Special Ed 'Youngest In Charge' (May 16, 1989)

'Youngest In Charge' is the debut album from Special Ed. The Brooklyn MC was just 17-years old when he released the album on this day in 1989. Featuring the classic singles 'I Got It Made' and 'I'm The Magnificent,' plus 'Think About It' and 'Club Scene,' the album was produced by Howie Tee with DJ Akshun on the cuts. The more popular version ('The Magnificent Remix') for 'I'm The Magnificent' was not the version they used for the video, nor was it included on 'Youngest In Charge,' but they did officially release it the following year on his sophomore album, 'Legal.' Either way, these early songs were go-to records in the crates for parties and are still anthems today. The album was originally released on Profile Records, but a Deluxe version was re-issued in 2015 by Get On Down. Unfortunately, I didn't cop the LP, but I did grab the 7" reissue of 'I Got It Made.' Also, today is Special Ed's Born Day, so big shout-out to him. Bonus: True Hip-Hop Stories by D-Nice is below.

Special Ed "Revelations" (The Source, 8/95)

"He's back. It's the specialist, Special Ed comin' straight outta Flatbush. The youngest in charge is all grown up, legal and neva goin' back. And he's coming with lyrics and a flow which transport the listener to an open mic session. Ed's flow is reminiscent of a freestyle off-the-top session straight off a dubbed underground mixtape. "Lyrics," the voice of KRS-ONE echos, "lyrics, somebody want lyrics?" Adjacently, a deep, bouncing bass attached to an in-an-out guitar commences to make the head bob. Ed then proceeds with what seems like unarranged verses that twist, babble, flow and stumble, but still manage to land on solid lyrical feet. He displays lyrical dexterity by droppin a succession of rhymes that end not with any one particular word, which then catapults Ed to switch and flow in a totally different topical direction altogether. This technique and style is employed throughout most of the album." Check out the visuals to Special Ed's "Neva Go Back," below...

"The production through the entire album makes use of devious, sinister basslines that occasionally ride high-hates, bass drums and hard-ass snares. One drawback that might hinder some people's "earousal" is the consistent similarity in pace, speed and beats-per-minute on most of the tracks. But six years later, Ed's still got it made, he's still magnificent and now he's coming new and improved." - The Source, August 1995. The album was released under the title Revelations, with "Neva Go Back" as the lead single to the LP. The full Revelations album review is available below...

Crooklyn Dodgers "Crooklyn" (Review, 1994)

When you hear: "Straight from Crooklyn, better known as Brooklyn / Never takin' shorts, 'cause Brooklyn's the borough," you know it's gonna be epic! Ya know how else you know? "Masta Ace and Buckshot on a Q-Tip track? That's reason enough to get up on this single. Add that to the long-awaited return of "the magnificent" Special Ed, and you know the shit must be monumental. And "Crooklyn" won't let you down. The Abstract's beat is all bassline hypnosis and layers of loops. As the groove creates the aura, all 3 lyricists take their task to heart as they reflect on that "70s thing from the days when kids didn't act so craze / in Crooklyn." As the first single off the soundtrack of Spike Lee's new movie, the song has nothing to do with the film and the film has nothing to do with crooks (it's about family life in Brooklyn), but whatever's clever." - The Source, cont'd below...

"Panic / As another manic depressant / Adolescent / Stares at death 

Now what's left / When there ain't no God and a whole lotta pride?
It might be a homicide / So let the drama / Slide 

We don't want no problems, B / Get your name in the obituary columns, see 

Cuz life is too short / And it gets shorter / I wish I had a quarter 

for all my people they slaughter / Last year alone / In the dead zone 

Walk straight, but don't walk late 

Cuz I'm comin' with a hate only made / From what it made me 

Cuz nobody ever played me / Now it's only gettin' worse 

Buckshot and Ace in the land of the waste
Kickin' you in your face!"