Lords of the Underground ‘Here Come The Lords’ (Pendulum)

The rap industry can deal out a cruel hand to even its most popular acts. The move from sipping Hennessy in the back of a Lexus, sporting an iced-out Jesus pendant, to beatboxing on street corners for spare change is swift and merciless, with one of the most common reasons for this fall from hip hop grace being the failure to provide a decent follow-up to a great album or single (also known as Das Efx syndrome) and this- the debut LP from the Lords of the Underground is a prime example.

Catching the right balance between a new school hardcore sound and old school good-time attitudes, ‘Here come the Lords’ managed a rare feat- appealing to the diehard hip hop fans as well as the mainstream rap audience without watering down their sound. (To all the heads screwing up their faces as they read this- you know you went crazy in the clubs back in ’93 when they dropped ‘Chief Rocka’!)

Lyrically Doitall and Mr Funky don’t exactly set the mic ablaze with originality or intricate wordplay, but they manage to compensate via the vocal chemistry of Doitall’s excitable, high-pitched delivery and Funky’s baritone rap style. The real stars of the show here however, are Marley Marl and his protégé K-Def who lace the anthemic title track with an epic horn sample, and throw jazz trumpets and a heavy bassline into the mix for the classic ‘Funky Child’. Also notable is the inclusion of ‘Lord Jazz Hit Me On Time (Make It Funky)’- possibly the last tribute to the DJ ever incorporated in a major label rap release. (Come to think of it- possibly the last time a DJ was even used on a major label rap release!)

After a follow-up LP that made an ill-timed trip aboard the P-funk mothership, and a deadly serious third album that made little noise, the group disappeared back into anonymity. In an ideal world these self proclaimed lords would regain their title by releasing an album that matched the quality of their debut, but unfortunately the hip hop industry and audience rarely offers a second chance.

Gang Starr ‘Daily Operation’ (Cooltempo)

Alongside the usual tedious debate over "why rap music isn’t as good as it used to be" and discussions about the whereabouts of that elusive Large Professor/Crustified Dibbs bootleg, deciding which is the best Gang Starr LP is a topic guaranteed to generate argument and break friendships amongst hip hop fiends. Some prefer the groundbreaking jazz fused sound of ‘Step into the Arena’ while the rugged, back to basics approach of ‘Hard to Earn’ has slowly amassed a devoted following. For me however, ‘Daily Operation’ easily ranks as Gang Starr’s finest hour.

The bittersweet ‘Ex Girl to Next Girl’ takes over where ‘Lovesick’ left off, and the (much imitated) way in which the beat alters to suit each MC on ‘I’m the Man’ is just incredible- even the interludes here get regular play! This kind of chemistry between a lyricist and producer is rare, and its a testament to the duo’s talent that they can take the most standard rap topics- an ode to the green stuff (‘Take Two and Pass’) along with the obligatory hometown tribute (‘The Place Where We Dwell’) and utilise them to create cuts that still sound fresh nine years later.

In recent months, I’ve noticed a mini backlash against Guru from a few self styled critics. Personally, I’d sooner listen to his monotone style than a thousand Kool Keith wannabes spouting half-baked scientific theory. Hip hop evolves at a phenomenal rate and in hindsight, only a handful of LPs will actually attain timeless status. You’ll probably dig ‘Daily Operation’, ‘The Low End Theory’ and ‘Stunts Blunts…’ from the back of your crate in twenty years time, while your your Fondle ‘Em and Hydra twelves are gathering dust- Primo and the Bald Head Slick’s third long player is a textbook example of what a great hip hop LP could and should be.

Smif-N-Wessun 'Dah Shinin’ (Wreck)

As any world-weary hip-hop head can testify, the debut album is all important, and full of uncertainty. Debuts are either hailed as classics- earning the artist or group critical and (very occasionally) commercial success, or written off as disappointments leaving the artist to crawl back to the underground.

As the highly anticipated second LP release from the Bootcamp Click , Tek and Steele had a hard act to follow in the shape of Black Moon’s legendary ‘Enta Da Stage’, and the lengthy pause between the release of the acclaimed ‘Bucktown’/’Let’s Git it On’ single and the album’s release seemed to generate expectations that no act could fulfil. Somehow, Bucktown’s finest seemed to defy the odds.

‘Dah Shinin’ expands on the sound introduced by Black Moon, with more of the gun clappin’, weed smoking subject matter we’d grown to love. Again, the production by Mr Walt and Evil Dee is sparse (when’s the Rawkus Beatminerz project going to see the light of day?) and bass heavy, with some nice touches, like the haunting vocal sample on ‘Hellucination’.

Delivered in a matter-of-fact style similar to Mobb Deep, Tek and Steele’s street tales of violence and paranoia are elevated by Tek’s reggae tinged flow, and Steele’s blunted storytelling skills. The fusion sound of ‘Sound Bwoy Burreil’ and ‘Wrektime’ with it’s chorus of "…I am what I am/and I do what I do/Puff mad lye/get wreck with my crew…" are still mix tape favourites.

All the non-believers who still remain adamant that hip-hop went downhill in 1995 should kick back and take another listen to this LP. Containing no crossover singles, and no concessions to the mainstream, ‘Dah Shinin’ is about as intense as rap music gets- but what what else would you expect from a duo with a name like Smif-N-Wessun? Somehow, the Cocoa Brovaz moniker doesn’t carry the same menace….

Brand Nubian ‘In God We Trust’ (Elektra)

Arriving at a point when MC Lyte was calling out for a ruffneck, Apache looked for a gangsta bitch and Run DMC had traded in their shelltoes for a hardrock style, word on the street was that Brand Nubian had changed styles for their second album to suit this craze. The recent departure of a core member, and fan favourite didn’t help to improve any low expectations.

Admittedly, ‘In God We Trust’ is a lot more hard edged and a great deal less playful than their classic debut, and the combination of lyrical thuggery and religious doctrines is a strange mixture, but cut through the seemingly contradictory subject matter and a seriously accomplished slab of hardcore Bronx hip-hop is revealed.

Seizing the baton from X-Clan and Lakim Shabazz, and paving the way for the likes of Talib Kweli and Dead Prez, Brand Nubian aided the move of afrocentricity in rap from daisy age pacifism into more hardcore and militant territories. Whereas the group had previously been happy to simply make passing reference to their religious beliefs, in 1993 they were liable to beat you down, and preach to you while you lay bleeding.

Lyrically, Lord Jamar and Sadat X carry the album nicely- a nice combination of Jamar’s clear rhyme style, and Sadat’s manic flow (definitely a voice you either love or hate!). As well as the two classic singles, ‘Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down’ and ‘Love Me Or Leave Me Alone’- both of which still get heavy club play, the album remains constant throughout, with the funky guitar lick of ‘Ain’t No Mystery’, rolling drums on ‘Steal Ya ‘Ho’ and the self-explanatory ‘Brand Nubian Rock the Set’ as further standout cuts.

Ultimately, ‘In God We Trust’ doesn’t quite match the hip-hop landmark status of ‘All For One’, but it manages to surpass all negative expectations and raises a big (five percenter) middle finger to all the rap cynics who said that Brand Nubian would be lost without Puba.