North Carolina rap group Little Brother is telling their fans not to support the vinyl re-release of their classic sophomore album, The Minstrel Show and their debut album The Listening. Members Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh both spoke out on social media against ABB Records, the label that holds the vinyl rights. Little Brother Not […]
Rapper Big Pooh is a 41 year old rapper from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina who came up as a member of the seminal Little Brother alongside rapper/singer Phonte & producer 9th Wonder. However, he’s been building up quite a discography of his own since the man’s 2005 solo debut Sleepers. Last time we got a project from Big Pooh was in 2018 with the Focus…-produced RPM album but after taking a couple years off & to celebrate his birthday, he & Young RJ of Slum Village are unearthing an EP’s worth of joints they recorded together in the late 2000s.
“The Recipe” that starts the EP off spits about how he came to do rather than talk over a triumphant beat whereas the next song “Get It In” talks about going hard over a more rugged instrumental. The track “Money” with O-Dash & Frank Nitt finds the trio showing listeners how it is over a boom bap beat with some twinkling keyboard melodies while the song “Hello” gets on the lovey dovey side of things over a slow, enticing instrumental. The closer “Smile” pays tribute to his mother over a joyous beat.
Even though these joints were recorded a little over a decade ago, it sounds like they were all made recently. Rapper Big Pooh’s pen-game hasn’t changed a bit & Young RJ shows himself as one of the most underrated producers that the 313 has to offer.
At the stroke of midnight, North Carolina Hip-Hop favorites Little Brother released a new body of work that has fans on Twitter gathered in celebration. The new album, May The Lord Watch, falls short of being a proper reunion by some as producer 9th Wonder has amicably decided to let Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh venture forth without him.
At 15 tracks, May The Lord Watch features expected potent verses and soulful crooning from Phonte and the unwavering confidence of Rapper Big Pooh. As two of the sharpest rappers to emerge in the past decade or more, Little Brother’s outing this time carries a serious tone of growing up in Hip-Hop, embracing one’s limits as Father Time does his thing while also showing and proving that they still have strong pen games.
The promise of the group’s return ebbed last year at North Carolina’s Art Of Cool Festival, and a reunion announcement came shortly after. Without a lead single, video or much lead-up beyond some social media teasing, May The Lord Watch came as a welcome surprise early Tuesday morning, harkening back to the days when new albums traditionally dropped on that day.
Little Brother is a beloved Durham, North Carolina group consisting of MCs Phonte & Rapper Big Pooh. They originally started out as a trio with producer 9th Wonder, their first 2 albums together The Listening & The Minstrel Show being hailed as some of the best albums of the previous decade. 9th then decided to focus on a solo career in 2007 & Little Brother dropped their 1st album as a duo Getback later that year. Then in 2010, they released their previous full-length album Leftback & officially disbanded shortly after. Almost a decade later, Phonte & Pooh have reformed LB to deliver a comeback album.
The album begins with “The Feel”, where Phonte & Pooh look back at their careers up until this point over a synth-funk instrumental from Khrysis with some luxurious piano chords. After the “A Word from the President” skit, the next song “Everything” finds the duo thinking about just that over a boom bap beat with some twinkling keys. The track “Right on Time” reflects on their rough past over a J Dilla influenced instrumental from Nottz while the song “Black Magic (Make It Better)” talks about hustling over a Focus… instrumental with some harmonious vocals.
After the “Life After Blackface” skit, the song “Goodmorning Sunshine” pays tribute to their significant others over a mellow boom bap instrumental. After the “Dyana Change My Life” skit, the song “What I Came For” talks about getting some over a cloudy boom bap beat. Then after the “Inside the Producer’s Studio” skit, the song “Sittin’ Alone” talks about being chilling at home by yourself over a blissful boom bap beat.
The song “Picture This” talks about gratefulness over a dulcet instrumental from Black Milk. After the “N****s Hollering” skit, the penultimate track “All in a Day” talks about their grind in hip hop over a grand instrumental. The album then finishes with “Work Through Me”, where Phonte & Pooh going back & forth with each other over a funky boom bap beat.
Never thought this day would come, but I’m glad it did. Sure it’s only 37 & a half minutes long, but it’s like they never left. On top of Phonte & Rapper Big Pooh sounding very refreshed, the instrumental palate on here is mostly on point. My only complaint about the album is some of the skits but other than that, this is a fantastic comeback from one of the greatest groups hip hop has ever seen.
Score: 8/10
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This duo knows fans been waiting because they address it immediately on RPM. The intro “No More Favors” features Violator DJ’s/Slum Village affiliate Scrap Dirty complaining about how long the album is taking and instructs the recording artists to stop doing favors for people until they sew up this project. For those not familiar with Focus…, he is the senior producer in Dr. Dre’s Aftermath stable. His production (Slum Village, The Game, Dr. Dre, Xzibit) is marked by clean samples and big drums. That is exactly what he serves up from the jump on RPM.
The stripped-down lead single, “Pray | Prey” featuring Dancehall singer Cocoa Sarai released ahead of the project. The raw cut sets the tone for the album. “Check! 1ne” and “Check! 2wo” follow and are basically a two-part song, as there is no pause between them, and Pooh starts rapping again right as his guest Akilz Amari close out the first track. Justus League member Chaundon is the feature on “Check! 2wo” and he flips a dope Uptown flow many will compare to Camp Lo.
Former Major Figgas and Re-Up Gang member Ab Liva shows up on “Roses,” on which Focus incorporates all kinds of bugged out noises…mad scientist music. Out of the 12 tracks here, “City of Ink” sounds most like it could belong on an Aftermath release. It’s got that crisp thump. Another standout is “Burn,” a joint where Rapper goes for MCs’ throats while making insightful social commentary at the same time. Crooner C.S. Armstrong passionately delivers the hook, “How long will we watch the flame / ’Til the ashes fall down like the rain / How long will we watch them burn, burn, burn.”
The 28-minute project ends strong with “Who Are They,” a two-beat jam that starts with a ‘90s throwback feel and then drops into a smoothed-out vibe. Big Pooh buries the comp on this one, “We ain’t chummy, we ain’t cool, we ain’t fam, I ain’t ya big homie / I don’t associate with the phony / I put ‘they’ in a box and pack ‘they’ ass away / Why wait until you gone? Here’s a bouquet / Smell the roses.”
Press photograph by Tobias Rose provided by The Elixir Group.