AllMusic has excellent taste
So I was doing a little research just now, trying to find some album artwork, when my travels took me to AllMusic. Imagine my surprise to see its Album of the Day:
The Brand New Heavies‘ “Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1″ is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of music: Two great tastes (rappers and a live funk band) that taste great together. If there’s any album that is right in my musical wheelhouse, it is this one. The only low points are the two tracks that feature dancehall MCs (one of them, Jamalski’s “Jump n Move,” was on the “Happy Feet” soundie a coupla years ago). The music on those tracks is good; I just can’t stand that style of rapping.
While this album did have a few of the Brand New Heavies’ Delicious Vinyl labelmates (e.g., the Pharcyde and Masta Ace), this was no mere promotional vehicle, as some of the off-label artists included Main Source, Black Sheep and Gang Starr, whose “It’s Getting Hectic” is playable below.
Unfortunately, the “Vol. 1″ verbiage in the album title is a misnomer, as nearly 17 years later there’s yet to be a second volume. Just think of the possibilities Vol. 2 could bring: You could have modern-day rappers like Mos Def, Blue Scholars and Common Sense as well as reunite groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets. Whoever has that power, make it so.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
jump and move and jump and move and jump and move and stop. brrrrim!
yeah, worst song on that disc. i will have to dig that CD out of the closet. i dont know if it ever got digitized.
May 8th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I came across that CD last year, when I finally decided to unpack and organize them after my last move…I admit, I haven’t been as vigilant about dumping my gems into iTunes as you, AC. Then I noticed “Heavy Rhyme” again, scrolling through your catalog on Mojo. Almost downloaded it, but was afraid “State of Yo” wasn’t going to sound as good as anticipated, having not heard that track in years and years now…
Was there ever a Volume 2? Should look that up…
May 8th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
It’s totally worth getting, dude. You can skip “Jump n Move” and “Whataboutthat.” Everything else is excellent. Especially “State of Yo.” It’s as good as you remember.
“Extra effort because we’re tryers
Got more heat than a dollar in the dryer.”
May 9th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
i gotta install that Mojo thing.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Yeah, it’s pretty dope.