:: Warner Bros.
Bush Babees? Who? Maybe because you didn't buy their first album, when they had 'Da' in front of Bush Babees. This is your chance for redemption. Outta Flatbush, these young kids proclaim love for hiphop in a way hardly shocking or different from some of the acts out there. But who cares? Feel the Gravity, because it gets the job done, kid.
Don't think no one knows about these kids, cause Q-Tip's on one of their tracks, "3 MCs". What's it about? You learn about their flows, rhythms, and style. While the Abstract delivers, these brothas are on point: 'See/Most of y'all don't know how y'all really should operate/You need to contemplate/What you really cannot stop to wait/Just cooperate/Let me select the path/You do not know the half/Simply cause you don't know the math/On how to automate the crath' (track 6 0:51-1:03). What's it mean? And who the fuck do these kids think they are? From this track, some may assume they're just blowin' smoke, but look through the smoke screen to see the real message. With all of this shuckin' and jivin' goin' on right now, someone needs to step to the forefront and set things straight. Listen up.
Titled the same as the album, "Gravity" contains another simple message. Just do your thing, and get it done correctly. It opens up: 'We in this modern day Babylon/With empty pawns/I think about my last dollar while you holla for these rap songs/I'm in my heater when I rap about what I believe in/No deceivin/Illuminati got that ass lickin'/Yo should I ever rock/Or will I ever blow/Or should I get the loot I got/And call a cab and go/Cause nowadays you can't smile up in your video/I'm livin' off sour milk and cold cereal/My moms say that life is what you make it/Hold every sacred/Cause/A lot of niggas in the East don't represent/And out West I saw a few that was fraudulent' (track 2 0:42-1:13). May seem like a hella long quote, but ingest it, listen to it. Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?
All the tracks seem to flow nicely and don't give you a headache like some cuts do. On "In Meh Dreams", the Babees return to their roots with a little reggae vibe, featuring Muntcho Leo. "S.O.S." is calling out a distress signal for the entire nation, that hiphop is in danger, and someone needs to re-vitalize it. You think you can do it? And to stay true to the culture, "Wax" is where everyone wants to be. You can have your Versace, Moet and Lexuses, but if you ain't on wax, no one's gonna give a fuck about you.
Interestingly, with all their simple messages and direct tactics, the Bush Babees manage to bring some distinctiveness to the scene. Image the Native Tongues, the Hieroglyphics, and the Pharcyde. You should be feelin' them in here. May seem crazy, but ya gotta listen. For a sophomore album, these Babees sure manage to grow up mighty fast.
ORIGINAL HEADz UP! score: 6 out of 6 (converted to RapReviews.com)
TOTAL Vibes: 10 out of 10
Originally posted: January/February 1997
source: HEADz UP!