World's Famous Supreme Team — Rappin'

Malcolm McLaren samples some extracts of Newark, New Jersey hip-hop radio show duo The World's Famous Supreme Team, composed by Larry "Sedivine the Mastermind" Price aka Divine and Ronald "Just Allah the Superstar" Larkins Jr. aka JazzyJust aka Justice (Divine addresses him by this moniker also in the hit "Hey DJ"), for his 1982 hip-hop song "Buffalo Gals" and bring the group in his 1983 album "Duck Rock". They are credited as the first in hip-hop to incorporate Five Percent teachings and slang into their music.

In 1986, the group releases is own studio album with nine tracks and forty minutes of music. The production is entrusted to Bradshaw Leigh, aided by instrumental live provided by Doug Wimbish, Keith LeBlanc, Eddie Martinez, Skip Alexander, Birch Johnson, Danny Cahn, Francis Bonny, Lawrence Feldman, George Young, Cecil Postell, Gary Henry, Clifton Chase, Jack Waldman and Craig Peyton.

Overall, it's a pretty enjoyable record, thanks to an almost successful production by Bradshaw Leigh: the beatmaker provides skeletal funky rhythms, often tight, energetic with elements taken from dance and disco vibes ("Rappin'"; "Planet E"), with guitar riffs and piano in the background ("Seven") or light and essential jazzy rhythms littered with funky vibes ("Mother") and rocking ("Radio Man"). Possibly, "City Life" is the least successful track due to a skeletal, funky and tight hard beat, which soon becomes annoying, syncopated delivery doesn't help; remedies the decent funky instrumental of "Crazy Cuts". "Radio Man", third single ever of the group, which charted among rnb singles, has a negligible post-hook in vocoder, while the opening cut, "Hey DJ", stands out as the best song on the record. The chopped and screwed version, courtesy of DJ Screw, is beautiful and unmissable.

Highlights: "Hey DJ", amazing party jazzy-dance rhythm, nice female hook and excellent delivery. This is the second single ever of the group, realized in collaboration with Malcom McLaren, produced by Stephen Hague and released in 1984. The single charts both in US (top 15 among rnb singles) and in UK (#52).

Rating: 6.5/10.