Customer Reviews

Wild Cowboys

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wild Cowboys is the debut album of hip hop luminary Sadat X. To this point, Sadat was a member of the influential Brand Nubian, whose entire discography is very strong. After the solo success of group leader Grand Puba, Sadat chose to break out on his own. Wild Cowboys is the first of several strong solo efforts on his part.

Released in 1996, Wild Cowboys has a very loose, jazzy feel (not unlike much hip hop of that time. The production is very understated and relaxed, yet is very engaging. Pete Rock, Buckwild, Diamond D, Alamo, Showbiz, Da Beatminerz, and the underrated Minnesota all provide very chill jazzy tracks. If you know their work, you know what you're getting here-killer NY stuff.

As for the rhyming, guest spots are kept mostly within the family, as Sadat brings in his boys (the cowboys(?)) on several tracks. Grand Puba, crooner DV Alias Khryst, and the severely slept-on Money Boss Players all have features as well. Smoka J was pretty accurate about how Sadat's boys don't add a lot to the tracks. For what they lack, Sadat more than makes up for with his highly skilled rhymes and active flow. He is on point all album.

Standout tracks are "The Lump Lump", "Do It Again" (feat. DV), "Do It Again", "Game's Sober" (feat. Money Boss Players & Sha Sha), "Smokin on the Low" (ft. DV), and the Pete Rock produced "Escape From New York". The rest of the album is very strong too. The only track I couldn't get into was "The Funkiest". I've got no particular reason...just wanted feeling it.

All in all, Wild Cowboys is an album worth purchase by fans of 90s hip hop, jazzy hip hop, or of any of the above artists. This album has been slept-on for years. It's time to get the word out.

After checking out all of Sadat's albums it's fair to say that this production is by far his best. I was quite disappointed with his other albums when compared to 'Wild Cowboys'. The theme and content of the album are very original and the production is simply fabulous - Sadat got America's best producers together for this album and it has payed off big time. Simply a classic.

Loud records ran the street scene in the 90's. This Lp from Sadat takes me back. Every artist that ran with Loud was dope back then. It wasn't the lyrics necessarily, his lyrics are great but it was the beats that captured my feelings. It definetly fit the year, (which was 96' I believe) with its flawless lyrics from X and its production from one song to the next. Good stuff, without a doubt. Peace!

A lot of people whose taste I respect really don't like Sadat X. I'm not one of those people, and hence this is an enjoyable disc. My favorite track is "Stages & Lights" wherein Showbiz (my main man) jacks Shawn Phillips (!) lovely to provide the ultimate head nod. The Beatminerz "Interview" is a brilliant cut, lyrically, plus a great beat. The EP Dx from the Bx dropped next was fresh too, though even more slept on.

This album is preyyt good being the rest of the Brand Nubian crew wasn't prevelent. Sadat really rips the mic. Some stuff so tounge twisted you can't repeat; got that? That's the way Sadat ripps.

I like this album very much! I think Sadat X is the best emcee from Brand Nubian.. Not everybody thinks that though.. This album is NOT for everybody.. If you don't like his voice or his delivery, don't get it... But I love his wild jagged delivery and his unique voice... He does a great job on this low-key very slept on release. The best songs are "The Lump Lump", "Escape From New York" (produced by Pete Rock), "The Interview", "Hang Em High", "Stages And Lights", "Sauce For Birdheads", "The Hashout", "The Funkiest" and "Petty People"...

All the beats are thick with a New York Style rhyme flow..

Don't worry.. every song is not about cowboys!

The metaphor of cowboys and the wildness of the New York ghettos work!

You can read a review of the album if you goto h-t-t-p : // dot "hardcorehiphop" dot "isCool" dot "net"

Sadat X is a great emcee and I wish he would put out another solo joint.. Lyrically, This is not as hard and sinister as "Everything Is Everything" but much more hardcore than his performances on "Foundation"..

"Wild Cowboys" is DOPE!

By the time fellow Brand Nubian, Grand Puba had left the group and released 2 solo joints ("Reel to Reel" in 1992 & "2000" in '95), I guess Sadat had enough of Lord Jamar and went for his on the solo tip. The result is a decent album in '96's "Wild Cowboys" (an odd choice for a concept if you ask me).

When Puba left Brand Nubian after their classic debut "One for All" (1990), the remaining 3 group members (MC's Sadat X & Lord Jamar & producer DJ Alamo) released 2 more albums with 1992's highly under-rated "In God We Trust" and 1994's forgettable "Everything is Everything." Any fan of Brand Nubian knows that all the talent lay in the hands of Puba and Sadat (their chemistry together is among the best duos out there), while Jamar played a "sometimes dope, often bland" interlude between the two. I was as surprised as anyone with how dope the Puba-less "In God We Trust" turned out to be. I thought that w/o Puba the up-and-coming Brand Nubian was finished. However, when "Everything is Everything" bombed, our suspicions were confirmed and I guess Sadat had enough and went for dolo. It was a wise choice...sort of.

The best thing about "Wild Cowboys" is the beats. Sadat amassed A WHOLE GANG of all-star producers; Diamond D (4 tracks), Buckwild (2), Da Beatminerz (1), Showbiz (1), Dante Ross for the SD 50's (1), DJ Alamo (1), & Pete Rock (1). So you know this album bumps that '96 east-coast flava, no questions there...

The problem with this album lies in Sadat's inexperience as a solo artist. His entire MC career, he's had a partner (or two) - therefore he's never had to shoulder a complete album's worth of material, and it shows here. Oddly enough, Sadat's not the problem (he does just fine) - it's his guest artists, there's too many. The good; Puba returns and shares the track "Open Bar," one of my favorites on the album, and the haunting singing of DV Alias Christ blesses the tracks "Hang 'Em High" and "Smoking on the Low." The bad; EVERYONE ELSE. For some reason, Sadat called on his buddy Shawn Black (???) to add on to some of the tracks...4 to be exact. He's one of those boring, heard-him-a thousand times MC's that sadly ruin a perfectly good song. There's some other unknown MC's on this album, but they only appear once a piece - the end result is still the same, they add nothing. I was under the impression that Sadat broke away from Lord Jamar to spread his wings, but after hearing so many bland guests on this album, I was wishing that Jamar had taken their places. I would have loved it if Sadat had been more selfish and kept the tracks to himself and the pros (Puba) and I actually missed Lord Jamar. I bought this album to hear Sadat X, not Sadat X and his broke, wack homies. The best comparison I can think of is Diamond D's 2nd album "Hatred, Passions, Infidelity" (1997), where almost every track had some no name (save a few) who just took up a verse and added nothing to the track. After a while it gets very frusturating and eventually annoying.

Bottom Line: A decent effort. The beats are top notch and Sadat does a commendable job on his first solo venture. It's definitely worth owning, just heed my warnings. I have to say "The Lump Lump" totally bumps, and the remix with Brand Nubian is a classic. 3 1/2 stars, Peace.