Five Deez - Pt 2: Let's Make a Dance Record

Funky (Extended Version) - Five Deez
from 12", also on Kinkynasti on K7! (2003).

Pretty Pussy Kitty Kat - Fat Jon as Maurice Galactica f/ Five Deez
from Humanoid Erotica on Counterflow (2001).

Note: I was inspired to write a series of posts about Five Deez and their producer Fat Jon recently, so this will be a multi-part post. The Five Deez stuff will be here over the next week or so and so as not to clog up site from my fellow posters the Fat Jon posts will be over at www.criticalbeatdowns.com. Please use the comments to let me know if this works well or not.

In 2003 Five Deez released their second studio album Kinkynasti. Since their classic debut Koolmotor, they had switched labels (from Counterflow to K7!), Fat Jon had moved to Berlin and recorded a much-maligned album with Pole, and (I believe) Pase Rock had released a solo album. And they made an album that other than sharing an inventive, try-anything attitude with Koolmotor left many of their fans surprised at the drastic shift in styles. The Deez were clear in interviews at the time that they wanted to make an album completely different from Koolmotor and that their efforts this time were aimed at creating a "dance record." One listen to the first single off the album, "Funky," shows how well they've done in this regard. The BPMs are pushed way up for a 4-on-the-floor hip-house style track and the crew gets to work on their fast rap stylings. While the rest of the album isn't all clearly pulsing booty-shakers like "Funky," it never has the filtered, lush feel of Koolmotor either. I'll admit that I was personally disappointed that they didn't put together Koolmotor 2, but I definitely admire a group that is willing to challenge its hard won fan base by switching up their style significantly after only one album. Common and The Roots know a little something about how unwilling a lot of hip hop fans can be to challenge their aural palette. This is the extended version of "Funky" from the 12" which is just the album version, plus another 2+ minutes of the instrumental on the end. That's nice because you get to focus on Fat Jon's layered, clear production (check the sleigh bells).

The second track I've put up today "Pretty Pussy Kitty Kat" is referenced in Fat Jon's verse on "Funky." Fat Jon's new style of crisp, clear production had been showcased previously on his solo album on Counterflow under the guise of Maurice Galactica: Humanoid Erotica, which featured the "Pretty Pussy" track. Essentially "PPKK" is a Five Deez track since it features the group on vocals over production by Fat Jon, even if it is technically on one of FJ's solo records. Eschewing traditional hip hop song structure again, we get 2 solid minutes of dance tempo beats before the rappers show up. In those 2 minutes, we get intro scratches over some popping dance-tempo beats with a beautiful flute sample and a horn sample that Fat Jon just teases us with and then leaves out of the rest of the song. The beat morphs a little for the vocal section with some spare piano notes and viciously mellow bassline at the close. Out from their blunted beat beginnings the Five Deez showcased a great feel for organic dance style tracks with a more technical style of production. Evidently it didn't hit too well because Kinkynasti and the "Funky" singles have been a mainstay in the dollar bins for a while now around here, but I'm feeling it way more today than I was in 2003, so maybe heads just weren't ready yet.