Customer Reviews

El Nino

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This album is not one of my favorites...but I truly love it to death, for a number of reasons:

I have been following the careers of "The Funk-Lord / MC Grand Royal / Green-Eyed Bandit" Erick Sermon, "The Philles Blunt King" Keith Murray & "Funk Doctor Spot" Redman under a microscope from day one. Each brings a unique style & attitude to the mic, but there is and will never be, another trio as great as this one. With E-Double producing the entire album (execpt "You Do, I Do" by Red), the entire LP is bursting at the seams with funky-ass beats.

Erick Sermon, as we all know (or at least all should know), started his hip-hop tenure paired w/ Parrish Smith (PMD) in the classic & hugely influential duo, EPMD. Everyone knows that Sermon had all the talent, as it was evident in his production and superior rhymes w/ his classic lisp. As soon as the duo temporarily broke apart in 1992, Sermon simply blew up but didn't go pop. He took understudies, Redman & Keith Murray and turned them each into Hip-Hop icons, via practically producing and guiding both of their entire careers. He also released two solo albums, "No Pressure" in 1993 & "Double or Nothing" in 1995, both are amazing.

The first time the world heard Redman on the mic was on EPMD's 1992 LP, "Business as Usual" on the tracks, "Headbanger" & "Brothers on my Jock." Soon after, Redman released his debut album "Whut? Thee Album," later that year (entirely produced by E-Dub) and it went gold. Ever since then, Redman has become a huge staple in east-coast hip-hop. Sermon and Redman were good buddies and Sermon (I'm guessing) just figured that Red could rap over his beats, and it'd be ill. I have a feeling (not officialy confirmed) that Sermon's growing friendship with Redman & Murray played a part in EPMD's break-up.

Keith Murray is a completely different story, sort of. He was brought to Sermon's legendary basement one night by fellow "Hit Squad" member, K-Solo. Murray was homeless and broke, but he could rap like nobody had ever heard, (it's true I read this in an interview w/ Murray). The hip-hop world was first introduced to Keith Murray on Sermon's first solo album, "No Pressure" in 1993 on the tracks "Hostile" & "Swing it Over Here." The latter is to my expert knowledge, the first track the trio ever collaborated on, and it's dope. The next year in 1994, Murray released his debut LP "The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World," produced entirely by Sermon, and everybody loved it.

Dating from 1993, up to "El Nino" in 1998, each member of Def Squad had released at least 2 albums apiece. The beauty of it is, each solo album had at least one track that featured all three members. This is why I love this album so much...for years I had been getting tastes of what Sermon, Redman & Murray sound like when they all surround a mic, and I could never get enough. This album is a full 16 tracks (minus interludes and intros) of all three members. It's truly a beautiful thing that serious hip-hop heads had been waiting for, for years.

Now, don't expect much from this album by means of insight, emotion or even tracks that make you think. That's not their style. What these three heavyweights represent is pure funky, sh*t-talking hip-hop. It's all in good fun. They rhyme to entertain - not change lives. What's funny about Def Squad, is that not one of the tracks on the album have anything that seperates one from another. They all just rhyme about how dope they are, but the beats change from track to track and it couldn't sound better. My friends and I always joke that this album is like one big track. It's perfect, if that's what you're in the mood for.

Bottom Line: Those of us who know, know that this album was a long time coming. In an odd way, it's history in the making. The beats are incredible and the rhymes suit them perfectly. This is the perfect definition of a fun album. Any fan of Erick Sermon, EPMD, Redman, or Keith Murray will love this. 5 funky stars. Peace.

Basically this album was bound to be dope regardless, but I give it 3 stars because they easily could have made it a lot better. The WDEF skits are not that funny and they're downright pointless when they interrupt the fade out of one of E-Dub's fly beats, which happens at least twice (no excuses, fellas). As far as mic skills are concerned, the talent is present no doubt, although Keith Murray is clearly the number 3 man on the roster. The guest appearances don't really add that much, either. The Biz Markie appearance is frivolous, and Lil Jamal is hardly a ghetto Shakespeare... Of course Redman doesn't dissapoint, dropping his trademark side-splitting, weed-induced allusions while maintaining the tightest flow in the game. There are really two tracks on this album that justify the price--"Check N Me Out" and "You Do I Do." That makes for a hell of a lot of filler. You decide. Is it worth [the money] to hear Redman drop a reference to Zsa Zsa Gabor over a phat E-Dub beat? Maybe, just maybe, it is.

As one might expect from such a heavyweight composition of MCs this album is HIGH QUALITY. To be honest, I was expecting to be let down by this because of the recent general decline in the quality of hip hop releases, but "El-Nino" proved to be quite a pleasant surprise.

The best cuts on the album are - unquestionably - "FULL CO-OPERATION", "CAN U DIG IT?", and "NO GUEST LIST". But to be fair 95% of the album is well produced and the lyrics are WELL ABOVE AVERAGE. Redman dominates the lyrical aspect of the album, but it has to be said - despite all ya'all hatin' on E's rhymin ability! - that Erick can handle himself well on the mic! Actually, a few of the finest lyrical moments come from E, but as expected, Redman is the one who'll get heads rewinding their tape decks like....DID HE JUST SAY THAT!! Believe me, this album is packed with moments like that where a single bar will just stick in your head for like a whole week.

EXAMPLE = Track 14 "No Guest List" when RED comes out with

"...I get on the mic like BIDOO BIDAWW!! Kick Roundhouse?You the tightest Mother fu__er let me find out/.....I could gaffle Mr Keeble for all his CHIPS AHOY! out the truck townhouse..."

Overall this is an exceptional album, and E shows that he is one of the illest producers in hip hop today. My advice is: - if you're a fan of Red - Buy this for his DEVASTATING lyrics. - if you're down with E or an old EPMD fan, then maybe pick this up; the beats are 100% Erick Sermon AND E is more than capable of keeping up on the mic alongside Red. - Keith Murray fans?? ...well to be fair, he does have his moments on the mic, but in general, he is simply outclassed by E and Funk Doc!

It seems like after Keith Murray's second album, all of Eric Sermon's beats just became 2 bass notes and a medium drumbeat. check Meth and Redman's BlackOut, and Redman's Doc's Da Name 2000 for more evidence. Eric Sermon is one of the best and most influential producers ever, but this isn't an example of why. All the emceeing is on point, but without the beats that's like saying you have a top of the range set of speakers, but a 4 watt system to use them on. Everything needs to be good for an album like this to be a classic.

I like Countdown , Full Cooperation and Yall N**gazz aint ready but thats it I thought this would be 5 stars but it is just like about any other posse album just not as good as the solos

Imagine, you got the legendary E-double, the lyrically twisting Mr. Keith Murray, and the raw-raw redman on on lp. The cd is packed with tight beats especially "Full Cooperation" but it doens't overflow and cause flooding like the title promises to. As individuals these guys are legendary but collectively they fall short of what's expected.

Redman Keith Murray and Eric Sermon are a hot group. The songs are so spectacular their hot.

I was eagerly awaiting this album and frankly I'm disappointed. Don't expect the rest of the album to compare to the two great singles already released, Rapper's Delight & Full Cooperation. The CD is only 50 minutes in length, and probably 10-15 minutes of that is skits, talking, etc. Keith Murray gives us his worst rhymes to date and Sermon's production meanders all over the place from good to terrible. It feels like the album was quickly put together to meet the release date. Overall get it for the two singles but stay away if you don't like them

A classic album and must have for all Def Squad fans and fans of Redman or EPMD.

This album is way beyond funky. Whilst the skits are a waste of time, pretty much every track totally rocks! Redman kills it throughout, like on "Check'n Me Out" where he declares "when its time to go out, Im going 'Full Metal Jacket' style, reverse suicide". Murray is tight and Erick comes with the beats and a couple of decent bars. This kinda sounds ok at first, but you listen a couple of times and it'll turn you out!