AAVV — Colors

Soundtrack of the homonymous movie directed by Dennis Hopper. The tracks are performed by Ice-T, Decadent Dub Team, Salt-N-Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, Eric B. & Rakim, Kool G. Rap, 7A3, Roxanne Shante, M.C. Shan and Rick James. The production credits Afrika Islam, Ice-T, Decadent Dub Team, Dr. Dre, Hurby Luv Bug, Marley Marl, Eric. B & Rakim, Coldcut, Johnny Rivers, Mark Wolfson and Rick James.

The first song is a masterpiece by Ice-T, "Colors". Simple hard beat, minimal and skeletal drum machine highlighted in background, Ice-T immediately drops smoothness and raw bars, good flow, excellent delivery, functional hook scratched. A simple cut of the Decadent Dub Team follows, on a simple and minimal rhythm: it sounds hip hop and is the first remix credited to Dr. Dre. The female duo Salt 'n' Pepa returns a bit of fresh lightheartedness with the energetic "Let the Rhythm Run", with deliveries back and forth over at a fresh and cheerful, simple rhythm. So, Daddy Kane, Rakim and G Rap in three cuts in a row. Big Daddy Kane goes strong in "Raw" and rips the entire album with a frighteningly smooth delivery over a frenetic, funky and simple rhythm.

The remix of "Paid in Full" is one of the dopest cuts of the eighties, thanks to a fresh and ethereal funky rhythm and a female sample looped in the background that presents exotic vibes, and in fact taken from "Im Nin'Alu" of the Israeli singer Ofra Haza; Rakim's rapping is as flawless as the production chosen by Coldcut, a trio of British electronics DJs who throw over twenty samples in here. Kool G Rap proves to live up to the two previous artists in "Butcher Shop", a minimal funky rhythm of DJ Polo and a deeply smoothness flow of G Rap, dope track. Then the tape rightly drops in quality with the 7a3: quite weak in "Mad Mad World" on a nice funky-jazzy rhythm that's not fully exploited here, despite having its potential, the rapping is insipid and weak.

You need to find some energy right away, Roxanne Shanté comes to the rescue: "Go on Girl" presents a smooth and lively, energetic delivery, above a frantic and tight skinny rhythm, with sample looped tight in the background, hook left scratched samples, nice cut. Second Juice Crew song with the arrival of MC Shan, unfortunately not up to G Rap: simple rhythm, skeletal-n-hard, with syncopated and minimal drum machine, sample scratched in the background and a Shan delivery that's nothing extraordinary. A shame, because at a slightly faster speed, beat and delivery go much better together and an enjoyable track comes out. Last one reserved for Rick James: simple, essential rhythm, funky song, alt rock.

An honest record released by the major Warner Bros., as irregular as a movie soundtrack can be, with good-excellent cuts by some of the best performers on the scene in the late eighties. 7/10.