June 18, 2016

Heltah Skeltah "Nocturnal" (The Source, 7/96)


"This seems to be the master plan for hip-hop domination: first, set things off with an undeniable masterpiece, such as Black Moon's debut Enta Da Stage. Next, put on other members of your crew, who proceed to amaze and astound in their own right - see Smif-N-Wessun's Dah Shinin. And then, just when headz are salivating for any piece of work bearing your imprimatur, start your own label and sew things up with more dope product. This is how far Brooklyn's Boot Camp Clik has come in just three short years. The next group up to represent Bucktown is Heltah Skeltah, whose debut, Nocturnal - on Buckshot's own Duck Down Entaprizez - may just vault the Clik into the same category as the other East Coast super crews. Heltah Skeltah is made up of the high-powered MCs Ruc and Roc, who were introduced as two-thirds of the Fab 5 cipher on "Leflah Leflaur Eshkoshka." Make no mistake: these two rip the mic like a two-headed monster, with Ruc's deep-voiced flow perfectly situated as the backbone to Roc's hard-as-nails delivery." Continued below...


"The production is also solid, designed to highlight rather than overshadow the MCs. Most of the work is handled by Beatminerz Baby Paul, Mr. Walt and Evil Dee, who create multi-layered soundscapes using ambient samples to prop up the simple drum-propelled tracks. But the centerpiece of this LP still remains the endless stream of tight verses kicked by Ruc and Roc. So far no member of the Boot Camp Clik has slipped up. Nocturnal continues this tradition of dopeness." - The Source (July, 96). You can read the full 3.5 mic review in The Source below...