FEATURES
SEPTEMBER 16, 1992
]
rcc THE CCCCCD
Brown comes back strong, House of Pain needs to come again
By TJ Stancil
Music Editor
Yo, what’s up everybody?
I’m back wilh another year of
giving you insight on what’s hot
and what ’ s not in black and urban
contemporary music. This year,
with a new staff and new format.
Black Ink will go further than
before in the realm of African-
American journalism. In my
column specifically, along with
giving you unbiased reviews on
what’s out there in television,
movies, and music I also have
several other goals I plan to
achieve this year. A lot of them I
will discuss as the weeks go by, but
first and foremost let me mention
these: 1) The African-American
Cultural Center. I know that’s
beating a dead horse, but if that
horse still has life, I plan to beat
away! 2) WXYC- The “campus”
radio station. How many of you
have tuned in to it lately (or at all)?
If you have, then you know that it
lacks true diversity, meaning that it
may have different forms of music
for the others but nothing for us
brothers! An occasional “rap block”
is not the answer. I’m looking for a
continuing black music block like
other predominately black (and
white) institutions across the nation.
It’s a shame that a university this
size, with a minority population this
large, has no campus outlet for its
African-American, Hispanic, or
Native American students. If you
agree with me let me know. If you
don’t, let me know. This year the
Black Ink really wants your input
on issues, topics, and columns. I
specifically do too. You can write
me through campus mail at “The
Music Man," 348 Morrison.
Now with that taken care of, on
to this week’s reviews! (For
questions or comments concerning
reviews, call The LaGroove Line
on Mondays,8 to9 p.m. at 4-0614.
Peace!)
Super Cat
Don Dada
Wild ApachcA^lumbia Records
Reviewed by TJ. Stancil
Intem^nal Dancehall Reggae
star Super Cat has arrived in
America in a big way with his first
major American release, Don Dada.
Club goers this summer may be
familiar with the hip-hop versions
of “Ghetto Red Hot” and “Don
Dada,” as well as being exposed to
“Big and Ready” and “Fight Fi
Power.” Super Cat is one of the
current reggae stars (along with El
General, Shabba Ranks, and Tiger,
to name a few) responsible for
reggae’s recent reemergence on
American radio stations.
The album has no listening
“gaps” and all the tracks are well
made and have enough bass to
“boom” anybody’s system. Super
Cat even has a few other stars join
him on this album like Heavy
D. (“Them no worry me” and
“Big and Ready”) and Reggae
crooners Trevor Sparks and
Frankie Paul (“Dolly My Baby”
and “Big and Ready”).
My problem with Don Dada
(one of the few) was that the
versions of The Super Cat’s
songs that are most popular are
not on the album. To find the
Hip Hop versions of “Ghetto
Red Hot” and “Don Dada” you
must buy each song’s
cassingle or an EP with about
six songs that contain them.
Since I am an avid reggae
listener I enjoyed the original
versions of these songs as well,
but the true Hip Hop fan may
noL
Do/I Dada gets an A-, which
would have been higher had the hip
hop/radio versions of the two most
important songs been on the album.
Of course, this album was
probably made before someone
decided to remix those tracks so
I can’t throw out blame. The
album as is is a Neo-Reggae
classic (in my opinion) which
should be looked at. Other songs
of mention are ‘Them no care,”
“Nuff Man a Dead,” and “Oh
It’s You.” Enjoy the return of
Reggae, but beware cheap
American impostors of Latin
American and Caribbean Reggae
Artists. A-
Bobby Brown
Bobby
MCA Records
Reviewed by TJ. Stancil
Bobby is back! Or is he? Well,
some type of Bobby Brown is back,
and I have his compact disc Bobby
to prove it Since last we heard
Bobby by himself, he has gained a
wife and kid (kids?), all of whom
may not be related. Anyway,
musically Bobby Brown has wisely
returned to what worked for him the
last time: not trying a variety of
things with his limited voice and
reusing producers Teddy Riley, L.A.
Reid, and Babyface.
Bobby has excellent songs on
this album, which started with the
first release, “Humpin’ Around.”
I’m sure he's sung that song many
nights to his wife Whitney Houston,
who also makes an appearance on
the album in “Something in
Common.” The album has slow
jams in abundance as well as the
typical B. Brown dance floor jam,
but the slow jams sometimes seem
hollow since he obviously doesn’t
mean them (or does he?).
Also, some of the slow jams, the
majority of which were written and
produced by L.A. and Babyface,
seem as though they would sound
better if Babyface was actually
singing them (Now, that’s thealbum
I’m waiting for!). Case in point-
“Pretty Little Girl” and “Good
Enough”.They soundas if Babyface
sang the swigs for Bobby to go by!
Nevertheless, Bobby does an
excellent job on them and even
better on “Storm Away” and
“College Girl”.
My favorite song on the album
is “Get Away” in which Teddy
Riley gives Bobby plenty of room
to do his thing. ‘Two Can Play That
Game” lets Bobby get back at those
girls who did him wrong while
“That’s the Way Love Is” allows
Bobby and Wrecks-n-Effect’s Aquil
Davidson to show the ladies how it
is.
Bobby gets an even A, because
Bobby Brown once again has done
the best that he can do with his
limited vocal skills. I can ask for no
more than that The album is fun to
listen to, and shows Bobby’s
maturity from marriage and
ccxnmitment. Debra Winans
appears on the album in “I’m
Your Friend,” and as I
previously mentioned,
Whitney Houston appears on
“Something in Common”.
Can Bobby Brown ever be as
raunchy as he once was? Only
time will tell... A
House of Pain
House of Pain
Tommy Boy Records
Reviewed by Tameka Green
“I’ll serve your ass like
John McEnroe/ If your girl
steps up. I’m smacking the
ho”/, is one of the lines firom
the summer’s hypest songs,
“Jump Around”, by Eva-last, DJ.
Muggs and D. J. Lethal, otherwise
known as House of Pain, a group
that is proud of its Irish heritage and
proud of Cypress Hill’s assistance
on their album.
With a song like “Jump
Around,” it would be assumed that
this album isp^etty hype. WRONG!
Let me tell you why it is definitely
not milk.
First, all of their songs, like
Cypress Hill’s, talk about smoking
blounts and getting messed up.
Secondly, most of the beats sound
like they were taken from Cypress
Hill’s tape. Thirdly, if you were to
use “Jump Around’s” beat with
every other song, it would sound
exactly like “Jump Around.” Every
song uses at least one line from it.
It’s apparent that they knew that
this song would be their only hit.
Then to add on to these awful songs
are their awful titles. I think that by
the album cover and their lyrics that
they love their heritage. Titles like
“Top O’ the Morning to Ya,”
“Shamrocks and Shenanigans” and
“Danny Boy, Danny Boy,” presents
a definite Irish overkill.
There are three good aspects of
this album: the beats, the “Jump
Around” remix by Pete Rock, and
Everlast’s voice. The beats have a
lot of bass , which I like, and just
even treble to provide the listener
with a clear understanding of the
wacked lyrics. Next is the remix by
Pete Rock. He did a lot of justice
with “Jump Around.” He gave those
of us who are tired of hearing the
same old song another version with
phatter beats. Lastly, Everlast has a
powerful voice which shines the
wacked lyrics through the dope
beats.
This isn’t the first time Everlast
has had at rap. About five years
ago, he was on the solo tip and made
a song called ‘TheRhythm”, which
was a hit
Back then his look was a lot
different He was wearing Armani
suits, carried a cane, and had a head
fuU of hair. Quite different than his
skinhead look.
I think that if you’re a House Of
Pain fan because of “J ump Around”
or because you bought the maxi
single, I hope, this review will
prevent you from paying $9 for the
cassette or S14 for the CD. C- / D+