Rounding off my Delta Force One Special, it’s only right that the full version of “Ego Trippin’ (MC’s Ultra)” gets some well-deserved shine. To put it bluntly, everything about this song defines the term “classic”. For starters, “Ego Trippin'” has the honor of being the first hip-hop track to flip Melvin Bliss‘ ill “Synthetic Substitution” break, which went on to be used in more songs than I care to remember but remains as one of the greatest drum breaks ever made. Ced also adds some dope piano stabs and sprinklings of bass to the track, while a JB scream is cut-up for the chorus. The highlight for me is the break halfway through (where the song ended on the album), when Moe Luv delivers the killer “Ultra-Ultra-Ultra-Ultra-Ultramagnetic!” scratch which delivers the 1-2 punch and floors the opposition. That shit still gets me amped.
Who can forget the way Ultra set this song off with a scathing Run-DMC diss: “Say what? Peter Piper? To hell with childish rhymes!” is followed by “Corporal” Kool Keith‘s declaration that “They use a simple back and forth, the same old rhythm/ that a baby can pick up and join right with them!”. Them’s fightin’ words right there. Ced let’s us know that he’s “advanced with elevation, astonishing with rhythm”, and he’s not kidding. This track was like nothing else at the time when it was first released back in 19871986, and it still shits on 99% of anything made to this day. All I can recommend to cynical rap fans is to listen to “Ego Trippin'” at least once a week to remind yourself why you started listening to this shit in the first place.
Ultramagnetic MC’s – Ego Trippin’ (MC’s Ultra) [12″ Version] (Next Plateau, 1986)
‘Synthetic Substitution’ = Ultra. Whenever I hear a track with those drums in it I feel the need to play ‘Ego Trippin’. And right after that ‘Watch Ya Step’ by Xperado and O.C.
I agree with everything you said wholeheartedly.
Well, except one thing : “ego trippin'” came out in’ ’86 and not ’87.
“ego trippin’ came out in’ ‘86 and not ‘87”
Good point.
I been waiting on this one! Lyrical this cut is so far advance it’s retarded, when i first heard this in 86, I was thinking WTF is these cats on. Yeah Big daddy kane sample Synthetic Substitution drums in that Just Rhymin w/Biz and Looks Like a Job For, but this has always been my favorite cut MC ULTRA!.
Without a doubt one of the greatest Hiphop tracks of all time..Absolute Class.
http://www.cbmag.co.uk (Critical Beatdown Hiphop Magazine)
A perfect way to end the Ced Gee memorial.
Keyboard money mike! South Bronx! Does anyone remember when Steve D transformed the ULTRA ,classic! Rob do you like my acronym!
Ha, nice one Drop.
don’t remember steve d transforming ultra although that sounds intriguing. when did he do it?
Ced Gee was a first person in to use a E-Mu SP-12 (In the Hip Hop Word).But,I don´t understand how they make it for sampling the 5 seconds of “Synthetic Substitution” break, if the SP12 have only 1,2 sampling time….Maybe use a tape loop.
“DENICE,HELLO…matthew”
One of my top 5 favoriteHip-Hop records of all-time…
ULTRAs fresh innovative style’s unparalleled to this day. Keyboard Money Mike (1st to manage ULTRA) added live instrumentation and vocals (“MCs UL-TRA magnetic magnetic…”)… ULTRA yielded many hip-hop firsts- adding live instrumentation to tracks produced using a drum machine/sampler (E-mu SP-12) second to Marley Marl (the 1st to sample), polysyllabic rhyming, metaphysical ideation/lyrical content, first to sample the break from Melvin Bliss’ “Synthetic Substitution”, Ced rapped w/o rhyming… ULTRAs CRITICAL BEATDOWN LP w/12″ disco single of EGO TRIPPIN’ are in my top 5 favorite records of all-time.