The world was barely a year removed from the release of MC Hammer’s Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em and Vanilla Ice’s To the Extreme. It didn’t help that much of what passed for mainstream rap music in 1991, was, frankly, wack as fuck. The ideas of “selling out” and “crossing over” were anathema to the most respected luminaries in the genre. These days, so much of music is wrapped up in streaming, “brands,” and licensing deals, it’s easy to forget that 30 years ago, many hip-hop artists were uncomfortable with rap’s representation in the mainstream. Most listeners these days roll their eyes at the idea of any rapper or group actively working to “save” hip-hop music, but it really was something that artists used to give a shit about. In some ways, Derelicts is like the Wrath of the Math (1996) of its time, as the group targeted trends that they believed were threatening the sanctity of hip-hop music, much like Jeru the Damaja did five years later with his sophomore release. And both members of 3rd Bass seemed pretty annoyed with the state of affairs circa the early 1990s. It was one of the earliest hip-hop releases which found artists centering their thematic focus on rap’s growing presence in the mainstream. The lineup includes Sam Sever, who produced much of The Cactus Album, as well as Prince Paul and the Stimulated Dummies/SD50s.Īs a whole, Derelicts of Dialect is an aggressively non-commercial album, and its message is staunchly anti-pop. With the album’s production, the group also takes a more active role, frequently working with the roster of familiar beat-makers that they enlisted.
Besides the T La Rock and Rakim influences that initially shaped their rhyme styles, Serch and Pete incorporate more EPMD-like tag team lyricism in their tracks, making things even more interesting. Serch and Pete both improved their mic skills between albums as well, sounding more refined and battle tested. Much like The Cactus Album, musically the album feels like a mix of Public Enemy and De La Soul, but with the producers digging deeper in the crates, and getting darker and jazzier where necessary. I personally prefer the latter release, as I appreciate its ambition and creativity, along with its rock-solid conviction. While their first album The Cactus Album (1989) was a solid introduction, 3rd Bass recorded Derelicts of Dialect with a sense of purpose and focus. Serch and Pete came together to create 3rd Bass, eventually adding Richard “DJ Richie Rich” Lawson to the crew after two other DJs, White Nite and Word, didn’t work out.ģrd Bass was a pretty damn successful group, both commercially and artistically. Peter “Pete Nice” Nash and Michael “MC Serch” Berrin had come up in the ultra-competitive New York City scene, and each approached Def Jam separately in pursuit of a record deal. It’s a personal favorite and one of the best albums released during the early 1990s era.ģrd Bass is best known as one of the earliest “credible” groups to feature white emcees. Released 30 years ago, it showcased the group’s continuing maturation and artistic growth. Track B6 has an uncredited sample of "Way Down In The Hole" by Tom Waits.Happy 30th Anniversary to 3rd Bass’ second & final studio album Derelicts of Dialect, originally released June 18, 1991.ģrd Bass’ Derelicts of Dialect is one of hip-hop’s most underappreciated sophomore releases. Track B1 has uncredited samples of "Love Is Alive" and "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright Track A9 has an uncredited sample of a sample from "Rubber Ring" by The Smiths Track A8 has an uncredited sample of "Rise" by Herb Alpert
Track A6 has an uncredited sample of "Pump Up The Volume" by M|A|R|R|S Track A4 has an uncredited sample of "Think" by Aretha Franklin Track A2 has an uncredited sample of "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat & Tears Track A1 is an uncredited sample of "Good Old Days" by Leroy Shield Sticker on front sleeve: "Def Jam Recordings 30" (30th Anniversary of Def Jam Recordings 1984 - 2014) Serch*, Pete Nice* Engineer – Nick Sansano Producer – Eric "Vietnam" Sadler*, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee Written-By – E. Puffy McScruffyįlippin' Off The Wall Like Lucy Ball Producer – 3rd Bass, M.C. Product Of The Environment Engineer – Mark Mendelbaum* Producer – 3rd Bass, M.C. Serch*, Pete Nice* Engineer – Nick Sansano Producer – Eric "Vietnam" Sadler*, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee Serch*, Pete Nice* Engineer – Curt Fresca* Producer – Prince Paul Rap – Zev Love X Written-By – D. The Gas Face Co-producer – 3rd Bass, M.C.
0 kommentar(er)
