Success-N-Effect

Going back to WYDU's origins, and my true love, we bring back a couple oldies but goodies from the ATL group, Success-N-Effect. For some reason, despite having rather lack luster albums, I've always considered myself a fan of the group. The group included DJ Pure Ruff Stuf, Livin Large, Big L, and Rich X as its core members. Their first album, the rather difficult to find In The Hood, is what hooked me as a fan. Although they hailed from Atlanta, In The Hood was more of a Miami Bass sound (Miami Bass is referring more to the sound than the actual city) and kind of reminded one of the Young & The Restless album that dropped that year as well, or maybe even another ATL resident, MC Shy D. They scored a marginal hit with "Roll It Up My N----r" and the clean version (which was shown on Yo! back in the day) "Roll It Up My Homeboy", that got some recognition. I had the tape at one time, but I haven't seen the tape in my collection for quite some time, nor have I seen it on vinyl or CD in, well, I can't ever recall seeing it. It's a nice find if you come across it, prices on ebay and discogs have it going for over a $100 plus.



Their second album, Back-N-Effect, was released by Ichiban/Wrap records. The second album, is a little harder around the edges than their first, but still maintained a fun vibe for the most part. It also was entrenched with a lot of bass sound like their previous release, just listen to some of the bottom found on "Real Deal (Holyfield)", which was a tribute to the Atlanta boxer. There are some interesting tracks on their sophomore release. During a time that everyone was releasing a house track on their albums, Success-N-Effect followed suite by dropping "Jump 2 It (House From The South)", which worked about as well as the others that tried it, we'll just leave it at that. The album is a good listen, which combines a lot of topics and vibes. The track, "Blueprint", would give a preview of what their third and final album would be like.



The third album, Drive By Of Uh Revolutionist, is a far departure from their first two albums. This time, their sound came more in the mold of a Paris album, with it's political views, Black pride and anger and west coast sounding beats. Gone was the Miami Bass sound, gone was the humor and party vibe. The album consists mainly of the previous mentioned topics, which makes for long listen without much variety. The album does feature a fairly unknown guest appearance from Public Enemy's Chuck D, which unsurprisingly was the album's second single. While I won't say that the black rage direction of the album was contrived, they did have videos that dealt with the issue of the black race. I think Success-N-Effect came a little late in going with that direction as it came at the tale end of the Afrocentrism period that was found in hip hop in the late 80's and early 90's.




Success-N-Effect - Back-N-Effect (Ichiban/Wrap Records, 1991)

1		Angel Dust (5:45)
2		Blueprint (4:03)
3		Robo's Housin (3:43)
4		7'G's I'll Flow (3:29)
5		Slick The Slick (3:20)
6		Real Deal (Holyfeld) (3:29)
7		Nuthin' But Suc'cess (So Use It) (3:38)
8		Mack Of The Year (3:35)
9		Jump 2 It (House From The House) (4:15)
10		So Many Faces (4:44)
11		Slow Flow (3:11)
12		Nuthin' But Suc'cess (So Use It) (Miami Style) (3:41)
13		360° (3:26)

Success-N-Effect - Drive By of Uh Revolutionist (Ichiban/Wrap Records, 1992)

1		Intro
2		Success N Tha House
3		Cinfrontation In Mosley Park
4		Bucking On Dope Niggers
5		Bullshit Views
6		Raised From Depression
7		Brainwashed Niggers
8		Real Black Souljas
9		Gameplan
10		Ultimate Drive By
11		Police Brutality
12		Fuck1 Time
13		Wblk (We Be Black)
14		Black Radio Aint Black
15		Pimps And Players
16		Out Ta Get Rich
17		Warr
18		Forty Aces And A Mule
19		Fuck The System
20		Comin' Up
21		Voice Of A Black Revolutionist
22		The Other Levell
23		Change The Dial
24		Final Call

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Used CD Shopping Trip 8-24

Second Spin; Denver, Denver Colorado $24.13

I love Fridays, especially after a pay day. I work weird hours during the week, coming in the office by 6 a.m. and getting off between noon and 2 p.m., depending on the work load. This past Friday, I left the office around noon, stopped by Pat's Cheesesteaks (best Philly's in Denver) and munched down on a philly cheesesteak sandwich then decided to hit up Second Spin, probably my favorite used CD stop in Denver. Although it was pay day, after paying bills and the such, I had to watch what I spent. I couldn't do one of my infamous $75-$100 trips. So I pulled a $20 out of the ATM went into the shop. The best thing about Second Spin is they always have pretty good specials going on. This time it was buy two used CD's get the third for half price and their usual any CD 3.99 and under is half priced. They had a fair amount more in terms of selection when it came to the $3.99, they must have missed me, since I hadn't been in for awhile.

Nothing horribly rare by any sense of the means, although a couple CD's I was happy to run into. I think most if not all have been seen on the blog circuit (what hasn't?) and I've even posted more than one of these. I dug through the entire section and since I was on a "strict" budget (I still managed to go over my $20 limit) I only picked the $3.99 and under CD's. The result? Twelve disks for $24.13. Here is my bounty.

Rottin Razkals - Rottin' Ta Da Core (Illtown, 1995) $2.00

1. Intro

2. Batter Up

3. Oh Yeah

4. Frustration

5. A-Yo

6. Hey Alright

7. Lik' a Shot

8. One Time for Ya Mind

9. Get up, Stand Up

10. Life of Bastard Featuring Treach

11. Homiez Niggas

12. Come on Y'all

Naughty By Nature's weed carriers dropped their only album in '95 to a semi warm reception. Nothing terribly exciting about this album, but if you liked Naughty, then you should probably check this album out, shit even Treach is the first person you hear when you play the first song. All the production was done by Naughty (read Kay Gee) so you know what to expect.

JCD & The Dawg Pound - A Day In The Life (Profile, 1992) $2.00

1. Radio Intro

2. St. Louis Niggas

3. Get Naked

4. They Like It Like We Do

5. Day in the Life of a JCD

6. Tilo Sings the Hits

7. Big Bitch

8. Kibbles and Bits

9. Bon Appetit

10. Over Pussy

11. Tell Ya' Bout a Bitch

12. Boot Nat

13. Fish House

14. Budda Rhymes

15. Dog Pound

16. Cold Kaos

17. Gotcha

18. Lou 40 Blues

19. Personal Loser

20. Shout Outs

I remember picking this up on tape way back in the day as a result of seeing it in "The Source" or "Rap Pages" or something like that. I completely forgot about until Dread posted it up on Bust The Facts awhile back. It's not a lost gem or anything, but it's not all that bad. It was executive produced by Courtney Branch & Tracy Kendrick, who did some stuff with the "304 Posse" (DJ Quik, AMG, 2nd II None, Hi-C and Slyk Smoove) which is probably why Slyk Smoove appears on a track.

Success N Effect - Drive By Of Uh Revolutionist (Wrap/Ichiban, 1992) $2.00

1. Intro
2. Success N Tha House
3. Cinfrontation In Mosley Park
4. Bucking On Dope Niggers
5. Bullshit Views
6. Raised From Depression
7. Brainwashed Niggers
8. Real Black Souljas
9. Gameplan
10. Ultimatedrive By
11. Police Brutality
12. Fuck1 Time
13. Wblk (We Be Black)
14. Black Radio Aint Black
15. Pimps And Players
16. Out Ta Get Rich
17. Warr
18. Forty Aces And A Mule
19. Fuck The System
20. Comin' Up
21. Voice Of A Black Revolutionist
22. The Other Levell
23. Change The Dial
24. Final Call

For some reason, I've always liked this group, although I'm not really sure why. I guess its because I love their self-titled debut album, which is just about a bitch to find a real copy of. They changed over their three album career. If I remember right, this is their last album they released, which was basically on a black power platform, but some good music, filled with common and familar breaks and samples.

Mic Geronimo - Vendetta (Blunt Recordings, 1997) $1.50

1. Nothin' Move But The Money
2. Vendetta
3. Survival
4. Life N Lessons
5. For Tha Family
6. Street Life
7. Be Like Mic
8. Unstoppable
9. Single Life
10. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
11. How You Been?
12. Usual Suspects

I've never been a big Mic Geronimo fan, I'm not sure why, but he has never excited me. Well, after Polarity dropped a review his one cent album, I've had some weird desire to hear it. Just by looking at the production list on it, you'd think it would have a good chance of making some noise.

Kool Moe Dee - Knowledge Is King (Jive/RCA, 1989) $1.50

1. They Want Money
2. The Avenue
3. I Go To Work
4. All Night Long
5. Knowledge Is King
6. I'm Hittin' Hard
7. Get The Picture
8. I'm Blowin' Up
9. The Don
10. Pump Your Fist

I've always enjoyed this Kool Moe Dee album more than any of his other ones for some reason. I had this on tape, but never did pick up the CD for some reason. "Pump Your Fist" was always one of my favorite Moe Dee joints. This was also about the time he started dabbling a bit in the New Jack Swing stuff that pops up on here in a few places.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - ....And In This Corner (Jive/RCA, 1989) $1.50

1. Then She Bit Me
2. I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson
   
3. Jazzy's Groove
4. Everything That Glitters (Ain't Always Gold)
5. You Got It (Donut)
6. Girlie Had a Mustache
7. Reverend
8. Who Stole My Car?
9. Men of You Dreams
10. Numero Uno
11. Too Damn Hype
12. Jeff Waz on the Beat Box

I ain't gonna lie, I though Jeff's and Will's first four albums were great, and I always particularly liked this LP. Not sure why, its just fun to listen to.

Easy Mo Bee - Now Or Never: Odyssey 2000 $2.00

1. Now Or Never

2. Sunstroke

3. Fie Fie Delish

4. Instrumental No.1

5. S---'s Goin' Down Tonite

6. Soul

7. Talkin' Bout You

8. Instrumental No.2

9. N.Y.C.

10. *69 Monique No.1

11. Sex, Money, Drugs

12. Instrumental No.3

13. Sound Of My Heat

14. Let's Make Toast

15. *69 Monique No.2

16. Make Em Bounce

17. Dis Beat Is Mine

18. Instrumental No.4

19. *69 Monique No.3

20. Always Be There For You

21. We Pledge Allegiance I was kind of scared of this one, there for I never heard it, which is kind of weird for me. This got a lot of bad reviews and the such. While it could stand some trimming on the track list, it isn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be.

Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz - Make It Reign (Columbia, 1998) $1.50

1. Make It Reign

2. We Will Ball

3. Massive Heat

4. Sex, Money, Life Or Death Interlude

5. One Life To Live

6. Fiesta

7. Then & Now Interlude

8. Startin' Somethin'

9. A Night In The Bronx With Lord & Gunz

10. Who Am I

11. Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)

12. Keep On

13. Worldwide

14. Streets To Da Stage

15. BX Most Wanted Interlude

16. Cross Bronx Expressway

17. Precipitation Interlude

18. My Time To Go

19. Bonus Track 1

I never bought this album when it came out, not even sure why, I guess it didn't really excite me when it dropped. Or it could have been my friend bought it and I just dubbed it from him. None the less, I threw it in when I got home and it pretty much sucks. Oh well, it was cheap.


C.E.B. - Countin' Endless Bank (Ruffhouse, 1992) $1.50

1. Seems You Forgot

2. Goes Like This

3. Get the Point

4. Man

5. Pass the Ammo

6. F*ck 'Im Up

7. Back up in da Joint

8. M.D.

9. Pass the Buddha

10. Monkey on My Back

11. Gorilla I think Steady B was the shit, but for some reason, I slept on this when it originally dropped. I guess I had a hard time seeing Steady B as a gangsta...boy was I wrong. Cool C and Stead took the gangsta thing a bit too far and the rest, well, we all know the story. I didn't like this when I first heard this a couple of years ago and Polarity said I was crazy. I gave it another listen and its not as bad as I first thought. Dove Shack - This Is The Shack (Fontana/Def jam, 1995) $1.50 1. Intro (Skit) 2. Smoke Out 3. This Is The Shack 4. Summertime In The LBC 5. Bomb Drop 6. The Train (Skit) 7. Fuck Ya Mouth 8. Slap A Hoe (Skit) 9. Freestyle Interview (Skit) 10. Freestyle 11. Crooked Cop (Skit) 12. Ghetto Life 13. East Side Party 14. Rollin Wit A Gang 15. We Funk (The G Funk) 16. There'll Come A Day 17. Summertime In The LBC (Rap)

This was another album I'm not sure why I never bought. I loved "Summertime In The LBC" and "This Is The Shack", but I never dipped into the cash box for the CD. Giving it a listen Friday night, I loved it. Not sure if it was the seventh beer I was on, or the Madden game I was enjoying, but G-funk never sounded so good to me. Only bad thing, it's the fucking clean version. So if anyone wants the clean version, I'll put the link up, but I doubt anyone would.


Too Nice - Cold Facts (Arista, 1989) $2.00

1		Cold Facts (4:23)
2		Here I Come (4:35)
3		Rock The Girl, Gee (Every Inch) (4:41)
4		Keep Doggin' Em (3:57)
5		The Phantom Of Hip Hop (4:41)
6		Two Can Play The Game (Who's Makin' Love to Your Old Lady) (4:57)
7		I Git Minze (4:30)
8		Cold Wild Strong Isle (3:50)
9		Everybody Loves Sex (4:25)
10		I'm Sad (3:48)

I know what you are thinking, that cover looks like some horrible group. While Too Nice isn't exactly the greatest thing since chocolate and peanut butter, but they are better than they look. I'm not sure if I remember them back in the day. I think it was one of those things I always saw at the record stores I frequented, but never bought because I never heard them. Bust the Facts posted it up this past spring and I kind of enjoyed it, soooo, I found it and the rest is history.


Kriss Kross - Totally Krossed Out (Ruffhouse, 1992) $1.50

1. Intro Interview

2. Jump

3. Lil' Boys In Da Hood

4. Warm It Up

5. The Way Of Rhyme

6. Party

7. We're In Da House

8. A Real Bad Dream

9. It's A Shame

10. Can't Stop The Bum Rush

11. You Can't Get With This

12. I Missed The Bus

13. Outro

14. Party (Krossed Mix)

15. Jump (Extended Mix)

Yeah, yeah, yeah I know, nostaligia is a bitch sometimes. I lost my copy of this sometime ago, and I guess I was too cool to get another at the time. Now I'm old enough, I really don't care. It's not that bad. Besides, I'd rather listen to all the old corny hip-pop stuff from yester year than 99% of the shit thats on the radio presentely. At least I did put down the copy of "Please Don't Hurt 'Em, Hammer"

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