Hades Forum

Yo! Bum Rush the Show was an invigorating record, but it looks like child's play compared to its monumental sequel, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, a record that rewrote the rules of what hip-hop could do. That's not to say the album is without precedent, since what's particularly ingenious about the album is how it reconfigures things that came before into a startling, fresh, modern sound. Public Enemy used the template Run-D.M.C. created of a rap crew as a rock band, then brought in elements of free jazz, hard funk, even musique concr?¨te, via their producing team, the Bomb Squad, creating a dense, ferocious sound unlike anything that came before. This coincided with a breakthrough in Chuck D's writing, both in his themes and lyrics. It's not that Chuck D was smarter or more ambitious than his contemporaries -- certainly, KRS-One tackled many similar sociopolitical tracts, while Rakim had a greater flow -- but he marshaled considerable revolutionary force, clear vision, and a boundless vocabulary to create galvanizing, logical arguments that were undeniable in their strength. They only gained strength from Flavor Flav's frenzied jokes, which provided a needed contrast. What's amazing is how the words and music become intertwined, gaining strength from each other. Though this music is certainly a representation of its time, it hasn't dated at all. It set a standard that few could touch then, and even fewer have attempted to meet since. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

The Brooklyn duo consisting of DJ/producer PF Cuttin' and rapper Outloud first formed their alliance in 1985. Choosing a patient, indirect path rather than the fast track, the duo worked behind the scenes for ten years producing tracks for artists such as Masta Ace and Craig G. Their big breakthrough came in late 1995 with "Danger," a song that unexpectedly turned into a volcanic crossover hit. The song was spurred on by a catchy sample from Jeru Da Damaja's "Come Clean": "When the east is in the house/Oh My God." "Danger" brought the house down for many a month, proudly waving the flag of East Coast bravado in a time of dissension between coastal schools. Raising the bar of expectation extremely high for themselves, Blahzay's debut album, Blah, Blah, Blah, dropped in August of 1996. PF Cuttin's polished production earmarked the album with a distinctly clean-crafted sound that rivaled such established beat sculptors as Pete Rock and Premier. PF's beats were met squarely by the aggressive lyrical style of Outloud making for a potent combination. The album produced a couple more hits on the underground circuit including the stunners "Pain I Feel," "Good Cop/Bad Cop," and "Danger, Pt. 2" which included guest MCs LA the Darkman, Smoothe Da Hustler, and Trigga Tha Gambla. After their remarkably dynamic debut, the duo went back to their reclusive ways with PF making some noise on remixes and other production ventures. Blahzay finally reappeared briefly in 1999 with a three track maxi single entitled Federal Reserve Notez. ~ Michael Di Bella, All Music Guide

Sun|Rah wrote: ps: eu as vrea sa`l vad pe Big L here (1995), Swollen ..nu conteaza ce album