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It's fine to be back.
He Got Game by Public Enemy |
| Distinctiveness: | PE is PE, no? |
| Dopeness Rating: | Still in full effect. I'm going to give it a Phat+. |
| Rap Part: | Solid. Phat+. Is Chuck D not the man? Does he not lay lyrical pipe? And with style? Is not Flava still the energizer? I'm mean really. |
| Sounds: | A smoothed out Bomb Squad, somewhere in between album #2 and #3 with a late 90s twist. This is the sound that PE was flirting with on some of the better cuts from Muse. They got it down. Phat+. |
| Predictions: | It'll do okay. Most of you just plain suck, so you won't pick it up, but those of you who do.... |
| Rotation Weight: | When it's in, it'll remain in. |
| Message: | Of course.
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| Tracks: | Thirteen tracks. 65:21. |
| Label: | Def Jam, baby, baby. |
| Profanity: | There's a bit here and there, but it's all in service to the music, knowhutimsayin? |
Has it really been ten years since It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back? Ten years?
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is, of course, the seminal hip hop album of the 1980s, and remains one of the best albums to ever drop on an unsuspecting America. It was the second album of Public Enemy, made up of Chuck D, Game Commissioner; Flavor Flav, The Court Jester; Terminator X, T-2000 Mandroid; and Professor Griff, The Enforcer.
What made the album so important and so different rested on three things: 1) the political message that the group wanted to use hiphop to convey, 2) the all-different Bomb Squad sound they used underneath the stupendous Chuck D flow, and 3) the give-and-take interaction of the group's many parts, most notably the juxtaposition of the stern and stentorian Chuck D verbal punches mixed with the quick Flava Flav jabs.
But that was ten years ago, no? After a string of solid albums, and a few group shake-ups--most notably the loss of Professor Griff--PE dropped Muse Sick N Hour Mess Age in 1994. The critics blasted it to smithereens, and the Nation appeared to agree.
Now, personally, I thought Muse Sick was not only a good album, it was actually da bomb. Think about it, dog: it featured "So Whatcha Gone Do Now?" and "Aintnuttin Buttersong," some of the best stuff you're going to hear. I wasn't completely alone, either: PE took Best Comeback, Phattest Political Group, Phattest Political Album, and Most Unfairly Slept On Album in the 1994 New Jack Hip Hop Awards.
The rest of the sheep had spoken, though. It was really a critical or commerical success. With only the solid but productionally challenged The Autobiography of Mista Chuck solo effort to keep us going in the meantime, some us can be excused for worrying that we'd never hear Public Enemy on wax again.
But then there was Spike Lee, and a little relationship drama cum basketball movie called He Got Game.
Sure there were rumors that Public Enemy was back in the studio to put together a new CD under various names, like Afraid of the Dark and Resurrection... but having Spike Lee ask them for the soundtrack for his new film He Got Game seemed like destiny. After all, it was Spike who insisted on a summer anthem from PE for Do The Right Thing, and got "Fight the Power" in return. Once you add in the return of Professor Griff and the original Bomb Squad, you have to admit that it all seems like 198x again.
So, here we are then.
The album begins with "Resurrection."
"Damn, back again
Uhn on track again
2G around the bend
Some of y'all Black again"
The first thing one is struck by is the sound. It's definitely got a
Apocalypse '91: The Enemy Strikes Black feel to it. In other words,
there's an undercurrent of the hardcore Bomb Squad, but with a more
90s smoothed-out thing going. It's sort of half way between "So
Whatcha Gone Do Now?" and "Aintnuttin Buttersong."
"Lack of rhymes
Meaningless punch lines
Battle for your mind
like Israel and Palenstine"
"Put my soul in it
Care less about the gold in it"
The second thing you notice is that Chuck D is definitely back. He's
right there with that voice of his in your ear poppin' lyrics like
it's just that easy. After the initial shock, you even start to
notice that the lyrics are still worthy of the Chuck D treatment.
"One step forward, two steps back
making habits, claiming habitats
ratta tat tat
Wish you could turn back the hands of time
and get mental, pop the tape,
eight track, lincoln continentals"
"The New World Order is goin' down
Gettin' round
I'm the spook that sat by the sound"
And, of course, there's Flav. I knew Autobiography was missing
something... and in large part it was Flav.
"Ain't nuttin' changed
PE we be the same crew"
Anyway, this is nice start. The weakest bit is the guest appearance
by Master Killa. It's not that Killa isn't normally on point or
anything, he just seems out of sync with the rest of the track this
time.
Up next is "He Got Game." The title track is the first single released from the ablum. You've probably heard it. It's distinguished by its particular sample, and Stephen Stills' guest appearance.
"It might feel good
It might sound a little sumpthin'
but f*ck the game if it ain't sayin' nothin'"
For the sake of comparison, let me say that while I like this track,
it's not exactly representative of the CD. It's a bit more laid back
than the rest, and it sports the only gospel chorus you'll find among
the thirteen tracks.
"My wanderin' got me wonderin'
where Christ is in all this crisis"
"White man in suits don't have to jump
still a thousand one ways to lose in the shoes
God takes care of old folks and fools
while the devil takes care of making all the rules
Folks don't even own themselves,
payin' mental rent to corporate presidents"
On the other hand, it does have many of the common ingredients.
There's Chuck's flow, Flav's prominent presence, lyrics with a point,
and a funky, if slow beat.
"One out of one million residents
be a dissident who ain't kissin' it
The politics of chains and whips
got the sickness in chips and all the championships
What's love got to do with what you got?
Don't let a win get to your head
or a loss to your heart"
And, really, what else do you want for your money? KRS-ONE?
Okay, you got it. "Unstoppable" features none other than the t'cha. Like the previous track, this single is featured prominently in the film. There, it was associated with anger and desperation. Outside that context, it works just as well as an excuse for KRS to remind you that he's just a better MC that you will ever be while Chuck remains nicely inside his role as street correspondent.
"Like welfare
in these rappers lyrics they need help there
Does KRS represent heaven?
Hell, yeah"
I like that line.
"You can get it
You betta hear it
Battle?
Quit it."
This is a bit bouncier than the last two tracks and that works
especially well with KRS-ONE's flow.
"Public enemy with the public enema
I gets way up in your buttocks
I rocks 'cause its hip hop
The long lasta
Chuck D wit' blast murdera
I know you heard of the word
I be swervin' and servin' ya"
It serves Chuck D just as well.
"My rhymes and news blacker than most blues
Troublin', it all come tumblin'
for the strugglin'
Occupations, daily operations, stimilations
Causin' mental violations
Mind's on vacation
In the middle of revelation is a nation"
"Damn, another slow song
Yo money put the record back the f*ck on"
"I'm tryin' to stay away from it
but it won't stay away from me"
Next up is the required Flava Flav track. Normally, I really like his
fun and often bizarre distractions... and except for the chorus,
"Shake Your Booty" is no exception.
"Catch me on tour
makin' bad moves for sure
Hittin' chicks like Allure
We're gonna dance 'till we shake the floor"
Now you won't find the lyrical flipptitude of "Cold Lampin' With
Flava," but you won't really care. It's Flav bein' Flav and you
gotta respect that.
Musically, "Is Your God a Dog" sounds like "Bring the Noise" crossed with "More Bounce to the Ounce"... or something like that, anyway.
"The world lookin' on like spectators
at crucified gladiators"
"Unsolved mystery
Life lost in a funk sample"
Whatever it sounds like, it sounds good. And the Chuck D/Flav
connection is no stronger than it is here.
"Idols in the sky, look at how they died
right before your eyes"
The scritch-scratch sound is perfect for this particular tale.
There's no need to name names here as Chuck D takes aim at recent
tragedies in hip hop.
"In this corner representin' the best in the west
Died from four bullets
Two up in that chest
Worshipped from the wrong side of them TV sets
Had mad fans commin' out of both sex
Sold, multi-platinum, eight times gold
But died of homicide (gee) twenty five years old
Heard he died in debt, too
I ain't seen no winner yet, you?"
At the end, I think he's placing the blame on all the participants,
including the listener.
"In that corner, #1 in the east
The peace cursed for life
by the mark of that beast
Raised by peeps, rode jeeps in brooklyn beats
Praised as a hero who came up off the streets
The crowd looks on claimin' sides they don't own
A house built up on their skulls and them bones
Knew it be a matter of time
The play by play:
Two main rappers slain, so let us pray"
The point is well-made and made well.
We continue on this particular musical direction with "House of the Rising Son" (with a Pete Townshend "interpolation"). This one doesn't work quite as well, but I can't quite put my finger on why.
"Not one of these programmed cats
Just off the Black
Where the shot clock at?
Don't back me if I come with milky raps
Smack me if I rhyme on silky tracks"
I think it's the absence of a funky undertone, but like I said I can't
quite figure out what my problem is here. It's not as if there isn't
a really smoov break. Hmmm, maybe we'll get a phat remix here.
"The gun didn't know I was loaded"
Oh, well, I can't be happy with everything.
Anyway, "Revelation 33 1/3 Revolutions" continues down this path of not quite connecting with me. There's something very Autobiography of Mista Chuck here: an almost experimental lyrical approach that doesn't quite come together for me. Like that album, I suspect it will grow on me over time. Certainly each time I hear the single I like it a bit more, but I'd be lying if I said it jumped out at me.
"Your future is predicted by your past"
"My mics equipped with chips and fax modems
Got the facts and rewrote 'em"
Things take a huge turn for the better with "Game Face." Despite its
basketball title, this is as much about PE as was "Resurrection."
"It's the playoffs, no payoffs
Strictly skills
IF your brain's insane, stick to your deals
In this field it ain't about sellin' a mil
with the run of the mill
so just be tellin' the real"
"I'll allow you to write
Maybe allow you to bite
If you down to fight the power
Here's the power to fight"
This is nice. It remains in the scritch-scratch school of hiphop, but
adds deft in-your-face lyrics.
"Last time I welcomed you to the terrordome
Use the mic to reach out and touch
instead of the phone"
"You know the name: PE
You know the game: PE
We ain't for the fame
We for the change
I wake up everyday
with my game face on"
"We back harder than ever
follow my lead
through the fast lane in the game
they follow my speed
Either ease off the gas or floor it
You ain't ready to get it
I don't why they keep asking for it"
Smoothe Da Hustler does a good guest spot here, managing to sound as
if he just naturally expects to rap over a sample of the James Bond
theme.
The phat dilly continues with "Politics of the Sneaker Pimps." Of the new-style production tracks, this is arguably the best. Whether you think something like this or "Super Agent" (which we shall discuss below) is the better track depends purely on whether you prefer the bounce-bounce funkiness of this track and "He Got Game" or the harder old-PE sound of "Super Agent" and, say, "Bring The Noise."
"What goes in don't come back
The color might be green
but it's also black"
"Hey Dr J where you got those moves?
Was it gettin' high in the school?
Can it be the shoe? Can it be the shoe?
Truth is truth,
I tear the f*ckin' roof off the house
expose them foes with my mouth"
Either way, you got to like Chuck's delivery. It's completely his
show on the voice tip, and he's got this one under control.
"On the outs I lace up
The world I face up
to score on anybody
It's war on everybody
The new guys come in bloodshot
between the eyes
as long as they sellin' that merchandise"
This is why you buy an album like this: a funky beat, lyrical steak
and professional flow. There are no gimmicks, nothing that will sound
good today and tired next year. Hip hop music this is, boyee.
"Please God give me twenty more years in these knees"
"What You Need is Jesus" follows quickly. This is a direct reference
to the film He Got Game and its main character Jesus Shuttlesworth.
"Watch you to pray for
but know the team that you play for
Need I say more?"
This track is a bit harder, including the otherwise gospel-like
chorus. The lyrics are the usual nice stuff, if a bit more
stream-of-consciousness than you might expect.
"Man child six feet five but juvenile
thin like between gettin' bucks and gettin' wild
brooklyn style, 100,000 miles, parquet tiles
leavin' ankes broken in a pile"
But with Chuck D, who cares?
"Stuck on playstations
Them the new plantations
I said a million headz
waitin' for another nation
To make your world be free
no more shopping sprees
There ain't stoppin' me
Here's da feed, not the weed
Got the seed
Godspeed"
With nary a pause we find ourself at "Super Agent." Now, given my
propensity for the harder stuff, I give this the edge over "Politics
of the Sneaker Pimps."
"Sold! Black gold! One strong buck to the Milwaukee Bucks for a million bucks"
"Run nigga run
to the auction block
But you can't pledge alligence to the block
This buck right here the right kind of stock
for sale for passin' the right kind of rock"
"The buck run laps while they run craniums
Players be drainin' 'em
Owners be claimin' 'em
Super Agents framin' 'em
and then nicknamin' 'em
Trainin' their ass to pack them stadiums"
"Scholarships? Save the college sh*t
Them championships don't pay for the head trips"
But really, this is a minor edge. Both tracks are good. Both have
nice lines, great flow, and solid production... this one just has a
bit more of the scritch-scratch I like so much.
"So I rave and I rant
and you can't say that I can't
get my grants
cold chillin' in a b-boy stance"
"Look at who's lovin' ya
goin' for the jugular
They know they can't
contain me on the regular"
The penultimate track is "Go Cat Go". This one borders on modern
rockish. It manages to work really well during the chorus, and only a
little bit less so during the rest of the track.
"White man's burden be a Black man's dream
"Controllin' guys while the buyers lie about size
High price Adonises, unkept promises
Boxscore forgets about no name threats
Puttin' numbers up to keep them numbers up
Keep bouncin'
But who's countin'?"
Still, for all that you do get a nice solid track that sounds good,
and reads well, too.
Anyway, we wind down the album with "Sudden Death (interlude)" featuring Professor Griff.
"What you say about this lost and found?"
"The last six chapters
of an anti-nigga novel entitled 'Life...'
In the fast lane, like death in the last lane"
The first four times I heard this, I was completely uninterested.
While listening to it more closely for the purposes of a fair review,
I found it much, much more interesting.
"Am I supposed to be a nigga?"
It's completely different from the rest of the album, but I think it's
a fitting end.
Okay, here we are.
"Resurrection," "He Got Game," "Game Face," "Politics of the Sneaker Pimps," and "Super Agent" are all very much worth it. That's five phat tracks, so there's clearly no reason not to buy this. Now add "Unstoppable," "Is Your God a Dog," and "Go Cat Go" and you've got eight tracks of good solid stuff. And it's not like the rest aren't on point.
Let's face it. Chuck D could rap a nursery rhyme and it would still sound dope, but he's only really at his best when he's focused on something, remains surrounded by Flava Flav's energetic self and has good production talent. Here's he got it. Flav is at the top of his game; the production is not just passable, it's nice and strong; and Chuck's stern timbre is the perfect voice of reason in the context of the madness of America as filtered through the excesses of our sports.
The bottom line is simple. Buy this album. See the movie. Hell, read the book.
"Public Enemy music ain't never been pretty.
Nor does it cater fully to popular tastes...
We guarantee to always push the envelope in Hip Hop.
No doubt."
- Public Enemy
But that's just one Black man's opinion--what's yours?
(c) Copyright 1998, Charles L Isbell, Jr.
All my Hip Hop reviews are available on the World Wide Web. Use the URL: http://www.seditionists.org/HFh and follow the pointers....
Charles Isbell isbell@isbell.org Some of you are homeboys, but only I am The Homeboy From hell