The U.N. — UN or U Out

Unique album released by The U.N., hip-hop group from Long Island, New York, formed by rappers Rakeem "Roc Marciano" Myer, J. "Dino Brave" Hodges, James "Laku" Armstrong, Michael "Mic Raw" Marr. Production is provided by Roc Marciano, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Mahogany, Mic Raw, Oddisee and Bruce Wayne. There are no guests.

Consisting of 14 songs and 49 minutes of material, which stretch to almost an hour with the two bonus tracks, the disc was released following the promotional tape of the same year "Strength and Honor", released by Rock Marciano as a solo act and featuring the same performers. The group made its debut in 2001, on Pete Rock's first instrumental album, as the only rap act of the original edition. The UN album is released by the 456 Entertainment label founded by Carson Daly and Jonathan Rifkind, initially expected to fall under the Loud distribution, of Rifkind's brother Steve, however, Loud closes in 2002 while the boys are preparing the project.

Were if it wasn't for the 2014 reissue of Fat Beats, on the occasion of Record Store Day, with the addition of two bonus tracks, the record would have been buried in the dusty huge archives of underground rap for who knows how long. The production is typical East Coast boom bap, jazz samples, dry, dirty and dusty midtempo drums, minimal and tight, discreet bass, dark mood, which support the hardcore rap performed with a competent style by the four interprets. The lyrics revolve around street life, violence, crime, drugs, weapons, the kids spit out crude and sturdy bars that create solid rhyming brick walls.

It's a street rap album with no concessions, raw, rough, coherent and tight. It doesn't revolutionize, it doesn't innovate, it's simply a homage to 90s hip-hop. Not the golden age, not the East Coast cinematic gangsta rap, not his darkest son of the mid-nineties, this dates back to the post-gangster era, that of the thug, that of Capone & Noreaga, between '97 and '98, early '99. In some productions, you can notice Roc Marciano's attitude in preferring non-traditional and somewhat experimental rhythms, for example in "Mind Blowin'", where a noisy drum is inserted to contrast stretched and elongated piano keys, providing a curious sound carpet for the boys' raw rap. "What They Want" boasts one of the best beats of the edition, by Large Professor, delivering a bright and nostalgic soundscape, uptempo drum, jazz loop, guitar licks, great hardcore delivery. Pete Rock's rhythms are also very good, with sick loops and an excellent choice of drum patterns, sometimes perfect, it sounds even better than the samples. The tape doesn't get promotion and the group doesn't publish any further material. It's a good listen for fans of that kind of hip-hop, 7.5/10.