Tape-Only Treats: 5ive-0 Posse – To The Max

The original 5ive-0 Posse, not to be confused with the weak 5ive-0 crew from 1994, dropped an entertaining LP in 1989 on Sue Records which dealt with the concerns of a rapper and a DJ who just happened to work for the New York City Police Department. Making it clear that they weren’t soft just because they were the fuzz (cutting in the Jungle Brothers ‘Shot and killed by an off duty jake’ line as a warning to anyone who stepped to them), while boasting of being able to ‘carry all the guns that I want and be legal.’ In case you were concerned that the duo were walking around like a couple of cowboys, we’re reminded that they never ever got a civilian complaint. Prince Rashaad and DJ Brother Lee-Luv broke down their statement of intent on the back cover:

“During the day to protect and serve, during the night to create and project an image that Police Officers are human and can be down to earth like anybody else.”

While there’s an over-abundance of jams aimed at the ladies, the good tracks are worth the price of admission:

‘5ive-0’ is a summary of what the crew are all about – slightly awkward but still appealing lyrics (‘Big deal, so what I’m a cop!’) with a break-heavy production and enthusiastic caveman scratching that Moe Love would have approved of. ‘Smooth Tip’ is another addition to the always essential canon of ‘Nautilus’ loops, with some ‘Funky Drummer’ and Roy Ayres thrown in for good measure, while ‘Beats Like This’ is an uptempo head-nodder which wa smost likely designed make you bust a funky dope maneuver, with ‘The Buck Stops Here’ serving as the classic brag and boast showcase over a James Brown guitar loop. Finally, ‘Ain’t That The Truth’ freaks ‘Mary Mary’ more creatively than Run-DMC did, ending with a frantic display of Barney Rubble style turntable technique that sees Brother Lee-Luv so intent on cutting The Monkees to pieces that he doesn’t seem bothered when the record skips.

This might be old news if you picked up the album in the dollar bin back in the days, but the discovery of this tape-only bonus cut set to ‘We Live In Brooklyn’ was a reminder that YouTube is the new sliced bread. File this next to Godfather Don‘s ‘Black Time’ and Smif’N Wessun‘s ‘Home Sweet Home.’