Brand Nubian — One for All

In 1988, William "Grand Puba" Dixon III, Derek "Sadat X" Murphy, Lorenzo "Lord Jamar" Dechalus and Keith "DJ Alamo" Jones form the Brand Nubian. Grand Puba is looking to new members to form a new group after his previous one Masters of Ceremony broke up, then Sadat X, DJ Alamo and Lord Jamar all joined together with him to for a new hip-hop group. Even though they had neither their own demo nor had they yet decided on a name for the group, while they was at Tommy Boy Records looking for a record deal, they met the executive A&R at Elektra Records Dante Ross, who advises the kids to write a piece and choose a name for the group, Lord Jamar chooses Brand Nubian. In 1989 the group signs with Elektra, releases the debut single ("Brand Nubian") and the first LP in 1990.

The production realized by Brand Nubian and Grand Puba Maxwell is supported by simple rhythms with excellent funky samples and regular skinny drum machines, while the lyrics of the rapper trio are mainly afrocentric, pro-black and braggadocio: it's one of the first groups to fill a hip hop album with references to the Five Percenters, that slice of the Nation of Islam that would educate hundreds of hip hop artists in the following decades, particularly in the 1990s, with a consequent significant influence in the genre.

The rapping of Sadat X and Lord Jamar is more political, militant and committed, while Grand Puba focuses on festive, cheerful and light-hearted themes with an excellent flow. Brand Nubian provide an album of rare quality, at times irregular in the central part (culminating in the "Try to Do Me" filler crossover) also because of its excessive length, but overall, it's brilliant and fresh enough to be one of the best positive political documents of its era.

Distributed by Elektra, pushed by five singles (among which "Slow Down" peaks the third place on the rap chart, and "Wake Up" is fifth), the album entered the charts without managing to climb them particularly and stopping outside the top thirty rap albums, receiving unanimous acclaim from critics, who greatly appreciate the socio-conscious and political content of the lyrics written by the group. In 1998, The Source includes it in his 100 Best Rap Albums Ever, after awarding it a rare 5 mics upon release.

Highlights: "All for One", "Feels So Good", "Concerto in X Minor", "To the Right", "Dance to My Ministry", "Slow Down", "Brand Nubian".

Rating: 8.5/10.