August 03, 2015

Special Ed "Revelations" (The Source, 8/95)


"He's back. It's the specialist, Special Ed comin' straight outta Flatbush. The youngest in charge is all grown up, legal and neva goin' back. And he's coming with lyrics and a flow which transport the listener to an open mic session. Ed's flow is reminiscent of a freestyle off-the-top session straight off a dubbed underground mixtape. "Lyrics," the voice of KRS-ONE echos, "lyrics, somebody want lyrics?" Adjacently, a deep, bouncing bass attached to an in-an-out guitar commences to make the head bob. Ed then proceeds with what seems like unarranged verses that twist, babble, flow and stumble, but still manage to land on solid lyrical feet. He displays lyrical dexterity by droppin a succession of rhymes that end not with any one particular word, which then catapults Ed to switch and flow in a totally different topical direction altogether. This technique and style is employed throughout most of the album." Check out the visuals to Special Ed's "Neva Go Back," below...


"The production through the entire album makes use of devious, sinister basslines that occasionally ride high-hates, bass drums and hard-ass snares. One drawback that might hinder some people's "earousal" is the consistent similarity in pace, speed and beats-per-minute on most of the tracks. But six years later, Ed's still got it made, he's still magnificent and now he's coming new and improved." - The Source, August 1995. The album was released under the title Revelations, with "Neva Go Back" as the lead single to the LP. The full Revelations album review is available below...