FROM DA BRICKS

The thing that I have enjoyed most about this blog is that it has forced me to look back through my collection and listen to albums that have been out of rotation for a long time. As with ‘Labcabicalifornia’, ‘Poverty’s Paradise’ may not be deemed classic material in the sense that the group’s earlier releases are, but personally I regard this as the most consistent and dopest of Naughty’s output.

Naughty By Nature are the perfect hip hop crossover group. Catchy hooks and a lyrical focus on the benefits of a good party keep the casual listener happy, but there is also a grittiness to their beats which complements their highly accomplished flow and engages the more serious hip hop fan. The light seems to generally fall on the first couple of albums due to the presence of the classic party anthems ‘O.P.P.’ and ‘Hip Hop Hooray’ and as a result ‘Poverty’s Paradise’ does seem to get overlooked somewhat despite a Best Rap Album Grammy. It still has it’s fair share of hits with ‘Craziest’ and ‘Feel Me Flow’ which build on the groundwork made by earlier hits, but there literally isn’t a bad track on here which is perhaps more than can be said for their self-titled debut and ’19 Naughty III’.

I love the opening to the album which features a brief excerpt from a live show followed by a piano based cut that introduces the theme for the album. This is followed by ‘Clap Yo Hands’, a sensational cut featuring a sample from a Sam and Dave song and some slammin’ snares. ‘World Go Round’ features a loop from Michael Jackson’s version of ‘People Make The World Go Round’ sped up and laid over the top of some more dope drum programming and ‘Respect Due’ is also an absolute belter with more of the same: big beats and dope rhymes. Generally the production is excellent, retaining a strong street feel but whilst keeping a sense of the soulful dusty grooves that went into the construction of the songs.

Treach and Vinnie’s flows are amongst the best that the genre has ever seen, varying in tone and intonation with forays into some lines that feel almost as if they are being sung. Clever wordplay and similes mean that they not just a success because of their style of delivery; there is content here to match. The main focus remains the same as earlier releases: parties, women, street narratives and braggin’ but it is done with such quality that like all great MCs they forge an incredibly strong sense of their own identity. I can only imagine how great it would have been to see the group at this point in time, with Treach and Vinnie ripping through classic after classic and getting the crowd properly hyped: real live hip hop.

This was also one of the first hip hop albums that I ever bought, and it takes me back to when I was thirteen finishing my homework and playing ‘Lemmings’ on the PC whilst listening to my ‘Poverty’s Paradise’ tape to death. I loved it then and I love it now, a true indicator of the fact that although I didn’t really know it at the time, I had tapped into something that epitomised quality hip hop of the era. As with yesterday’s post, this personal history obviously taints my objectivity when approaching the album but I don’t care: this is undeniably dope.

Keep locked into FDB over the weekend as I have a couple of special compilations in mind as well as a little bit more stuff on some of the technology that has been so important in the world of hip hop. See you then.

After posting the Dilla/J Rocc mix I was drawn back to The Pharcyde’s sophomore release ‘Labcabincalifornia’. I had forgotten how much I get out of this album despite its slightly lukewarm reception in comparison to ‘Bizarre Ride II’ and controversially I think I actually prefer this to their first effort. What the first album did so effectively was hark back to how fun hip hop could be with hilarious lyrics and upbeat party rockers. The criticism levelled at ‘Labcabincalifornia’ seems to revolve around the fact that the group got more introspective and serious on this album, losing the aforementioned sense of unadulterated fun that characterised the first release. This has never posed a problem for me and I personally feel that this album has subsequently been slept on a little.

I remember being in a friend’s older brother’s flat in Camden when I stumbled upon the ‘Runnin” CD single. I guess I might be exposing the fact that I have been involved in hip hop seriously for a much shorter time than other bloggers out there, as I had heard nothing of The Pharcyde until this point. That tune went on repeat for the rest of the night and remains one of my favourite cuts of all time. It is amazing the impact that music can have in that early stage of discovery where it can sound so fresh and new, and your feelings towards it are uncomplicated and totally free of cynicism. ‘Runnin” struck an instant chord with me with it’s guitar loop, crispy snares and sung chorus hook. The overall jazziness of the tune coupled with the MCs newfound maturity towards life and the industry still gets me to this day, and it is a classic for both myself and my circle of friends who have all found the same allure in its production and lyricism.

I could talk about ‘Runnin” all day, but there are other highlights here as well. ‘Devil Music’ lyrically explores issues surrounding the ownership of the band’s music when engaged in the modern music industry and is backed by a slammin’ beat. Other high points include ‘Groupie Therapy’ which is produced by Diamond D and features some dope xylophones that form the backbone of the tune and ‘Moment In Time’ which is a seriously laid back track where the group ponder the nature of our time on this planet. Granted, the MCs do seem slightly jaded over the course of the album but they aren’t bitchin’, they have simply gained experience and knowledge of the world around them in the three years between this and their first album and they deliver this knowledge with eloquence and style.

This is not to say that this is a totally consistent album and I do find myself skipping a few tracks here and there. However, the strength of individual joints carries the album for me and I am confident that I will come back to this and still enjoy it in the future. I simply cannot separate ‘Labcabincalifornia’ from a stage in my life when the whole of hip hop was laid out in front of me, waiting to be discovered and cherished. Wouldn’t it be great to go back to that time when you got your hands on an album that genuinely changed how you felt about music and perhaps even your perception of the world around you. This represents that phase in my introduction to real hip hop and for that reason it will forever remain a personal classic. I can sit here and deliberate about the pros and cons of albums until the cows come home, but you can’t be totally objective about everything can you?

We’re going continental here at FDB again. ‘Paris Sous Les Bombes’ is categorically one of the best albums to emerge from the French scene and is the product of another of the country’s extremely successful hip hop outfits. Made up of MCs Kool Shen and Joey Starr and a range of different producers, Supreme NTM are an unabashedly hardcore group that is suggested by their name itself: ‘NTM’ stands for ‘nique ta mere’ which translates as ‘fuck your mum’. I’m not sure what message this sends out to the people buying their records, but it is a signifier of the fact that these Parisian boys mean business and do not intend to cover up their often brutal message.

Formed in 1989 and with six albums now under their belts, the group have had serious success in their homeland with their latest effort approaching platinum status. The lyrical content revolves heavily around the group’s feelings towards the police which are resoundingly negative, the violence of life on the streets and their various battles with the French authorities. They represent the voice of a disempowered and angry French youth who have lost all faith in the system and aren’t afraid to shout about it. I have always felt that the French language was well suited to rapping, and despite the odd transgression into shouting and ranting, the MCs have a smooth delivery that can be enjoyed despite the language barrier. The album also features a remix of ‘Affirmative Action’ off Nas’ ‘It Was Written…’ LP which sees the French boys hook up wih The Firm crew. The beat remains the same, but the presence of the Supreme NTM MCs puts a nice spin on the track.

The production is also solid, featuring many samples and drum breaks that you may recognise from American joints. This is not to say that the beats are simply lifted from their US counterparts: the samples are flipped with originality and flava. My favourite cut is ‘Tout N’est Pas Si Facile’ which is a serious head nodder with sweeping strings and a beautiful sax loop. Generally speaking the beats have a classic mid-’90s feel with heavy drums and funky samples laid over the top. Gotta love that.

Let me try and draw an analogy here with another French artist already featured on FDB with the use of something typically continental: coffee. If MC Solaar is a cafe au lait in a tall glass drunk in a cafe overlooking the Palace of Versailles, Supreme NTM are a triple espresso drunk from a short and stumpy mug in the roughest parts of the nation’s capital. Solaar is smooth, warm and fluid with a well rounded and subtle flavour. Supreme NTM are a thick, syrupy, caffeine-laden brew that will blow your head off. Both have their place in the wide spectrum of hip hop and both outfits demonstrate the quality of rap music in France, with neither being more valuable than the other. Peep it and enjoy.

There is at times a tendency within hip hop circles to hold up a little known underground gem and to label it ‘classic material’. I can’t help but feel that this is sometimes misplaced and occurs due to the deterioration of the genre in recent times and the subsequent searching for quality music from the past. This can push objectivity to one side. Having said this, albums can live up to the hype. Although I am not 100% convinced that ‘The Natural’ necessarily warrants the ‘classic material’ tag, I believe that it is as close as some of these sort of albums can come.

First up is the production. With Buckwild and Da Beatminerz on the boards and the year being ’95, you can be pretty sure that the beats will be on point. They don’t disappoint. ‘Masta I.C.’ is a beautifully put together cut with some tasty sleighbells; ‘Time To Build’ is aggressive and extremely hard-hitting and ‘Sharane’ has an excellent opening 16 or so bars which build the beat up subtly and with a serious head noddy vibe. Some of the beats lack that quality that gives you that warm mushy feeling inside, but generally the production is flawless.

The rhymes ain’t bad either. Mic Geronimo isn’t the most intelligent or charismatic of MCs, but he has a nice flow that works well with the beats. There are also some very well delivered guest spots. ‘Time To Build’ is strong vocally throughout, but the Jay Z verse is a pleasing early glimpse at the man who has had such success in the commercial market. I’m not sure who features on the fourth verse of this particular cut, but it is one of the roughest, grittiest verses that I have ever heard. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you are in the mood it is truly sensational.

However, like so many albums of the era it could be said that there is something indefinable missing here. Nothing substantial, but something that stops it reaching the heights of the true classics of the era like ‘Illmatic’. As I have said before, the difference is not definable in discussion… but there is a difference. Don’t let this put you off: this is a quality album that you will come back to on repeated occasions, and some of the highlights are excellent examples of the strength of the genre at this stage in its development.

And we’re back! Hope everyone has had an enjoyable festive season; I know I have. Still recovering somewhat from over-eating but that can hardly be construed as a complaint. Have had a great week or so catching up with family and relaxing with the girlfriend (who presented me with this here selection: well done Samantha), hit the sales and picked up a bit of music although Oxford Street is not a pleasant place to be at this time of year. Starting to feel the January lull kicking in already but still one night of celebration to go. Have a good one!

Zimbabwe Legit could have been a gimmicky disaster but in fact this release fits in well with other works of the era. Drawn to hip hop via their older sibling, brothers Akim and Dumi involved themselves in as much as the culture as possible in their native Zimbabwe although accessibility to the genre was limited in Africa in the early ’90s. Still, through a passion and hunger for the artform as well as the dawn of the afrocentric era they made it to New York in 1990 and hooked up with Dave Funkenklein who was writing for The Source at the time as well as holding connections with the Native Tongues collective. Recognisng their skills, he worked hard to set them up with American producers including Mr. Lawnge and a little known Bay Area DJ who called himself Shadow. The result was a four track EP that was critically acclaimed but a commercial flop due to a lack of marketing and publicity. Sadly, Funkenklein passed away in ’94, but this and other works make for a legacy of a man who had a passion and understanding for hip hop that is rarely seen in the culture nowadays.

The commercial failure of this release was a real shame because the ‘Brothers From The Mother’ were charismatic MCs who had skills and a clear affinity with the Native Tongues sound. Drawing on their African roots as fodder for their rhymes, Akim and Dumi boast and brag with intelligence and insight, even utilising their native language on a couple of cuts. The production is solid, although there are a few joints that are easily skipped over. Favourties of mine are ‘Straight From The Mothership’ with its crisp snares and juicy horns; ‘Doin’ Damage In My Native Language’ which sees the pair rapping in (you guessed it) their native tongue and ‘Shadow’s Legitimate Mix’ which is nothing short of sensational, employing horns and pianos to create an atmospheric and laid back joint that will have your neck aching by the end of its six minute duration.

As far as I am aware this was never conceived as a full length album and this reissue seems to simply draw together the group’s work from that era including all the songs that appeared on the original EP. This goes some way to explaining why this is not perhaps the most coherent or consistent of works, but it is still well worth a purchase. It is also yet another example of a record label not understanding the potential of the artists under their control and the subsequent lack of success being an inevitable consequence of a failure to deliver the vital promotion needed at the final hurdle. As a finger up to all those record company execs who wouldn’t know real hip hop if it bit them in the arse, put this album in rotation and pay your respects to a group who can genuinely claim to have helped open the door for international hip hop.