Lords of the Underground "Here Come The Lords" (1993)

Yes, my Brothers and Sisters, the Lords have come. Here Come The Lords is their much-anticipated debut, featuring their current single "Funky Child" and their first singles "Psycho" and "Check It (remix)." Veteran producer Marley Marl and his House of Hits back these brothers up lovely with dirty, nasty, grimy, underground FUNK. The LP's co-producer K-Def creates some standout tracks, too. Mr. Funke and Doitall freak the rhymes with buckwild theatrics, verbal acrobatics and all that - without overdoing the triple-time tongue thing like the latest round of Treach/Das disciples. And even DJ Lord Jazz hits the mic one time nicely on his tribute, "Lord Jazz Hit Me One Time (Make It Funky)." This is one of my favorites because it has a laidback vibe, but still rocks rugged. I was also into the cut, "Chief Rocka." Producer K-Def dropped his drawers and got butt-naked on this one (pause): simple, yet funky bass and drums, thickened up with unobtrusive accents. Mr. Funke and Doitall weave the lyrics in and out of the rhythm, flowing similar to Puba or Sadat X with a bit more psychokinetic-almost-Busta flavor. Tracks to check for include: "Grave Digga," speaking on topics from MCs who fall off to AIDS, i.e. ignorant brothers who "...start the tactics without a prophylactic...down wit' OPP / now you're down six feet under"; "Keep It Underground," about preserving rap's street flavor; "Lord's Prayer," blasting shady church operations; and their theme cut, "L.O.T.U.G. (Lords of the Underground." ... The majority of songs are in there, dropping a variety of gritty beats, Pete Rockish horns, and some good call-and-response hooks. The material will work well for live sets, if their energy on stage is as hyped as it seems on record. - Rap Sheet (6/93).

You can read the full review in Rap Sheet Magazine below...

9th Wonder: Lost Boyz & LOTUG "The Lost Tapes"

I got a text late last night saying that 9th Wonder had leaked some joints he did with the Lost Boyz and Lords of the Underground. Of course, I'm a fan of everyone involved, so I made a point to check it out and download a copy. (Update: Tweets about it were removed.) Labeled 'The Lost Tapes,' the tracks are all produced by 9th Wonder & AMP of Soul Council/Jamla Records. I haven't sat with it long enough to share much insight, but it's nice to hear these veteran MCs over 9th Wonder's signature production. Carlitta Durand's vocals bring life to the unmixed project on tracks like 'Early' and 'So Beautiful' and I've gotta say Rest in Peace to Freaky Tah, who is remembered on 'We Miss Freaky Tah.' (Click HERE for more on Freaky Tah). Also, a quick shout-out to DoItAll of Lords of the Underground; he's out there doing amazing work and supporting some important initiatives for the people in his hometown of Newark, NJ. The tracklist is below, click HERE to listen to the project. 

Lost Boyz 'Early' ft. Carlitta Durand (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lords of the Underground 'I Love Lords!' (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lost Boyz 'Dem Boyz' (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lords of the Underground 'Official' (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lost Boyz 'Doe or Die' ft. Tyler Woods (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lords of the Underground 'Midnight Riders' (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lost Boyz 'We Miss Freaky Tah' (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lords of the Underground 'Easy (Lean In)' (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lost Boyz 'Count The Money Up' (prod. by AMP)

Lords of the Underground 'Mistakes Too' (prod. by 9th Wonder)

Lost Boyz 'Get It In' (prod. by AMP)

LOTUG 'So Beautiful' ft. Darien Brockington & Carlitta Durand (prod. by 9th Wonder)

LOTUG "Here Come The Lords" (The Source, 5/93)

"We dropped 'Psycho' and everyone thought that it was Das." That line, taken from the Lords' current fly single, "Funky Child" is no lie. Many a hip-hop head was confused by the similar lyrical flow and video concepts of these two underground camps. And although I didn't feel that "Psycho" was all that, their next two joints ("Check It" and "Funky Child") convinced me that this Newark, NJ trio was not out to make a living by imitating Das EFX. On Here Come The Lords, MCs Mr. Funke and DoItAll - along with their DJ, Lord Jazz - proceed to rock the high pitched freestyle on fifteen tracks of underground rawness. To witness the Lords' rapid fire back-and-forth skill trade all you need to do is drop the needle. On "Chief Rocka," ill lines like "I'm the chief rocka so I guess I am in charge / I freak it with a twist so you boom it in your cars / I'm the one with the flow when I grip like G.I. Joe..." are kicked with mad intensity." Revisit the Lords' Here Come The Lords LP below...

"Beat-wise, the legendary Marley Marl digs up new flavor from his House of Hits and gives the Lords a plate full of that Queensbridge-Spring Valley "underground fusion." Rich in texture, Marley's sharp horn breaks and suffocating basslines keep things on track during those rare times when the Lords stop to catch their breath. He also keeps the fast forward material (there is some) to a minimum. The Lords have gotten off to a good start, and with LP cuts like "From The Bricks," "Lords's Prayer," and "Lord Jazz Hit Me One Time," at their disposal, they aim to stay in the race." - The Source, May 1993. This album got a ton of burn! You can save copy of the full review below...