Classic Review : A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing in The Source (1991)

Review of Black Sheep’s first album in the november 1991 issue of The Source, written by Atco.

 

 

“There is a lot of talk about the lack of slammin’ jams on recent albums. That’s definitely not the case with the Black Sheep debut. Riding the jazzy “Flavor Of The Month,” Dres and Mista Lawnge follow-up with a style that’s bound to annoy and enjoy. With tracks such as “Similak Child,” “Hoes We Noes,” and “La Menage” (featuring Q-Tip), it’s plain to see that the Sheep rhyme about topics that might upset a few feminists, but it’s all in fun.

 

Musically the Sheep are unique, giving you an ear-ful of previously unused beats, basslines and samples from all types of music without making their tracks noisy or cluttered. The production comes off sounding crisp and clear to the point that you’ll find yourself freestyling over their funky beats.

 

Dres flows like a waterfall, and “the sugardick-daddy” Mista Lawnge spouts the lingo on a couple of cuts like on “Pass The 40,” where he states: “l stick gum in my ass cause I like to pop shit. ” Other dope cuts include ” Black With N.V. ” (No Vision), the tour-de-force “Try Counting Sheep” (which has a clever Rare Earth sample) and a message to the legions of wack rappers on “To Whom lt May Concern.” Throw in a couple of funny skits and you’ve got an idea of what the Sheep are about.

 

Although Black Sheep are down with the likes of De La Soul, Quest and the JB’s, they don’t sound like any of them-their shit just sounds dope.”

 

ATCO