das EFX's fall from grace was swift & painful. This is the worst album in their real catalog, and you know what? They have no one to blame but their own goddamn selves. For the most part, no one can fault the beats, as they are a continuation of Parish's 2nd LP's successful run. No producer from Parish's in-house team came with a bad beat,and Solid Scheme tried their damn hardest. The same can NOT be said for the guest productions. However, most notable is that the duo's laziness, especially Drazy's, leaves this album falling flat on its shnoz. The commercial & critical no-shows this time were very well-deserved. Bottom line: Aside from the posse cuts and Change, this was a major letdown & a waste of my motherfucking time.

WORTH IT? Oh, by all means, stay away from this shit.  I can not, with a clear conscience, recommend supporting this album to anyone. Scratch that. You know what? Just give Change & the posse cuts a spin. And if you don't like 'em, I implore you to ignore this album as if it never happened.

Das EFX - Hold It Down (September 26, 1995)

A quick refresher:

The year, 1991. EPMD are basking the success of their third LP, Business as Usual. Passing through Virginia State University, Erick Sermon and Parish Smith judged a small local rap competition, helping two dreads that called themselves Drazy and Skoob Effects (or Das EFX if you're over 70) acquire a deal with EastWest Records.  They were later added to the burgeoning collective the Hit Squad, which consisted of Redman, K-Solo and EPMD themselves. The duo's first shot at rap stardom, Dead Serious, became a sleeper hit in 1992 and sold over one million copies in the US alone.

 EPMD broke up later that year, and each member took his share of artists with him. Parish, who ended up with Das EFX, would attempt a second home run by executive producing their vastly-improved second LP, 1993’s Straight Up Sewaside, but the two snots decided on a fucking stupid business move by turning away from their "sewage" style (the iggedy gimmick, for the uninformed) causing radio stations across the country to immediately lose any interest whatsoever in the Das EFX brand.  The duo would never receive an RIAA certification ever again.

Fast forward to 1995. Drazy and Skoob realized that the only way they could continue to thrive in hip hop was outside of the mainstream, so they set out to create the best underground rap album they could, entitled Hold It Down. With PMD once again on board as executive producer, Das EFX recruited a who's-who list of underground producers to helm the album's beats alongside their usual collaborators Solid Scheme. The list includes big names such as Easy Mo Bee, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Showbiz, among others. In the rapping department, Hold It Down became the very first Das EFX album that featured guest appearances, including one big name from outside the immediate family. 

OK, let's put our rubber gloves on and wade through this shit. (Think Ellie Sattler.) Hold It Down, boy/girl (pick one):

INTRO (ONCE AGAIN)

Once again, indeed! Skip!

NO DIGGEDY

The title that Blackstreet ripped off to popularise the very term. The first beat on the album that graces our ears is DJ Premier's first of two contributions. And let me tell you, this is 1995 Preem, so he wasn't fucking around: a fucking masterpiece of a beat surrounds our hosts, and when they start rhyming, you'll notice the “-iggedy” has returned. Whoop-de-fucking-doo. Took both of you shits long enough to cave in to criticism? You're not even doing it the same way: they both sound like they're using the gimmick for the fuck of it, which is just lazy writing. There is a noticeable step down in delivery from our hosts: Not as manic as on the first album nor as precise as on the second, but a deformed hybrid of both. The rhymes here are good enough, I suppose. Preem’s beat carries the proceedings along as well, leading to them sounding that much more comfortable.

KNOCKIN' N****Z OFF

Next up on the 1's and 2's, Easy Mo Bee! I've always respected this guy for his molding of Biggie's lone classic album Ready To Die. Here, he crafts a home run. Skoob takes charge on this song and delivers his trademark punchlines effectively, but Drazy is a fucking lost cause on this track, with only the BDP line as his sole interesting reference as he simply plays hype-man to his partner. Another step in the right direction.

HERE WE GO

Solid Scheme's turn. I gotta say, I'm loving the diversity of the beats so far. The duo provide our hosts with familiar ground, and Drazy and Skoob immediately sound noticeably more comfortable than the previous tracks, even though both beats thereon were both slightly superior to this one. I'm happy to report that Drazy is now sober. He and his partner revert back to their second album flows, coming up with much more clever punchlines. Thumbs up for this one as well.

REAL HIP-HOP

DJ Premier's back, and his second contribution is the lead single. I take back what I said in the "No Diggedy" track description about him not fucking around: Unfortunately, this is a Preem 101 beat. The kind of lazy shit he sometimes exhibits, present day. The lyrics, however continue to improve. Well, Books' anyway as Drazy started drinking again as of this point. It's as if Books is learning how to rhyme again step by step, after the coma that the commercial failure of their second album put both of them through.

HERE IT IS

I don't know who this Kevin Geeda is, but fuck me if he didn't produce a chest caver of a beat. This is exactly the type of beat that I miss hearing in today's music. (With a few exceptions, such as 2013's fucking awesome Trillmatic by the A$AP Mob, of all people.) I'm not exaggerating when I say that this instrumental trumps every one that came before it, and the producers coming up ahead definitely have their shit cut out for them. It seems our hosts recognize this as well, as they sound as refreshed as ever, especially Books. Son goes the fuck in! Drazy was thankfully alert as well, which was awful nice of him. This shit is addictively good!

MICROPHONE MASTER

I really hated Drazy's contributions here at first. Now, I can fairly see that I have given him the wrong end, as Drazy indeed pulls out another serviceable performance from his ass. Maybe it's because he heard himself sampled on the hook in an infinitely better song on which he brought the ruckus. As usual though, Books is taking it very seriously as he turns in another fine performance. The beat is Easy Mo Bee's second, and it's actually fairly soothing. I obviously intend that as a compliment, people. Thank you, Mo Bee, for waking Drazy up again. That was a stand-up thing to do, bruh.

40 & A BLUNT

Easy Mo Bee really pulls a rabbit outta the hat here.  This is a minimalist beat that’ll surely creep its way onto your list of favorite Easy Mo Bee productions. Seriously, it feels like you’re in the middle of a tunnel and you’re gazing at the sunlight beaming in from the exit. Interesting that Books throws a K-Solo mention your way, while Drazy pulls off a lounging mood successfully. A dope Rakim vocal cut, as well. I will say, though, that the Grand Puba sample left him sounding even more annoying than I've ever heard him. Overall though, I had a lot of fun with this.

BUCK-BUCK

The obligatory Das EFX self-production. This sounds less like a song and more like a freestyle. The hook is an abomination, and the lyrics are some of the fucking weakest I've ever heard from these guys. Wait, scratch that: this is literally their worst performance up to this point. I have nothing more to say about this shit. 

INTRO

Are you fucking kidding me?!

CAN'T HAVE NUTTIN'

Um. OK.  After a worthless skit & a song that's absolute hippo piss, we get another unknown by the name of Soul G. producing a haunting beat that is very sorely needed at this point in the album. For their part, Das EFX must have felt they dealt their listeners somewhat of a bad hand, as they turn in their best performance on the album so far. As you know, I loves me a good storytime rap, and here they execute a perfect autobiography on wax. After hearing this, the first thought that came to mind was that Books In Reverse really stepped his storytelling game up. Drazy still outshines him as he's always been the better storyteller, but this time it's much more of a contest. A much-needed step back in the right direction.

ALRIGHT

Easy Mo Bee returns to us with his worst effort on the album, although still fairly good. However, the rhymes echo those on his previous beat: Drazy's awake? Check, since Books can only do so much by his damn self. I loved Skoob's Lou Duva reference, since nowadays people never show enough respect to the legends. Overall, this shit does the job.

HOLD IT DOWN

The final Easy Mo Bee track on the album is a proper sendoff, as he turns in a booming beat that would rock any stadium in this world or the other one. That is, providing Das EFX can generate that much interest. Along with his first & third contributions on the album, this seriously ranks among the man's best work ever.  And I've heard "The Points"!  Lyrically, the hook is grating on the ear, as is the case whenever Drazy goes into one of his tangents. But, the verses are entertaining enough, with funny bits hidden in the verses, like Drazy's Changing Faces reference that had me letting out a loud and earnest "HAH!" in the bathroom at work. Too much info? I don't give a shit. (Pun intended, unfortunately.) This track further adds to Mo Bee's track record as a master of title tracks. Oh you don't think so? Name me one bad title track from him. I'll wait. 

That's what I thought.

DEDICATED

DJ Clark Kent graces us with his presence to cook up one beat which is a friggin' waste of time, and the sentiment's amplified by the fucking chorus. Seriously, hooks really fell the fuck off as the '90s progressed. Skoob is the victor yet again, although neither have anything to add to the conversation. A shame.

READY TO ROCK ROUGH RHYMES (FEAT SOLID SCHEME)

That's right, you read correctly: Solid Scheme make their first and only rapping appearance in hip hop history, then promptly disappear back behind the boards. How do they sound, you ask? Well, you wouldn't know that they produced such chaos-inducing hits such as "Mic Checka" and "Freakit", because as rappers, they are the antithesis of Das EFX. They're not bad, though. It works the same way pairing Guru with M.O.P. does. Das EFX are the roided berserkers of the bunch, while Solid Scheme keep the threats up close and personal in an excellent monotone. Derek Lynch, who rarely makes an appearance in the public ever besides this, goes first, with a flow that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The late Chris Charity bka C-Dog follows up with the coldest verses on the album.  Of all the 4 MCs involved, his deep voice sounds the most intimidating and it leaves you with the impression that he's the one you better not fuck with. (It also helps that Drazy mentioned in an interview once that C-Dog is the real head of the entire Das EFX movement. You get that hearing him rhyme. Believe me.) Of course, this doesn't mean that Das EFX are lyrically inferior to these two here, as their verses at the end swipe the rug from underneath the producers so bad that they never rhyme again. The beat is a very fitting companion to the proceedings, curiously sampling former group mate Redman from the classic "Hardcore".  People sure do love that song, and rightly so. Nice!

REPRESENT THE REAL (FEAT KRS-ONE)

May I present the guest from outside the camp. The Blastmaster himself considered this song so good that he swiped it for his own project that dropped the very next month. Now if that isn't underground cred in 1995, I don't know what is. Lyrically, KRS steals the entire album from underneath our hosts, obviously, even if they put up a good fight. Fellow Bronx legend, crate digger extraordinaire Showbiz, handled the beat acceptably. It's not as good as his previous work with KRS on Sound Of Da Police nor his work with AG, but it does the job. Overall, a dope track.

COMIN' THRU

Well, it appears PMD is finally getting generous, as he lends the duo the services of Grandmaster DJ Scratch, who actually can produce a gem from time to time. His masterful beat, sourced from jazz and funk, provides the sense of gladiator arenas where Drazy and Skoob throw down, with Books failing to get the W over his partner this time.  Drazy sounded pretty inspired here, while throughout the album Books hasn't slipped, aside from Buck-Buck, of course. Punchline for punchline though, he just wasn't able to top his partner on this song.  Dope track, even with the crappy hook.

HARDCORE RAP ACT

The final Solid Scheme contribution is a healthy dose of nostalgia for the heads, sampling a plethora of Golden Era legends like Rakim, LL & (surprise surprise) Erick Sermon yet again.  I'm surprised PMD didn't cut the songs where E-Dub is sampled out, because he sure sounded pissed at him on his solo debut.  Funny that the best lyrical contributions from Das EFX on the album usually appear on Solid Scheme productions, as the duo (Books in particular) really sound inspired over their beat here, with clever references to Attica, Tekken (always welcome) among others.  This was pretty enjoyable.

BAD NEWS (FEAT PMD)

Those of you who were worried that PMD would stay pissed at fate for all of eternity, rejoice! PMD has finally calmed the fuck down, which really shows in his focus and delivery, even though (big shocker here) he still mentions nothing about EPMD's breakup. Anyways, DJ Scratch provides us with a funky banger straight from the EPMD school that samples a track from PMD’s own Shadé Business (a crappy guilty pleasure of mine. Its beats are still hugely overlooked), specifically a 3rd Eye guest verse, on which our hosts utilize the short time to demolish the beat nicely and effectively. These three share a definite chemistry behind the mic and it sure shows. A slam dunk if I've ever heard one.

REAL HIP-HOP (PETE ROCK REMIX)

One of the rare moments, in my humble opinion, that Pete Rock's take on a track completely outshines DJ Premier's. Peter Phillips turns this snoozefest into a fucking anthem for 1990s music, let alone boom bap. The lyrics also sound much more impressive over this beat. Well, Books' rhymes, at least, as this was recorded smack dab in the midst of Drazy's out-of-it sessions. Overall, a definite improvement, and one of the best Pete Rock beats I've ever heard from the man. Well done, Mr. Phillips!

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Hold It Down is one long ass album by Das EFX standards.  At twenty tracks, this comes across as a stealth resume sent to competing labels to show off what they were capable of, even if there isn't much in the way of lyrical variation. The comparison between Das EFX and other punchline rappers, like their former group mate Redman, ends with this album, as Hold It Down marks the point where Drazy and Skoob Effects ran out of chemistry, as Books displayed incredible focus on this album, which admittedly should’ve increased his stock in the industry back then, while Drazy started his lyrical fall from grace here by lazily and infuriatingly going through the motions through a few of the songs. Well, except for some notable examples where he shone just as bright, if not even brighter than his partner. That said, most of the beats on this album are awesome, especially from the unknowns, which act as a saving grace.

WORTH IT?  Definitely. Although this time, the choice is just a smidge harder: Aside from two songs and two skits, the beats save Das EFX from being an absolute chore to listen to, which is the very worst feeling that can come from listening to hip-hop, by improving their performances. Miracle of music n'all.  Except for a handful of cases, in which I wish I could've been at the recording session to take out my anger on all parties responsible for the crap I was listening to. But, before I forget...

TRACK TO TRACK DOWN:
MICROPHONE MASTER (SEWA/41 ST. SIDE REMIX) (FEAT MOBB DEEP)

This was a very welcome surprise. The mere presence of an in-form Prodigy RIP elevates this track to an entirely new level, as he turns in the winning performance. Drazy's paired with him, so he also sounds inspired. The remaining two MCs keep the energy up as Skoob displays his usual cleverness in his punchlines while Havoc keeps up his stellar form from The Infamous. The track's maestro is R&B producer AllStar, and this is his debut hip hop production, on which he does enough. To be honest, I was almost certain the beat was Havoc's. Go figure. But yeah, this song's timeless.

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.

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.

Redman - Whut? Thee Album (October 9, 1992)

Reggie Noble. DJ Kut Killa. Redman. Funkadelic Devil. Soopaman Luva. Funk Doctor Spot. Eminem's favorite rapper. Possibly the late great Sean Price' favorite rapper, too. Where do I even start with this dude?

I'll probably start by mentioning that I was introduced to this crazy and straight up hilarious character in three video games: the first two Def Jam AKI Corporation wrestling games and True Crime NYC. Comedy relief in all three, his work genuinely made me interested in whatever material he put out. Until I heard that dratted fictional radio station The Liberty Jam that very same season off the underrated PSP game GTA LCS, set in 1998. On that station, host DJ Clue picked a song from the timeless Muddy Waters album, widely heralded as Reggie's finest hour in hip hop, called Do What Ya Feel. It wasn't a single. It wasn't even that popular by the time the game was released. But it was the second ever Redman & Method Man collaboration and it damn well left an impression on me. By then, I was already a fan of Mef since he appeared on the Monstars' Anthem. You already know my history with that song and with Mef himself, so lemme tell you I was rooting for him to body this dude. I'll confess right now that I then felt Mef was the alpha and Reggie was a sort of sidekick. Little did I know how wrong I was, as Reggie blacked the fuck out on Do What Ya Feel, leaving Mef to impressively bat cleanup. Ever since, that song has become a favorite of mine every time I delve into a Def Squad run.

But let's get back to this time period, as then Reggie only had three songs to his name. All were features for the duo who mentored him into this game: EPMD. The two architects of the grimy Jeep-rattling funk sound found Red in a hole-in-the-wall club in New Jersey called Sensations. He was DJ Kut Killa for current Newark City Coucil hopeful Dupre Kelly bka the legendary Doitall from Lords Of The Underground (How dope would it be to finally have someone from hip hop become a government official?! And no, I'm not talking about Headcase becoming president. We're already suffering from one fucking moron running the world into the ground, we don't need another.) when Erick Sermon pressed Reggie to rhyme. Son declined, then E pressed him again. Reggie spit a few bars, one among them being: "I float like a butterfly, sting like the rock group" That line drove Erick, bandmate Parish Smith and future mentor K-Solo insane. The pair threw Reggie onstage that night!

Redman would be tailored to debut on EPMD's third opus, Business As Usual, where he remains the lone guest rapper to appear twice on the same EPMD record. The verse he did on Hardcore would get Reggie his deal with Def Jam, the house that the fuckwads built. Reggie would eventually turn that deal into a long-lasting career with the label filled to the brim with critical and commercial achievements. I started with critical for a damn reason.

On Business Never Personal, Red would emphatically enforce the assumption that he was, as I've previously stated on this blog, a blackout king. Now, defining the term 'blackout' would require stating blackout examples from the hip hop spectrum. Think Sticky Fingaz on Purse Snatchaz, Inspectah Deck on Assassination Day, Busta Rhymes on Scenario, etc. Reggie here qualified to be a blackout king with his verse on Head Banger, widely regarded as one of the utmost examples of the neglected hip hop art of posse cuts. The fuckfaces at Def Jam were backed into a corner: They had to release an album by this guy yesterday.

Whut? Thee Album began production prior to the infamous EPMD breakup, so it was most definitely affected by the whole farce. By the time everyone got back to their battle stations, EPMD had split. Which deprived Redman, for a short while, from his affiliation with EPMD's supergroup the Hit Squad, consisting of him, the aforementioned K-Solo, Das EFX and the Knucklehedz. (Future Bad Boy alumni Craig Mack RIP and future Def Squad lynchpin Keith Murray would've been the next two acts to be introduced. Alas.) The end product still contains several shoutouts to the legendary collective, so there's that. Still, promotion suffered which directly impacted its reception. Despite all the surrounding turmoil, Reggie still dedicated a great deal to keep his baby a mirthful affair through utilizing skits alongside the actual tracks, in an homage to Prince Paul and various West Coast acts. You’ll see if his natural humor was successfully replicated for the proper album. And although it took eight long months, Whut? Thee Album still managed to sell over five hundred thousand copies stateside and influence would-be rappers everywhere to this very day.

Reggie Noble's debut, boy/girl (pick one):

PSYCHO WARD
Reggie debuts Dr. Trevis, his first of many mainstay characters throughout his career. I'll confess: Red is one of the few rap acts who can do skits well.

TIME 4 SUM AKSION
Despite what the Hit Squad's dissolution may have implied, it was always the plan for Erick Sermon to handle the production on this entire album, similar to how PMD did K-Solo's Tell The World My Name. Which is great for Reggie as he's entering into production for himself here (under his real name, might I add) Him coming from a DJing background served him all the better, as well. Now, this second single here is a clear statement that Erick didn't need the EPMD brand to reproduce their Jeep-rattling funky sound. Its instrumental opens with a grandiose Dramatics sample, then throws you down a well of bombastic samples chaotically thrown together around a famous excerpt from B-Real of Cypress Hill (another group criminally underrated when discussing their contributions to hip hop) to form the blood-pumping result. And best believe Reggie capitalized magnificently, with his incendiary punchlines still leaving crowds breathless at every live show he does. The icing on this deliciously hardcore cake is the Zapp loop during the bridge. You will be a hazard to others around you when this shit plays.

DA FUNK
The previous onslaught is haphazardly cut midway to bring attention to this song, which I suspect to be a Reggie Noble production in its infancy, which starts with a loop centered around its Parliament roots, switches to a dope Meters guitar riff then back to the original beat. Redman keeps barreling through with his mission statement: Punchlines that blow your socks off. As if he knew he'd piss people off by the mere mention of the racist Cheeto at the end, Reggie cuts this song as well..

NEWS BREAK
..into this TV report about the '92 riots. TV skits are yet another staple that continues throughout Reggie's legendary career.

SO RUFF
The skit transitions into another one where Red slaps the stinking piss out of a dipshit interviewer (who will return in future albums. I love that character!) Reggie then proceeds to get his storytelling on over a whirlwind of Zapp & Parliament samples provided by the Green-Eyed Erick. Both stories kicked here are written pretty well, might I add. Third dope song in a row!

RATED ‘R’
A dominant Maceo & the Macks loop, with epic Rakim & Ice Cube samples for the hook to boot, sets the tone for yet another scintillating punchline display by the dopest clown MC you'll ever know, whom is slowly but surely creeping his way into your favorite rappers list by now. Here, Reggie dials up the violence a significant deal as he assaults you with ways to freak you out. He dedicates the second verse to bashing the shit outta villains from classic horror films. the first being Chucky from Child's Play, which makes Redman's notable cameo in Seed Of Chucky all the more hilarious. Little known fact: the dude hyping up Reggie throughout the song is his first cousin Tame One from the legendary Artifacts duo. Yeah, yet another streak of quality in yet another Hit Squad album.

WATCH YO NUGGETS (FEATURING ERICK SERMON)
We arrive at the loudest instrumental on this bitch, courtesy of E-Dub and his exquisite sample swirls. This time, it's ESG UFO, Stevie Wonder and P-Funk visionary George Clinton that deliver the goods. The track opens with Erick spitting some fly shit, but he sounds as if someone just socked him in the jaw hard. Maybe this track was after his breakup with Parish. But if so, why does Reggie shout him and Solo out on his following verse. Anyway, when will the onslaught of dopeness end?!

PSYCHO DUB
Thank God, this skit is short. It threatened to ruin the momentum this album is keeping so impressively.

JAM 4 U
You'll enjoy how the previous skit transitions into Reggie getting baked as fuck. You'll also pick up on Das EFX' Straight From The Sewer playing in the background while Red discredits the sellouts. You know, the ones that needlessly take up sitcoms and gimmicky game shows, regardless of said maneuvers' effects on their overall legacies. Wait a minute.... Anyway, the song features Reggie straight up stunting on the competition with his flow manipulation. The album's momentum amazingly continues.

BLOW YOUR MIND
This album is serious about impressing you! The lead single was the first Redman song I actively repeated on my iPod, way past my introduction to his music on GTA LCS. With another instrumental borrowing heavily from Parliament classics, E-Dub continues to evaporate any doubt that he could carry an entire act behind the boards. Redman needed to make this count, of course, and while the rhymes displayed here are incredible and a nice fit to the beat, the rest of the album so far has outclassed it by leagues. Props, to the Gap Band sample in the hook, though. And there's a hilarious bit in the middle where Reggie's supposed to rap in Korean, but fucks up and barrels on with the punchlines anyway! Overall, great song!

HARDCORE (EXCERPT)
I wrote excerpt because the album only played Reggie's impressive verse from EPMD's Hardcore, which got him signed to Def Jam in the first place. My opinion of this song has not changed, although the album's momentum has finally stopped. About time you took a breather!

FUNKY UNCLES
Another skit, another Hit Squad single playing in the background. This time, it’s Spellbound by Kevin Self Organization Left Others. This skit introduces my absolute favorite character from the Reggieverse: (term coined by Max!) Boy/girl, (pick one) say hello to Uncle Quilly! This dude is hilarious and here he tears into MC Hammer. This skit caused Hammer the hypocrite to call upon various Crip associates of his to actually attempt to kill Reggie. Poor Hammer is butthurt nobody likes nor respects his bitchass.

REDMAN MEETS REGGIE NOBLE
We transition into Reggie's own banger of an instrumental, sampling a breathtaking Village Callers sax excerpt along with that Emotions loop. Here, Redman perfects the inner conversation style popularized by one timeless Slick Rick, who still never seems to get the credit he deserves. Anyway, this song is hilarious and ingenious at the same damn time. It appears the album's hit-rate is back on track!

TONIGHT’S DA NIGHT
Ah, yes. the third single and one of the two most popular songs on this shit, the other being Time 4 Sum Aksion of course. The beat is one constant Isaac Hayes loop beautifully interlocked with a Mary Jane Girls sample for the hook. Clearly influenced by Scratch, Bring It Back Reggie rhymes about some "punk smooth shit" before unveiling his true masterpiece: one hell of a quotable hardcore performance. One thing heads keep overlooking about Reggie is how influential his flow game really is. Go ahead, listen to these lyrics and imagine any one rapper off your bullshit top 5 lists spit this. Yep, thought so. Trust me, this timeless classic is a staple at Red's live shows for a reason.

BLOW YOUR MIND (REMIX)
Over a slightly inferior Reggie Noble production that relies heavily on an annoying Zapp sample, this is the exact same song as the original aside from the first 8 bars of the second verse. And this time, Reggie does not fuck up his Korean performance, which is somehow less funny. This was unnecessary. It is what it is.

I’M A BAD

Now that’s more like it! E-Dub’s beat is his most suffocatingly grimy on the entire album, which sends Reggie off in rare form. The man even predicts how his two-decade tenure at Def Jam would end with one bar. Which bar, you ask? What, you want me to ruin the fun? No, this is a record that you need to hear for yourself. There’s a funny reward for doing so in the song’s midst. Trust me.

SESSED ONE NIGHT

Another 90s skit featuring a cop harassing people, and this time the cop’s black. Amazingly, the track playing in the background is Looking At The Front Door off the incomparable Main Source album Breaking Atoms. I don’t care if I’m showing my bias, I’ll gladly big up Large Professor any chance I damn well get.

HOW TO ROLL A BLUNT

Speaking of legendary crate diggers, the Soul Brother PR himself returns to yet another Hit Squad act and produces an absolute masterpiece of a union between Keni Burke and Jimmy McGriff. The Cypress Hill influence continues with Reggie educating wannabe stoners everywhere with the track’s obvious subject. Props to him for still keeping things humorous. This album is achieving one rare feat of consistency here.

SOOPER LUVER INTERVIEW

And we’re introduced to our final Reggieverse character on the album: The ever-stunting showoff Soopaman Luva. Why do I call him this when his name is spelled differently on the tracklisting, you ask? Don’t ask stupid questions.

A DAY OF SOOPERMAN LOVER

And thus begins another saga featuring a morally conspicuous character by a Hit Squad act, the first being the Jane saga by EPMD. You’ll enjoy how this dude is so self-absorbed that he has trouble sticking to his story without hilariously going off into a braggadocious tangent. And this happens on every chapter of this beautifully funny series. Also, this saga is mostly famous for housing two beats in each song. Here Reggie produces the first, a prominent Johnny Guitar Watson loop, while Erick delivers a funky James Brown cookup. This was a great final song.

ENCORE

Simply the Blow Your Mind beat looped till fadeout. This was pretty useless, although I’m glad it’s at the very end. And we’re done.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Holy shit! This album is a hip hop statement if I ever heard one. I guess Reggie Noble was frustrated with the fact that he was delayed so long, only for his team to go up in smoke when it was his time to shine. Because son packed a whole truckload of content in this album. Whut? Thee Album has everything you might like in a hardcore hip hop album and then some: social commentary, wit, humor, badassery, lyricism, you name it. Top it off, the music is a worthy continuation of the Hit Squad’s timeless Jeep-rattler brand. The dude did say that people ‘fucked up by letting him make an album’.

WORTH IT? Right now, this must be the most well-known album I’ve reviewed from the Hit Squad so far, but if you don’t house this album in your collection for any reason whatsoever, you need to put down that Cardi B garbage you were thinking of listening to and rectify that shit ASAFP.

Still can’t get enough Hit Squad? Here you go. For more Uncle Quilly though, here.