Beatmaster Clay D. and Prince Rahiem - "Pullit All The Way Down" (1990)

22 years ago, Miami Bass stars Beatmaster Clay D. and Prince Rahiem (of Beatmaster Clay D. and The Get Funky Crew) released this great album on Vision Records. I picked this up for a pittance at Mr. Peabody's in Chicago mostly based on the playful album art - at the time, I was not really familiar with Clay D's masterful production skills, and had only heard Prince Rahiem's excellent solo track "Loose My Money" once or twice - it didn't even occur to me that this was the same artist. I was more than pleasantly surprised to hear an album full of innovative, funky, trunk rattling beats and above-average (especially for Miami in the 90's) double-time flows just bubbling with youthful tongue-twisting energy.

First, I'll share the title track, "Pullit All The Way Down," which is a bit more typical of what I would expect from a Miami Bass group in 1990, but still lends the feeling that it is somehow a cut above the rest. Prince Rahiem wastes no breath bouncing his words all over the track, and Clay D's funky bass line and complex drum fills make this one a hit:

Next is a track that really took me by surprise with the use of a soulful sample that is chopped up with a smacking drum in a way that I had almost never heard from this era or region. The lyrics are a bit more introspective as well, focusing on the pains of dealing with fake friends - a common struggle in Hip-Hop. Here's "So Called Friends":

Finally, here's "Ding-A-Ling," which not only uses a sample from Chuck Berry's song "My Ding-A-Ling," but reinterprets the lyrics of the original as well. As simple as it is, this song is a lot of fun, and once again, Clay D's drum fills are mind-numbingly awesome and I believe way ahead of their time:

Overall, this is an album with a lot of highlights (even more than I chose to share), and very few misses (There is one song where they try to pull off an uncanny Public Enemy impression in honor of Nelson Mandela which is interesting for a group from Miami, but seems like too much of a rip-off of their sound even if it is intentional). Although Beatmaster Clay D. and Prince Rahiem definitely had their impact in their own time and place, I have a feeling that their influence should have been much greater. Their production seems unique and inventive - even sounding modern and relevant 22 years later - and Prince Rahiem is an incredibly competent emcee. Enjoy this gem!