Get Back [PA]

Performer: Little Brother
Producer: 9th Wonder; Rashid Hadee; Hi-Tek; Zo; Khrysis; Nottz; Ill Mind; 9th Wonder; Rashid Hadee; Hi-Tek; Denaun Porter; Zo!
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Little Brother: Phonte (vocals, background vocals); Pooh (vocals). Personnel: Zo! (various instruments); Stan 'The Trumpet Man' Graham, Stan Graham (trumpet); Sheldon Williams, Sheldon Williams (keyboards); Khrysis (bass guitar); Muhsinah, DJ Cosmos (programming). Additional personnel: Carlitta Durand, Dion, Lil Wayne, Darien Brockington, Jozeemo (rap vocals). Recording information: Chopp Shopp Studios, Durham, NC. Author: Pooh . On Little Brother's third studio album GETBACK, 9th Wonder backs off the boards, producing just one cut and yielding production credits to Illmind, Khrysis, Mr. Porter, Nottz, Rashid Hadee, Zo!, and Hi-Tek. The end result is still an incredibly cohesive LP that relies on elevated lyricism and true-school reverence. Phonte and Big Pooh continue to hone their already-impressive mic skills, deconstructing narratives behind brand name materialism, myths of celebrity glamour, and flimsy arguments that blame hip-hop for society's ills. Lil Wayne, Carlitta Durand, Darien Brockington, Jozeemo, and Dion make guest appearances. GETBACK is another example of innovative hip-hop from one of the underground's most talented acts. It should be an easy story to tell: vaunted rap group loses the producer who made them a quality act, then slowly sinks back into the underground, never to be heard from again. From Get Back, it's clear that Little Brother didn't mind the loss of 9th Wonder and decided to rewrite the script. Not only do Phonte and Pooh sound like nothing has changed, in point of fact they sound more energized and engaged than ever before. They've got more to say and more intriguing ways to say it, including touches like fronting a flashy production worthy of Bad Boy for the anti-materialist "Good Clothes," inviting Lil Wayne for "Breakin My Heart" (where he reliably blows your mind with line after line, like "I don't want a broken heart because I lose the pieces"), and floating an utterly hilarious expos� of late-night hook-ups ("After the Party"). Instead of the usual rap record circa 2007, where dozens of lines go by with no reason to pay particular attention besides technical ability, it's difficult not to hang on every line here from Phonte and Pooh. And for those worried about the production quality with 9th Wonder's departure, it may have actually improved with the work of Illmind and Khrysis, among others (9th Wonder appears once, on the Lil Wayne feature). It's one of the most refreshing hip-hop records of 2007, one where you can rely on rappers to talk intelligently and rap fluidly about important subjects, know what to treat seriously and what to treat humorously, put up great productions, and really care about what they're saying. ~ John Bush

Spin (p.122) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[They] sound feisty and determined, with keen observations on the mundane yet crucial aspects of everyday black life."

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