September 22, 2014

Showbiz & A.G. "Runaway Slave" (The Source, 11/92)


"If you Rip Van Winkled on Showbiz & AG's debut PE, Party Groove/Soul Clap here's your chance to come correct on two brothers with pure hip-hop flowing through their veins. On the long play, this Bronx duo skillfully distill the essence of the asphalt into gargantuan polyrhythms and freestyle lyrics straight from the old-school outdoor jams. Miles would beam at their use of meandering horn riffs flowing in and out of the mix, obviously the rewards of 'nuff diggin' in the crates. These freeform samples add spit and polish to tracks that are otherwise down and dirty, and create more ambience than Panasonic Platinum. Meanwhile, the ill subliminal bass laces joints like "Fat Pockets" and "Silence Of The Lambs," making them true blunts for the Benzi box." Cont'd below...


"With drop-ins by Kid Capri, Fat Joe, and Freddie Foxx, and cameos by Black Sheep's Dres ("Bounce To This") and Lord Finesse and the crew ("Represent"), Showbiz and A.G. create a party on your stereo, flexing enough freestyle to make the unaware go senile. On the hardcore "Hard To Kill," A.G. says, "I love conflict and confrontation / Killin' enemies worse than Kennedy's assassination." Through your neckbone will definitely get a workout on these tracks, this is an album of nuance with many layers of words and sounds that will age like fine wine." - The Source, November 1992.