5. “Kool According to a Jungle Brother” by The Jungle Brothers
So, it might be a cheap inclusion, seeing as this is almost more of just an ‘outro’ on Done By the Forces of Nature, but I think it still makes the cut. It’s a mixture of homage to old-time Jazz, barbershop quartets, and a Last Poets cut – think “When the Revolution Comes” – that perfectly illustrates the power of Hip Hop to blend and weave different threads, sometimes effortlessly. This track was a great way to drift from afterschool music listening to watching Bob Ross with a snack and nap.
4.. A One-Two punch of the “Intro” and “Skit 1” on De La Soul is Dead by De La Soul
Okay, first of all, having Maceo, Dave, and Dres of the Black Sheep pick on a bunch of grade school kids is just pure silliness brilliance. Also, when you’ve been bullied as a freshman and sophomore, it’s kinda nice to listen to this imagining of your favorite non-Gangster Rappers take out some of your frustrations, but just make you laugh your ass off as well. I mean, four of the maybe top twenty pejorative names of all-time are uttered in those two skits: Dick Snot, Butt Crust, Hamster Penis, and I’m Hemorrhoid, I’m the Leader. They really just wound each other up and let each other go to make comedy gold. Plus, the punching sounds feel like they come from a Fifties TV show soundtrack library.
3. “Bitties in the BK Lounge” (the stretch from 1:47-4:17) by De La Soul
Okay okay okay, I know you think this is a cheat code; some Tecmo Bowl bullshit where Bo Jackson can break 57 tackles and run 147 yards in one play for a touchdown. I admit, it is a stretch to include it here, but honestly, it was the only reason me and my homies listened all the way through that five minute 40 second track, which might be one of the weakest on the record, if it weren’t for this section. It’s a direct, psychedelic tangent. The main beat structure of the song falls away and an army of Kazoos comes marching in to escort a platter of pure Lou Donaldson Funk just in time for an epic shit-talkin’ battle. Not only is it a direct departure from their supposedly “soft” sound on 3 Feet High & Rising (a notion I do not agree with), but it served another purpose. I was never successful in the dating game in high school…not for lack of effort. This odd cadenza housed in a Burger King was a cathartic daydream as to how you’d tell somebody off after they shunned your romantic advances. Or maybe just how you’d talk shit to the kids that think they’re king shit compared to everyone else.
2. “Take it Off” by De La Soul
This signifies De La Soul can be a little bit gruff, but also how anti-establishment they viewed themselves as. Not only in the sense of living in a
Capitalist, White Power Paradigm society, but also against the newly-minted establishment of Hip Hop culture itself. And if you think about it in the right light, this is a prequel to “De La Orgee,” because everybody will be naked by the time they get finished taking it all off.
1. “U Mean I’m Not” by Black Sheep
If the Intro didn’t make it clear what a stupendously silly act of satire this whole record would be – except for a couple of songs – then this track should certainly have made it clear. When I was even younger and I was watching I’m Gonna Get You Sucka, I asked my friend what the movie was all about before first viewing for me. His answer was perfect, “It’s a spoof of what White people think of Black people.” Now, granted, that is a simplification that doesn’t cover all of the movie’s eccentricities, but it still works. And with A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, Black Sheep accomplished a very similarly nuanced feat of satire, serious, and tribute. My good buddy Benny and I would rap this 1:25 tirade of farcical violence and anger before chemistry class in 4th period every day of junior year in high school. It was the first class after lunch and we were full of junk food and stoned out of our minds. Interestingly enough, I aced chemistry. And every time I play this album, I can still rap that skit perfectly every time.