T La Rock: “Lyrical King (From The Boogie Down Bronx)”, “Breaking Bells”
From: From The Boogie Down Bronx [Fresh Records, 1987]
Although it’s 2006, I’ve been hearing a lot of rap productions that are similar to early T La Rock cuts, particularly cuts from T La Rock’s, From The Boogie Down Bronx. Wiz Khalifa’s “Oh No”, from his mixtape, Prince Of The City: Welcome To Pistolvania, is the latest production that caught my attention with its hint of Kurtis Mantronik-style kicks.
The `80s were a magical time-minus the crack pandemic-for hip-hop culture and pioneering rappers. People like Jamel Shabazz were taking the flicks at block parties that showcased the vanity of normally humble communities. I think vanity, or utter coolness, is the reason rappers like T La Rock can have a cocky swagger without sounding like a ghetto-yuppie rapper.
“Lyrical King” is a mean production that sounds like an ominous back alley robbery anthem. It’s possible that T La Rock felt he needed a strong presence, because it’s no secret that a young LL Cool J squeezed a Def Jam contract away from T La Rock. (T La Rock’s “It’s Yours” is unofficially Def Jam’s first release, long story short, released on Party Time/Street Wise, but a Def Jam logo was on the record.) I listen to the lyrics on “Lyrical King” and it’s like T La Rock writes his mission statement to rappers and the people that made hip-hop culture.
Mantronik is a producer that needed a time machine so people could catch up to “his time”. In 1987 a lot of people were not using samples, but Mantronik managed to fit Roy Ayres’ “Brother Green” in T La Rock’s “Breaking Bells”, a production that has a gang of bells and whistles. T La Rock straight disses LL Cool J on “Breaking Bells”, sure he doesn’t say LL Cool J’s name, but this record clearly places LL Cool J’s “Rock The Bells” in last place.
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GODDAMN! That "Breaking Bells" track is vicious.
Amazing!
According to T La Rock, Breaking Bells was not aimed at LL Coll J nor inspired by Rock the Bells. He says the production on Breaking began before the release of Rock, which makes sense. "The Bells" was the common name for Bob James' "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" when 70s Bronx breakbeat DJs used it, and La Rock was in a lesser known breakbeat DJ/MC crew named the Undefeated 4 that used the Bells often. Also, Crash Crew were the first to attempt to make a reprogrammed version of the Bells about 3 years prior to this, and Run DMC's Peter Piper would trump all of them by actually cutting the Bells over an 808.