isbell@athena.mit.edu (Charles L Isbell) (06/26/91)
What up, G?
I'm in here.
You're out there.
Yo, homey, I'm sorry I've been away for so long, but I'm back in the saddle.
Let's get it on:
This time: _Mr. Hood_ by KMD
Next time: _And Now The Legacy Begins_ by Dream Warriors
Catch Ups: _Seminar_ by Sir MixALot
_Sex Packets_ by Digital Underground
(some EPMD stuff and probably some Heavy D)
and as soon as I can figure out whether it's a New Jack or a Catch Up,
I'll do Movement X
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Distinctiveness: Fresh and original.
Dopeness Rating: This is dope, not party dope, not hard dope, but
subtly dope. These guys are good.
Rap Part: The lyrics and the vocals are nice and smooth.
So SmoothDope.
Sounds: SmoothlyJazzilyDope. Actually this isn't really
Jazz-jazz, but I can't think of anything else. It's all
about the subtly dope thing.
Message: Anti-Sambo.
Tracks: 18 tracks at 64 minutes.
Profanity: With the no-ness. You can even let your aunt listen to it.
There are three members of KMD. Onyx, Subroc, and somebody-whose-name-I-
can't-spell X (Zevlove X?).
I must admit that I was unimpressed with the guest appearence of one of the
members of KMD on "Gas Face" by 3rd Bass. And while appreciative of the
"Peach Fuzz" single a while back, I wasn't really planning on buying this
album.
Then, while in Tower, I was seized by this insane urge to take a stupid
chance and so I bought both Dream Warriors and KMD. Both are good (see
my next review on Dream Warriors), but KMD really, really surprised me.
This is very good stuff.
This is a relaxing, fun, but serious album in a smooth jazzish style. It's
original and nicely put together. I'm very pleased with this purchase.
The title of the album is _Mr Hood_. Mr Hood is a figure that appears
on almost every track in the CD. Taken together, he is the centerpiece
in a story of sorts. What's interesting about Mr Hood is that he is
obviously taken from some old record or TV show or something. In fact,
he sounds like one of those records where you learn Spanish or French
or something, but I honestly have no idea. KMD samples the voice in order
to create interesting conversations amd situations. It's very funny
and produces a really nice effect. That it actually works is almost
amazing.
With that in mind, let's take a look at "Mr Hood at Piocalles Jewelry/Crackpot"
the first track. This seems to be mainly an excuse to introduce the idea
of Mr Hood, although there is a rap at the very end. This is fairly
representative of KMD's style of speak and sound.
"'Ahhhh, Mr Hood, my favorite customer, what can I do for you today?'
'I would like to see some gold rings.'
'Ah, yes, we have these stupid fat gold rings....'"
"This reminds me of the days of dwellin' with those
who killed of the weak with fancy clothes and hoes, too
Not opposed to the picket fence dream
But both climb on the same side of the gate."
"Who me? (With an Answer from Dr Bert)" introduces us to the anti-Sambo
KMD. The sounds are piano-bouncy and nice to listen to. Besides that,
they succesfully engage in a sampled conversation with Bert and Ernie from
Sesame Street, so this is guareenteed to be good. I mean, really, I
wouldn't have expected even De La Soul to pull off something like that.
X seems to be the one featured in both of these tracks. A solo track
or two is par for the course on this album.
"Pigment: is this a defect of birth
or an example of the richness of Earth?"
"The Boogie Man," another somewhat dope offering (if uncharacteristically
fast), is followed by "Mr Hood Meets Onyx." It's pretty funny. X brings
Mr Hood by Onyx's crib and they start jonin' (crackin', bustin') on one another.
"Your mother likes to visit the old churches."
This ends up with Mr Hood deciding that he needs a haircut, leading to
him asking Subroc to do the honors. The worst thing about this track is
that it reminds me that I'm old and I no longer know the names of the
cool shirts, shoes, etc.
Whatever, anyway, in "Subroc's Mission," Subroc tells Hood to come back
in a half an hour before launching into his style of speak. This one
is a bit faster than the others also, but nothing on here is what I'd
call dance-fast or hardcore.
"I can't escape a world of my own."
"Humrush" features the return of Bert and Ernie. I really like this.
"Minus the John Jacob Jinglehiemer Schmidt
His name ain't my name, 'cause the X
ain't permittin' it."
Bert hums in the background throughout. I don't know--it works for me.
This track exhibts more of their subtle Anti-samboness than "Figure
of Speech" which is about something, but I'm not sure what. In any case,
it's good smooth stuff.
"The motto goes sex, drugs and rock-n-roll
I prefer love, hugs, and hip-hop soul."
I suppose if you hadn't figured out their Nation of Islam leanings
before now, you'll figure it out after listening to "Bananapeel
Blues". X talks on this one, in a sing song preacher style. This
is not an example of their subtle style of speak.
"How much more evidence do the citizens need?"
We change sound style somewhat to accomdate guest stars Brand Nubian. I can
always handle some Grand Pubah style of speak, so I don't mind the
rather jarring change of "Nitty Gritty." They're speaking upon many things
on this track (of course, Poo has to mention skins) so it's hard to
characterize it. It's a fun piece.
"Zig Zag Zig, watch the Black man get big."
We're back in more familar territory with "Trail 'N Error."
"Before I kick this would anyone care for a cigarette?
Speechless--I figured it.
I understand follow the leader is a cinch."
"Hard Wit No Hoe" preceeds the return of Our Segue Hero in "Mr Hood Gets A
Haircut." "Hard..." is probably the funkiest thing on the CD, with
a guitarish backbeat.
"It's not wise to leave my garden untended."
The Mr Hood track seques into "808 Man" when Mr Hood tells Subroc he likes
folklore records. So this is a Subroc story. It's pretty funke too.
"The keeper of a hood is his brotherhood."
"To escape harrasment
Sub booked like a crook."
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf" reminds me of "Figure of Speech" for some reason,
but that isn't a bad thing.
"This is the land of the frightened
the place of the slave
and the occasional unheard muffle."
This brings us to "Peachfuzz." If you've heard any single from this
album, it's probably this one. This is fairly representative, although
hardly the best thing off the effort. Of course this one is about the
torture of being hairless.
"I wanna grow up because if I did
maybe I wouldn't be treated like a Toys R Us kid."
"Preacher Porkchop" is a lot like "Bananapeel Blues" except that this
track is played more for laughs. Or maybe it isn't, but it isn't as deadly
serious. Mr Hood makes a brief appearance.
This is followed by "Soul Flexin'." This track is a bit braggadocious,
as it were, and it comes off well.
"I got a natural coppertone tan."
Well, all that leaves is "Gasface Refill," a bonus track. Once again
you non-CD-player-havin' brothers and sisters are left out in the cold.
Too bad, too, because this is better than "Soul Flexin'." The beat
is nicely dope. This adds that jammin' dimension to the funkiness.
Oh, there's no more mention of Mr Hood, so I suppose a sequel might
be in order.
Again, this is a VERY good album in a way very different from, say, the way
Ice Cube is dope or the way PE is dope. Also, like _Fear of A Black Planet_
this is an album more than a series of singles. There aren't a lot of
standouts; rather, there is just a consistent level of high quality.
As such, I kind of find it hard to describe each single (as you may
have noticed).
But that doesn't matter.
Go buy it.
But that's just one Black man's opinion--what's yours?
Peace.
"There is a level of cowardice lower than that
of the conformist: the fashionable non-conformist."
- Ayn Rand
--
Don't just adopt opinions, | \ / | Charles Lee Isbell
develop them. | \/ | Homeboy from hell, living axiom and
------------------------------| /\ | anonymous absolute ruler of the cosmos
MIT has no opinions to adopt. | / \ | isbell@athena.mit.edu, isbell@ai.mit.edu