Music On Vinyl (2017, Reissue)
Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for 25+ years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.
Das EFX was something of a revelation when I first heard them. This was a band that was spitting out lyrics that were almost ninety percent pop culture references, mixed in with a little creative jibberish and the occasional story telling plot point. I had never heard anything like it prior to its release in 1992. The first Del record was probably my first experience with a hip hop record that was light and comical, without being a joke, but Das EFX took the silliness to a higher level while keeping the music grimy and tough.
As part of the EPMD led Hit Squad, Das EFX instantly had cred, but it's the quality of the ten songs on this record that make it a bonafide classic twenty seven years later. The beats are sludgy, but still punch in a way where it's impossible to not nod your head along. Album opener "Mic Checka" sets the stage for what's to come, highlighting Das EFX's "diggedy" style flow and name dropping The Captain and Tenille for no real reason. It's hard hitting, but ridiculous and I just love it.
Considering that a lot of the 90s had hip hop acts cramming their CDs full of music to the maximum run time, Dead Serious coming in at a lean forty-ish minutes makes each song more impactful. Plus there's not much in the way of filler or stupid skits that weigh down a lot of other albums of the era. In 1992 this was one of my very favorite albums. In 2019 I still think it's as great as ever. I also really dig their often slept on sophomore album Straight Up Sewaside, but I haven't picked up the vinyl for that one just yet.
Das EFX - "Mic Checka":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXSBk_ebq-A
Das EFX - "They Want EFX":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF61j4Re2io
Das EFX - "Straight Out The Sewer":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLST66gKEyA
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