This record continually puzzles me because Dana Dane is one of the few rappers I have to strain to understand what he says. He raps with a New York/British accent. Not sure if that is genius or simply weird. I lean towards the latter. Lot of fun songs on here, though!

Well, a lot changed, because this record is better than the last one. The wily duo streamlines their approach big-time, focusing on one party-style cut after another. This blatant-sampling kind of rap may seem corny today, but stuff like "Hip Hop Junkies" and "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow" was seen as highly creative pop rap back then. Definitely a golden age record worth checking out over and over again.

One of those acts more known for their appearances on other rappers' records rather than their own. Greg Nice rapped as the loud, hype guy while Smooth B always backed him up with a life story that somehow related to the song title. The duo's debut has an expansive "We're The Rappers, He's The DJ" vibe that doesn't always work to their benefit. When they cut to the chase and match clear party raps with outrageous retro samples ("Early to Rise" and "Funky for You"), it's a winner.

This is different than the Geto Boys lineup which came to mainstream popularity in the early 90's. Different lineup and style of music. The only song from this period which crossed over to that phase of the group was "Assassins", albeit in remixed form. The music just doesn't go together at all. It's…MAKING TROUBLE! That's it!

The rapper who spelled out the words he rapped. The video for the single "Spellbound" came off like a hip-hop version of Sesame Street. Spelling was the hook but behind the flashy gimmick was an adept and brainy MC, one of the few able to clearly put across the up-tempo rapping style on record. His Hit Squad association helps immensely, as Parrish Smith of EPMD produced, making sure Madison is the spotlight of this lyrically focused, surprisingly-oddball affair, as tracks like "Tales from the Crackside" and "Drums of Death" fervently prove.