Cru: Just Another Case and The Ebonic Plague
From: Da Dirty 30 [Def Jam, 1997]
Returning to one of my favourite post themes today – the why oh why isn’t this more famous than it is/wrongly slept on classics righteous venting. The Cru’s Da Dirty 30 seems to be getting more well known as time goes on but is still not really at the level of respect the album should be courting after 10 years of circulation.
Released in 1997 in the middle of Def Jam’s messy reorganisation, the 30 track album (with only around 6 skits) suffered from what I can only take as a botched publicity drive. Even in the far off land of the UK I managed to catch the single Just Another Case on late night radio which was enough to get me to hunt down the album (a lot harder back in those primitive times involving lots of, gasp, shop enquiries and magazines). However, the expected following hype for the album release never materialised and it sunk into 1997 without leaving a trace.
On to the album itself and why it’s a personal favourite. While Cru’s mcing is of a more than acceptable standard, what really sets the album apart is the production work from under appreciated man behind the music Yogi. Producing the whole album single handedly, Yogi continually flips the styles, successfully offering everything from ATCQ jazzy flavours to RZA dark and threatening soundscapes. Perhaps this is what damaged the group more than anything as while the wide range of styles allows them to offer something to every kind of rap fan it’s not really clear what market they should have been pushed to.
Anyway, Just Another Case is the track that sold me on the group and it still resonates today. Featuring a beautifully understated hook of guitar and swirling strings the crew/cru unravel a tale of hard knocks boosted by an in form appearance by Slick Rick (still one of my favourite vocal styles in the history of hip hop).
The Ebonic Plague is a more upbeat track once again featuring vocals from Q-Tip voiced Yogi, ODB voiced The Mighty Ha and Chadeeo. This time they get Rass Kass offering some lyrical input (speaking of where are they now rappers…..)and the track bubbles and bounces along in impressive fashion.
It was really quite a trial to only pick two tracks from the collection with so many different styles on offer and I can only recommend you pick up a copy to discover your own favourites and perhaps share a moment of sadness as “DJ Footlong” wraps up the album promising a part 2 to follow shortly. Ten years and waiting guys………..
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Just Another Case was a great song, I wonder why I've neither ever seen this record around nor heard it played by any djs at parties.
Ahh, I've only ever heard one other cru song but i loved it so much, I'm glad to hear some more! I'm going to play it at parties!
Aidan
ww.certifiedbanger.blogspot.com
I remember Tim Westwood playing 'Pronto' off this album and talking it up like they were going to be the next big thing…but 'Live At The Tunnel' was definitely a favourite for me back then, christ – that was a quick ten years!
Yeah it's strange how the group slipped away so quickly after the initial hype. Particularly strange that Yogi didn't blow up after the album's release. Live At The Tunnel is a killer track.
The Dirty 30 LP is pure class and the production and samples are superb – a real mixture of sounds that is reminscent of (another Bronx bomber) Diamond D's "Stunts Blunts" LP. The lyrics are very clever and witty also:
The "Straight from LIP" track that uses Lalo Schifrin’s “Danube Incident” is one of the standout tracks for me (although "Just anotha case" is as catchy as "Off the books").
I may be totally wrong here but if I remember rightly (10 years on) I think one of Cru was, unfortunately, in jail when the LP came out (bit like Fashion when Intoxicated came out) and I suspect that Def Jam didn't get behind promoting the LP… although to be fair there is a video for "Just Another Case" which is worth checking out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDPKcPeTJp4
Good to see that the Mighty Ha is still around:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deZM76TLux8
Forgot to add the lyrics from the track "That shit":
[Yogi]
Aiyyo I don't give a uh, I don't give a uh
I bring it back to that everytime I get stuck
[w/Mighty Ha]
But, BUT, i, I, bring, BRING, flow, FLOW
Don't have to act like it cause yo I know
I know what went down in the park in Bronx River
I know that John Gotti still calling me a nigga
I know the whitest face comes from the black woman
I know my ass is grass cause Armageddon is coming
I know we got big hips it makes us run fast though
I know I'm still a slave calling black women hoe
I know that Columbus ain't discover shit
I know a couple niggas said I sound like Q-Tip
I know you said the sound is Abstract but the
blood on your face is very real, very very real
Simply one of the dopest albums ever dropped. The lyrics are superior, the beats are filthy, and if they ever drop another album I will definitely be copping one.
i used to rhyme over just another case ins, 1998, with my group downearf
big up!
i can't believe cru has been criminally slept on like this – thanks for bringing them to my attention, i'm loving "just another case" with that nice guitar lick and the slick rick references…dope!
31
You have a goal:::Fix your problems with the gods BEFORE you ascend.
Too many who begin to work on their problems are offered a spot before they accomplish their goal. They go up but are replaced with clones::::Since the dawn of mankind the peasantry are replaced with brained-clones. These newbies believe everything they're told and behave as they were BrainLessCloneHosts::::Since we're so deep into this degenerate age the requests from the gods are similarly degenerate. Compliance in effect casts their blood line into damnation.
The goal is to educate your whole family and try to get everyone out.
Back in the 80s they used their tools within society to ridicule away corporal punishment of children.
Corporal punishment is a very important learning expereince for children because it instills the understanding of fear at a very tender age. These experiences can help these individuals think correctly, make good decisions and have a good relationship with the gods.
Without fear people think they are friends, partners, earning with each act of evil. They don't view the gods or their relationship with them appropriately.
They manufactured ugly examples, disfavored children were killed and the gods used these examples in conjunction with their tools within society to eliminate this benefit to the people. It is yet another example of how they break down beneficial institutions within society, a "leveling the playing field" event, important to justify their inevitable behavior come Judgement Day.
Those BrainLessCloneHostswho are most visible/active get turned over most frequently, which is why CSPAN was so bad for politicians.
Prior, politician's favor could be ranked with those CEOs, VPs and BODs who are not visible and never seen. With the advent of TV cameras in the chambers their turnover increased substantially, making them as disfavored as atheletes who play daily or celebrities we see frequently.
Learn from what I teach because this is THE event and it won't happen again.
They will use temptation to sell you that someone will save you, for that's what you want to hear.
You have to save yourself, for we are all responsible for our own relationship with the gods.
Start doing the work.
Interesting comaprisons can be made between how the gods inflicted Christianity upon Europeans and Latinos and how they imposed the institution that is the United States:::
The gods forced Christianity on Europeans, creating necessity. They employed temptive tactics on Latinos, leading them to the missionaries with "civilized luxuries".
The Irish are special:::
1. Defeated the invading rapist pirate Scandanavian Vikings.
2. Were forced into emmigrating to the United States with the Potato Famine (1846-1857) as opposed to falling for temptation (request/comply), religious strife, political unrest, wanting more (greed).
I suspect the Irish are at the top of the "food chain" of necessity, religious strife co
Damn! I was just talking about this on the Radio last friday night, played just another case 12" single REMIX with Slick Rick, then went to my resident gig at the Common Grounds (Gainesville FL) dropped it again with an as usual hype crowd response! Classic, crimanally slept on LP. Haven't played it in a while. And BAMMMM ya'll let the secret out….. post them triples on ebay!!!