February 06, 2017

Natural Resource "Notes From The Underground" (Vibe, 2/97)


"Mining the elements necessary to start an industrial rap revolution are N.Y.C.-based trio Natural Resource. These high-impact verbalists grasp the mike with the firm hand of true hip hop sentiment - unlike many crews who use the culture to tighten up drug connects / advertise Italian wardrobes. Ocean, What What, and DJ Aggie let off complex lyrics and concepts that make sense, highlighted on the clever, metaphor-saturated "Baseball": "The point of this song, and I'll make it mad simple when I be flippin' this script / Is that the industry is all over the mound pitching, but nobody's making any hits." This sarcasm is accented by a cute piano riff laced with a rugged kick and snare, while the rest of the song continues with unforgiving comparisons of the rap game to the ball game."



"Other flavors include the heavyweight "Bum Deal," in which Natural Resource verbally shit on the foulness of the rap industry, and the braggadocious crew anthem "They Lied," the dope B-side to "Baseball" that many DJs are already up on. What What's verse stands out most on this track, when she kicks, "Real MCs we broke / Moet don't wet my throat / I keep a double-edged sword / Know when to mute the remote." Styles aplenty they've got. Look to see an album on Natural Resource's own label, Makin' Records, coming this summer...." - Vibe 2/97 (Updated audio links).