December 06, 2014

Da Bush Babees "Ambushed" (The Source, 1/95)


"For their debut, Da Bush Babees - Y-Tee, Mr. Man and Kaos - build on the energetic material seen by those lucky enough to have caught the group when they were unsigned and performing throughout New York's underground. During their shows, listeners were treated to an astounding fusion of dancehall and hip-hop. For their album, they capture the essence of their live show with tight hardcore songs and lunatic between-song banter (heard on the skits "Bleu Buttaflyze" and "Ya Mammy.") "We Run Things is a dreamy radio hit produced by Ali Shaheed during blunt-lighting sessions. As smoke wafts through the air, you'll hear Kaos drop truth: "But nowadays cause rap pays / you got a million rappers and a thousand deejays." "Get On Down" is a dusty joint which fuses Son of Bazerk's "J-Dub's Theme" bassline to a Bob Marley chant and funk riffs. "Remember We" is fueled by acoustic bass and warm beats, with the kind of snares that home-demo DJs will recognize from the break-beat albums." Check out the visuals to the classic track, "Remember We" ...


"Swing It" receives an overhaul, as jazz grooves and reverbed horns float through the mix. The tempo is nice, the song's easy to dance to (something most hardheads won't admit to doing) and its chorus is hyped enough to make parties turn rowdy. For "Pon De Attack," they real a heavy Caribbean influence, sampling a reggae joint at hyped speed. "Put It Down" does exactly that as the group leaps into Old School mode, tag-teaming and kicking straightforward, crowd-rocking freestyles - the foundation of hip-hop that they understand well. Their style is hard to catch at first, but it's extremely clever. They're as sharp as a boxcutter ripping a face; as on point as your girl on my lap. While there is a bit of material that could be classified as filler ("Clear My Throat" is one example)... Da Bush Babees bring more than enough to satisfy reggae hip-hop fans and freestyle fanatics." - The Source, January 1995. You can read the full Ambushed album review below...