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If your lucky and had a nose for dope underground Hip-Hop 12” inch records outta the west coast in the late nineties and the better part of the aughties, chances are your familiar with ABB (Always Bigger And Better) Records. The tiny indie label based out of Oakland and run by Beni B was home to some excellent releases from now household subterranean names out west, including Evidence, Defari, DJ Babu, Joey Chavez and Planet Asia among others. One specific “other” that I (a huge fan of the label) always wanted to hear more from was a cat that went by the name Amad-Jamal or “AJ”. This guy wielded a unique flow dense with sharp rhymes effortlessly and seemed to embody the L.A. scene with his “L.A. City” single release in 01’. I remained hopeful that he’d put out a record sooner than later but after several years of waiting and no hearing, I’d all but threw in the towel…Now in 2010 my hopes for this unique talent, that as it turns out traces his origins in the game to a 1992 demo with L.A. beat maker du jour DJ Khalil, will be realized as he’s finally released a debut solo album titled Barely Hangin On: The Chronicles Of a Brotha Like Rodney King.
It’s a wonder how folks don’t know AJ better…He’s performed at many, if not all of the shows that were pretty much pre-requisites for memorable Hip-Hop acts of the 90’s..from the Stretch And Bobbito Show to The Lyricist Lounge he’s been battle tested. Apparently trying to run a record label for a time was what reeled Amad away from folks like myself who were left hangin’, wanting more, clinging to what lil’ bits of work we did get. Setting out on his new journey to release this record I was a tad bit skeptical. Artists that I liked a decade ago have a inclination to let me down in the modern theater of the Hip-Hop industry. I was pleasantly surprised when I got to hear this record that that would not be the case. AJ’s underground meets boom bap meets funk meets social message or enthralling story on every track brand of Hip-Hop beams through mightily on Barely Hangin’ On….
The intro is dead pan and to the point…an English accent that I believe to be one of the fab four (don‘t crucify me if I‘m wrong) informs the listener that he “no longer believes in myth” and that it’s time to “get down to so-called reality”. A subtle, yet fitting prelude to an album that oozes with veracity and strikes that ever so sweet balance between informing and grooving with you. If you love dope, sample based production, ripe with drum breaks re-worked like they were put under the Slap chop, interesting themes that are un-afraid of giving you the news and the stark reality that life can be, take a seat, your gonna be here for awhile. Early on we get that soberness with just a lil’ twist of soul in a flawlessly poignant joint called “Rodney King (Tom Bradley’s Theme)”. It’s one of the rare times ever that I’m comfortable with the music taking the lead and our protagonist sort of following. A great piece of music that jumps off the album mightily.
It’d be easy to let things fall off pace after a rousing offering like that, but AJ guides things properly, first with a nicely executed, bouncy excursion called “Believe That” that features his old ABB buddies Dilated Peoples and second with a cold slice of lower middle and working class life “Goin’ Postal” that illuminates the real life struggles a black man faces in the work place through a chilling tale that recurs all too often in this society.
Jamal keeps things interesting by throwing a curve ball next as he rhymes at a break neck pace over a kind of rock melded with Hip-Hop canvas fittingly dubbed “Beautiful Hardcore”. It jumps around here and there subject-wise, but is still highly listenable. Middle portions of Barely Hangin On.. are things of beauty themselves. The prodding goodness that is “The Pros” features Doc One and Amad going line for line over a scintillating yet somewhat stripped down beat launches you into the meat of this excellently paced and carefully planned album. “Stop Fucking Around” is another rich sound bed that along with the lush vocals from Maaya Ota create a nice sing songy, yet not overly velvety song.
There really aren’t any “bad” tracks from AJ this time out…the closest he comes to being run of the mill or formulaic might be on “Boy Meets Girl” or “Get Peace”, but both manage to overcome fairly tired topics with alluring beat work and headier-than-most lyrical pining. We get that old ABB feel as well as a new direction.
It’s relevant that Amad chose to title this record Barely Hangin On: The Chronicles Of a Brotha Like Rodney King…that notorious event that he hints at involving Mr. King displayed some of the raw truth that bubbled up to the surface of Los Angeles after festering for too long, setting off some serious carnage. Amad has brought all of us his raw truth and his reality after far too long as well. Just like L.A. and Rodney King were, those unfortunate events somewhat shaped their path’s for awhile in the days, months and years following, creating a story that is heavy on reflection…we love those kind of stories and AJ eloquently showed us some fragments of his in a radiant, intelligent and yet relatable way that few in his region will match this year or for many years to come in all Likelihood.
AJ’s departure from gangster posturing and the flaunting of things and lifestyles he DOESN’T really own or live is appreciated and the honesty he streams forth with intellectually valid stances and a didactic consciousness I highly appreciate. When artists deliberately go against the grain of today’s status quo great music happens and Amad does that unflinchingly from start to finish, beginning a career a bit later than I had hoped, but in stellar fashion nonetheless.
$19.00 out of $20.00
-Dominick “BIG D O” Ledezma
August 15th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Hi, just wanted to say that this was very entertaining. I will come back to read more!
August 18th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Terrific, that’s just what I was scanning for! You just saved me alot of searching around
May 5th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)