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.