FROM DA BRICKS

Hip hop is such a male dominated musical genre that there is no denying that women have struggled to make a credible impression upon it. Of course you’ve got your Foxy Browns and Lil’ Kims, but I think it would be fair to say that their rise to fame may have been due to a little timely arse shaking here and there as much as it has been about their musical prowess. Bottom line, they’re marketable: they look good (if that’s your thing), can hold a microphone and deliver some verses all at the same time. Imagine that! The scope for genuinely talented female artists within hip hop is regrettably limited, and as such, there have been very few quality releases from the fairer sex that are on par with their male counterparts.

Heather B.’s 1996 release ‘Takin’ Mine’ is an exception to this rule, pairing quality production with Heather’s tight flow that makes for an enjoyable, if not mind-blowing, release. Da Beatminerz pop up on the production credits for a track, but the majority is handled by BDP affiliate and brother of KRS One, Kenny Parker. ‘All Glocks Down’ was the lead single off the album, and does a good job of flipping the well used ‘People Make The World Go Round’ sample that has appeared on numerous cuts within the genre. It is without doubt the highlight of the album and sees Heather B. in strong form advising all comers to be aware of her role as the ‘bulletproof lyricist’

There are other good cuts here too, but it is really the consistency of this release that wins me over. There really isn’t a bad beat on here and although Heather’s style is nothing phenomenal, she carries the material well over the course of the album. ‘Takin’ Mine’ can be played from front to back with no need to skip, and this is more than can be said for a lot of albums released during this period. Thankfully, she also avoids over-playing the ‘female card’ and instead sticks to some boasts and brags that she pulls off with a gritty and accomplished delivery. You go girl!

The great thing about this album is that it does not feel like a novelty. This in itself is a success: when I listen to ‘Takin’ Mine’ I am simply enjoying a decent quality hip hop album that removes itself from the ‘female rapper’ tag. With no sign of breasts or an arse in sight, this goes down as a slept on release that I imagine most heads will appreciate: cop it and find out.

Living just across the street from Pharoah Monch in Queens, O.C. began his career in hip hop as a friend and collaborator of Organized Konfusion. Contributing a verse to the O.K. classic ‘Fudge Pudge’, Omar Credle ultimately landed himself a deal with Wild Pitch and this led to his certified classic ‘Word…Life’ being released in ’94. This is one of my favourite albums of the era with banger after banger, not least the incredible ‘Time’s Up’ produced by none other than Buckwild.
However, today’s post is focussed on his sophomore release ‘Jewelz’. Understandably I couldn’t wait to check this after O.C.’s debut and the production roster promises much: Premier, Ogee, Buckwild and Da Beatminerz. This is an impressive team to say the least, and it should should mean that this release is every bit as good as ‘Word…Life’. Unfortunately I have always felt that this album lacks something, despite solid beatmaking and O.C.’s intelligent and well delivered rhymes; ultimately ‘Jewelz’ leaves me feeling a little disappointed.

Of course, this is not to say that the album doesn’t have some highlights. ‘M.U.G.’ sees O.C. team up with Freddie Foxxx and the pair rip through their verses with style over my favourite Premier beat on the album. I like the rolling pianos of ‘You And Yours’ which are paired with a crisp snare hit that give the track a pleasingly eerie feel. Despite it’s cheesy chorus hook, I do also like ‘Can’t Go Wrong’ although I would expect that this may just be one of those instances of personal preference that is not matched by popular opinion. Generally the beats are good but they just aren’t great, which is a disappointment given the pedigree of beatmaker on this album.

O.C.’s rhyming ability is formidable matching a measured and fluid delivery with content that is engaging and intelligent. He sounds best on the more laid back cuts such as ‘The Chosen One’ where his eloquent verse feels like it floats above the beat below. You can hear a definite link between O.C.’s style and his old rhyming buddies Prince Po and Pharoah Monch: the lines weave around each other in complex rhythmical patterns and there are phrases like ‘the ancient ruins of rap’ that give his rhymes a vaguely mystical feeling that is entrancing.

Ultimately it is a shame that Credle was not able to duplicate the sheer quality of his debut with ‘Jewelz’. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good album, but I think that the benchmark had simply been set so high by ‘Word…Life’ that this was always going to be a disappointment. It’s still one of the better releases from ’97, but if you’re expecting another dose of classic material then be warned: you may not find it here.

As we all know, making your mark on hip hop and staying relevant as times inevitably change is no mean feat. I’ve spoken before of the comings and goings of those involved in hip hop and as we all know, the genre has had its fair share of casualties along the way who were unable to build sustainable careers from the music. The Intelligent Hoodlum, now better known as Tragedy Khadafi or simply Tragedy, is one of the lucky few who has managed to go against this trend, going back as far as the Juice Crew days in his home of Queensbridge to build a career in hip hop that has spanned seventeen years and six full length albums.

Tragedy’s ‘Intelligent Hoodlum’ moniker back in the day clearly hinted at his personal history of crime and violence. Indeed, his first album was released after he had completed a sentence on Riker’s Island for robbery in 1988 (I saw this go up recently over at Biff Hop in Alley’s massive 300th post). Whilst doing his time, he immersed himself in literature concerning the teachings of Islam and African-American culture (hence the ‘Intelligent’). This is clearly reflected in the rhyme content throughout ‘Saga Of A Hoodlum’ which comments on life on the streets with eloquence, insight and intelligence but whilst steering clear of being overly preachy: these are the words of a man who has been there and done that, simply stating his experiences of his time on this planet without ramming it down your throat or falling into self-loathing or glamourisation. This is matched with an engaging flow that means the Queensbridge MC manages the near impossible feat of combining both content and style.

The beats don’t disappoint either, with K-Def assuming responsibility for the majority of the production here with Marley pitching in from time to time as well. Given that this was released in 1993, I’m sure that you can hazard a guess at the type of sound we’re looking at here: straight up NYC boom bap. Samples are well chosen and beautifully simple, the drum tracks are heavy and have real momentum and basically speaking the production is flawless. Having said this, I would argue that K-Def has produced better work (check www.kdef.biz for a full discography with samples that you can listen to), but given his pedigree this should not be seen as a criticism of ‘Saga Of A Hoodlum’: this is still bangin’ from front to back.

Apart from this and his debut, I haven’t really checked out much of Tragedy’s other releases as I suspect that they will only serve to be a disappointment. Still, you have to admire a man who has built such a successful career in hip hop and however you feel about his later work, his first two albums are fine examples of early-mid ’90s hip hop and should be regarded as essential material for any discerning fan of the genre.

Although Poor Righteous Teachers’ influence within the genre of hip hop is undeniable, I am the first to admit that I have slept on their material somewhat. They are one of those groups that I know are great, like almost everything I hear and yet have never been lucky enough to come across their albums on used CD hunts and am unwilling to pay the often extortionate prices that they go for on Amazon/EBay. I did have the good fortune of stumbling across their fourth album ‘The New World Order’ though, and in response to a request from Vlandro over at Underrated Hip Hop, I’m throwing it up.

The group’s roots lie in the teachings of The Nations of Gods and Earths, more commonly known as the Five Percent, and this conscious outlook permeates the majority of their material. ‘The New World Order’ is no exception, with lyrical content often surrounding the progress of the ignorant, the semi-enlightened and those that have true knowledge of self. Wise Intelligent is definitely the strongest of the group’s two MC team, and in fact, Culture Freedom contributes relatively little to the album other than joining in for chorus hooks and the odd verse here and there. There are some pleasing guest spots on here as well, with Nine, Brother J, The Fugees and KRS all making appearances.

What I like about this album is that the production still comes off relatively hard; there are enough kicks and snares to satisfy any fan of the mid ’90s era. There is also a strong reggae influence on some of the cuts with appearances from reggae legend Jr. Reid and Sluggy Ranks which are generally successful (I find ‘Dreadful Day’ a little bit cringe-worthy). The rap/reggae standout for me is ‘They Turned Gangsta’, which is about as good as any cut that I have heard that has combined elements of the two genres.

Very few hip hop artists have managed to make the turbulent transition between eras within the genre without coming off as behind the times, overly try-hard or in the worst of cases, straight wack. Considering that this was the group’s fourth album, it is remarkably consistent and feels uncontrived. There is a sense that PRT were still following their own musical course here without feeling the pressure to adhere too closely to contemporary trends within the genre. For this reason, ‘The New World Order’ is a success, and it is a demonstration of the talent and longevity of the crew. Just writing this has made me realise that I need to wake my sleepy arse up and get a hold of their earlier material: any links and comments greatly appreciated.

Heavy D is a little bit of an oddity to me. On the one hand he is the incredibly well connected and, if we go by liner note shouts, highly respected cousin of Pete Rock whose recording career started as early as 1987. On the other, he has produced some of the fluffy nonsense that any serious hip hop fan would instantly condemn as garbage. Indeed, when I think of Heavy D, I am transported back to being thirteen years old standing beside a fairground round with ‘Now That We’ve Found Love’ pumping out of a sound system and feeling rather out of place at the carnival that used to come to my part of London every year. To be fair, I don’t know his first two albums at all despite some Marley Marl work on his sophomore effort, but it does seem strange that an artist who crossed over with such vigour was able to maintain credibility throughout a career that spanned two decades.

‘Blue Funk’ was an obvious attempt to re-engage a more street level audience, pulling together the production work of DJ Premier, Tony Dofat and of course Pete Rock: a highly impressive array of producers. In general the beats are pretty bangin’ and if you’re up on this era of hip hop you will recognise a lot of the drum breaks and samples as they crop up elsewhere on other recordings regularly. The title track is perhaps my favourite, although apart from ‘Girl’ the album really is pretty consistent. Having said this, I would not expect ‘Blue Funk’ to blow you away. There is no doubt that it is an enjoyable album but it is by no means classic material.

Perhaps most surprising are the Overweight Lover’s skills on the mic, which are remarkably competent. At times, and I say this with caution, he could almost pass as Biggie (who turns up on the posse cut ‘A Buncha Niggas’ along with Rob-O, Guru and Busta… weird eh?). Temporarily dropping his usual fluffy image for a decidedly more hardcore edge, he boasts and brags his way through the album with efficiency. The only real gripe with his presence on the microphone for me are the pseudo-therapeutic sessions that precede each of the tracks where Heavy tends to ponder his role in the game and the legacy he may leave. These are at best cringe-worthy and at times laughable; you can’t help but wish he’d kept these musings to himself.

Ultimately, ‘Blue Funk’ is a pleasing discovery for any fan who may have dismissed his music due to his more obvious commercial successes. If you didn’t know it was Heavy D, you would be easily excused for the mistake as this sounds very similar to other works of the era particularly albums like the Rough House Survivors ‘Straight From The Soul’. Cop it and pay your respects to one of the largest (literally) figures in hip hop of the ’90s.