MO' BETTER BEATS

Rip It Up, Issue 191, 1 June 1993, Page 32

MO' BETTER BEATS

VARIOUS ARTISTS Techno Turbo Beat Mixx It Raving Madd (Import) My CD collection was boosted recently with these three great dancemix albums. All three are exclusively for DJ use only, and not for re-sale, but if you know where to find these discs of gold they're worth a look. Ideal forthose slow parts of the night when you really can't be bothered mixing for a half dozen people in the club the beats have been sliced, diced, and seamlessly mixed — sometime beyond recognition. When is a record company here going to produce a mixed dancefloor compilation album? *****ND'A LLCOOLJ 14 Shots To The Dome James Todd Smith is back and tougher than leather. Marley Marl is back too, producing half the album with LL's DJ Bobcat and QDIII polishing off the rest. LL sticks to his old school rap style but pulls in toaster Lt Stitchie for a little ragga on 'Straight From Queens'. That's followed by possibly the best track on the album 'Funkadelic Relic' where we are treated to the autobiography of LL, starting with a nine year old James Todd being turned down by Sylvia Robinson at Sugarhill Records. Set over a jazz beat Marl samples all of Cool J's hits. Like Ice T (yet quite different) LL's success comes from his deft lyrical talent, always matched by booming beats. LL has a credibility most new jacks lack; he's from around the way and when he says "m akin' love is like pink cookies in plastic bags getting crushed by buildings" you have to believe him. ****ND'A . • LIONROCK Packet of Peace The unlikely lyrical content lifts this techno dance track above the norm, but only just. Ideal club music **ND’A JANET JACKSON Janet Forget the debate on Demi's breasts, I want to know if that's really Janet's belly button on the back cover. Her unzipped jeans are an indication of what's in store — this album could've been titled 'The Awakening of Janet' because this gal ain't no Jehovah's Witness.- On 'That's The way Love Goes' she sings "oh baby don't stop, go deeper, go deeper" and on ' she offers "if you like, I'll go down... your smooth and shiney feels so good against my lips". Pleeeease!! We're not even half way through the album yet but by the time she sings Throb I m a quivering mess. . Janet's lyrical content is matched by the adult funk of producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Subtley sampling everyone from Diana Ross to Average White Band to Kool & The Gang they prove once again that they are the masters of the studio. Who

would have thought a duet between PE's Chuck D and Janet would work, but on 'New Agenda' the two go off thanks to production that stays true to both artists. Jam & Lewis also know that Janet's vocals shine brightest wrapped around a tearjerking love song and on 'Again' the hankies are out — along with an orchestra. In fact the last half of the album is of the soft and smooth variety, making this the ideal park-up album — it's starts funky and slowly winds down to a lover's jam. ****NICK D’ANGELO SUPERGROOVE You Gotta Know From a band that's rapidly shaping up as the hardest working band in NZshow business this four track EP proves just why they're packing them in up and down the country. With more energy than the National Grid, this seven piece band play their own particular brand of R&B funk rock — which means you won't hearthem on the radio. With great vocals, good anthems, and an edge to their music, you get the feeling that this young band is going to be big (they've definitely got the coolest line in band clothing) *****ND'A B.BROWN POSSE B.Brown Posse Bobby possibly fancies himself as a bit of a Teddy Riley, and why not? Here he brings' together a collection of his family, homeys, dancers and backing singers (male and female) to cover much the same material he does himself. Just to sell the concept completely he even joins in himself on a number of tracks. . This album has a greater range than a Bobby Brown album because (obviously) it's not limited by one singer. Covering funk, rap, and slow jams this is very nice, with rapper Coop B (Bobby's sister) standing out.. ***+DAK MADISON ' ■ : BOYS IN BLACK More than a Woman This cover of the BeeGee’s hit (circa Saturday Night Fever) highlights just how bad the Australians are at producing funk or rap. They just don't have a clue and 818 come off sounding like a poorly produced entry in a talent contest. Less funny is the idea that the record company has spent money releasing this here. Quite honestly there are at least a dozen NZ bands that could wipe their bums with this lot. Why doesn't someone sign them? A BIG FAT ZERO — DM BIZZARRE INC (featuring Angie Brown) Took My Love Six versions of a techno pop tune ranging from dancefloor to ambient to ambient dub. Great to listen to but without the passion needed to grab your balls and get you stomping on the dance floor. **ND'A NAUGHTY BY NATURE " 19Naughtylll The OPP boys are back with their second album, and proving they plan to be here permanent. Hardcore production matches the hardcore beats and rhymes, with Treach and Vinnie kicking off with the title track as they mean to go on. That's lowed by 'Ready for Dem', a raggafied outing with guest rapper Heavy D. It's interesting that the only sample credited on the album is the virtually unrecognisable bass line from Nu Shooz 'I Can't Wait', I guess considering the sales of that single they didn't want to be sued. Mo'bass for your booming system. ““DM EVOLUTION Love Thing High energy techno dance pop with a great hook and fine vocals. Flipped with 'Jaywalkin' with it's retro 70s sound, and 'Control' which is a real ambient mindtrip. “‘DM MONIE LOVE In A Word or Two Obviously a woman who doesn't like to be hurried, Monie has taken more than four years to release this her second album. Okay, there've been a few singles inbetween, and a baby too, but four years? Luckily Monie has an Ace up her sleeve, namely Prince who produces two tracks: the un-Princely 'Born To B.R.E.E.D.' and the very Princey 'ln a Word or Two' (the bulk of the restare produced by Marley Marl). Monie's strength comes from her freshfaced feminine style, which singles-wise has always proved a refreshing break from the macho gangsta raps that dominate the hiphop scene. Monie is very centred on womanhood and family, with othertracks called 'Da Children' and 'Let a Woman be a Woman'. She kicks it on 'Wheel of Fortune' a very funny rap about looking for the perfect brother: "You big Spock-looking muskrat, having money don't make you God, find yourself a hole to stick your rod ..." Sampling The Shadows 'Apache' for 'Sex U All' Monie delivers a hardcore wicked diss against the woman who wants her man, and then the man himself. Actually a lot of her lyrics are of the 'if yo man is bad dump him' variety, but always delivered with style. Very danceable, and 10% hiphop. ““DM