One of the best examples of an album that was allegedly sabotaged by record company ‘politricks’ is the debut LP from Ras Kass, which still made quite an impact with lyric fiends but was somewhat compromised from the original vision. To mark the twentieth anniversary of Soul On Ice, a new reissue has surfaced with a revised tracklisting. I thought I might compare the two for shits ‘n gigs.
01. Eisodus (Original Unreleased Intro)
No great loss.
02. On Earth As It Is In Heaven (Remix)
The original version hits a lot harder, and fits the theme of the song a lot more effectively.
03. Guru NYC 96
A recording of Rass grabbing the mic at a Gangstarr show. Not sure what the point of including this is.
04. Anything Goes (Remix)
Both versions of this are pretty forgettible, unless you have a particular interest in Ras’ fave nipples.
05. Marinatin
Punk schmoove shit at it’s worst.
06. Reelishym
Not a bad track, but it also reminds me that Ras Kass isn’t half as clever as he thinks he is on occassion.
07. Nature Of The Threat
This is one of those songs that’s interesting the first time around but you never feel the need to hear it again once you’ve absorbed the content.
08. Etc… feat. Joell Ortiz (Remix)
The album version was one of the strongest tracks on there. This version has a new beat courtesy of Da Beatminerz and Joell Ortiz on the hook, but I still prefer the original.
09. Sonset
This was the highlight of the LP back then and remains so to this day as Ras barks back at New Yorkers who were salty at LA getting shine.
10. Drama (Extended)
If any song didn’t require an extended version, it was this Coolio feature. That being said, the mention of Sega Genesis CD and an early Mobb Deep single regain a few points.
11. The Evil That Men Do
An auto-biographical piece that still hits hard. This is the kind of raw nerve material that Ras excells at.
12. If/Then
This is still great and an example of how many rap fanatics hoped the entire record would sound like, plus it features several tasteless Shock Rap lines which Ras and his buddy Chino XL used to trade in.
13. Miami Vice (Original Unreleased)
I have no idea why the retail version of this was called ‘Miami Life’ instead. Were Priority worried that Phillip Micheal Thomas, Edward James Olmos and and Donnie ‘Brasco’ Johnson were going to lawyer up? Regardless, I always like the tension that this beat brings to the table.
14. Soul On Ice (Remix)
Can’t fault including this, as it’s Ras’ finest moment as he slays this superb Diamond D track.
15. Ordo Ab Chao (Order Through Chaos)
The production on this song never really gets out the start gate. It’s not bad but doesn’t leave muxh of lasting impression.
16. Soul On Ice (Original)
Another forgettable beat, although I do enjoy any song that uses the ‘Schoolboy Crush’ sleighbell.
17. Exodus (Original Unreleased Outro)
Too ‘controversial’ for Priority I guess?
18. Jack Frost
Dude really doesn’t fux with Xmas. This is still mildly amusing.
19. Wino Speaks
Le snore.
20. I Lost Heaven
This sounds fairly recent. Surely ‘Remain Anonymous’ would have been a better inclusion?
Verdict: Listening to Soul On Ice reminds me of ow much my taste in rap has changed over the past two decades. I couldn’t get enough of this super-scientifical madness back when this came out, and while much of it still holds up I find myself far less enamoured with Ras’ overly verbose style. This re-issued version improves on the retail release in some ways, but also drops a couple of the superior orginal mixes without adding more of the demo songs that everyone went ape over, so it ends up being neither here nor there. Still, when it all comes together and Ras is firing at full pelt over the best Western Hemisphere beats, this remains as a strong statement of intent against the cliche expectaions of LA rap at the time and showed East-Coast Elitests such as myself that there was more to C-Arson that old Roger Troutman loops and gang stories…not that there was anything wrong with that!
I was never one who disliked the production on Soul On Ice (some of the beats are killer and most that aren’t fit nicely into the general tone) so it’s always been one of my favourite albums.
I listened to this anniversary version yesterday and just thought it was a waste of time. It almost sounds like some DIY bootleg.
I think there would have been a better result had they kept most of the retail songs, included the pre-album material (most of which fits quite nicely).
When this album came out this was when my english became good enough to where metaphors and double meanings etc really began to settle with me. I NEVER knew this song was called “miami vice”. I always liked Rass Kass but i sort of see where the homie is coming from, I enjoyed it though. I really thought rass kass was just a top level god because again, it was the first tape where i really grasped lyrics on more than just a surface level due to my english drastically improving.
@Ross
As you’ve been on the inside since the so-called Golden Era, I’m just curious, who the 3 most important producers in your opinion?
Ras Started off strong with this album but fell flat pretty quick give or take a few songs everything after soul on ice has been pretty meh.
07 Nature of the Threat …speak for yourself
@Omar: It would also have helped if there was more to the beat than a church bell chiming every few bars.
@Ben: Rassassination is easily one of my most regretted record purchases. I should have just gotten the H20 Proof twelve.
Nature of the Threat is the only song I’ve heard on this, but it’s classic. I guess if you’re of the race he’s talking about, it wouldn’t appeal as much.
@Wilizm: On the contrary, I’m a fan of ‘If You See A Devil, Smash Him,’ ‘Buck The Devil,’ ‘Horny Lil’ Devil’ and that Kam song about how white girls smell like dogs when their hair gets wet. ‘Nature of the threat’ is more like some spoken word outro from a Roots album in an alternative universe.
@ab
I’m not as deep in the game as Robbie and others here so some of the names that came up in that article were a surprise to me. I got my first couple of tapes in the late 80s and got serious in ’93, just in time for Illmatic, 36 Chambers, etc.
Certainly Ced-Gee, the Bomb Squad and Marley Marl revolutionised the game but, in terms of early-to-mid-nineties? As good as Pete Rock, Premier, DITC, etc. were, it’s producers like RZA, Havoc and Prince Paul that created their own unique soundscapes and inspired others.
Newer producers doing things differently are Daringer (GFR; Conway, Westside Gunn), Roc Marciano, Oddisee, Jazz Spastiks and the Alchemist.
@Ross
Nice!
@robbie
did you ever hear the song “little children” he did with david axelrod that came out during mo wax twilight years?>
The “Soul on Ice” single is the best thing Rass ever did, and will EVER do. End of story.
“Van Gogh” woulda been his best album… “golden chyld” with premier, “whoop” with dre n busta, “home sweet home”… that is the real tragedy of his career. Never been the same since
Can honestly say I never even rocked the 1st album & Neva felt like I missed out on anything….oska waddups? Cult where u @ g?
I listened to my LP of Soul On Ice last night for the first time this century. I think it’s aged well. The production is great, there’s nice bass rumbling away underneath the tracks. Ras can easily hold a listeners attention for an hour. Makes me think – “Where did the last 20 years go?!”