Rap old timers are having a bumper month if you’re idea of fun is listening to eighties and nineties favorites have another stab at making records, with the release of Positive K and Greg Nice’s Gr8te Mindz and a new Group Home LP titled Forever. The realist in me is none too keen in hearing what the lads are turning in at this stage in the earth’s history, but then I remember that the 1994 Treacherous Three album had a couple of unexpected surprises on it, which it had no damn business doing. So here goes nothing.
Back in 2013 when I interviewed Pos K, he rounded out the conversation with this announcement:
‘Me and Greg Nice have a new album coming out, we started a group called Great Minds. We got [DJ] Scratch, Vance Wright, [DJ] Premier, Greg did a bunch of stuff, Phat Kat from the Lower East Side, it’s incredible. Then I’ve got the solo Positive K project, Pos K In The Extreme album.’
After listening to the album I assumed that the DJ Scratch and Preemo beats must have been emailed to the wrong MySpace account because there’s nothing on Gr8te Mindz that resembles anything those gentleman have ever delivered, nor does the any of it sounds like something worthy of Vance Wright. But a quick visit to the Facebook page for the album says otherwise:
‘Features/Production/Scratches from Easy Mo Bee, DJ Premier Chuck D, DJ Scratch, BINK Humble Monsta, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League DJ NABS, Vance Wright, and Phat Kat Vega.’
Since there are no sign of production credits anywhere on the internet, you’re guess is as good as mine as to who did what, but it all sounds pretty low budget to me. I’m guessing that Easy Moe Bee did the Chuck D guested ‘GET DOWN GET DOWN’? The usually dependable Positive K tries a few new styles and flows with varying success (complete with the nom d’plume ‘PK Dollar’) which lacks the unique flair of his older work, but he still has that distinctive voice to elp get over. Greg Nice is in great form however, as he proceeds to ‘catch a flashback – digital delay’ and nails every verse in terms of is delivery and trademark bizarre word association content.
The album falls into the usual trap of trying to make dancefloor fodder such as ‘CLUB MOVE,’ ‘Left To The Right’ and the truly bizarre ‘Monkey Love,’ although at least they’re still in-line with the kind of stuff they used to make rather than trying to appeal to the kiddies. The highlights are undoubtably ‘Bill Russell’ (with the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League beat), ‘Nothin’ On Me’, while other songs that had potential get bogged down with endless hooks that don’t go anywhere.
Nevertheless, Gr8te Mindz is worth a few spins on the strength of Greg Nice’s performance alone and to play a game of ‘pick which producer did which beat.’ The less said about the video for ‘Bring It,’ the better:
Elsewhere, German rap notalgia label Smoke On Records (who also issued the newest Nine album, 1999) have released a brand new Group Home album. If you’ve been following the group in recent times, it should surprise absolutely nobody that this is for all intents and purposes a Lil’ Dap album with a single, brief verse from Melachi The Nutcracker on ‘Hip Hop.’ In this 2010 interview with HipHop DX, Melachi revealed the following:
‘I live in a group home now. A real group home, out in Pennsylvania, like, out in the woods. I just spent eight months in jail because I was in a store and broke some stuff.’
I guess that explains his extremely limited involvement with Forever. Regardless, as far as these sort of projects go, it’s pretty enjoyable. Dap does his thing over a collection of sombre beats which should please fans of older Group Home material and Brainsick Mob stuff (who have also had a collection of rares released on the same label). With production provided by the accomplished Lewis Parker and a number of newer German and French producers, the majority of the instrumentals are a nice platform for Lil’ Dap to wax lyrical in his typical low-key, understated manner, with ‘Da LP,’ ‘Code of Silence’ and ‘Hip Hop’ stand out in particular. Running at sixteen full-length tracks, Forever overstays it’s welcome but is well worth investigating for the better moments.
The entire LP has been uploaded to Youtube if you want to hear it before you import the vinyl.
At least they made an effort clothes wise in that video. Nowt worse than ageing rappers doing videos dressed like they’re nipping to the garage for cat food at 11 PM on a Sunday.
@Live: True, but they lost points for invoking the dreaded ‘people pretending to play instruments’ troupe.
I’m waiting for the new Black Moon album. They haven’t let me down yet as far as 90’s groups go.
In all my years of listening to rap music, Malachi the Nutcracker still remains the worst the game ever offered.
Robbie, you have a face for the cinema.
I could name a lot of rappers that are worse than The Nutcracker, he maybe not very good but at least he sounds like he put his soul into it!!!
The label also released a new album from Nine.
The gr8te Minds album is nx3t level shite. The Grouphome/Lil Dap album is surprisingly listenable but doubt I’ll waste ££s on it.
@Foster: Isn’t the phrase you’re looking for ‘a great face for radio?’
You need to interview Geechi Suede of Camp Lo. He has a smokin new album called 0.9 Nytelife.
I like Greg N I C E on that joint
Pos K said “I couldn’t flow better even if I peed in it.” I’m not sure what “it” is.
Every rapper from the south and midwest is worse than Nutcracker on his worst day.
Premier probably just did some scratches
No, honestly @Robbie, you could add to the list of Aussies-in-America actors.
You know, I had that PK Dollar 12″ called ‘Tato’ and never realised it was Pos K – just re-checked the label, and it’s him, D. Gibson.
@Drew: Yeah, his voice is a bit scratchy but it still has that distinctive Pos K tone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iowM0K8Hp7s
Who would post this as if it ain’t wack? A devil yesman groupie enemy to these legends.