“Wake Up…”

AUDIO    By Gotty™ on October 30, 2009 at 4:55 pm

I was baptized because of Grand Puba.

Numerous times, I’ve stated my initial aversion to One For All. When me & Cookiehead boosted it (and about 15 other tapes), I initially told he could have it while I opted for UGK & some others instead. As an aside he also took Positive K’s Skills To Pay The Bills and I’m telling you it’s for him that TSS exists lol.

But when I did finally listen to One For All a few months later, I was hooked. In a zig-zag-zig way, it’s because of Puba and Brand Nubian that listener’s were even ready for Wu-Tang (just as Rakim prepared listeners for PRT and BN). Tracing that timeline, what they managed to do was bring relevance & light to the 5% movement in the early 90’s, running 120° into lyrical poetry. “Can a devil fool a Muslim?…A trader made interpretations saying we’d receive more gold for our labor in his nation.”

My head nearly exploded.

Rhythmic religion that gave me more than countless years of youth spent in church pews. But it wasn’t just what he saying, it was how he was saying it as I even took to listening to the Sunshine Reprise and Stimulated Dummies’ frantic, horn-filled jam version just to marvel @ how Puba could alternate his approach while still spitting the same words. And it was by Puba that I was immersed into a true love for Hip-Hop and learning.

“So I dip dip dive-a, civilize a 85′er
Gotta let him know the devil’s a conniver
This is the plan from the brotherman
From the motherland, now it’s time to take a stand
I keep to striving to do my duty to awaken
To the universal family I say ‘As-Salaam-Alaikum’.”

At the end of the day and when Hip-Hop has run its course, Puba’s name will will not ring bells nor gain due praise from those who make it their task to form lists and such. Quite frankly, his solo discography isn’t much to brag about so that could be a plausible reason to leave him off your top 5 and 10 lists. Nevertheless, Brother Maxwell’s name should have an honorable mention alongside other versatile, split-tongue rhymespitters who birthed numerous offspring.

I still never really dug Pos K though.

Download — Brand Nubian – “Wake Up (Reprise In The Sunshine)”

Download — Brand Nubian – “Wake Up” (Stimulated Dummies Mix)”

Posted in AUDIO, LOOSIES, MUSIC — Tags: Brand Nubian, One For All