Maroons: Ambush

Lateef & the Chief

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 26, 2004)
• Original Release Date: October 26, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Quannum Projects
• ASIN: B00031TXW2
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #188,129 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ambush

2. Matter of Time

3. If

4. Don't Stop

5. Lester Hayes

6. Best of Me

7. Best of Me [Bonus Beat]

8. Beautiful You

9. 365

10. First Draw - Chief,

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Maroons borrow from two of Quannum's best-known groups, pairing Blackalicious producer Chief Xcel with Latyrx's chatterbox Lateef. Though the two have worked together many times before, the focused collaboration on this nine-song effort helps to reinforce each artist's strength. Compared to the more mellow beats that Xcel often concocts for Blackalicious, the production on Ambush is more energetic, even aggressive at times. You hear that most explosively on the funk bomb "Lester Hayes," but even the slick, disco-flavored "Don't Stop" benefits from this more vigorous approach. Likewise, Lateef's mercurial sing-song flow gets a thorough workout, swinging a more seductive lilt on "Beautiful You" while hitting a brisk pace for "Best of Me" (which also features Xcel's Blackalicious partner Gift of Gab). Though clocking in at less than 40 minutes, this offering is still more than a sufficient tease of what new experiments Quannum might produce down the road. --Oliver Wang

Product Description

Lateef & The Chief, a.k.a. Maroons, are Lateef The Truth Speaker, one half of the critically acclaimed Latyrx, and Chief Xcel, Blackalicious' musical mastermind. On this collaboration, they turn battle rhymes into statements of peace and celebrate survival, solidarity, and the sistas. Afrodiasporic beats effortlessly bring together jazz, samba, charanga, dub, and funk through hip-hop and fluid whirlwind rhymes rippling with metaphors and ideas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Definitive Hip-Hop Release, December 14, 2004

By	withthebeatzwiththerhymez - See all my reviews

I'm amazed at the lack of reviews/attention this album has received on Amazon and abroad. For those that don't know, Quannum has been releasing classic hip-hop since the early 1990s (see Blackalicious, DJ Shadow, Solesides, and Latyrx). On Ambush, Lateef (of Latyrx) rattles off verses over epic soundscapes provided by Chief Xcel (of Blackalicious) that range in subject matter from politics ("If"), to women ("Don't Stop"), to straight up battle tracks ["Lester Hayes," "Best of Me (Bonus Beat)"] with a ferocity and hunger unseen in today's hip-hop genre. I recommend this release not only to hardcore hip-hop fans, but also to those who appreciate live instrumentation, as much of the album incoporates live guitars, flutes, cellos, keys and drums. A Must-Own.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ..Just a Matter of Time..., January 28, 2005

By	Tye that fly guy from the west side "Tye" (OdoubbleT (Canada)) - See all my reviews

This album is a real treat for your headphones. Thick Oakland bass line, break beats that could make my dad do the robot, quick verbal lashings and...the flute! No kidding this album is solid. The Truth Speaker spits on all levels - the best of me (bonus beat) is enough to make anybody shut the buck up and appriciat true lyricisim at it's best. I would have to say I support Quannum on every release because I'm guarenteed to:
1. Hear something completely original and honest
2. Support some self-made hip hop - these guy have been banging out thier stuff for ten years now - true roles model for any aspiring emcee/producer out there - buck the system
3. I saw these guys live and they truely do not dissapoint. Freestyling for 1/2 a hour??!!

To quote Lateef "This is the deep end/Believe we should be friends/Even if it means you have to act pretend/Cause if I sense you act with some pretence/I'm a call you out like a snare out of sequence......"

nuff said - werd.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars these cats make it happen, October 30, 2004

By	D.U.I. - Donnie Understands Intelligence (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) - See all my reviews

I first heard Lateef in 1997 when my friend picked up the "new" Latyrx album. I was stunned by the calibur of the hip-hop on this album, and wanted to know more about it. I could not find any more copies of this album, because Solesides was shut down, and Quannum took over. I did my homework, and realized all of the talent in hip-hop today came from Quannum. So I now have every Quannum album today, and just picked up the Maroons. This is THE best album brought to us since Latyrx in my opinion.
Lateef is my idol when it comes to hip-hop and I feel that with the Chief, these guys make it happen. Now when is the new Latyrx album coming out.
Come on guys spoil us.
Ambush is a guaranteed classic 5/5 all the way.