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Critical Beatdown- Ultramagnetic MC's

Kafka said: "Critical Beatdown - Ultramagnetic MC's 1. Watch Me Now 2. Ease Back 3. Ego Trippin' 4. Moe Luv's Theme 5. Kool Keith Housin' Things 6. Travelling At The Speed Thought (Remix) 7. Feelin' It 8. One Minute Less 9. Ain't It Good To You? 10. Funky (Remix) 11. Give The Drummer Some 12. Break North 13. Critical Beatdown 14. When I Burn 15. Ced-Gee (Delta Force One) 16. Funky (12" version, re-release only) 17. Bait (re-release only) 18. A Chorus Line (featuring Tim Dog, re-release only) 19. Travelling At The Speed of Thought (Hip-House Club Mix, re-release only) 20. Ego Trippin' (Instrumental, re-release only) 21. Mentally Mad (re-release only) In the summer of 1986, the now-world-famous duo known as Eric B. & Rakim dropped the two-sided single "Eric B. Is President/ My Melody", produced by Juice Crew da capo, Marley Marl. With it, the bar of lyrical technique and expectations were raised as The R went verbally into the atmosphere with multisllyabic rhyme patterns and complex formation. However, an event of that same year that (quite unfairly) does not get as much recognition was the release of the two-sided single "Ego Trippin'/Funky Potion" by MC's Kool Keith (of Dr. Octagon fame) and Ced-Gee with DJ Moe Luv:the Ultramagnetic MC's. While Rakim had introduced a more intelligent and complex style, Ultra created a school of bugged-out, mad intellectual technique, now commonplace but quite unheard of at the time. A few singles later, in 1988, the crew went onto release their first, and most revered, album, "Critical Beatdown". The album begins with "Watch Me Now", a loud, boisterous, jam with familiar vocal snippets and sharp horn samples abound. Although not showing his now-famous off-the-wall capabilities at this point in the album, Keith proceeds to drop science from beginning to end here. "Well, I'm the ultimate, the rhyme imperial I'm better, but some don't believe me, though. But, I'm a pro and hot material On your Walkman, box, or, any stereo." The equally good "Ease Back" follows. Some may recognize the high-pitched noise in the background from Public Enemy's "Terminator X To the Edge of Panic". With the track "Ego Trippin'", we experience the highly elevated rhymes that would make Ultra a staple of the NY Hip-Hop scene. "As the record just turn, you learn, PLUS burn By the flame of the lyrics which cooks the human brain Providing overheating knowledge, by means causing pain Make a migraine, hated yourself, start to melt While the Technics spin, the wax is on the belt" The lyrics are better than the beat, in my opinion, but it's still hot. Next up is "Moe Luv's Theme", a very good tribute to the group's DJ. This track is a lot shorter than it should be, as the drums (sampled from "Pussyfooter") and its funky backing track give it potential to be taken to a further length. With "Kool Keith Housin' Things", we get a taste of Keith allowed to lyrically lace an entire song solo, with entertaining results. "I teach kids, and ducks I burn with a flamethrower, and how do you show a Grass rapper? Cut him with a lawnmower Twice, into golden wheat Ground the rest into molding meat" Things continue to go off on "Travelling at the Speed of Thought", set over a sample of the Rolling Stones, "Feelin' It", and "A Minute Less", a short Ced-Gee solo. At this point in the album, you'll notice that the Ultramagnetics are not really spitting anything else than battle raps. At this point in the review, I will tell you that, if you cannot listen to this type of material stretched over an album, this is honestly not for you. And now, back to the commentary. "Ain't It Good To You" is another very loud and noisy track complete with tons of scratching from Moe Luv during the hook. I have to say I absolutely love this track, especially the third verse. "Risin, not followin, plexin' Muscle flexin', lyrics for connection Rhyme injection, rhythm perfection Brain selection, has protection My reflection, shines..." "Funky (Remix)" is next with another serving of lyrical steak on the soundplate. I like this version better than the original, which has too much talking in it at the end. "Give The Drummer Some" relies on a sample of James Brown "Funky Drummer" (the most sample song EVER) and lays out a line that many people may recognize from Prodigy's (not the one from Mobb Deep) controversial "Smack My Bitch Up". "Get swift, then drift... On! And do my own thing Switch up, change my pitch up Smack my bitch up like a pimp" "Break North" and "Critcal Beatdown" follow, with Ced and Keith dropping science as per usual, while the two get two more tracks to shine by themselves with "When I Burn" and "Ced-Gee (Delta Force One)". This ends the original version of the album, but the 2004 re-release contains extra tracks. The original single version of "Funky", which used the famous "Woman to Woman" break before Tupac's "California Love", is the first with the much more superior "Bait" from the "Red Alert Goes Bazerk" compilation" following it. This track uses Bob James's "Nautilus" sample (which has by now been done to death), which will be recognized by Wu fans as the backing for Ghostface Killah's "Daytona 500". "A Chorus Line" is a posse cut featuring future member TR Love and the infamous Tim Dog. This re-released version comes to a close with a Hip-House remix of "Travelling at the Speed of Thought", the instrumental to "Ego Trippin'", and "Mentally Mad", which could have used a little more volume in Keith and Ced's voice. On the whole, enjoyment of this album comes from whether or not you can take more than 45 minutes worth (plus bonus tracks) worth of street cipher-type rhymes. If you appreciate gifted and occasionally strange lyricism and raw, late-80's production, I am more than sure that you will enjoy this classic as much as I have. Cop it immediately! Score:10/10 -Kanibal"