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.