Mo BETTER

Rip It Up, Issue 241, 1 September 1997, Page 28

Mo BETTER

VARIOUS ARTISTS Men In Black Soundtrack (Sony) This movie is the biggest film of 1997, eclipsing Spielberg’s Lost World. It’s gotta be our man Will Smith, because Tommy Lee Jones is looking a little old. Anyway, this is a hot soundtrack, almost verging on being a Rhythm... or Mai Street Jams-style hits compilation. Check out the listing; A Tribe Called Quest, the Roots (featuring D’Angelo), 3T, De La Soul, Snoop, and Buckshot LeFonque. The latter’s ‘More Tea Vicar’ is wild, as is Nas’ ‘Escobar 97’. Emoja’s version of Prince’s ‘Erotic City’ isn’t much, but then I’m a fan of the original. Ditto for Will Smith’s reworking of Patrice Rushen’s ‘Forget-Me-Nots’. The beat is good, but then he’s only just looped the original, and his rap is good enough — but you kinda figure he got up one morning and wrote it in five minutes. NOTORIOUS 8.1. G featuring PUFF DADDY & MASE Mo Money Mo Problems (BMG) Not much of Biggie Smalls here, although I’m starting to wonder about Puff Daddy. Like, is he finishing off a whole album’s worth of 8.1. G. material? This is the one with the Diana Ross sample (not the first one to use it either) from her hit Tm Coming Out’. Read into it what you will!? Anyway, Puff Daddy is in fine form, this is a pure party jam that just rolls right through. Kind of lifting the spirits after the previous requiem, ‘Every Breath You Take’. KEITH SWEAT Just a Touch (Warners) After a half dozen or so albums, I suppose this is fair enough. Keith has had some good singles and here they all are. The album begins with his first big hit, ‘I Want Her’, which takes me right back to the late 80s — I was deejaying in a strip club and one of the girls stripped to this. And I did want her! But I digress... the album features collaborations with Roger Troutman, Lisa ‘left eye’ Lopes (from TLC), and LL Cool J. The title track comes in both original and remixed form. All in all a tidy little package, and worth a listen. Keith has a fine voice and is pretty damn funky. RAMPAGE Scouts (Warners) More hard edge beats from Rhymes and his chums. Almost half the tracks here are produced by DJ Scratch who visited Auckland in the late 80s as DJ for Derek B (support

act for Run DMC). Back then he was a DMC World Mix Champ, and his pedigree shows here. Hip Hop fans won’t be disappointed, as the Rampage crew do just that — rampage though your space, sampling everyone from Cameo to Public Enemy to the Crusaders! This shit is dope — word to your mother! ZIGGY MARLEY & THE MELODY MAKERS Fallen Is Babylon (Warners) Phew, this guy looks and sounds like his father Bob more and more each time. Having had a seminal adolescent moment at 14 watching his father play Western Springs in the mid/late 70s, I have to admit my taste in reggae hasn’t moved on much. Ziggy Marley’s has, and together with his brothers and sisters he's managed to update the reggae sound into the 90s without betraying the roots of his culture. A feast of irie flavour here, including ‘Everyone Wants To Be’, a collaboration with Wyclef of the Fugees. Ziggy’also tackles ‘People Get Ready’, a Curtis Mayfield classic, and one his father also covered. This is great for those starting out on reggae, you can’t get much better. MISSY ELLIOTT [a.k.a. MISDEMEANOR] Supa Dupa Fly (Warners) Have you seen the video for the title track? — girlfriend is livin’ large. This former backing artist has pulled in some favours and come up with a strong line up of supporting talent. No slouch herself at rapping, she still hauls in Busta Rhymes, and Da Brat for a little verbal jousting. Like wise with the singing, on this album she’s joined by Ginuwine, Aaliyah, and Li’l Kim. Overall nothing fab to write home about, but that’s not to say that this isn’t a good album. It is good, but that’s it’s problem — it’s only ‘good’. COOLIO featuring 40 THEVZ C U When U Get there (Tommy Boy) From the movie Nothing To Lose, this is the track where Coolio gets orchestral on yer arse, bud. Once again Coolio delivers a positive, conscious, uplifting rap, layered over a real orchestra. The 40 Thevs chip in too for a few choruses, proving that not only do they look like younger versions of Coolio, they also sound like him too. Great song (listen to the lyrics).

NICK D’ANGELO