Straight Out The Sands
label: east park

producers: n/a
year of release: 2002
 
The Italians have Little Italy. The Chinese have China Town. There's all that, but there's no equal to it for the people from places like Africa and Arabia. They got Harlem and Bedstuy, both Dutch names. They got Queens which must be due to one crown touting chick back in the old world. They got the exception of Jamaica Queens that however is only outnumbered by another Little Tokyo across town. That's why Forge, Visual Poetics, Taajwar, Khordz-255 and Bravestar call themselves Little Egypt. Because they at least want to pretend on their album like they have their own part of town, where they seem to belong. They'd but this area somewhere in Brooklyn, the borough these cats stomp through.
There's little time to get in the mood, as the lyrics are shot at you right from the entry on "Introduction". This then really is a introduction, much more to their styles and thought pattern, than themselves. As the LE don't take time to tell each and everyone who they are. There was the "Sunrise EP" for that. Hence we go into "Here It Comes", one of the best tracks on here, due to the lack of the often too prominent keyboard sound. Instead we are given a low bass boom, we get some Asiatic sample flavouring and a rushing vibe that's thoroughly fitting these battling rhymes. So we get the clever lines like Forge spitting "a crowd full of chain smokers couldn't find a match for me". On "The Fury" the result is still cool, with the beat opting for a more Hammond like sound. And still cool despite the two rhyming cats struggling to find a true theme to their verses, with the latter though spitting "but will crucify anybody crossing me like Christianity".

tracklisting
1. Introduction
2. Here It Comes
3. The Fury
4. One Mind
5. You Don't Want To Be A Target
6. Executioners
7. Sunrise
8. I Like What You Do For Me
9. My Eyes Have Seen Enough
10. Planets
11. Craft Of The Assassin
12. Just For The Record Part II
13. LE Intro
On "You Don't Wanna Be A Target" however, things go for the worse. First it means that the tracklisting is messed up (this is forth, not fifth in line), and second, and definitely more important, there's a cheesy piano on here, and cheesy pianos are something we love to hate. Naw, we just simply can't love 'em. Thus this beat will be thoroughly disliked, with the lyrics indirectly saying two things with the same meaning: you don't want to be a target when the LE is approaching you, but also you don't want to be a target in the wider context of racists and bigots and etc. Taking a moment out from the intensity, "One Mind" is a slower and more laid back track, that would be excellent if it weren't for, yeah, you guessed it: the cheesy piano. The melodic structure however is still exquisite and it is coupled with the proud stating: "We maintain through the madness in a world gone savage / Little Egypt is way above average / with cloud nine status / we cruise at altitudes that bruise your tongues, lungs and eardrums".
"Sunrise" then goes the Wu-Tang route, with almost as many cats spitting on here. The low booming bass of "I Like What You Do For Me" is cool again, with it being very dominant and of an upright jazz tone. Lyrically we get further reflective verses that are not as much intertwined with representing lines like on other songs. Now when you listen to songs like "My Eyes Have Seen Enough", you just wish these cats would have a better recording situation available, as with the sounds again being synthetic, the melodic structure and the chorus singing could make this an undisputable must. Well, there are still the lyrics that are getting even more conscious and guiding. "Planets" then does some serious plotting, with the beat instilling instant neck movement, with the percussion being left out for a surprising long period though.
On "Craft Of The Assassin" the five take a protective stance, as they are swinging their lyrical swords. This type of rhetoric seems very founded with the tradition and soil of Brooklyn, while "Just For The Record Part II" is going for the more straight up braggadocios again. The "L.E. Intro" then puts reflections and information on the group in one track, for all those that didn't get to read the bio. The beat once more is using that instruments that we are not too keen on. Hence our conclusion: With such a conscious approach to the name, you will not be surprised that the lyrics are in similar vein. What, needless to say, is getting our props. But there's something that's severely holding back the overall impression: As around here, we don't like beats using cheesy synthetic keyboard sounds. This album contains several beats using cheesy synthetic keyboard sounds. That is a big burden to carry, and thankfully there are five shoulders that can buckle it. And, if someone knows how to manoeuvre big lumps of stones, then it must be the Egyptians.
review: tadah
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