#rewindreview: Ol’ Dirty Bastard ‘Return To The 36 Chambers’ (1995)

  The reign of Wu-Tang Clan is comparable to lightning in a bottle. No matter how many may want to try and duplicate or say that it has happened outside of them, it simply has not. Rapping talent aside, the personalities involved in the original nine we might have took for granted while living in it but this was a unique moment. After “The Clan” dropped their debut album, solo acts began to drop as well. Method Man would come out of the gate first with ‘Tical’ but in that same year Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s first single ‘Brooklyn Zoo’ menaced the streets. I was introduced to the song by the video and the look of the visuals and song itself were a perfect combination. This highlighted the personality of “ODB” and set the tone for what to expect on his album. ‘Return Of To The 36 Chambers’ is so raw in it’s approach that I believe had “Ol’ Dirty..” not been associated with Wu-Tang Clan, this album would not be remembered or even released. This might sound like a wild take but the album is everywhere and by the standards set with HOP albums during this time it broke all the rules. The intro is almost 5 minutes of no song while actual songs almost sound like interludes or as though they were off “the cutting room floor.” Ol’ Dirty Bastard is not the most lyrical and songs are mainly just freestyles which unlike the urban myths created for his Brooklyn contemporaries, Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, I believe “Dirt Dawg” couldn’t have had these raps written down. The reason the album works is because it has such memorable moments and outrageous quotes. R.Z.A. knew what worked for Ol’ Dirty Bastard and the best way to display his personality was to allow him the freedom to be so “anti..” that it became a new standard. The single ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ dropped after the album was released and the video made one hear the song on the album with different ears. ODB might have been the rawest and most unfocused of The Clan but he was definitely the most dynamic one at that time. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Brooklyn Zoo’ & ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: The Micranots ‘Return Of The Travellahs’ (1996)

  The 2000’s decade saw a lot of independent releases as full albums and not just 12 inch vinyl singles. The ability to create a distribute whole albums was much easier than it was in the previous decade. This caused many artist like J-Live, Nas, Juggaknots to name a few, to release previous works that were never available on Compact Disc format. The Micranots who were a two man group out of Minneapolis M.N. made a mark with their ‘Obelisk Movements’ album from the year 2000, so it was simple mathematics for them to capitalize on the fans they had gathered from that release and provide those fans with what they might have missed. ‘Return Of The Travellahs’ was the debut album from The Micranots but this was only available on cassette tape so if you were not a day one fan of the group or possibly in the studio with them creating this, it was more than likely missed. Re-released on CD in the year 2003, listeners got to hear the progression in the groups creativity as compared to later releases. The songs seem to be recorded between at least 1994 through 1996. I Self Divine who is the M.C. of the group drops a few gems on these songs but for the most part it is a “freestyle” of ideas and rhymes. Kool Akiem Allah provides the beats which carry the classic sound of the mid-1990’s, taking the listeners on a journey of that time in HOP music. This album is really for collectors and true fans of The Micranots. It might not serve to create new listeners as one would have to understand the challenges it took to put out music in a pre-easy accessible, internet world. For those that need something to bop your head to on a fall Saturday, this one’s for you. What did you think of the album? Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: Pete Rock ‘Return Of The SP1200’ (2019)

  It’s 2019 and why not get a collection of past beats made on an SP1200 from the legendary Pete Rock. After starting the trend of putting out instrumental HOP albums on 2001’s ‘Petestrumentals,’ “PR” knows there is an audience that wants to hear that classic sound from him. On ‘Return Of The SP1200’ the audience will recognize a few familiar tunes of the past that were used, never officially came out, or have recently been resurrected. The Meccalicious heater ‘How You Feel’ is the beat for ‘Hope You World Don’t Stop,’ while we get the instrumental for the Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s ‘Death Becomes You’ off the ‘Menace II Society’ soundtrack. There is also a deep cut, ‘Street Dreams’ which is actually an unreleased Pete Rock remix for Nas’ ‘Street Dreams’ remix, Pete rock only played on a ‘Future Flavas’ show. While the track ‘Kool Jazz’ has been recently used by Paul Wall & Termanology on their track called ‘Recognize My Car.’ The usage of melodic samples and filtered basslines as loops are attributes that have captivated Pete Rock fans for years. This is classic Pete Rock beats and if you are fan of one of the greatest moments in his career, which was the mid to late 1990’s, one will be pleased and taken down a trip of days past. ‘Return Of The SP1200’ is not only a return previous production but a return of a feeling. What did you think of the album? Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: Lord Finesse ‘Return Of The Funky Man’ (1992)

  The second album from the ‘Funky Man’ Lord Finesse was literally a return to what he had already given on his debut album ‘Funky Technician’ with D.J. Mike Smooth. By 1992 HOP music was becoming even more popular and with that comes a change in sound and content. The weird thing about that year was with the success of West Coast “gangsta rap,” rappers outside those borders had to shift and sound more edgy to compete. On ‘Return Of The Funky Man’ Lord Finesse seems caught in this quagmire which prevents this record from having the flare his previous album had by just being in the moment and having fun. This album at times felt like Finesse was trying to overcompensate for the change of hardcore content in HOP music. ‘Return Of the Funky Man’ is still a solid release but it also leans too much on what made the previous album work with certain songs sounding like a carbon copy of tracks off ‘Funky Technician.’ Production is handled by the D.I.T.C. crew which include Showbiz, Diamond D. and Lord Finesse himself, with some outside production from D.J. Aladdin and some early production work from Shafiq Husayn on ‘Save That Ish.’ Lord Finesse is really trying to make a statement with this album of being an elite M.C. The majority of the tracks are more competitive rap content but also the “underestimated” narrative most people can relate to whether it be in relationships or career success. It might not be Lord Finesse’s best album but the record opened the door for M.C.’s like Percee P., Shel Rumble, Harry-O and the up and coming D.I.T.C. member A.G. Lord Finesse clearly learned from this album and “trimmed the fat” for ‘The Awakening’ that would be released a few years later. Would did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Return Of The Funky Man’ & ‘Party Over Here’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#REWINDREVIEW: KRS-One ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ (1993)

  This is how you know time must be moving faster these days because at the time of the release of this album, KRS-One was considered “old school.” This was thirty years ago almost to the date that ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ blessed our ears. It is the debut album for KRS-One as a solo act and although all he did was drop the “Boogie Down Productions” moniker, this album felt like we had never heard this from him. KRS was in a zone on this record and it truly felt like he was in his “second childhood.” ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ never lets up in terms of song interest and personally over the years the few songs I thought were the weakest initially, have grown to be my favorite tracks. There is a magic to what “The Teacha” has been able to do all these years and as simple as it may be to say he is one of the greatest it’s harder to pinpoint that said magic. KRS is one of the greatest orators in this hip-hop culture and he has been able to activate that trait on all of his releases, even the latter ones that might not have been received well. KRS knows that the ultimate battleground is the live stage so when songs like ‘Uh Oh’ are made it’s not just an album cut but crafted for the audience to be fully immersed in during a live show. This is why ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ is not only a classic in KRS-One’s catalog but HOP music in general. The whole album could be performed live by itself. From ‘Outta Here’ to the uncontrolled energy of ‘I Can’t Wake Up,’ to the unexpected hit still heard in movies and shows today, ‘Sound Of Da Police,’ KRS amassed a selection of tracks that provide the perfect mix of “Edutainment.” Still available to serve you on the mic with ‘Mad Crew,’ the importance of black women on ‘Brown Skin Woman,’ questioning the religion handed to slaves on ‘Higher Level’ is The Teacha in his most prestigious moment on this release. To make this album more tight nit is the production of D.J. Premier, Showbiz, Kid Capri and KRS himself. A combination of names that in 1993 had no choice but to succeed. If it isn’t obvious by now I’ll say that this is one of my favorite albums, even before I started calling KRS-One the greatest. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Outta Here,’ ‘Sound Of Da Police’ & ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: T-Love ‘Return Of The B-Girl’ EP (1998)

  The West Coast B-Girl, T-Love touched down with a quick but heavy debut in ‘Return Of The B-Girl.’ My introduction to her was on D.J. Rhettmatic’s (Beat Junkies) ‘World Famous Beat Junkies Vol.2’ mixtape. The track ‘I’m Comin’ was this sort of spooky mix of raw HOP music with a ladies voice that was mixed and cut to perfection in which D.J. Rhettmatic is a professional at. Still it wasn’t until about a year later that I would hear a couple of other songs from T-Love during the beginning of internet streaming radio in 1999. Those cuts were ‘L.A. To Brooklyn’ featuring Siah & Yeshua Da PoED and the title track of this EP featuring Kool Keith, who at that time I was becoming a huge fan of due to his left of center rhyming and content. T-Love uses this twenty minutes of HOP music to showcase a “no fear” style of rhyming with a voice that commanded respect. Rapping alongside the aforementioned M.C.’s is a task and on ‘Wanna-Beez’ featuring Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) the two’s back and forth on the track makes one realize how as listeners we took for granted the effect of collaborations in a studio verses being emailed in. The record is produced by This Kid Name Miles (yes that’s his name) who provided T-Love with some awesome beats that although are well within the lines of “truskool” HOP music, do not sound the same or get stagnant. My biggest issue with this release as that it was only an EP. This is appreciated these days as so many releases leave listeners fatigued while a record like ‘Return Of The B-Girl’ made you wait with bated breath, only adding value to the project and one’s listening experience. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘I’m Comin’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#REWINDREVIEW: Big K.R.I.T. ‘Return Of 4eva’ (2011)

  For me Big K.R.I.T. was apart of that list or upcoming rappers that wiggled their way out of the internet in the latter part of the 2000’s. At this time that scenario turned me off to many acts because it was yet another wave of oversaturation that obviously got much worse since then. It might have been the video single for ‘Dreamin’ that made me finally give K.R.I.T. a listen. This track was not what I expected from younger acts at the time and definitely not what I expected to hear from someone from the state I was born in. What I got with ‘Return Of 4eva’ was not only a treat but glimpse into what the future could behold. At this time I am recognizing the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Joey Bada$$ and finally feeling like I can support younger acts. The common denominator with those three was that around this time they were putting out undeniable material. ‘Return Of 4eva’ is a sonic BOOM and Big K.R.I.T.’s influences are all over this album but only he mixes those influences to create his own original meal. It did not take the Meridian, M.S. rapper to get to his 40’s to talk about real life situations that the common man can relate to. From the ‘Highs & Lows’ of life, the feeling of soundbombing while riding in your car in The South to releasing stress brought on by reality. Big K.R.I.T. planted his flag with this album and although it is a full record with twenty-one songs you often forget the length when heat after heat is constantly playing. One of the most amazing attributes of this album is it’s completely produced by Big K.R.I.T. and is not feature heavy. Fellow Mississippian David Banner makes an appearance while Chamillionaire takes time from tech investments and Joi lends her Atlantic vocals adding to the southern feel of this record. Big K.R.I.T.’s longtime collaborator Big Sant joins him on ‘Made Alot’ which channels U.G.K. but the D.N.A. of Goodie M.O.B. is present and welcome on the most enlightening track ‘Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed & Encouraging Racism.’ One can understand the acronym this song represents and for me only stamped my approval of K.R.I.T. much like when Cee-Lo broke down the meaning of Goodie M.O.B. on ‘Fighting.’ This album deserves more praise when talking about those early 2010 releases that were more than just place holders on peoples minds and ears for about a week. Big K.R.I.T. is a case study on how knowing what came before you can birth the best of what you have coming. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Dreamin’ & ‘The Vent’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

WP Twitter Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com