The DiZ Reviews: Grand Puba's "2000"
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DiZ, the Chocolate G.O.A.T.
Two words that hardly go into the same sentence are "rap" and "longevity". It's rare that you see too many rappers start their careers in their late teens/early twenties and still have even an inkling of relevance when they push or even surpass forty. There are, of course, exceptions like Jay-Z (who can't seem to come to terms with the fact that he's nearly forty) and there are some that disappear right off the map after one song (Craig Mack). On the other hand you have some solo acts and groups that are lauded for their talent in staying in the game, like UGK, who some people will say are the greatest group for the sole purpose of being around since they are in their late teens. Don't worry, I'm making a point with this one.
Maxwell Dixon, known by his rap name Grand Puba, is one part of the landmark hip hop collective Brand Nubian, a socially and politically conscious collective of three rappers and two DJs that created one of the more popular alternative rap albums of the 90s with One for All. Grand Puba was arguably the frontman of the group, and at this point he might be the oldest. At 43 he's a walking anamoly, a rapper that still has a bit of significance in the world of hip hop and doesn't flaunt it. His latest album, Retroactive, while not as acclaimed as his debut, is a sign alone that age may not be the leading killer of careers in rap. But, this isn't about his latest foray into rap so much as the one I started with. I didn't really get into Grand Puba until I heard the single from 2000 and from there I went on to listen to more of his stuff and stuff from Brand Nubian (also known as the way I got into the Pharcyde after listening to Fatlip) and I can understand why he never again reached the fame of album number one. This is a review of 2000 so let's jump into it.
Puba begins the LP with Very Special, a misleading track that isn't all that special at all. Grand Puba drops some clever wordplay and displays some comedic lyricism (something he has going for him). Then it goes right into "I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)" (hope you don't mind, but I'm tired of doing italics on a Mac so I'll do parenthesis) which is no doubt the second most apparent highlight of the album, and a worthy, danceable, fun single. "A Little of This" shares a problem that "Very Special" does and I'll get to that later, and "Keep On" is standard at best. "Backstabbers" is the album's standout track because of the way its done. Nowadays it's pretty common to have a rapper/singer collaboration where they effectively have a conversation with each other but back in 1995 this was still a kind of new concept. Its not the best song in the world, or even on the album, but its done with the same kind of clever comedy that Grand Puba is known for.
The title track suffers from being too short and too lost in the crowd for being the title track. "Amazing" is okay, though the beat is a little too inappropriate. "Don't Waste My Time" is possibly the funniest track on the album if only because of the chorus which features the classic line "Look at that sexy mama", but otherwise it had the potential to be a possible head banger. "Play It Cool" features Brand Nubian partner Sadat X and the two trade verses on the passable track and Grand Puba gets his bragging/pimping on with "Playin' the Game".
The last track on the album is a nod to the kind of music that made him and his group famous, "Change Gonna Come" and while it doesn't feature a Sam Cooke sample it does a fine job in getting a point across. That's Grand Puba's second album, and I'm at something of a crossroads here. Grand Puba is one of the rappers I give a serious listen to, one of the emcees I really vibe to, but this album isn't great. It's okay, but that's it right there: it's okay.
A few of the tracks suffer from being too long, WAY too long, like the first and third track, and tracks that should have a bit of length are too short, like the title track. Grand Puba isn't the most lyrical emcee out of New York but he's certainly more skilled than he's showing. On many occasions I heard the same words used almost as if they were part of a stock vocabulary as opposed to trying to spit something new. And another thing (this isn't a complaint but a query) I'm wondering: who is Stunt Doogie and how do you get respect with a name like that? Continuing on, the beat choice for a number of the latter tracks is kind of lacking and aside from the last track there's no sign of the Grand Puba that made the Nation of Gods and Earth rapper such a conscious source of hip hop. Again, it's not a great album but its passable. That's it, passable.
The DiZ Score: 3 out of 5
Monday, October 19, 2009