Sweet Potatoes
label: oblong

producers: scott koozner

guests: styles infinite, m. beats
year of release: 2002
website: fatherscottunlimited.com
 
With all those space aliens out there, those science teachers, those pinball machine artists, it's refreshing when we get records that remember the traditions, the excitement of the first introductions of jazz. You know, it's rather impossible to reinvent hip hop in a full fledged way anyways, so why not do the old formula, and do it good? And once again I'm putting thoughts and a realization into the artist's reviews, that is not backed by conversation between this reviewer and the artist. But a review is about impressions one gets from listening to music. It's about describing what one hears, trying to put that into words, so that you know what to expect when picking the record up. At least that's the goal we set ourselves around here.
And so in describing this record, we shall note again the previously mentioned vibe of often jazzy instrumentation, that's smooth while not blurred or meshed. The production by Scott Koozner is crisp, and it works very well in a setting where you sit down, have a glass of white wine and listen. At least on tracks like "Sweet Potatoes", where a sugary guitar is as much an inspiration for finger snapping as it will get the connoisseurs neck bouncing, slightly, but not less intensive. This is very much fitting the summer days of the year."Past Era" gets even smoother, but that humming sound features a surprising hidden anger. The "Instrumental" can still be put in the same category, with here the style moving back to some Nonce-ish moments, what is never a bad thing. "Over" almost blatantly opts for an early 90s, and here very jazzy vibe. But again, that can hardly be a bad thing.

tracklisting
1. The Unlimited
2. Hometown
3. Sweet Potatoes
4. Past Era
5. Instrumental
6. The Bond feat. Styles Infinite
7. Water I Tread feat. M. Beats
8. Two Months
9. Autograph
10. Time
11. Over
Even though "The Bond" is also smooth, here it's also aquanautic and nocturnal, due to the well separated bubble sounds. This track is in the same family as "Two Months", where however a piano prevents the songs to be same sounding, while they are driven by the same spirit. Still restrained, tracks like "Hometown" and an even further restrained "Autograph" can move a crowd, while the choppiness on "The Unlimited" and "Water I Tread" is well suited for the emcees to spit and flow. "Time" then even pushes forward, with it still not being edgy or urgent.
Now in this hip hop trade, it's a curious fact that the style of beats and lyrics often comes together. Like, you're unlikely to hear gangsta rap over jazz instrumentation, science fiction spitting over a disco rhythm, or so called 'positive' verses over edgy hardcore beats. So with the vibe of the beats already described, you to a big extend already got an idea of what you'll find on this record. And your expectations will be met. Hence the biggest surprise lyrically are the French lines that Napoleon spits on his solo cut "Time". Another standout track is "Two Months" where Scott Koozner steps behind the mic to give us a tale on how the good things most of the time appear when they are not forced into appearance. Be it that a girl suddenly talks to you, or that you actually stop producing for a minute and start rhyming. Further "The Bond" also stands out, because it features a guest, and with it being the Mountain Brothers' Styles Infinite. He teams up with Seez Mics and Napoleon to not spit braggadocios verses, but to tell us how these cats chose their style, with Seez saying: "I found beauty in the bond between my thoughts and the beats".
Nevertheless though, there's also moments of braggadocios on "Water I Tread", with the message at least coming on one verse later though. Or there's the commenting on other emcees "Autograph", how they deal with fellow men, or how meeting them can be either sobering or only further your respect. "Sweet Potatoes" opens with a memory of Scott's grandma, to then be completed with more memories of each member, with Seez Mics, Jesus and Napoleon taking us back into a time, where there we enormous little details that made a big difference. And listening to this, many of your own thoughts will pop up, and you will be saddened by all the changes that have lately been imposed on you, arguing that they'll make your life better, safer or whatnot, while they actually only make it emptier, flatter.
And this track is the appropriate one to end this review, because in a way, it works as a microcosms for the whole album: the album is small, only eleven tracks and only so many minutes. It's in spirit borrowing from previously mastered styles, and it's neither pushy nor arrogant. So it brings back a lot of what used to be so good about this art. And it incorporates it into making the difference between borrowing and copying evident. Meaning, these are not merely warmed up leftovers, but a first time cooked meal. And the recipe is an old family one, that has just been found again. Hence the first time trying it out, there's still one or two dosages to learn, but the meal is already delicious.
review: tadah
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