Jamal "Last Chance, No Breaks" (The Source, 12/95)

"By now you know the rules. Unless an MC kicks verses 'bout bitches, glocks, da ghetto and little white rocks, he ain't hard. But coming off hard, on the mic or on the corner, isn't about what you say but how you say it. That's the lesson the best MCs learn early. And on his debut solo record, Last Chance, No Breaks, 16-year old Jamal Phillips shows that for all his prodigal talent, it's a lesson he hasn't quite gotten down yet. Jamal, formerly known as Mally G, broke back in 1993 when he and Mr. Malik emerged as the rap duo Illegal. Their album, The Untold Truth, earned props from the press and the street. But the two parted amicably to pursue solo work. Now, like Redman and Keith Murray, Jamal counts himself a member of Erick Sermon's Def Squad. Last Chance... owes much to that background. Murray and Redman guest on two tracks, while Red and Sermon produce another two." Check out the official music video for Jamal's classic, "Fades 'Em All," article cont'd below...

"With beats rooted in the old skool rugged-and-raw sound godfathered by Sermon, and an on-point lyrical attack reminiscent of groups like Black Moon and Wu-Tang, Jamal keeps heads bobbin'. But his chest thumpin' raps - focused mostly on his own skillz and the tough streets of Southwest Philly - can come off hollow, slipping in and out of any real flow. It's the production of Sermon, Redman and executive producer Dallas Austin (along with Erotic D and Easy Mo Bee) that elevates the album. Nearly all the tracks feature juicy grooves and precision selection of understated samples - like the tip-toe piano of Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon In The Sky" heard on "Keep It Real" or the thick-funk backbeat of the lead single, "Fades Em All." The results are unassuming, rich and textured beats that fit Jamal like a phat down jacket while making up for most of his lyrical missteps. But no disrespect, Jamal is only 16 and does show much promise. He'll learn his lessons, and it's hip-hop that will be better for it." - The Source, December 1995. Full review below. Photograph above by Danny Hastings.

Da King & I "Tears" (Behind The Scenes Interview)

If you've been following the different blogs I've had over the years, you're familiar with that fact that I post about Da King & I fairly often. Specifically their single "Tears" off "Contemporary Jeep Music" in 1993. I'd purchased the album on cassette, had a couple of the cassingles, but it was the homie Petey Cologne (who later worked at The Halftime Show with DJ Eclipse) who had the 12" and hipped me to the incredibly smooth "Darp Vibe" Remix. I remember vividly popping in the 60 minute TDK cassette, recording a copy and listening back on it for days. Naturally, I eventually purchased a copy, but for a while that dub was all I had. YouTube (in the U.S.) has taken down most copies of Da King & I's videos, you just don't see them - especially not in good quality - but they exist. A few years back, a video clip of Izzy Ice & DJ Majesty was unearthed with behind the scenes footage from the making of the "Tears" video: discussing the record's concept, as well as the meaning of Da King & I, and briefly featuring Jamal of the group Illegal (also on Dallas Austin's Rowdy Records at the time). Lastly, they mention the track "Kingpin" with Pudgee The Phat Bastard, which is snuck on the B-side to "Tears" but is not featured on the "Contemporary Jeep Music" LP. Watch below.